IFK Malmo

IFK - The Pride of Malmo

IFK Malmo 3-2 Nosaby IF (29:05:10)

- click on photos to enlarge image -

Don't stress yourself too much about getting a match ticket for IFK Malmo. Their average crowd of around 100 can fit quite comfortably into the Malmo Stadion - capacity 27,500. They're a club who subscribe to the old 'fallen on hard times' chestnut. As they've plummeted down the divisions, nearly everyone has given up on them. That is, aside from a few nutters. Hi ya!

With Sweden having failed to qualify for the World Cup, football wasn't uppermost in the thoughts of the people of Malmo again for this game - in the fifth level of Swedish football. Talking of the World Cup though, IFK do have quite a claim to fame in that department. In 1958 (stick with this one - Ed), Germany played Argentina in Malmo. Germany's kit clashed with Argentina's but they refused to change it (typical Germans eh Fergie!) and therefore Argentina had to play in a borrowed kit from - IFK Malmo. I bored everyone with that story over the weekend.

This was a bonus match for me. I hadn't actually flown in especially for this game but as I was in the area with my wife and Sister then, weeeell....why not take in a game eh? Beats shopping that's for sure. As I wasn't initially with any lads, my pre-match routine of working through a menu of beer was replaced by drinking in some local culture instead. The Oresund Bridge, Turning Turso, Western Harbour, Malmohus Castle, Slottsparken, Lilla Torg and Stortorget were all ticked off before I drew the line at shopping and headed off for the football.

The Malmo Stadion. Choose any seat you like but remember the history.

One man and his cap.

Hello.....anybody home?

EFW is making a bit of a name for itself in Sweden after being featured on the SvenskaFans website a couple of times lately, which is the biggest football site in the country. As such, news of my visit had attracted the attention of both Per-Gunnar Nilsson (who has his own very good football website) and Sven Persson - the later of which is part of the Scandinavian Barnet Supporters Club. No really, it's true. I met both lads before the game.

Sven drove me to the game and we bonded instantly because within four minutes of meeting him, he made a small diversion to IFK Malmo's old IP Stadium. Nowadays it is used by LdB FC Malmo in the Swedish Women's Premier League. After a routine snap on the pitch we moved onto another stadium which was adjacent to the actual ground we were going to. Are you keeping up at the back? Simon Inglis would have been having kittens. Three grounds in 30 minutes. Phwoar!

Malmo FF are the big cheeses of Malmo. They recently moved out of the Malmo Stadion (where IFK now play) and into the all singing and dancing Swedbank Stadion - literally next door. I asked a couple of people if I could have a look inside but they refused. What a pompous, jobsworth bunch of absolute knob-jockeys. I hate Malmo FF - for now anyway. "Shove your Swedbank" I said, I'm off to see a proper club - IFK.

And with that, we headed next door for the IFK v Nosaby game and within seconds were personally greeted by the Chairman Lars Holmberg and a number of other staff who simply couldn't do enough for us. Shove that up you ars....(alright that's enough - sensible Ed).

How many grounds of this size have a mobile club shop that is wheeled in by four lovely old ladies in a shopping trolley? That's IFK style and they had biscuits (biscuits!) as well. No beer though. Oh.

The electronic scoreboard was erm.....switched off for the day.

Sven and Per-Gunnar soak it all up.

Come 'ere you! Malmo go 2 up...

...make that 3-0.

Per-Gunnar had come 65km for this game. He actually works with he Nosaby Manager and three of the away teams players were his pupils -he being a teacher. They thought he was a mentalist for coming that far to see them play. When he then told them I'd come from England to watch, they were so dumbstruck, it took them 74 minutes to recover. By then they were 3-0 down. Arf.

Nosaby normally play at grounds that are nothing more than roped off pitches. So when they took to the pitch in this - to them - enormous ground, they were all nudging each other and giggling like school children. They walked to the centre of the pitch and waved to the non-existent crowd - chuckling with their every move.

You don't want me to talk you through the game do you? (nope - Ed). I'll just say that the first half was scintillating, swashbuckling football like on the Nike advert and that. Actually, it wasn't great but in fairness, things picked up in the second half and 5 (five) goals later - the crowd of around 70 were on their feet applauding what - in the end - had been a belting game of football.

IFK are a historic team and this stadium has bags of history. It's a real shame to see a club that was once amongst the elite in Sweden sink so low. They need to move grounds and that's for sure. It's just too surreal seeing them play at that place. I'm not too sure what the future holds for them but unlike the snobs from Malmo FF next door, they'd made EFW feel really welcome and for that reason alone - on this Saturday afternoon anyway - they were in my eyes: the pride of Malmo.

PGN's fine panoramic photo of the Malmo Stadion. Click to enlarge and enjoy!

For more photos from the day CLICK ME

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