FIGHT TO THE FINNISH FOR RHYL

By Dave Jones on Jun 29, 07 03:27 PM

RHYL have drawn FK HAKA of Finland in the first preliminary round of the UEFA Cup.
The first leg will take place at Belle Vue on July 19 with the return in the Tehtaan Kenttä stadium in Valkeakoski on August 2.
The draw was made in Nyon, Switzerland, this afternoon.

FK Haka is one of the most successful clubs in Finland.
Although none of its players are exactly household names, one famous ex-Hakaite is West Ham striker Marlon Harewood, who had a spell on loan there in 1998.
Haka currently lie third in the Veikkausliiga, the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 14 clubs of the country
FK HAKA - PROFILE
FC Haka is based in the town of Valkeakoski. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championships and 12 Finnish Cups.
Haka has historically had close ties with the paper industry in the Valkeakoski area, and it is still sponsored by UPM Kymmene.
The club was founded as Valkeakosken Haka in 1934. In 1949 it was promoted to Finland's top division Mestaruussarja (now called Veikkausliiga), and in 1955 won the inaugural Finnish Cup.
The 1960s was the most successful era in the club's history, winning both the league and cup three times, including the first double in Finnish football history in 1960. The club was relegated in 1972, but came straight back, and won the double again in 1977.
The club's name was changed to FC Haka in the early 1990s. Haka won the title again 1995, but was relegated the next season.
Keith Armstrong was hired as the new coach, and the club came straight back again, winning three straight championships from 1998 to 2000.
Goalkeeping legend Olli Huttunen succeeded Armstrong as coach in 2002, and has already led the club to the championship (2004) and two cups (2002 and 2005).
Haka's best performance in UEFA competition was in the 1983–1984 season when they reached the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, losing to eventual winners Juventus 0-2 on aggregate. The club has been involved in European competitions every year since 1998.
FK HAKA - HONOURS
Finnish championship: 1960, 1962, 1965, 1977, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004
Finnish Cup: 1955, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1969, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1997, 2002, 2005
Finnish League Cup: 1995.
* More features to follow.