Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat

KTP had a long football traditions centred on its golden age in the early 1950s when the club won two Finnish championships in 1951 and 1952. They also won the Finnish Cup four times, the most recent occasion being in 1980. The club, playing in the renamed Arto Tolsa Areena, were participating in the Veikkausliiga as recently as 2000, but were relegated to Ykkönen and finally went into bankruptcy. The club re-formed and played in the lower divisions before gaining promotion to the Kakkonen in 2007. They spent two seasons in the Kakkonen but were relegated in 2009. In 2010, the club are playing in the Kolmonen and was promoted to Kakkonen where they played 2011–2013.

KTP team which won the Finnish championship in 1951

Season 2014, KTP finished second in Ykkönen, and promoted to Finnish top league Veikkausliiga in season 2015. However, after a difficult 2015 Veikkausliiga season, club finished 11th in the league, and had to play a promotion play-off against PK-35. After two disappointing performances, the club lost on aggregate 3–2, and were relegated back to Ykkönen.

The all-time Championship appearances and leading goal scorer of KTP is Arto Tolsa with 126 goals in 201 matches.

KTP is one of the most supported clubs in Finland. Closest rival is MYPA. Distance between cities is little over 30 kilometres. However, when MYPA went to bankrupt, clubs have not faced each other for many years. During December 2017 and January 2018, KTP sold 2273 season tickets, which is the all-time record in the Finnish First Division.

Arto Tolsa-Areena

The home venue of the KTP is Arto-Tolsa Arena. It was opened in 1952 and was known as the Kotkan Urheilukeskus, but in 2000 the full renovation of the stadium, name was changed to the Arto Tolsa Arena. At the beginning of the 2015 season, the pitch was converted to an artificial playing surface.

KTP have played in Europe on one occasion in the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1981–82 season, having won the Finnish Cup in 1980.

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Score	Agg.
1981–82	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	First round		SC Bastia	0–0, v 0–5	0–5

Top Level (25 seasons): 1948–58, 1963–69, 1979–83, 1999–2000
Second Level (15 seasons): 1943/44, 1959–62, 1970–72, 1978, 1984, 1994–98
Third Level (16 seasons): 1973–77, 1985–93, 2008–09, 2011–
Fourth Level (7 seasons): 2002–07, 2010
Fifth Level (1 season): 2001

As of 21 January 2021[1]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  FIN Anton Lepola 4 DF  FIN Paavo Voutilainen 5 DF  NGA Michael Ogungbaro 10 MF  FIN Antti Mäkijärvi 16 MF  ESP Asier Arranz 17 FW  NGA David Onyeanula 18 MF  GHA Thomas Agyiri 19 FW  FIN Anton Eerola 23 MF  FIN Matias Lindfors

No. Pos. Nation Player 24 MF  FIN Niklas Leinonen 25 GK  FIN Pyry Piirainen 26 DF  FIN Matias Paavola 28 MF  FIN Kimi Kolsi 32 MF  FIN David Ramadingaye — MF  FIN Anttoni Huttunen — MF  FIN Johannes Laaksonen — FW  FIN Matias Tamminen (on loan from Inter Turku) — FW  FIN Aleksi Tarvonen

• KTP Official Website
• Finnish Wikipedia
• Suomen Cup
• KTP Fans Forum