 TPV later joined the Finnish FA and competed at the highest level in the top tier of the Finnish football league system for five seasons in 1971, 1993–1995 and 1999.The most successful year was in 1994 when the club won the Finnish Championship, but the next season they were relegated to the Ykkönen.In July 1998 there were plans to merge TPV and the other local Tampere club FC Ilves but TPV decided to continue as its own team and FC Ilves reformed as Tampere United nicknamed TamU.