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IFK Göteborg

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IFK Göteborg is a sports club club located in Göteborg, Sweden, with football as the primary sport. The club, formed 4 October 1904, has won 17 national championship titles, 4 national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups in football.

File:IFK Goteborg.png

Common history

1895-99

The first IFK club in Göteborg was the one founded in 1895 with Oscar Lagerstedt as chairman, but the club short-lived. Sources confirm it had founded a small-bore rifle shooting challenge prize in the winter 1896. The next try to found an IFK Göteborg was made September 5, 1897, when the Friberg-brothers, Eric Clase and Anton Johansson (later chairman of the Swedish Football Association (SFF) and, strangely enough, a big Göteborg-hater) reconstructed the club. The club was active untill at least 1899, but after that year, no information is found that can confirm that the club still existed. During these years, the main activity was athletics, and during a short time in 1899, the four-time Olympic gold medalist Eric Flemming was active in the club.

1900-04

There was no further activity of any IFK club in Göteborg between 1900 and 1904, when the IFK Göteborg we know today, was founded, when Arthur "Lång-Arthur" Andersson, John Säwström, two Chalmerists, Arthur Wingren and S. Ljunggren wanted to start an IFK club in Göteborg. The idea came to their minds after reading a news-item in a newspaper where a question why Sweden's second largest city still didn't have an IFK association was asked. Late in the evening, 2 October 1904, it was decided to start the club, and two days later, IFK Göteborg became the 39th IFK association. The meeting also founded committees for football, hockey and parties(!). One of the most important questions before any activities could start was the look of the dress. As all IFK clubs (except IFK Malmö), the colors where blue and white. It was decided that the dress should consist of blue and white striped jerseys, with blue shorts. A dress still used.

Football

History

1904-09

The first season of the club ended with four wins over clubs, not known which, from the local area. The first match played with a known opponent, IK Vikingen, ended in defeat, 1:2. The players where upset, and the return match ended in an overwhelming win, 8:1. The foundation of IFK Göteborg was important for the development in the city, as the only big club this far, Örgryte IS (ÖIS) had dominated the scene, but now they got concurrence, although the first training games in 1906 against ÖIS ended in disaster, with only one win, and the total goal score ending at 7:40. IFK plays in the IFK association competition, but losses against IFK Stockholm in the finals.

The big rival ÖIS outclasses IFK in most matches in the first years, but in May 1907, the first win in a competing match finally arives, and this also means that IFK Göteborg wins the series in Göteborg, which leads to the decision by the district board (composing only ÖIS-fans) to disqualify IFK Göteborg, but the Swedish Football Association dislikes the decision and revokes it. IFK wins the "Swedish Championships" for the first time in 1908 and three players from the club plays for Sweden in the first Swedish international game played (11:3 against Norway). Erik Börjesson from IFK scores the historical first goal.

1910-19

In 1910, the club finishes third in the first "Swedish League" competition played, although the club wins the final of the "Swedish Championships". The team played that game using the blue and white striped jersey for the first time. Up until that moment, all games had been played in blue jerseys with a single white stipe, due to bad economy. The next season is finished by playing against international opponents for the first time, the Danish club Københavns Boldklub (KB). The team plays 1:1 in a game in 1912 against what became the Swedish Olympic team, and the news-papers in Stockholm nominates IFK Göteborg as "the best Swedish football club ever". The club acts as a national team the next year when playing 1:1 against Norway. For the first and last time ever has the Swedish national team had players from only one club.

The first Swedish football scandal occurs in 1914 when several players, leaders and supporters from IFK and ÖIS starts a fight in the 1/8-final of the Swedish Championships. The club plays their games on Gamla Ullevi from 1916 and forward. Due to the ever lasting conflict between the clubs from Göteborg and clubs from Stockholm and SFF, the national team between 1913 and 1916 is either composed of players from Stockholm, or Göteborg, but never at the same time. IFK Göteborg wins the Swedish League for the fifth time in a row 1917, which leads to the dissolution of the competition by SFF. Due to that, in 1918, a private competition with clubs from Stockholm and Göteborg is started, and IFK wins that competition too. The competition is dissolved the next year.

1920-29

The club, with its 875 members starts the new decennium by beating both local rivals GAIS and ÖIS in the Swedish Chamionship, but losses in the semi-final against Djurgården. The club gains its first official coach in 1921, the Hungarian Alexander Brody. The Swedish League is played again that year, IFK finishing fifth, but is dissolved again in 1922. IFK plays an English team for the first time but losses 2:3 against Arsenal. After another conflict with SFF, the three clubs of the Göteborgs-alliance, IFK, ÖIS and GAIS, boycotts the Swedish Championship. The Swedish League is split into two divisions, east and west. The official reason being the high costs of travelling to different parts of the country, the real reason being that the split was the only chance for any club from Stockholm to win anything.

The Swedish official football Championship, Allsvenskan is started in the autumn 1924, played autumn/spring between 1924 and 1958. The same year as the legendary Filip "Svarte-Filip" Johansson debutes for IFK Göteborg. IFK's debute in the Allsvenskan is played against Malmö FF and ends in a 1:1 draw. The club finishes second, but "Svare-Filip" scored 39 goals in 22 games and wins the top-scoring league. The next five seasons, IFK never finishes worse than fourth, but on the other hand they never won the league either. Swedish football is still dominated by the three big clubs from Göteborg, IFK, ÖIS and GAIS.

1930-39

The 30s starts as the 20s ends, with a lot of second and third places, but no win. The season 1932/33 ends with "Svarte-Filip" quitting football, having reached a total of 177 goals in 181 Allsvenskan games, and totalling 329 goals for IFK. IFK finally wins its first Allsvenskan title the spring of 1935 after eight silver and bronze medals since the league start. As the only Swedish football club, IFK and its players boycotts the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Nazi Germany. Swedish football is no longer dominated by Göteborg in the later half of the thirties, with both IFK Göteborg and GAIS being relegated in 1937/38, although IFK is promoted back to Allsvenskan the next season. Back in the highest division, IFK finishes second when it is decided to let the league be finished, even after the break-out of war.

1940-49

Mobilization affects the leagues as many players are doing their military service. Gunnar Gren (later A.C. Milan) makes his debute in IFK as they win the league in 1941/42. The rest of the 40s are dull and is ended by IFK being relegated from Allsvenskan for the second time. The only light in the dark is Gunnar Gren, being the top scorer in 1946/47 and is together with Gunnar Nordahl playing in a 'Rest of Europe' team against England at Wembley. He is also awarded the "golden ball" as the best player in Sweden, and wins an Olympic gold medal with the Swedish team in 1948.

1950-59

IFK is promoted to Allsvenskan after one season in the next highest division. They barely avoids relegation in 1952/53, 1954/55 and 1956/57. The talent Bertil "Bebben" Johansson plays for IFK and scores 27 goals when IFK wins the long season league played autumn 1957 to autumn 1958. This is done as Sweden changes system from autumn/spring to spring/autumn. IFK competes in a European cup (European Champion Clubs' Cup) for the first time, being eliminated in the second round. The still unbeaten record attendance of 52 194 is set when IFK plays ÖIS on Nya Ullevi in 1959.

1960-69

IFK Göteborg gains the nickname "Änglarna" ("Angels") when a news-paper seller coins the name after seeing a heavenly freekick being shot by "Bebben". The training ground "Kamratgården" is built and opened in 1961, and is still in use today. One of the founders, John Säwström dies in 1962.

The 60s wasn't very good, with IFK finishing in the middle of the league almost every year, even with "Bebben" as coach. The legendar Bengt "Fölet" Berndtsson retires in 1967, after setting the record for most matches played for IFK, 598. The team wins Allsvenskan in 1969, chocking all other teams.

1970-79

1970 was the darkest year in the history of IFK. After winning the league the year before, the team is relegated after losing the last game in the series against Örebro SK. 4 000 angry IFK supporters storms the field in the last few minutes of the game and vandalizes the field, and the goals, trying to get a re-match. After a big fight between the police and the hooligans, the game ends in a defeat. IFK is also eliminated in the first round in the European cup. After three seasons in the second league, IFK has bought 34 players, but still hasn't won the series. In 1975, still playing in the second league, IFK buys Torbjörn Nilsson and Ove Kindvall. Torbjörn Nilsson shows the way and IFK is promoted to Allsvenskan in 1976. A news-paper arranges a poll, showing that 60% of the people in Göteborg supports IFK, 25% supports ÖIS and 15% GAIS. A new record is set for Swedish second league football when 50 690 persons watch IFK-GAIS.

The first season in Allsvenskan this decade ends with a sixth place, having bought many good players, including Ralf Edström, Glenn Holm and Tommy Holmgren. In 1978, IFK hires the coach Sven-Göran Eriksson, previously only having minor successes in lower leagues, to make IFK Göteborg a top team once again. He introduces the 4-4-2 system with "pressure and support", that is going to give IFK great success later on. The 70s end with a second place in Allsvenskan and the first gold medal in "Svenska Cupen".

1980-89

After reinforcing the team with several good players, amongst them Glenn Hysén, Glenn Strömberg and the goalie Thomas Wernersson, IFK finishes second in the league and reaches the 1/4-finals in the UEFA Cup after beating Finnish Haka Valkeakoski, Austrian Sturm Graz and Romanian Rapid Bucharest. 1982 became a turbulent season, as the whole board is replaced, and the club almost being bankrupt, having to loan money from the supporter club to be able to go to Valencia and play the 1/4-final in the UEFA Cup. After the troublesome start, IFK wins everything they can win this year, including Allsvenskan, the Swedish Cup, and finally, the UEFA Cup, after beating Valencia, Kaiserslautern and finally Hamburger SV in the finals.

After the European success, many players goes abroad trying their luck, and this means that the faboulous team is split. IFK still has a strong team wins gold in both the league in 1983 and 1984 and the cup in 1983. IFK plays in the European Champion Clubs' Cup and reaches the 1/4-finals two years in a row. In 1986, the team goes even further, but is eliminated in the semi-finals after 3:0 at home and 0:3 away and then defeat after penalties against FC Barcelona. A new team of talents does the impossible and wins both the UEFA Cup and Allsvenskan once again in 1987, after beating Dundee United in the finals. The later years of the 80s show an old team that would need a few young players. After finishing seventh in the league, the new junior coach Roger Gustafsson takes over the team.


1990-99

Gustafsson couldn't have gotten a worse start than 0:6 against IFK Norrköping in the premiere of Allsvenskan 1990, using many youth players, he got heavily critizised in by the press, but in the next game, a 5:0 victory against AIK showed them that Gustafsson was doing the right thing. After a good autumn, IFK once again won Allsvenskan in 1990. It was also decided to move back to the old arena Gamla Ullevi, originally built for IFK in 1916. IFK won the league and the cup in 1991, and Gustafsson became a hero. 1992 ended with a fifth place in Allsvenskan, but a good result in the Champions League, beating PSV Eindhoven twice and FC Porto once, finishing second in their group after AC Milan.

IFK won Allsvenskan in 1993, their 14th title (Swedish record), and was once again qualified for international play. IFK qualified to the group stage of the Champions League by beating Sparta Praha. The group consisted of FC Barcelona, Manchester United and Galatasaray. No one really believed that IFK would qualify for the 1/4-finals, but after beating Galatasaray twice, and Manchester United and Barcelona once, one loss and one draw, IFK Göteborg won the group and was now playing Bayern München.

The 1995 season started with the 1/4-finals against Bayern München, which ended in two draws, 0:0 in München and 2:2 at home, but being eliminated due to fewer goals when playing away. IFK won the league for the third time in a row, but was eliminated in the first round of the Champions League, and the fantastic career of Roger Gustafsson ended. IFK hooligans behaved really bad in the qualification to the Champions League, and IFK got punished hard by having to play next home match at least 250 kilometers from Göteborg.

Although Gustafsson left, IFK continued to play good football, and won Allsvenskan for the fourth time in a row, and also qualifying to the Champions League once again. IFK won against AC Milan with 2:1 at home, but lost all the five other games. The last years before the new millennium was a disaster, with "just" a silver in 1997 and an eight place in 1998, after several buying expensive, but failing players. IFK changed coach in the middle of a season two years in a row, when it never before had been done even once. The last year of the decade ended with a sixth place.

2000-

The first two years of the new millennium ended with two fourth places, good, but not good enough for the demanding IFK fans. Two hard seasons but at least it could be the start of something good. But it wasn't. IFK where almost relegated in 2002, staying in Allsvenskan only after two nervous qualifying games against the local rival Västra Frölunda IF. The play in the UEFA Cup ended with a humiliating defeat against Moldavian club Zimbru. After those results, it couldn't be worse in 2003, and IFK ended on a seventh place, after some good performances.

Facts

Noted players

Noted managers

Statistics

  • League Championships: 17
    • 1908, 1910, 1918, 1935, 1942, 1958, 1969, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996

Athletics

Orienteering

Cross country skiing

Speed skating

Bowling

See also

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