Vitonen or V divisioona is the sixth level in the
Finnish football league system
The Finnish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Finland. The three highest levels are managed by the Finnish FA while the other leagues are managed by the regional departments of the FA.
System
As of ...
and comprises 228 teams. The V divisioona was introduced in 1973 and in the mid-1990s became known as the Vitonen (''Number Five'' in English and ''Femman'' in Swedish).
The competition
There are 228 clubs in the Vitonen, divided in 22 groups of 7 to 19 teams each representing a geographical area. During the course of a season (starting in April and ending in October) each club normally plays the others twice, once at their home ground and once at that of their opponents. The exception is the 19 team Keski-Suomi division where teams play each other once. The top team in each Vitonen group is normally promoted or qualifies for a promotion playoff to the
Nelonen
Nelonen () is a Finnish commercial television channel. It started out as Helsinki's local television channel PTV in 1990 on the HTV cable network (now part of DNA Welho), and changed its name first to PTV4. On June 1, 1997, the channel expand ...
and the lowest placed teams may be relegated to the
Kutonen
Kutonen or VI divisioona is the seventh level in the Finnish football league system and comprises 265 teams. The VI divisioona was introduced in 1973 and in the mid-1990s became known as the Kutonen (''Number Six'' in English and ''Sexan'' in ...
.
Administration
District Football Associations
The Vitonen is administered by 11 of the
District Football Associations of the
Football Association of Finland
The Football Association of Finland ( fi, Suomen Palloliitto, abbr. SPL; sv, Finlands Bollförbund) 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 footb ...
(SPL). Responsibilities for the 22 sections are divided as follows:
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SPL Helsinki - 3 sections
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SPL Uusimaa - 4 sections
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SPL Kaakkois-Suomi - 2 sections
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SPL Itä-Suomi - 4 sections
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SPL Keski-Suomi - 1 section
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SPL Pohjois-Suomi - 1 section
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SPL Keski-Pohjanmaa - 1 section
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SPL Vaasa - 1 section
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SPL Satakunta - 1 section
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SPL Tampere - 2 sections
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SPL Turku - 2 sections
Teams within the Vitonen are eligible to compete in the
Suomen 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 ...
and the Suomen Regions' Cup. The clubs are normally listed in an abbreviated form and their full names can be viewed by referring to the
List of clubs or the relevant
District Association.
Current clubs - 2021-Season
Seasons - League Tables
Footnotes
External links
Finnish FAResultCode*
Vitonen - Finnish Wikipedia
{{UEFA sixth level leagues
6
Fin
A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...
Professional sports leagues in Finland