Traditional Finnish club FC Haka is facing a turbulent few months. Just a few weeks ago, the nine-time Finnish champions were relegated to the second division. Now, a stand fire started by teenagers has rocked the club. The club is now hoping for support from a community campaign.
“The fire is a truly tragic event. Everyone, from the players to the fans, is deeply shaken,” Marko Laaksonen, chairman of FC Haka, was recently quoted as saying in a club statement. “Fortunately, no one was injured.” In addition, the fire department and other emergency services were able to prevent further damage to other buildings.
Nevertheless, this shock comes at an inopportune time for the nine-time Finnish champions (most recently in 2004). After being relegated to the second division, the club is already facing major challenges, even though “promotion back to the Veikkausliiga” has already been declared as its goal. The fire now exacerbates the financial challenges that already existed.
“We cannot yet quantify the financial damage caused by the fire. However, it is clear that the impact will be significant and that the club’s operations will be affected in many ways, at least temporarily,” said Laaksonen, who asked for “the support of the entire community.” Parts of the artificial turf pitch were also damaged in the fire and are now “partially unusable.”
Club launches community campaign – Pohjanpalo also helps out
Videos of the fire have also been circulating on social media recently. According to a report by Finnish broadcaster YLE, citing a police statement, three 15-year-olds were at the stadium at the time of the incident, one of whom confessed to setting an object on fire, causing the blaze to break out. Contrary to initial reports, however, it is unclear whether disappointment over the team’s relegation could have been the motive. On Wednesday, the club launched a community campaign. For a one-time payment, you can become part of the so-called Päätykatsomo community. In return, you will be entered into a raffle for worn jerseys—according to the club, Joel Pohjanpalo (currently Palermo), who is well known from the Bundesliga, has announced that he will donate his jersey. In addition, all supporters will receive an invitation to a Haka home game in the coming season.
