Pargas Idrottsförening, or PIF for short, is a

sport Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...

s club based in the city of

Pargas Pargas () is a town and municipality of Finland, in the Archipelago Sea, the biggest archipelago in the world by the number of islands, 50,000. The big limestone mine in Pargas is the base of the main industry and except for the central parts, t ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. The club has over 1,500 members and is known, especially for

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

, and

orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigation, navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specia ...

. It also makes provision for

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

floorball Floorball (also known by other names) is a sport played with five players and a goalkeeper in each team. It is played indoors with sticks and a hollow plastic ball with holes. Matches are played in three periods. The sport of bandy also playe ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

, and

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

. The club was founded in 1914 as ''Pargas Malms Idrottsförening'' but changed its name to its current title in 1916.

Football

PIF played their first official match in 1916, their opponents being the

Kimito Kimito (; ) is a former municipality of Finland. On January 1, 2009, it was consolidated with Dragsfjärd and Västanfjärd to form the new municipality of Kimitoön. Prior to the consolidation, it was one of the four municipalities located ...

based club ''Wrethalla'' and the match ended in a 2- 2 draw. In 1994 the club played one season in the

Ykkönen ''Ykkönen'' (Finnish language, Finnish for 'Number One'; , previously I divisioona) is the third highest level of the Finnish football league system (after the Veikkausliiga and Ykkösliiga), managed by the Football Association of Finland. Until ...

, the second tier of the Finnish football system. They also have experienced two other seasons at the same level back in 1939 and 1948. Their records indicate that the club have had three spells in the

Kakkonen Kakkonen or II divisioona is the fourth level in the league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finnish football teams. Until the end of 2023, ''Kakkonen'' was the third-highest level in Finland, but after the creation of new second-t ...

(Second Division) in 1990–93, 1995 and 2000–06. At the end of the 2006 season they were relegated to the

Kolmonen Kolmonen or III divisioona is the fifth level in the Finnish football league system, league system of Finnish football and comprises 108 Finland, Finnish football (soccer), football teams. The III divisioona was introduced in 1973 and in the mi ...

where they currently reside. In addition, PIF has played two seasons at the highest level in

Futsal Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch. Its rules are based on the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game of association football, and i ...

in Finland, PIF is the youth club of Finnish international and former Charlton and

Rangers A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...

player Jonatan "Tintin" Johansson, who has now returned to

Turun Palloseura Turun Palloseura, commonly known as TPS, is a professional association football, football club based in Turku, Finland. Since 2024, the men's team competes in Ykkösliiga, the second highest tier. Nicknamed "''Tepsi''", the club was founded i ...

Current squad

Season to season

Club Structure

The club runs a large number of teams including a men's team, a ladies' team, a veteran's side (Team 82 Oldboys) and 8 boys and 4 girls junior teams. A key facility provided by the club is the Aktia Arena, a floodlit all-weather pitch that is 104 x 62 metres (or two junior pitches 62 x 45 metres). Some matches are played here but the main home venue is at Pajbacka.

2010 season

PIF Men's Team are competing in the

administered by the Turku SPL. This is the fourth highest tier in the Finnish football system. In 2009 PIF finished in eleventh position in their

section.

Orienteering

Pargas won the women's relay in Tiomila in 1999. The

section was founded in 1945.

References and sources

Official Club WebsiteOfficial Football Club Website
* Finnish Wikipedia
Suomen CupPargas IF Facebook

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pargas Idrottsforening Football clubs in Finland Orienteering clubs in Finland Association football clubs established in 1914 Pargas Sport in Southwest Finland 1914 establishments in Finland