RAF Jelgava
Founded1988
Dissolved2003
GroundOzolnieki stadium
Capacity500
League1. līga
20037th

RAF Jelgava was a Latvian football club based in Jelgava.The foundation of the club is considered in 1988 and for the first two years there were two teams of RAF Jelgava which in 1990 merged into one. One of those played in the lower Soviet leagues, the other – in the Latvian league.

Team history

Automobīlists Jelgava

The car factory club Automobīlists played in the lower Latvian leagues in the early 1970s, but in the mid 1970s were renamed Metālists.

Metālists Jelgava

The club first appeared in 1977 and in their debut season in the Latvian league finished 7th out of 13 teams. After three less than stellar seasons the club changed owners – it was attached again to the bus factory and renamed to Automobīlists Jelgava.

Automobīlists Jelgava

As Automobīlists the Jelgava squad also had it hard – at best it finished seasons in the middle of the table, and between 1983 and 1987 it played in the 1st league. In 1987 Automobīlists lost to Zemgale Ilūkste for a place in Virslīga but as the league was expanded under the name of RAF, Jelgava once again had a club in the top Latvian league.

RAF Jelgava

In 1988 and 1989 there were two teams of RAF Jelgava which in 1990 merged into one. One of those played in the lower Soviet leagues, the other – in the Latvian league. In 1988 and 1989 under the management of Viktors Ņesterenko the "local" RAF won the Latvian league, in 1988 as a golden double it also won the Latvian Cup. Meanwhile, the "international" RAF weren't doing that well – although they had in its squad several talented young players including Vladimirs Babičevs, Dzintars Sproģis, Igors Troickis and Aleksandrs Stradiņš, its results were very disappointing. In 1989 Ņesterenko took over the unified RAF team in the Soviet league and in the Baltic league. In 1990 and 1991 the team played better, but then the Soviet Union collapsed and RAF joined the Latvian Virslīga.

In the early 1990s RAF was one of the strongest teams in Virslīga, three times finishing second and once third (in 1992 they finished runners up to Skonto Rīga in an additional game after finishing the season on equal points). However, when the plant ran into financial difficulties, the team received new sponsorship from the University of Latvia in 1996 and, as a result, changed their name and relocated to Riga, and played in the Latvian University Stadium. [1]

RAF Rīga

As RAF Rīga the club only played one season, finishing 5th in the Latvian league, however it won the 1996 Latvian Cup. But after the season the club changed its name again – this time to Universitāte Rīga.

Universitāte Rīga

The only season under the name of Universitāte didn't bring much success to the club – 6th place in the league with the club being disbanded after the season.

RAF Jelgava (again)

A team under the name RAF Jelgava appeared again in 2001 in the 1. līga. After the 2003 season the club merged with another Jelgava club – FK Viola Jelgava forming FK Jelgava.

League and Cup history

Soviet Union

RAF Jelgava
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Soviet Cup
1988 4th (Soviet Second League B) 18/(18) 34 5 5 24 43 6 15 Did not participate
1989 4th (Soviet Second League B) 18/(22) 42 10 9 23 38 61 29 Did not participate
1990 4th (Soviet Second League B) 4/(17) 35 17 9 6 54 25 43 Did not participate
1991 4th (Soviet Second League B) 3/(22) 42 28 6 8 71 39 62 Did not participate

Baltic

RAF Jelgava
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P
1990 1st (Baltic League) 8/(17) 32 13 10 9 44 37 36

Latvian SSR

Metālists Jelgava
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Latvian Football Cup
1977 1st (Latvian SSR Higher League) 7/(13) 24 9 5 10 42 33 23
1978 1st (Latvian SSR Higher League) 10/(14) 26 6 6 14 30 39 18
1979 1st (Latvian SSR Higher League) 11/(14) 26 8 8 10 29 31 24
Automobīlists Jelgava
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Latvian Football Cup
1980 1st (Latvian SSR Higher League) 7/(16) 30 9 11 10 40 38 29
1981 1st (Latvian SSR Higher League) 12/(16) 22 6 6 10 27 39 18
1982 1st (Latvian SSR Higher League) 11/(14) 26 7 3 16 22 65 17
1983 1st (Latvian SSR Higher League) 11/(14) 26 7 3 16 22 65 22
RAF Jelgava
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Latvian Football Cup
1988 1st (Latvian SSR Higher League) 1/(16) 30 19 11 0 69 18 49 Winner
1989 1st (Latvian SSR Higher League) 1/(17) 31 22 7 2 72 26 51

Latvia

RAF Jelgava
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Latvian Football Cup
1992 1st (Virsliga) 2/(12) 22 17 14 1 43 6 38
1993 1st (Virsliga) 3/(10) 18 12 2 4 34 11 26 Winner
1994 1st (Virsliga) 2/(12) 22 13 7 2 38 11 33 1/4 finals
1995 1st (Virsliga) 2/(10) 18 14 6 8 40 28 48 1/2 finals
RAF Rīga / FC Universitāte Rīga
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Latvian Football Cup
1996 1st (Virsliga) 5/(10) 28 11 6 11 37 45 39 Winner
FC Universitāte Rīga
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Latvian Football Cup
1997 1st (Virsliga) 6/(9) 24 8 5 11 25 42 29 1/2 finals
RAF Jelgava
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Latvian Football Cup
2001 2nd (1.līga) 4/(8) 28 14 6 8 62 33 48 1/8 finals
2002 2nd (1.līga) 5/(8) 28 12 2 14 48 47 38 1/16 finals
2003 2nd (1.līga) 7/(10) 27 8 4 15 33 62 28 1/16 finals

European record

Season Competition Round Team Home Away Aggregate
1993–94 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup PR Faroe Islands HB Tórshavn1 1–0 0–3 1–3
1995–96 UEFA Cup PR Wales Afan Lido F.C.1 0–0 2–1 2–1
1R Moldova FC Zimbru Chişinău1 1–2 0–1 1–3
1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup QR Liechtenstein FC Vaduz2 1–1 1–1(aet) 2–2(p)
1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup Group 7 Turkey İstanbulspor2 1–5 — 5th
Hungary Vasas SC2 — 0–3
Germany Werder Bremen2 0–3 —
Sweden Östers IF2 — 1–2

Honours

Latvia

Latvian SSR

Notes
  • Note 1: As RAF Jelgava.
  • Note 2: As FC Universitate Riga.

References

  1. ↑ Virsliga table 1996 at RSSSF.com. Note E explains the relocation to Riga. Retrieved 30 November 2006
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