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Mestaruussarja (Championship series) was the top division of Finnish football from 1930 to 1989. It was replaced by Veikkausliiga in 1990.
In 1930 league format was used for the first time to decide the Finnish champion. Before that (1908-1929) the championship was decided by cup competition. The league was dominated by clubs from Helsinki, Turku and Vyborg. The first champion was HIFK Fotboll from Helsinki. In 1935, the four best clubs were from Helsinki; and in 1934 and 1936 the top three clubs also came from Helsinki. From 1908 to 1940, the championship went outside Helsinki on only six occasions. Kuopio was the first inland city to get into the league when Pallotoverit were promoted in 1938. During World War II years the league was sometimes cut short, abandoned or decided with cup competition instead. In 1940s TUL clubs also participated.
The last Mestaruussarja season was 1989 and FC Kuusysi was crowned as the last champions. The new top level division was at first called SM-liiga and later renamed as Veikkausliiga.
Mestaruussarja consisted of 8 clubs when it was founded. It was later expanded to ten and at the time of dissolution league had 12 clubs. The league's popularity peaked in the 1960s. Ten HJK matches between 1964 and 1969 had more than 10,000 spectators. The highest attendance was 17,293 between HJK and FC Haka in 1965. The highest average attendance was 3,071 in 1967, a figure that is yet to be beaten by the current Veikkausliiga.
Mestaruussarja (Championship series) was the top division of Finnish football from 1930 to 1989. It was replaced by Veikkausliiga in 1990. In 1930 league...
in the highest tier of Finnish football. KuPS was first promoted to Mestaruussarja in 1947 only for a single season. The club was promoted again in 1949...
stadium began in the summer of 2015 and was completed in August 2016. Mestaruussarja/Veikkausliiga Winners (2): 1945, 1948 Runners-up (5): 1932, 1940–41...
Valkeakosken Haka in 1934. In 1949 it was promoted to Finland's top division Mestaruussarja (now called Veikkausliiga), and in 1955 won the inaugural Finnish Cup...
Veikkausliiga was founded in 1990; before that the top division was called Mestaruussarja (championship series) since 1930 which was an amateur or semi-professional...
to Unitas. In those early years[when?] HIFK were runners-up in the Mestaruussarja (then played as a cup competition) on 5 occasions in 1909, 1912, 1928...
Finnish championships, four times when the top flight was still called Mestaruussarja, and once during Veikkausliiga. It has also twice won the Finnish Cup...
season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Mestaruussarja. The Mestaruussarja was administered by the Finnish Football Association and the...
cup competition. From 1930 to 1989 the highest division was known as Mestaruussarja. Veikkausliiga seasons 1990 and 1991 were played under the name "Futisliiga"...
Veikkausliiga was founded in 1990; before that the top division was called Mestaruussarja (championship series) since 1930 which was an amateur or semi-professional...
Statistics of Mestaruussarja in the 1989 season. Mestaruussarja changed the name to Veikkausliiga from season 1990. It was contested by 12 teams, and...
season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Mestaruussarja. The Mestaruussarja was administered by the Finnish Football Association and the...
season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Mestaruussarja. The Mestaruussarja was administered by the Finnish Football Association and the...
season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Mestaruussarja. The Mestaruussarja was administered by the Finnish Football Association and the...
Statistics of Mestaruussarja in the 1967 season. It was contested by 12 teams, and Reipas Lahti won the championship. Source: rsssf.com (C) Champions;...
Statistics of Mestaruussarja in the 1969 season. It was contested by 12 teams, and KPV Kokkola won the championship. Source: rsssf.com (C) Champions; (R)...
season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Mestaruussarja. The Mestaruussarja was administered by the Finnish Football Association and the...
season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Mestaruussarja. The Mestaruussarja was administered by the Finnish Football Association and the...
highest level of national competition in a particular sport. Suomen mestaruussarja (lit. 'Finnish Championship'), abbreviated SM-sarja, is the competition...
season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Mestaruussarja. The Mestaruussarja was administered by the Finnish Football Association and the...
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