Football Association of Finland


The Football Association of Finland is the governing body of football in Finland. It was founded in Helsinki on 19 May 1907.
The SPL organises the men's and women's national football teams, and the second and third tiers of national football. The premier division Veikkausliiga is organized by a distinct organisation, and the lower tiers are organized by the 12 district organisations. The SPL is based in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki.

Background

The SPL has more than 1,000 member clubs and approximately 140,000 registered players. The Finnish Gallup survey has indicated that football is a popular pastime with around 500,000 Finns interested in the sport. The SPL is Finland's largest amateur sports federation.
The association was also the governing body of bandy in Finland until Finland's Bandy Association was founded in 1972. In 1928, it also arranged the first Finland ice hockey championship, before the 1929 establishment of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association.

District organisations

At the more local level Finnish football is administered by the following 12 district organisations of the SPL:
There were also 12 other district organisations that no longer exist.

Publications

The association publishes several magazines, including now-defunct monthly magazine Futari.

Presidents