Who should you support - Part 5

Left - Pattijoen Urheilijat Raahe, Centre - Seinäjoen JymyJussit, Right - Siilinjärven Pesis 

In this post I look at 3 more teams and will cover the final 2 teams in the next post in the series. In this post I will be talking about:

1. Pattijoen Urheilijat Raahe;
2. Seinäjoen JymyJussit; and
3. Siilinjärven Pesis.

Pattijoen Urheilijat Raahe

Home town/location: Pattijoki is a village and former municipality that has been annexed by the nearby city of Raahe in 2003, in Northern Ostrobothnia. Before the annexation, Pattijoki had a population of roughly 6000; the current population of Raahe (and surrounding areas) is 24,679 (as at 31st January 2019). PattU are based in Pattijoki, but it is difficult to think of the team without looking at the city of Raahe, given that Pattijoki is only 4km away from the centre of Raahe. Pattijoki itself is of historical significance, playing a vital role in the Finnish War (1808-1809), which saw Finland annexed by the Russian Empire from Swedish rule. Raahe became an important port on the north western coast of Finland (then at the edge of the Russian Empire) and became a major shipbuilding centre prior to the move to steamships. Raahe’s nautical pedigree remains important, despite the region also hosting steal production and heavy industry. Raahe remains Finland’s sixth busiest port. 

Team History: PattU were founded in 1928, but pesäpallo did not become a staple of the club until it restarted in 1972. By 1986 PattU had reached Suomensarjaan (now third division) and by 1991 they reached Ykköspesis (second division). By 1993 PattU had reached Superpesis, combining with the local Raahen Vesan team. In 1995 PattU suffered a blow by being relegated to Ykköspesis; however bounced right back to earn promotion to Superpesis the following year. Since that time PattU have been finalists in the championship 3 times, (2002, 2006 and 2008). In their first 2 series they were beaten by Sotkamon Jymy, but in 2008 they upended their rivals and beat Sotkamo to win their first championship. As well as their championship and 2 silver medals, PattU has also taken bronze 3 times in its history. 

Team colours: Yellow and Black

Current top players: Sami Haapakoski, Jari Törmänen, Topi Kosonen and Paavo Pelto.

Last season’s position in the table: 7th - PattU finished 2019 with a solid performance to solidify their place in the postseason. Their performance in the first half of the season was poor and left their chances of a top 8 finish in doubt; however their second half of the season was superb and they were one of the most consistent teams in Superpesis. Sadly their season came to an abrupt end at the hands of Sotkamon Jymy in the first round of the playoffs.

East (Itä) or West (Länsi): West (Länsi)

Who does the team remind me of: An obvious connection for an MLB team is Seattle Mariners because they are both in the North West with nautical pedigree and a vibrant music scene; however I think PattU are far more important to the community than the mariners are to Seattle. I often think the distinct culture and proud shipbuilding reminds me of the North East of England... so a premier league team like Newcastle United, who are the soul and essence of the city.

Social media presence: PattU are probably my favourite team to see on social media. PattU are very active and engaging, even to the extent that they comment on other teams posts! I love the banter. PattU also have just completed a really good series of articles on key players and game managers by Valtteri Karjula. The articles are really in depth and a fascinating insight into the players lives and careers.

Why you should support them: PattU are a strong team and 2020 may hold even more success for them with the homecoming of Sami Haapakoski following his fantastic spell at Vimpeli. PattU are also very active and engaging for fans and you truly get a sense of how important Pesäpallo means to those linked with the club. PattU are also one of the teams that ships merchandise outside of Finland, so you can show your allegiance with pride! If you want to support a team who has a strong connection and engagement with fans and is competitive without the expectation of victory (like Sotkamo for example) then PattU is a great team to follow. PattU are lining up for a shot at the championship and all signs suggest it could be on the cards, with results like their superb Halli-SM victory over Sotkamon Jymy pointing to improvements on their 2019 performance. 

Website: http://www.pattijoenurheilijat.fi 

Seinäjoen JymyJussit

Home town/location: Seinäjoki is a city and the provincial centre of Southern Ostrobothnia, located on both sides of the river of the same name. Seinäjoki had a population of 63,834 (31 January 2020). Before 1959 there was both seinäjoki township and rural municipality, which was merged in 1960 to form the city of Seinäjoki - becoming one of Finland's first six so-called “new cities”. At the beginning of 2005, Seinäjoki city and the municipality of Peräseinäjoki were dissolved and merged into a new municipality that adopted the name Seinäjoki. A similar change in the municipality was also made at the beginning of 2009, involving the city of Seinäjoki, the municipalities of Nurmo and Ylistaro. Seinäjoki is the 6th largest in Finland and boasts one of the largest retail sites in Finland. Seinäjoki is home to a number of companies and is an important part of the motor vehicle trade. Seinäjoki is one of the few cities or towns twinned with US cities - its twin is Virginia, Minnesota. Seinäjoki is a centre for culture in the region and boasts a number of attractions and music festivals and events.

Team History: JyJu was founded in 2012 by the merging of two historical teams - Nurmon Jymy and Seinäjoen Maila-Jussit. If you look at JyJu’s history since 2012 alone, they have always been in Superpesis but have never won a championship or medal. If you look at the two former clubs that make up JyJu, the history is much richer. Nurmon Jymy won silver in 2005 and bronze in 1956 and 2008, whereas Seinäjoen Maila-Jussit won the championship in 1975, 1983, 1985 and 1987, with 5 silver medals and 8 bronze medals. Both clubs retain their junior teams and in fact the Seinäjoen Maila-Jussit women’s team remains a successful team. JyJu play their games at Kotijoukkue Areena in Seinäjoki. 

Team colours: Black and White

Current top players: Jukka-Pekka Vainionpää and Henri Puputti

Last season’s position in the table: 6th - a solid performance across the year earned JyJu 6th place in the regular season. Despite some great performances, they were knocked out by the virtually unstoppable KPL.

East (Itä) or West (Länsi): West (Länsi)

Who does the team remind me of: The vibe I get from the team is White Sox. The team is gritty and punchy - striving for a championship. 

Social media presence: JyJu have a strong presence on Facebook, but also use Twitter and instagram.

Why you should support them:  JymyJussit are a solid choice to follow. They are a fairly “new” team playing in a town with a great deal of pesäpallo history. JyJu has one of the league’s best hard-hitters in Jukka-Pekka Vainionpää and are a constant threat for the playoffs. JyJu is part of a vibrant and growing city with a keen vision for the future. If you want to support a team that has an an exciting core and dynamic from an exciting city with a bright future, JyJu is for you.

Website: https://jymyjussit.fi 

Siilinjärven Pesis

Home town/location: Siilinjärvi is a municipality located in the central part of the province of Northern Savo, 23 km north of Kuopio. The municipality has 21,446 people (as at 31st January 2019) covering an area of 507.81 km2, of which 106.85 km2 (106.85km) is water. The population density of Siilinjärvi is very high for rural Finland, being 53.49 inhabitants per km2; however this is due to the sheer volume and number of lakes and bodies of water. Siilinjärvi takes its name from the Sami word for winter dwelling and the word lake, as opposed to the Finnish word for hedgehog (Siili). The economy in Siilinjärvi has been dependant on the phosphate mine (run by Yara), which opened up after discovery in 1950. Kuopio airport is also another major employer for the region, which also operates the Air Force’s Karelian Air command. Siilinjärvi boasts a number of different sports clubs and teams; however pesäpallo is by far the most renowned.

Team History: SiiPe was founded in 1987, but sports have been played in Siilinjärvi since 1907 under Siilinjärven Ponnistus. SiiPe inherited SiiPo’s place in the league for 1987 and has spent years in and out of Superpesis since 1990. Oddly, it is SiiPo who has so far won Siilinjärvi’s only medal - silver in 1986. In 1999 the women’s team won the championship, but the men’s team suffered a very different fate. Th men’s team was put on hiatus and players played for Puijon Pesis until 2007 when the team was resurrected. In 2013 SiiPe gained their promotion to Ykköspesis (second division) and in 2018 were promoted to Superpesis. 2019 was the first time the new SiiPe were in Superpesis and they clung on to survive for 2020 against tough opposition. During the 2012-2013 period, Siilinjärvi had the largest number of players licences (for all ages) issued, making pesäpallo a dominant sport in the region. SiiPe’s home ground is Mantun Kentä, which is famous for its steep slope, known as the "Mantu Pit", to left field.

Team colours: Yellow and black.

Current top players: One of SiiPe’s strongest players departed for Joensuu in the offseason (Simo Vainikainen), but in exchange, Mattias Hänninen has joined SiiPe from JoMa. Other key players are: Kimmo Lukkari and Samu Vainikainen.

Last season’s position in the table: 13th - after a long and difficult season, SiiPe found themselves in a relegation battle with Alajärven Ankkurit, which they won 3 games to 1, before facing Ouluun Lippo in a further promotion/relegation round. SiiPe dug deep and won the series to remain in Superpesis.

East (Itä) or West (Länsi): East (Itä)

Who does the team remind me of: This one is a difficult one to judge, SiiPe have a unique style and look, but the surrounding area is dominated by lakes so the first thing that comes to mind is Detroit Tigers. I mean - the Great Lakes! Sure, but check out Siilinjärvi, one fifth of the area is water! The tigers have always struck me as a scrappy team that is on the push to make the big time. I get the sense that SiiPe now have one eye towards the top 8 and one eye towards avoiding relegation.

Social media presence: SiiPe are active on all social media platforms, but have just boosted their output and engagement with fans by appointing Juha Leskinen as a content creator.

Why you should support them: SiiPe are finding their feet in Superpesis and are looking to expand. Their 2019 campaign was a success in that they avoided relegation; however the team will be pushing for greater things. SiiPe are on a journey in Superpesis and it will be exciting to see how they progress. Unlike Tampere, SiiPe is a more rural area and has far fewer resources to drawn upon. If you want to watch and support a team grow from their first steps in Superpesis, SiiPe are a good choice. Their powerful performance to avoid relegation in 2019 was just as exciting as the playoff games for the championship.

Website: https://www.siipe.fi 

What’s next in the series?

The final post in this series will cover Sotkamon Jymy and Vimpelin Veto.