Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/12/27/highs-and-lows-of-2025/

Mark W, Ally and Rasmus take a look back at the 2025 Finnish football season. This is not just a highlights show, they take a fresh look at their own experiences of the past year and invite some regular contributors to join them. So, we also hear from Jules (SJK Seinäjoki), Joe (Musan Salama), Seppo (FC Lahti & international tournaments) and Keke & Mark H (Huuhkjat under Jacob Friis).

00:00:00 Intro

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Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/11/13/huuhkajat-match-previews-veikkausliiga-finale-kups-crowned-champions/

This episode is brought to you by Mark W, Keke, Ally and Rasmus; a full squad for a full episode. They start by looking at the upcoming games for the Huuhkajat, a World Cup qualifier against Malta and a home friendly against Andorra. They also talk about the Finland fans’ feelings about head coach, Jacob Friis.

They then focus on the final few games in the Veikkausliiga season. With KuPS finishing as champions again and doing well in this season’s Europa Conference League. They give a detailed breakdown of the top six teams and what the near future might hold for each club.

00:00:00 Intro

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Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/10/20/huuhkajat-match-reports-veikkausliiga-update-haka-relegated/

Mark W & Keke are joined by a couple of guests for a bumper episode. Firstly, Jussi Hartikainen, from Suomen Maajoukkue Kannatajat ry and Football Supporters Europe, comes on to discuss the latest two World Cup Qualifiers for Finland, a 2-1 home win over Lithuania and a 0-4 away defeat to the Netherlands. Jussi also explains about his role and FSE and his involvement in the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Finnish FA and the SMJK supporters group.

All three are then joined by KTP fan Sami Lindfors, who shares his experience of the bottom-of-the-table clash between KTP and Haka, which saw Haka relegated and KTP into a playoff with TPS Turku. They also talk through the current situation in the top half, with only 6 points between the top 4 teams and still 5 rounds of games to be played.

00:00:00 Intro

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Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/10/15/in-conversation-with-salim-yussif/

In this episode, Mark W is joined by SJK Seinäjoki defender, Salim Yussif, who talks through his unconventional route to Finland. From a childhood living in a slum in Accra, through teenage years on a football scholarship in the USA, to becoming a regular starter for SJK near the top of the Veikkausliiga. They discuss the challenge of moving countries and making friends, learning how to play Stevie Grieve’s ‘chaos football’ and just what is the Seinäjoki African Community ry. Salim’s a young guy with a long future ahead of him and his eye on a Barcelona shirt (if he’s lucky!)

00:00:00 Intro

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Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/10/06/huuhkajat-world-cup-qualifiers-ilves-fans-bust-up-in-seinajoki/

Mark W and Keke look at the upcoming World Cup qualifiers for the Finland men's national teams, as the Huuhkajat face Lithuania at home before travelling to play the Netherlands in Amsterdam. Finland need as many points as possible to have any hope of qualifying from group G. Finland’s U21s, the Pikkuhuuhkajat, also have two games over the coming week, a secretive friendly against the USA, followed by a U21 Euros qualifier away to Spain. Challenging weeks for both teams

Keke also asks Mark to explain why Ilves fans had a BUSt-up in Seinäjoki with an old London double-decker Routemaster…

00:00:00 Intro

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Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/09/16/is-finland-heading-backe-to-the-future/

Mark W and Keke again with match reports from Finland's two away games; a 1-0 friendly defeat to Norway, followed by a 3-1 defeat in the World Cup qualifier against Poland. Keke shares tales from his trip to Chorzów, Poland. They revisit the topic of an early episode* to ask if Finland is regressing under Jacob Friis, back to the performances of the Hans Backe era.

Finally, they discuss a positive week for Finnish referee, Mohammad Al-Emara, who made his elite international debut in the England-Andorra match at Wembley, before an unprecedented(?) post-match Q&A with the fans, after SJK 3-3 HJK 🤯

* See FFS episode #12: Backe sacke & ‘Crack’. Hans Backe Fired

00:00:00 Intro

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Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/09/09/veikkausliiga-2025-runkosarja-reviewed-by-fans/

Producer Mark rounded-up our band of Veikkausliiga fans to record an update to our preview episodes. As the ‘runkosarja’ has now finished and the league table splits in two, we asked each fan to give us an update on their club’s season so far. You will hear each fan's personal report, starting at the bottom of the table and working up, so you’ll hear a change in tone, satisfaction and level of optimism, as the show progresses.

Huge thanks from FFS to all the fans for sharing their insights about their club!

00:00:00 Intro

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🎭 Ally Manson’s play “The Inheritors” https://teatteritoivo.net/ohjelmistossa-nyt/the-inheritors/

Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/09/02/huuhkajat-match-previews-veikkausliiga-splits/

Mark W and Keke get back together after a long summer break. They give a brief update on the Veikkausliiga* as the league season splits into the Mestaruussarja and Haastajasarja. Who is in the race to win and who is trembling on the relegation trapdoor?

They then focus on upcoming games for the Finland men's national teams, as the Huuhkajat play Norway in a friendly, before facing Poland away in a World Cup qualifier. The U21s, the Pikkuhuuhkajat, also have two games over the coming weekend, both Euro qualifiers against San Marino (home) and Cyprus (away).

*  Look out for our full review of the Veikkausliiga season so far, as we hear from fans reviewing their club's performances in the runkosarja. Coming soon.

00:00:00 Intro

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Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/07/14/veikkausliiga-update-first-round-of-european-games/

Mark W & Rasmus get back together during Finland's 2025 summer heatwave and spend another hour discussing the current situation in the Veikkausliiga, which includes a very congested top half led, but not dominated, by Inter Turku. They also consider the first round of European games played, to varying degrees of success, last week by SJK Seinäjoki, KuPS Kuopio, HJK Helsinki & Ilves.

00:00:00 Intro

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Blog: show notes and links https://finnishfootballshow.com/2025/06/26/200th-episode-of-ffs-with-stevie-grieve/

Special episode, this one, as FFS achieves its 200th episode. SJK Seinäjoki Head Coach, Stevie Grieve joined Mark W and Ally to chat about SJK's season so far. They are then joined by occasional contributor, Seppo, who is the middle of a busy summer of international football.

They discuss the two World Cup Qualifiers for the Huuhkajat, a 0-2 defeat to Netherlands and a 2-1 victory over Poland. Seppo also shares his experiences travelling to Kosice, Slovakia with the Pikkuhuuhkajat, to watch Finland in the U21 Euro 2025 finals. They finish up witha. preview of the Helmarit's upcoming fixtires in the Women's Euro 2025 finals – finding real reasons to feel optimistic about Finland's chances. Hyvä Suomi 🦉

00:00:00 Intro

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