Chairman Ari Suoniemi Location Vyborg, Russia Leagues Kakkonen, Kolmonen | Arena/Stadium Tammelan Stadion Founded 1934 | |
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Full name Tampereen-Viipurin Ilves-Kissat Ground Ratina Stadium, Tammela Stadion and others., Tampere | ||
Tamu ilves kissat kolmonen 24 9 2016 klo 19 00
Tampereen-Viipurin llves-Kissat is a Finnish football club. As of 2015 they played in the Kakkonen league.
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They play their home matches in the Tammelan Stadion, which was opened in 1931.
The name of the club was changed to Viipurin Ilves (‘Lynx of Viipuri’) in 1934, and as a result of the Winter War, the club was relocated in Tampere in 1940. However, there already was a club called Ilves in Tampere, so club reverted to the name Ilves-Kissat in December 1944.
In football, Ilves-Kissat was promoted to the Mestaruussarja (‘Championship Series’), top flight of Finnish football, in 1948, and in 1950 they won the championship. It was the first Finnish championship in football for any club from Tampere. In 1970 Ilves-Kissat played its first European competitive match against Sturm Graz from Austria. Ilves-Kissat won the match played in Ratina with a scoreline of 4–2, but in Austria they lost 0–3, and thus lost 4–5 on aggregate. The match was part of the 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
In 1974 Ilves-Kissat and Tampellan Palloilijat merged with Ilves Tampere, which now became fully involved in football. Ilves-Kissat discontinued its activities in the sport, but on lower tiers of Finnish football it is, in a way, represented by its sister club, Kissalan Pojat (namesake of the Katzenjammer Kids).
In the autumn of 2004, with the club’s football team in 6th Division the management of the club decided to make a push for higher tiers, and in the autumn of 2010 the club achieved promotion to Kakkonen, i.e. 3rd tier. For the 2011 season, Ilves-Kissat entered an arrangement whereby they became the farm team for FC Haka of Valkeakoski, but the season ended with relegation to 3rd Division.
Some of the notable football managers of the club through the years have been Tomi Mönkkönen, Jukka Heinonen and Jussi Ristimäki, of whom the last mentioned has achieved Finnish championship both with FC Ilves of Tampere and FC Jazz of Pori.
The president of the club is Ari Suoniemi. Two men have been elected honorary presidents of the club, Industrial Councillor Veikko Matikainen (1923–2006) and master builder Heikki Peltonen (1934–2010).