FC Santa Claus facts for kids
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| Full name | FC Santa Claus | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Santa | ||
| Founded | 1992 (as FC Santa Claus Rovaniemi) 2012 (re-founded as FC Santa Claus Arctic Circle) 2021 (third edition as FC Santa Claus) |
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| Ground | Saarenkylän Stadion, Rovaniemi, Finland | ||
| Chairman | Juha Eteläinen | ||
| Coach | Santtu Pätäri | ||
| League | Nelonen | ||
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FC Santa Claus is a football club from Rovaniemi, Finland. This city is known as the official hometown of Santa Claus! The club currently plays in the Nelonen, which is the sixth level of football in Finland.
FC Santa Claus has played in higher leagues before. They spent 14 seasons in the Kakkonen, which is the third level. In 2010, they almost moved up to the second level, called Ykkönen. However, they lost their important playoff match to HIFK.
The team plays its home games at the Saarenkylän Stadion. Before this, they played at the Keskuskenttä Stadium. This stadium could hold 4,000 fans. They used to share it with another Rovaniemi team, Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS).
The club started in 1992 as FC Santa Claus Rovaniemi. This happened when two local teams, Rovaniemen Reipas and Rovaniemen Lappi, joined together. In 2012, the club faced money problems and had to restart. They became FC Santa Claus Arctic Circle. Then, in 2021, the youth part of the club brought back the senior men's team. It is now simply known as FC Santa Claus.
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Why the Name "Santa Claus"?
The club's name comes from the famous legend. Rovaniemi, Finland, is believed to be the home of Santa Claus. The club chose the English name "Santa Claus" instead of the Finnish "Joulupukki." They did this because English is spoken by many people worldwide. This helps more people learn about the club.
The team gets attention from news around the globe. This is especially true during the Christmas season. Even though they play in lower leagues, FC Santa Claus has fans everywhere. This is all thanks to their unique name!
The Club's Fun Story
FC Santa Claus has a fun story about how they began. They say the club was started by Santa's elves. The elves would kick a leather football in the snow when they weren't wrapping presents. The club also says they had to ask Santa for permission to use his name. Santa agreed after the club's founder, Terho Iljin, asked him.
Santa Claus is even the team's honorary coach! He attends the first game of each season. This helps kick off their year. He also often shows up at other games during the season.
Team Colors and Motto
The club's main colors are red and white. These are the classic colors of Santa Claus. Their other uniforms are white and green. These are also colors linked to Christmas.
The team's motto is "Don't Stop Believing." This refers to children's belief in the legendary Santa Claus. The club also works with many charities. They have partnered with UNICEF. They donate money from their jersey sales to help children.
Players and Community
Most players on the team are local students or workers. Many of them help out at the local Christmas market. They also assist at the post office, which gets all the letters sent to Santa in Finland. The club has had professional and foreign players in the past.
Ralf Wunderlich, who was the manager in 2021, said FC Santa Claus is the second team in Rovaniemi. He explained that Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS) is the more competitive team. But FC Santa Claus supports "the spirit of Christmas."
Club History
Early Years (1992–2012)
The club started in 1992 as FC Santa Claus Rovaniemi. It was formed when two football clubs, Rovaniemen Reipas and Rovaniemen Lappi, merged. Rovaniemen Reipas had played 12 seasons in the Kakkonen, which is the third level of Finnish football. Rovaniemen Lappi had played three seasons at this level. Because both clubs were in the Kakkonen, FC Santa Claus also started in that division.
The club's first logo showed Santa waving and holding a football. Later, it changed to Santa sitting at a desk, checking his naughty and nice lists.
Their first official game was in 1993. In their first year, they finished 3rd in the third level. In 1994, they won the Midnattsolscupen. This was a special tournament held in Sweden.
In 1997, they played a friendly match against English Premier League club Crystal Palace. They lost 5–0, but 5,000 fans came to watch! They have also played against other famous English teams like Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.
After eight seasons in the third level, they moved down to the fourth level, Kolmonen, in 2000. They won their Kolmonen division in their first season there. However, they did not get promoted back up right away. They finally returned to the Kakkonen in 2008 after winning their division and the promotion playoffs.
In 2010, they almost got promoted to the second level, Ykkönen. They won their division but lost the playoff game to HIFK.
Restarting the Club (2013–2019)
In 2012, the club had big money problems. They had to declare bankruptcy. They then restarted the club with a new group. This new group was called FC Santa Claus Arctic Circle. However, the Finnish Football Association did not let them keep their spot in the third level. This was because they did not take on the old club's debts. The club tried to appeal, but their request was denied.
So, FC Santa Claus went back to the fourth level in 2013. They finished third that year. The next season, in 2014, they won their division. This meant they were promoted back to the third level for the 2015 season. Also in 2013, they made a deal with RoPS, another team from Rovaniemi. RoPS was in the top league, and FC Santa Claus became their partner club.
The club faced money problems again in 2015. But they were saved by signing deals with EA Sports and Puma. Puma made their jerseys, and EA was the sponsor. Before this, they had worn Adidas kits. Nike became their jersey maker the next year. In 2016, they partnered with a Chinese company called Bewin Sports. The CEO of Bewin Sports, Marc Gao, became the club's vice-president and sponsored their shirts for five years.
The 2016 season was tough for the club. Many experienced players left. They were moved down to the fourth level after the season. They only earned eight points from two wins and two draws in 22 games. They also let in 102 goals. One game was a 16–0 loss to AC Kajaani. In that game, they only had 11 players, including three goalkeepers! Two of the goalkeepers had to play as strikers because of many injuries.
Later in 2016, the team traveled to Beijing, China. Their new Chinese sponsors arranged this trip. They played a friendly match on Christmas Eve against Chinese celebrities. FC Santa Claus won the game by one goal. The next year, they went back to China for another exhibition game. They played with famous former players like Alessandro Del Piero from Italy and Michael Owen from England.
FC Santa Claus finished last in the Kolmonen (fourth level) in 2018. This meant they moved down to the fifth level, Nelonen, for 2019. In 2019, they finished last again. They were set to move down to the sixth level. However, this version of the club stopped playing after the 2019 season. The club went bankrupt. A few players decided to keep the club going unofficially. They registered a team in a fun 8v8 league in Rovaniemi.
The Club's Third Start (2021–Present)
It was announced that FC Santa Claus would return to Finnish football in 2021. The new start would be led by the youth club, FC Santa Claus Juniorit. This youth club had kept going. The team went back to using the Rovaniemi logo. They re-entered the league system in the sixth level, Vitonen.
In their first game after restarting, they beat Kolarin Kontio 4–2. They finished last in their division in 2021. After two seasons in the sixth level, they were promoted to the fifth level of Finnish football, the Nelonen.
Season Results
Here are the historical season results for FC Santa Claus:
As FC Santa Claus Rovaniemi:
| Year | Level | Division | Section | Position | Record | Movements | Finnish Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | Northern Group | 3rd (12) | 10–6–6 | Fifth Round | |
| 1994 | Tier 3 | Northern Group | 7th (12) | 8–4–10 | Quarter-Finals | ||
| 1995 | Tier 3 | Northern Group | 6th (12) | 9–3–10 | Sixth Round | ||
| 1996 | Tier 3 | Northern Group | 9th (12) | 6–5–11 | Fifth Round | ||
| 1997 | Tier 3 | Northern Group | 7th(12) | 8–4–10 | Fifth Round | ||
| 1998 | Tier 3 | Northern Group | 7th (12) | 9–4–9 | Fifth Round | ||
| 1999 | Tier 3 | Northern Group | 10th (12) | 7–2–13 | Relegation Play-offs | Did not enter | |
| 2000 | Tier 3 | Northern Group | 8th (12) | 7–5–10 | Relegated | ||
| 2001 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen | Northern Finland – Lapland | 1st (8) | 11–0–3 | Play-offs | Did not enter |
| 2002 | Tier 4 | Northern Finland – Lapland – Group 2 | 2nd (6) | 7–0–3 | |||
| 2003 | Tier 4 | Group C | 4th (7) | 7–1–4 | |||
| 2004 | Tier 4 | Lapland | 2nd (8) | 9–3–2 | |||
| 2005 | Tier 4 | Northern Finland | 5th (10) | 9–3–6 | |||
| 2006 | Tier 4 | Northern Finland | 5th (12) | 11–1–10 | |||
| 2007 | Tier 4 | Northern Finland | 3rd (11) | 11–5–4 | |||
| 2008 | Tier 4 | Northern Finland | 1st (11) | 15–3–2 | Play-offs – Promoted | Fourth round | |
| 2009 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | Group C | 10th (14) | 9–2–15 | Fifth round | |
| 2010 | Tier 3 | Group C | 1st (14) | 16–3–7 | Play-offs, runner-up | Third round | |
| 2011 | Tier 3 | Group C | 11th (14) | 8–8–10 | Fifth round | ||
| 2012 | Tier 3 | Northern Group | 8th (9) | 6–6–12 | Relegated (due to bankruptcy) | Fifth round |
As FC Santa Claus AC:
| Year | Level | Division | Section | Position | Record | Movements | Finnish Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen | Northern Finland | 3rd (12) | 15–2–5 | Third round | |
| 2014 | Tier 4 | Northern Finland | 1st (11) | 16–2–2 | Promoted | Did not enter | |
| 2015 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | Northern Group | 7th (10) | 12–2–13 | Did not enter | |
| 2016 | Tier 3 | Northern Group | 11th (12) | 2–2–18 | Relegated | ||
| 2017 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen | Northern Finland | 2nd (11) | 15–3–2 | Third round | |
| 2018 | Tier 4 | Northern Finland | 11th (11) | 2–2–16 | Relegated | Not eligible | |
| 2019 | Tier 5 | Nelonen | Northern Finland | 11th (11) | 3–3–14 | Relegated | Not eligible |
| 2020 | Club did not enter a competitive division this season | ||||||
As FC Santa Claus:
| Year | Level | Division | Section | Position | Record | Movements | Finnish Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Tier 6 | Vitonen | Northern Finland - Northern Block | 5th (5) | 3–1–8 | Not eligible | |
| 2022 | Tier 6 | Northern Finland | 2nd (9) | 11–1–4 | First round | ||
| 2023 | Tier 5 | Nelonen | Northern Finland | 5th (12) 5th (6) |
6–1–4 (First stage) 1–0–4 (Promotion stage) |
First round | |
| 2024 | Tier 6 | Nelonen | Northern Finland | 4th (11) 3rd (6) |
6–1–3 (First stage) 2–0–3 (Promotion stage) |
First round |
Famous Players
Many players have been part of FC Santa Claus. Here are some of the notable ones:
Tomer Chencinski
Raphael Edereho
Ricardo Friedrich
Jyri Hietaharju- Janne Hietanen
- Matti Hiukka
- Tomas Hradecký
- Akseli Kalermo
- Juhani Kangas
- Jarkko Lahdenmäki
- Jarkko Luiro
- Mika-Matti Maisonvaara
- Joni Mäkelä
- Jussi Niska
Ransford Osei
Vilim Posinković- Simo Roiha
- Kari-Pekka Syväjärvi
- Ville Syväjärvi
- Tero Taipale
- Emenike Uchenna Mbachu
- Iiro Vanha
- Miska Ylitolva
- Jukka Yrjänheikki
Reserve Team: FC Santa
In 2014, FC Santa Claus started a second team called FC Santa. This team began playing in the fifth level, Nelonen. In 2015, they won their division and moved up to the fourth level, Kolmonen, for 2016.
They were moved back down to the fifth level in 2017. But they won their division again that year and were promoted. However, the club stopped the reserve team after 2017. This was because the reserve team reached the same level as the main team.
Here are the season results for FC Santa:
| Year | Level | Division | Section | Position | Record | Movements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Tier 5 | Nelonen | Northern Finland - Lapland | 5th (8) | 5–5–4 | |
| 2015 | Tier 5 | Northern Finland - Lapland | 1st (8) | 11–2–1 | Promoted | |
| 2016 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen | Northern Finland | 11th (12) | 6–0–12 | Auto-Relegation |
| 2018-2023 | Reserves stopped operating | |||||
| 2024 | Tier 7 | Vitonen | Northern Finland - North Group | 3rd (9) | 9–1–6 | |
Club Achievements
Main Team
- Kakkonen (Third Level) Division Title - 2010
- Kolmonen (Fourth Level) Division Title - 2001, 2008, 2014
- Midnattsolscupen Cup - 1994
Reserve Team
- Nelonen (Fifth Level) Division Title - 2015, 2017
Women's Team
FC Santa Claus AC started a women's team in 2016. They began playing in the Naisten Kolmonen, which is the women's fourth level. They finished 7th in their division in 2016 and 5th in 2017. They did not play in 2018. The club has announced they will be bringing back a women's team.
As FC Santa Claus AC
| Year | Level | Division | Section | Position | Record | Movements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Tier 4 | Naisten Kolmonen | Northern Finland | 7th (10) | 4–4–10 | |
| 2017 | Tier 4 | Naisten Kolmonen | Northern Finland | 5th (8) | 5–2–7 | |
| 2018 | Women stopped operating | |||||
As FC Santa Claus
| Year | Level | Division | Section | Position | Record | Movements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tier 4 | Naisten Kolmonen | Northern Finland | 10th (11) 4th (5) |
1–2–7 (First stage) 1-2-1 (Second stage) |
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| 2024 | Tier 4 | Northern Finland | 6th (7) | 3–0–9 |
Youth Teams: FC Santa Claus Juniorit
FC Santa Claus Juniorit is the youth club. It was formed in 1994 as FC Lynx. In 2013, they changed their name to FC Santa Claus Juniorit. This happened after they partnered with the two Rovaniemi clubs, RoPS and FC Santa Claus AC. They have youth teams for all age groups.
Starting in 2017, the Junior club began a partnership. They worked with Football Development Schools and English Premier League club West Bromwich Albion.
Every summer, the youth club hosts the Santa Claus Cup. This tournament brings in teams from many different countries. Both boys' and girls' teams take part.
See also
In Spanish: FC Santa Claus para niños
