Nine years after one of my best friends from University had emigrated to Sweden, I was well overdue a second visit to catch up with Jonny. As he’d moved from Stockholm to Gothenburg, I was looking forward to my first visit to the city. Sweden didn’t quite offer the jeopardy and adventure of my last trips but with a strong football and beer culture and £27 return flights from Manchester, I was excited to get the summer of travel up and running after a 6 month hiatus.
The customary Manchester Craft Lager was consumed before a seamless Ryanair flight. Jonny picked me up from the airport and we headed straight to his local for last orders. A beautiful little pub on the edge of Lake Sävelången which was hosting quite an intriguing event that evening.
Starting at 6PM, runners would run a 6.7km circuit around the lake. They would go again at 7, then 8, 9, 10. You get the jist. The race finishes when only one person remained. Some effort! We applauded the 100 or so runners setting off on their midnight run as we sampled a pint of Pivot Pils.
Still going strong
After a good night’s sleep, we returned for a full English breakfast to see the runners still toiling in the heat. The field had dropped down to less than 10, not bad at all 17 hours in, still some way short of the record of 41 though.
Off we went to town with our bikes aboard the train and 20 minutes later we were in heart of Sweden’s second biggest city. Two thirds of the size of the capital Stockholm with a population of around 600,000 and positioned smack bang in the middle of the neighbouring capitals of Oslo and Copenhagen.
Settlers have been living here for thousands of years but the city of Gothenburg was formed in 1621. Over time due to its coastal location and prime position on the banks of the Göta älv River, it became a haven for fishing. This was eventually replaced by trade and shipping as the main industry in what has become the largest harbour in Scandanavia. In more recent times the creation of Volvo and other manufacturing companies have produced significant employment in the city.
Arriving in the centre to stunning sunshine, there were plenty of bars and pubs to choose from and the people of Gothenburg certainly knew how to make the most of the good weather. A few pints were consumed before cycling off to Gamla Ulevi.
Gamla Ullevi
The home of the 3 Gothenburg clubs as well as the women’s national team was inaugurated in 2009. It was built to replace the demolished Gamla Ullevi, translating as ‘Old Ullevi’ making differentiating between the two rather comical. Constructed on the same spot it means that this location in the heart of the city centre has been home to the team since 1916.
Literally the next block along is an even more iconic stadium for global fans, the scene of one of the biggest shocks in football history as Denmark triumphed against all odds to beat the unified Germany in the Euro 92 final. Just 3 years later Jonathan Edwards rolled into town and broke the triple jump world record here which still stands today some 29 years on. That day was also marked by local legends Ace of Base premiering their new single Lucky Love in the stadium which went on to reach the dizzy heights of number 20 in the UK charts.
Today we had the pleasure of watching Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna Göteborg, but we’ll stick with IFK Gothenburg for now. One of the biggest clubs in Sweden, formed in 1904, they were the working class alternative to local rivals Örgryte IS who had dominated the national game winning 9 of the first 12 championships. IFK ended their four year unbeaten run in 1907 and proceeded to win their inaugural title the following year.
Club Legend
IFK added occasional titles over the years including the 1942 championship lead by club legend Gunnar Gren. After 8 years at IFK he went on to star for AC Milan in Italy to form one third of the deadly Swedish front 3 known as Gre-No-Li and made the AC Milan hall of fame. Unfortunately due to being professional the prolific attacker missed out on many opportunities for the national team but the relaxed rules allowed him to play in the 1958 home World Cup.
His semi-final goal against West Germany was enough to get him a place in the team of the tournament at the ripe old age of 37 but he was unable to get passed the likes of Pele and Garrincha in the final. He is now honoured with a statue outside the stadium to mark his impact on the clubs history.
After spending the mid 70’s in the second tier, IFK returned to the Allsvenskan in 1977. Ever present since then they have the longest current run in the top flight. The hiring of the then little known Sven-Göran Eriksson was set to change the history of IFK. Introducing 4-4-2 known as the Swenglish method, he won Gothenburg’s first Swedish Cup in his debut season, but this was just the start.
By 1982 Sven had them playing great football and ready to take on Valencia in the UEFA Cup Quarter Final. Due to financial difficulties the fan group ‘Änglarna (The Angels)’ lent the club the money to supplement the cost of the away trip, a 2-2 draw in the Mestalla was followed up with a win at home
History
An Extra Time penalty saw off Kaiserslautern in the Semi before victory in the Final over two legs vs one of the strongest teams in Europe in Hamburg. European silverware was a huge moment for the club and country, still the only Swedish team who can claim this accolade.
Gothenburg’s domination was well and truly underway, after a couple more league titles it was time to attack Europe’s premier competition. The part timers battled their way to a semi-final against the might of Barcelona, one of the world’s richest clubs. The Champions of Spain were led by ‘El Tel’ Terry Venables and were expecting to stroll to victory against the Swedish Cooks and Plumbers.
In the first leg, the legendary Torbjörn Nilsson scored 2 goals in a shock 3-0 victory. A fortnight later Gundar Bengtsson took his men to the Nou Camp where the 3-0 score line was reciprocated in front of 120,000 baying Catalans. Eventually the brave Swedes came unstuck on penalties but it wasn’t the end for this group of players. Remarkably another UEFA Cup victory followed the next season as Dundee united were defeated in the final.
This era of IFK is captured in the film ‘The Last Proletarians of Football’. One I can’t find anywhere but would love to get my hands on so feel free to send the DVD my way.
The last hurrah
Up until 1996, Gothenburg won 10 of the 15 league titles, the main reason they sit so prominently in my mind as these were my formative years following football, back when the European game was less accessible and more exotic to English fans. The famous Welcome to Hell banners for Manchester United vs Galatasaray live long in the memory of those who witnessed it, but not so strongly remembered is that IFK won the group that year with Barcelona in second place. They eventually fell in the Quarter Finals to Bayern Munich and sadly this was the last of their great European forays. The glory period for IFK was highlighted by having 7 of the stars of the national team in their incredible 3rd place finish at the 1994 World Cup.
Since those glory days they have struggled to compete, winning one league title in 2007 and a few runner up spots over the years. They have had to sit back and watch as Malmö FF have surpassed their previous record of 18 titles. ‘Di blåe’ now lead the way with 23 and continue to dominate the modern game in Sweden. This barren period has seen IFK fall from the countries most supported club to third behind arch rivals AIK Stockholm and the aforementioned Malmö.
Back to today and Gothenburg went into El Västico teetering perilously above the danger zone, while Elfsborg made the 65km journey to the west coast sitting firmly in mid table. Over 17,000 people piled into Gamla Ullevi for this match, the pre match song was sung with passion across the stadium and the fans were there in full spirit to support the Blåvitt.
The standard of football was half decent, nicely supplemented by great support and some 3.5% beers making for a top atmosphere. Both sides had their periods of pressure but it was the home team who broke the deadlock and Gustaf Norlin tapped home to the delight of the Änglarna.
‘No Fireworks please’
The second half was delayed by 5 minutes due to smoke from the flares obscuring the view of, well, pretty much everyone in the stadium. No fuss, no drama, a ‘no fireworks’ announcement on the tannoy and off we went. The game certainly lacked quality but the tension kept it an entertaining affair. A nervy last few minutes but IFK held on for victory, as always the players came out to thank the fans for their unrelenting support and an additional word from retiring veteran Sebastian Eriksson after 297 games for the club, their 4th highest of all time.
50+1
A thoroughly enjoyable experience all round, the home ultras sung for 90 minutes, jumped up and down and made for a great atmosphere. As did the travelling fans who constantly drummed away in hope of inspiring a fight back. A real credit to the Swedish game which is known for its influential fans. Just like Germany they have a 50+1 fan ownership rule. Despite the Swedish federation suggesting moving away from this model, the fans stood firm and ensured that Swedish football would retain its history and integrity. It is the highest league in the world that doesn’t have VAR and the viewing experience is all the better for it. Just as the Premier League clubs voted to retain it, long may its absence in Sweden continue.
Afterwards we headed back out into the sunshine and found a beautiful outdoor spot to bask in the lovely weather, enjoy an ice cream followed by a couple of pints by the river. For the Champions League Final we made our way to an Irish Bar as is standard whenever you want to watch football abroad. We gathered with the Swedes to cheer on Dortmund but we were all defeated by the inevitable machine that is Real Madrid as they took their remarkable ‘decimoquinto’.
A late train back and no surprise to see there was no longer anyone running around the lake some 32 hours in.
Time for a breather
The next day was chill time in the garden followed by a trip to the mini beach on the lake for a relaxing swim before the thunder storms came. A much needed day of tranquillity to reset the body, an experience that is remarkably simple to find in the forests and lakes a mere 20 minutes outside the city.
My flight back to Manchester wasn’t leaving until 11pm so I had the full Monday to enjoy the delights of the city. I decided on a 12km cycle over to the Ferry port to take me across to the island of Brännö, picturesque and tranquil but literally nothing to do on a Monday so I just enjoyed the fresh air and admired the perfectly kept gardens and the immaculate housing.
Plenty to do
Back in the city there are plenty of things to keep you entertained. Sweden’s most popular tourist attraction, the Liseberg amusement park, once voted in the Worlds top 10. Plenty of museums and the huge Slottsskogen Park, with an open free zoo which hosts huge concerts and festivals every summer. Well known for it’s Gothia Cup, the second largest youth tournament in the world. Some of the greatest in history have graced the competition, Pirlo, Shearer, Zlatan and even Gordon Durie. Over 1000 clubs battle it out for a week on over 100 pitches, a great boon for the local economy and its organisers BK Häcken.
Gothenburg is also the most sustainable destination in the world and has been since 2016, no idea what this really means but it sounds pretty good. The spotless streets, large parks, effective public transport and a huge amount of electric cars that I saw can’t be doing any harm. Add to that the peaceful nature and friendly people, I saw nothing that made me think anything other than that Gothenburg would be a bloody wonderful place to live.
But how about as a Footy Trip? As always I will rate IFK Gothenburg as a Footy Trip out of 100 across 10 different categories
Team Ability – Playing in the 25th best league in Europe, and with IFK struggling towards the relegation zone – 4/10
Atmosphere – The ultras put on a great show, constant singing and jumping for 90 minutes, the rest of the crowd also got stuck in and a very welcoming feel to the place. Nice flare stoppage at the start of the second half for bonus points – 8/10
Stadium Quality – Great size for the team, really nice look to it and top views from every seat – 7/10
Beer/Food at stadium – 3.5% beer you could take to your seat and some decent food and snacks – 8/10
Tourism – A really nice city to stroll or cycle around, not a crazy amount of sites but good vibes in general – 6/10
Accessibility – 27 of my finest British pounds is all it took to get me there and back, absolute bargain. Once there it ain’t so cheap though often paying £8 for a beer – 7/10
People – A wonderfully pleasant bunch of people, very interactive and always so friendly and genuine – 9/10
Stadium Surroundings – Brilliant, right in the heart of the centre, plenty of pubs within a couple of minutes’ walk – 8/10
History – The second most successful team in Sweden with iconic European success giving them some kudos outside of their homeland – 7/10
Ease/Cost of ticket pricing – Very easy to pick up tickets, especially when your pal sorts it all out. At £33 apiece, not the cheapest but still felt it was good value – 7/10
Total – 71/100
Overall a class city to watch football and somewhere I would certainly recommend visiting for a Footy Trip
Accomplishments
For me in terms of personal accomplishments on this trip. Sweden was the 24th country in which I have watched a footy match, one more for the quarter of a century.
An absolute pleasure as always to travel around the world enjoying the delights on offer, thanks again for joining me and until the next Footy Trip, take it easy