Palloiluseura Apollo (abbreviated Apollo) is a football club from Hyvinkää, Finland. The club was formed in 1956 and currently plays in the Vitonen (Fifth Division). Their home ground is at the Kankurin tekonurmi. The Club chairman is Ari Alajoki.
History Apollo has spent many seasons in the lower divisions of the Finnish football league but they have had two spells covering 5 seasons in the third tier, the Kakkonen (Second Division), in 1980–81 and 1985–87.
In the 1985 season Atik Ismail, the former Finnish international, scored 11 goals for Apollo. The team finished in third position in the West Group of the Second Division and achieved their highest ever attendance of 965 spectators for a home match against Honka. However the most startling attendance of the 1985 season was the 4,349 people who attended the KontU-Apollo league match.
In the 1986 season Apollo finished in second place in the East Group of the Second Division, falling just one league point behind the leaders GrIFK who were promoted. This was the high point of the club's history and was followed in 1987 by relegation and the downward spiral that was soon to gain momentum.
One of the highlights of Hyvinkää football in the 1970s and 1980s were the derby matches with local rivals, Hyvinkään Palloseura, and for a period Apollo were the leading club in the town. However, over the last two decades the club's fortunes have fluctuated and they have sadly dropped to the Vitonen (Fifth Division) in recent years.
There remain links with the club's halcyon days with Pekka Mononen (now the club coach) and Rudel Matamala still registered as players with Apollo some 25 years later.
Season to season SeasonLevelDivisionSectionAdministrationPositionMovements1998Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Section 4Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa)3rd1999Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Section 4Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa)1stPromoted2000Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Section 2Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa)8th2001Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Section 2Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa)10th2002Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division)Section 2Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa)12th Relegated2003Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Section 2Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa)9th2004Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Section 2Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa)7th2005Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Section 2Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa)5th2006Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Section 2Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa)5th2007Tier 5Nelonen (Fourth Division)Section 2Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa)10thRelegated2008Tier 6Vitonen (Fifth Division)Section 4Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa) 4th2009Tier 6Vitonen (Fifth Division)Section 4Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa) 5th2010Tier 6Vitonen (Fifth Division)Section 4Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa) 3 seasons in Kolmonen 7 seasons in Nelonen 3 seasons in Vitonen
Club structure Palloiluseura Apollo run one team. The club do not have a junior section.
2010 season Apollo are competing in Section 4 (Lohko 4) of the Vitonen administered by the Uusimaa SPL. This is the sixth highest tier in the Finnish football system. In 2009 Apollo finished in 5th place in Section 4 of the Vitonen.
Notable former players Former players that have played in a fully professional league: Atik Ismail Alan Waddle Mark Miller
References and sources Official Website
Footnotes