Arto Vilho Tolsa (9 August 1945 – 30 March 1989) was a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

Career

Tolsa started his career in his hometown of

Kotka Kotka (; ; la, Aquilopolis) is a city in the southern part of the Kymenlaakso province on the Gulf of Finland. Kotka is a major port and industrial city and also a diverse school and cultural city, which was formerly part of the old Kymi parish. ...

, playing for

Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (abbreviated as KTP) is a Finnish football club based in Kotka, Finland, and currently competing in Finland's premier league, Veikkausliiga. The club was founded in 1927 and its colours are green and white. Immediate ...

. He was promoted to first team as a 16 year old for 1962

second division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...

season after successful match in a local competition in previous fall. Playing as a striker he scored an impressive 43 goals in 22 matches in his first season. He scored in 21 out 22 to matches in that season and still holds the record for second level of football in Finland. As an amateur he also worked at the local port. In 1964 he was a top goalscorer in

Mestaruussarja Mestaruussarja (Championship series) was the top division of Finland, Finnish association football, 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 cham ...

. In 1969 he moved to Beerschot and turned

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

. In

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

He first played as a winger but was later transferred to central defender and became one of the key players for his team. He also played as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

for Beerschot. In his last season for Beerschot he scored a winner in

Belgian Cup The Belgian Cup (french: link=no, Coupe de Belgique; nl, Beker van België []; german: link=no, Belgischer Fußballpokal) is the main Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in Belgium, run by the Belgia ...

final. After 1979 he returned to

where he ended his career in 1982. During his last years he suffered from alcoholism.

Football stadium Football stadium may refer to: * A stadium used in gridiron football, association football or Australian rules football * A soccer-specific stadium Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sp ...

is named after him.

Honours

Club

KTP *

Finnish Cup The Finnish Cup ( fi, Suomen cup; sv, Finlands cup) is Finland's main national cup competition in football. This yearly competition is open for all member clubs of the FA of Finland and has been played since 1955. The winner qualifies for the ...

: 1967, 1980 Beerschot *

: 1971, 1979

Individual

Top Goalscorer: 1964 *

Finnish Footballer of the Year There are three different Finnish Player of the Year Awards in Finland. The sports journalists have elected their male "Player of the Year" since 1947, the Football Association of Finland theirs since 1953. In 1976 the FA began selecting a female "P ...

: 1971, 1974, 1977

External links and references

*
Finland - International Player Records
Specific 1945 births 1989 deaths Finnish expatriate footballers Finnish footballers Finland international footballers K. Beerschot V.A.C. players Mestaruussarja players Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat players Association football defenders People from Kotka Sportspeople from Kymenlaakso {{Finland-footy-defender-stub