Laajasalon Palloseura (abbreviated LPS) is a football club from Laajasalo, Helsinki in Finland. The club was formed in 1978 and their home ground is at the Laajasalon urheilupuisto. The men's first team currently plays in the Kolmonen (Third Division). The Chairman of LPS is Timo Viheriäranta.
Background The club held their inaugural meeting on 11 September 1978 and 14 people attended who were interested in football. For the early part of their history LPS spent many seasons in the lower divisions of the Finnish football league. In 2003 LPS won their Kolmonen section and subsequently played 10 consecutive seasons in the Kakkonen (Second Division), the third tier of Finnish football from 2004 before being relegated in 2013. The most successful season was in 2007 when LPS finished fourth in their section.
The club finished 5th, 4th and 5th in the first three years back in Kolmonen. In 2017, the club picked up 7 points from the first 4 games and went on a run of 16 consecutive wins which saw them go into the penultimate round of the season on October 1, 4 points ahead of league rivals and second place NJS, who were the last team to stop them winning in a 0–0 draw on May 12. A shock 4–0 defeat against TuPS still had them 1 point ahead, with the final match a home tie against Reipas who ended up finishing a distant 3rd, 19 points behind LPS.
LPS trailed 2–0 at half-time but managed to recover to 2–2 in the 84th minute, only to have a man sent off a minute later and unable to find the third goal to win the game and win the league. LPS were promoted to the Kakkonen in 2nd place but would return to the Kolmonen immediately, finishing bottom of the league. Upon return to the Kolmonen, the highest league finishes were third in 2019 and 2022, but both some way off the league winners, 15 and 10 points away respectively.
Season to season SeasonLevelDivisionSectionAdministrationPositionMovements1980Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)7th1981Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)12thRelegated1982Tier 6V Divisioona (Fifth Division)Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)4th1983Tier 6V Divisioona (Fifth Division)Group 2Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)Promoted1984Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 2Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)4th1985Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 2Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)6th1986Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)2nd1987Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)9th198819891990Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 2Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)9th1991Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)7th1992Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 2Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)8th1993Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)4th1994Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)7th1995Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)12thRelegated1996Tier 6Vitonen (Fifth Division)Upper GroupHelsinki District (SPL Helsinki)5th19971998Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Group 3Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki)Promoted1999Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Group 2Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa)8th2000Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Section 3Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa)7th2001Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Section 3Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki)2002Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Section 3Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki)2nd2003Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Section 3Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki)1st Promoted2004Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)South GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 7th2005Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)South GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 6th2006Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group AFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 8th2007Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group AFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 4th2008Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group AFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 9th2009Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group AFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10th2010Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group AFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 7th2011Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group AFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10th2012Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)EasternFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 8th2013Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)South FroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10thRelegated2014Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Section 3Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa)5th 2015Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Section 2Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa)4th 2016Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Group 1Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa)5th 2017Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Group 3Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa)2nd Promoted2018Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group AFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 12thRelegated2019Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Group 2Helsinki(SPL Helsinki)3rd 2020Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Group AHelsinki(SPL Helsinki)8th/18 2021Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Group BHelsinki(SPL Helsinki)6th/12 2022Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Group CHelsinki(SPL Helsinki)3rd/12 2023Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Group BHelsinki(SPL Helsinki)5th/12 2024Tier 5Kolmonen (Third Division)Group BHelsinki(SPL Helsinki)4th/12 10 seasons in Kakkonen 15 seasons in Kolmonen
Club Structure LPS currently has 4 men's teams for competitive soccer and 2 men's teams for hobbysoccer. For women LPS has one competitive soccer team and one team for hobbysoccer. In addition there is a junior section with at least 2 boys teams per age group and girls teams from 2011 down, providing football for approximately 900 youngsters. The club runs a soccer school at summer and a school for juniors to improve their soccerskills.
The most successful junior team is the 2010 Boys team that plays at the second highest level in Finland, in 1st Division (Ykkönen) starting Spring 2025.
Lower Level Teams The second ranked men's team is Höna who play in the Nelonen (4th Division). The Kuninkaat who currently play under the flag of LPS play in the Vitonen (5th Division) as well as the Reservi, formed in 2024, which acts as an Under 20 and reserve team to the main First Team. In their first season, they won promotion to the Vitonen, remaining undefeated through the whole season.
2025 season LPS Men's Team are competing in Group C of the Kolmonen (Third Division) administered by the Helsinki SPL. This is the fifth highest tier in the Finnish football system.
LPS / 2 are participating in Group 3 of the Nelonen (Fourth Division) administered by the Helsinki SPL.
LPS / Kuninkaat are participating in Group 4 and LPS / Reservi in Group 5 of the Vitonen (Sixth Division) administered by the Helsinki SPL.
Current Squad for the 2012 season
References and sources Official Website Kuninkaat Website Laajasalon Palloseura 2 Website Finnish Wikipedia Suomen Cup Laajasalon Palloseura (LPS) Facebook Kuninkaat Facebook Laajasalon Palloseura Fan Club Ultras Facebook
Footnotes