Ljungbyholms GoIF v Trekantens IF, Sweden tier 8

The shortest football journey I can make this evening - a walk of 10 minutes to the home of the local team, Ljungbyholms IF, and a derby match against near neighbours Trekantens IF in division 6 Kalmar/Öland, tier 8 in the Swedish pyramid. I saw Trekanten only a few weeks ago but I haven't seen Ljungbyholm for over a year - too busy going everywhere else I suppose.

Ljungbyholm is a village of almost 2,000 inhabitants about 14 km south of Kalmar. The club was founded in 1938 and has today teams in both football and floorball for all ages. There is a good history of the club on their site, just use your translate button if you can't read Swedish. Back in the fities they played in the fourth tier and had crowds of 1,500 - 2,000 for some matches against bigger teams. I wonder if they had more spectator facilities then. Those glory days are gone and in recent years the club has been in the basement of local football but hoping that this season will see a change of fortunes.

Ljungbyholm have had a mixed start to the season and are in 5th position with 7 points from 5 games whilst the visitors are undefeated in top position with 14 points from 6 games. An interesting feature of games at this level in Sweden is that there are two referees on the field and noone on the lines. This seems a better solution than in the Scottish lower league games I've seen (like the one at Ormiston a couple of weeks ago) where one referee has to do everything.

See location on map.

The ground

Fruskogsvallen is another tidy and very attractive place to watch football. The grass is in perfect condition and that is a challenge these days in the extremely dry climate we have here in the summer. Like many lower league grounds round here it is surrounded by trees. At one end there is the entrance, clubhouse and kiosk. The only structures on the sidelines are one small wooden uncovered scaffolding stand and the dugouts. However there are also plenty benches to sit on. No programme and sadly no speaker either so I have had to check the players' names afterwards.

The match

Ljungbyholms GoIF 3 Trekantens IF 2
Crowd count. 65 ( my unofficial headcount)

Ljungbyholm in white and Trekanten in blue

A tough and entertaining encounter with goals, a missed penalty, two red cards and a lovely sunny evening.  The guests took the initiative right from the start and went ahead after only 3 minutes when Fabian Dervå Lindqvist recieved a lovely through ball and slotted the ball past the keeper. The lead didn't last so long and a corner on the left was met by a lovely header from the tall Max Ingner to put Ljungbyholm on level terms. Two minutes later there was further joy for the home crowd when William Andersson found himself alone on the left and fired a shot past the keeper to make the score
2-1. Trekanten pressed for an equaliser and got it with another goal from the dangerous Fabian Dervå Lindqvist after a couple of blocked shots. The guests could have gone to the break with a lead if Eric Bergzén had managed to convert a penalty kick after Fabian Dervå Lindqvist had been tripped in the box. His penalty shot hit the bar and at the break the score was 2-2.

The second half started with a goal and this time it was the home team who took the lead thanks to William Andersson who fired home from the left side of the box. That proved to be the end of the scoring but there were several chances at both ends and both keepers had to make important saves. Thinsgs got a bit tense towards the end and the red card was shown to Trekantens goal scorer Lindqvist after a rash challenge and then a few minutes later Ljungbyholm's Kasper Johansson got a double yellow and off. But the home side held out and deserved the three points in the end.

Hossmo BK v Hovmantorp GoIF, Sweden tier 6

Back home in Sweden again and a very local match for me this evening involving Hossmo BK, about 8 km south of Kalmar, and Hovmantorp GoIF from near Växjö. Hossmo Bollklubb were founded in 1939 and have spent most of their time in the lower leagues of the region. However in recent years they have moved up a gear and are at present in tier 6 of the Swedish pyramid, Division 4 south-east Småland. Both teams have had mixed starts to the season: after six games Hossmo have 9 points and Hovmantorp have 8 points.

Like most clubs here Hossmo have teams at all levels for both boys and girls (20 teams in all from age 7 to 17) plus the men's team with about 400 active players and over 700 club members. 

See location on map.

The ground

A tidy and picturesque ground with trees and fencing on three sides. All facilities are on one side with a clubhouse, kiosk, changing rooms and a wooden uncovered stand. Behind that they have an impressive sports complete with two more pitches with lights. It all gives the impression of a well-run club. Nice to get a match programme for a change, basic but all the important information like line-ups and league table.

 Although the crowd was lower than last time I was here there was a small group of lads behind the goal with two banners tied to the fence. They were probably the quietest and calmest ultras I have seen but nice to show support at least. The main reason for the low crowd was probably the fact that Sweden were playing Latvia in the ice-hockey world championships quarter final this evening!

Today's match was also graced with a TV van and camera from the local newspaper who stream matches for subscribers. I wonder how many sat at home and watched.

Great value for 30 kronor (£2.25) for seniors (50 kr for adults).

Training pitches

The match

Hossmo BK 0 Hovmantorp GoIF 2
Crowd count: 80

Hossmo in white and red, Hovmantorp in blue

A deserved away victory in the end although there were chances at both ends. The guests simply looked sharper up front and were dangerous on the break. Hossmo had the first chance though with a long shot from outside the box by Isak Olsson that hit the bar. A couple of centimetres lower and the game might have developed differently. Instead Hovmantorp took the lead three minutes later when an unmarked Isac Bejrum nodded in from a few metres range. Hossmo tried to get level with creative midfielder Isac Ilhammar looking the pick of the team but they just couldn't make a breakthrough and the away defence was tight.

The second half started with the home team trying to create an opening but the guests looking more dangerous when they counter attacked. On one occasion the dangerous Klas Albinsson broke free and forced a good block from the home keeper. Hossmo's Isac Ilhammar struck a nice free kick straight at the keeper but the guests broke from there and from well outside the box Klas Albinsson struck a cracking drive into the top right corner of the goal to seal it for Hovmantorp.

Ormiston Primrose v Craigroyston, Scottish tier 8

Scottish football is full of poetic club names and Ormiston Primrose is up there among my favourites. The village of Ormiston is close to Tranent just east of Edinburgh and the club has only recently readopted its original name after a few years as the amalgamated Pencaitland & Ormiston and then simply Ormiston FC. They have spent most of their existence in the lower leagues but their greatest achievement was reaching the Scottish Junior cup final in 1989, losing only 0-1 to Cumnock Juniors in front of 8,500 fans at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock.

Their opponents today, Craigroyston, were founded in 1976 and play in Warriston on the north side of Edinburgh. They won the East of Scotland League first division a couple of times plus two regional cup wins but no honours in the past ten years or so.

Today's match had a lot at stake with both teams battling to avoid relegation and three points here would be a massive boost to survival hopes. Ormiston looked doomed a few weeks ago but have picked up a couple of big wins recently to raise hopes. 

Kick-off with Ormiston in black and white and Craigroyston in yellow and blue

The ground

New Recreation Park was built in 2018 replacing the old ground on an adjacent site. The setting is very rural and pleasant, surrounded by trees and with cows grazing peacefully in the next door field. There is a wooden perimeter fence and a grassy bank on one side where most fans gather. A bity like back home in Sweden where you can sit on the grass and enjoy a match in the sunshine. There is a modern pavillion with changing rooms and a portacabin kiosk at one end but no other structures apart from the dugouts. However it's a tidy and well-maintained ground and even if this is the end of a long season the grass was superb, a credit to the groundsman. The kiosk was basic but cheery and a decent selection for this level was available - steak pies, sausage rolls etc.

Unfortunately there were no programmes or team sheets and no tannoy announcements to tell us who had scored. I have found the Ormiston line-up on the club's website but can't find any details about Craigroyston so I can only give shirt numbers in my match description below. 

The match

Ormiston Primrose 3 Craigroyston 2
Crowd count: 90

This was a crunch match and it showed with regular yellow cards on display and plenty of emotional language on the field and from the benches. Both teams needed a win so they went at it from the start. There were chances at both ends but in the 20th minute Ormiston took the lead with a lovely solo effort by the lively winger Ben Tracey who beat a couple of tackles on the left of the box and shot home. Six minutes later Guy Kerr took a free kick on the edge of the box that took a deflection and went in. Ormiston looked dominant but the guests responded well and about five minutes later they won a free kick on the edge of the box. Up stepped their number 10, possibly their best player today, who curled a lovely free kick into the goal. So at the break the home side had a slender 2-1 lead with the guests looking fully capable of equalising.

The guests had a few clear chances early in the second half but then after 64 minutes Ormiston increased their lead. A low cross from Maxwell on the right of the box found Sean Ballard in front of goal but he mistimed his shot and the ball skewed across to the far post where Josh Winnik was on hand to tap it in from point-blank range. After that the guests piled on the pressure and pulled one back after 72 minutes when their number 10 found space on the edge of the box and slotted home his second of the day. After that the pressure mounted as Craigroyston surged forward and Ormiston defended sometimes stoutly sometimes desperately. They had a scare when a cracking drive from the left side of the box by the guest's number 14 crashed off the underside of the bar and bounced out. At the end there was a corner with the entire Craigroyston team up in and around the penalty area but Ormiston held out for a vital three points. 

Ormiston now have a two point lead over Craigroyston with one game left to play. I will follow the results with interest.

Haddington Athletic v Jeanfield Swifts, Scotland tier 6

 

Back in my homeland of Scotland for a week or so and a chance to see my local team over here, Haddington Athletic, who play in the East of Scotland Premier League. I've been here many times over the years and have enjoyed seeing them improve on all fronts: results, facilities, support and community outreach. I remember coming here back in the seventies when a few people watched on the touchlines and there wasn't even a fence. When the exodus to senior football happened a few years ago Haddington saw their chance to move up in the world. The ground was improved, floodlights installed and access to the Scottish Cup was granted. They've had several big cup matches in recent years beating opposition from higher divisions such as BSC Glasgow and Deveronvale and they're eager for more.

I was here last season at this time to see them winning the first division title in front of a big crowd, complete with flares, sombreros and beach balls. Today's game was the last league game of the season and a chance to finish fourth in the league if other results went their way. I even splashed out on a replica top which will no doubt make me unique back home in Sweden.

Opponents today were Jeanfield Swifts from Perth who were just ahead of Haddington in the table. They are also a club with high ambitions and although they couldn't keep up in the promotion race they will surely be ready for another go next season.

The ground

Last time I was here was in March when the match was part of the special groundhopper Scottish tour with four East Lothian matches in one day. Not quite so many in attendance today but still a healthy crowd for this level. The atmosphere here is very friendly and relaxed and not unlike the matches I attend in Sweden. The ground is very tidy, with trees around it and the chimney of the old mill as a historical backdrop. Even at the end of the season the pitch is in perfect condition. Spectator facilities are all on one side of the ground with a fairly new shed, a few steps of terracing, a speaker's hut, kiosk and souvenir hut. The dugouts and TV gantry are on the opposite site and spectators can stand there though there is no terracing. The kiosk is excellent with a good selection of pies to suit all tastes. 

The match

Haddington Athletic 2 Jeanfield Swifts 1
Crowd: 226

A deserved win for Haddington that should have been more convincing. Haddington wore their usual claret and blue kits whilst Jeanfield turned out in bright yellow, as did the sun as the day got warmer and warmer. The opening minutes saw Jeanfield looking more likely but then after about 15 minutes Joe Tait put the home side in the lead with a well taken goal after a defensive mix-up and some snappy passing from the home side. The joy was short-lived when the guests were awarded a penalty two minutes later and Fraser Smith equalised from the spot. About midway through the first half the guests were reduced to 10 men after captain Aaron Whitehead got a second yellow card after a hard tackle on Guy McGarry. There was little dispute about the decision in stark contrast to the theatrical displays in the major leagues around the world. The dismissal didn't really affect the game much and at half time it was still 1-1.

Haddington stepped up a gear in the second half and had plenty chances to take the lead with some very nice build-ups and good passing but the final touch wasn't quite there. Guy McGarry had several of these chances and looked dangerous up front. After 67 minutes he broke through with a hard shot that the the keeper parried into the air but only to land kindly for McGarry who stuffed it into the net. There were plenty more chances for the home side but they couldn't seal the deal and that meant a few nervous moments at the other end when Jeanfield could have stolen a point. Anyway it finished 2-1 to the relief of the home support.

A very enjoyable afternoon in the sun once again in Haddington and I think they will be contenders at the top of the league next season if they can keep this team together.

Watch the highlights of the game from the Haddington YouTube channel.

Trekantens IF v Degerhamns IF, Swedish tier 8

A short drive from home this time to see a match in the regional Division 6 Kalmar/Öland, the eighth tier in the Swedish pyramid. The home team, Trekantens IF, were formed back in 1907 and as with most clubs have teams for all ages as well as senior men's and women's teams. The men's senior team dropped out of the league briefly a few years ago but made a welcome comeback last season. They've started this season quite well with two wins and a draw

The visitors this evening, Degerhamns IF, come from a village in the south-west of the long Baltic island of Öland.  The village is most famous for its cement works, now closed, and although the area is beautiful and one of the best areas for birdwatching in the country it's very quiet and there are not so many jobs there. The team have had the unenviable reputation of being one of the worst in the Swedish league structure in recent years with no points at all last season and some pretty embarrassing scores (only 8 goals scored and 99 conceded). They too dropped out of the league a few years ago but returned for the 2021 season. What I love about them is that they are still going even if it must be hard to find players. I've seen them a few times now including one match at their lovely ground where I actually saw them score. I'm looking forward to seeing if they have made some progress and they have already won a match.

The ground

See location on map.

Set among quiet streets of suburban bungalows, Åvallen is a pleasant ground with a tidy blue and white clubhouse with a matching kiosk, entrance gate and benches. On the clubhouse side there is a simply wooden stand with three rows to sit on as well as benches and picnic tables. The far side has the dugouts and beyond that a second pitch where they played last time I saw them. Even the reserve pitch has some benches to sit on.

The kiosk offers a bit more choice compared to grounds way above them - toasties and tea for example! 

The match

Trekantens IF 2 Degerhamns IF 2
Crowd count: 75

A very enjoyable game and a fair result in my opinion. Trekanten had more of the possession but couldn't quite capitalise. I was pleasantly surprised by Degerhamn who have a very promising squad this year and who looked far ahead of the last two seasons. Many young lads but they worked hard and won a point with virtually the last kick of the match. They certainly shouldn't finish bottom again if they keep playing like they did today. 

The home side started well and looked as if they would score on several occasions. Then in a rare breakaway by Degerhamn a pass from the left was struck beautifully into the net by Hampus Andersson to the delight of the travelling supporters, about 15 of them. He played very well all match and worked well with fellow striker Morgan Magnusson. Trekanten continued to press but amazingly went in at half time still a goal down. The second half saw the away side gaining in confidence up front and they had some promising moves but didn't threaten much. Trekanten needed a goal and in the 69th minute they finally got their reward with a cracking volley from the edge of the box by Eric Bergzén.

Trekanten then took the lead from close range but I didn't note who scored it, possibly Alfred Andersson. It looked all over but in the 92nd minute the away team equalised with a lovely through ball slotted home by Morgan Magnusson.

I enjoyed this one and even if you can't expect too many silky skills at this level both sides played some good football. The temperature was less chilly than pevious mid week evenings this year though I was forced to get the gloves out in the second half.

Kalmar FF v IK Sirius, Swedish tier 1 (Allsvenskan)

See location on map.

I have lived just outside the city of Kalmar for the past 22 years so I naturally follow Kalmar FF, even if I still have a soft spot for clubs I have supported when I lived in Stockholm (Hammarby) and Malmö (Malmö FF). Kalmar FF have been a top flight club since 2004, even winning the championship back in 2008, but are usually parked in mid-table or battling against relegation, pretty good for a population of just over 36,000. After a few lean years the club finished the 2022 season in 4th place and hopes are high for a repeat this season, especially after winning three of their first four games. 

This evening's visitors were IK Sirius from the city of Uppsala, Sweden's fourth largest city. They haven't had such a good start to the season but have a habit of producing good young players each season who sadly tend to move quickly to bigger clubs, including two in today's Kalmar team.

The ground

Old ground at Fredriksskans

I have seen many games over the years, first at the old city centre ground of Fredriksskans and then since 2011 in the new Guldfågeln Arena (named after the sponsor, a poultry company - translates as the Golden Bird Arena) just outside town. The old ground was charming and had a lovely view out on to a lake but was a bit basic in terms of facilities. The new place looks like thousands of other modern stadia around the world but everyone is under cover and has a good view. The capacity is 12,000 though that number is only reached when one of the big teams visits and there's a lot at stake. Otherwise it can be a little short on atmosphere with average crowds of 4,000-5,000.

The catering is efficient but unimaginative with the usual hot dogs, popcorn, sweets, coffee, fizzy drinks and low alcohol beer. Unlike the lower league games I attend they don't have any kettles or tea bags for me so I don't bother anymore. I wish Swedish grounds would try and diversify the catering a bit as is now so common in the UK.

One nice touch is the wall of fame paying tribute to the great players of the past (see photo below). 

The match

Kalmar FF 2 IK Sirius 2
Crowd: 4250

A tale of two halves with Kalmar winning the first in style and then threw it all away in the second. Kalmar played in their new Arsenal-style kits that I really like whilst Sirius played in their usual Inter Milan blue and black stripes. The crowd was disappointing considering the decent start to the season. The away end was particularly empty with a total of seven brave Sirius fans who had travelled down for the game. It was rather comical to see the seven watched over by two security guards, two stewards plus two staff in the kiosk. Almost man-to-man marking.

Kalmar got off to a great start with the impressive tall front man Mileta Rajovic, signed from Danish second tier Næstved in the winter, scoring twice from close range after good crosses from the right. He is the sort of player Kalmar have lacked for so long, a proper target man who can stuff the ball in the net. When they play direct balls into the box he is very effective, but sadly Kalmar can't seem to shake off their old style of passing the ball endlessly from side to side and backwards without anyone getting into the danger area. Once they got the second goal they contented themselves to just passing around, apart from one dangerous chance at the start of the second half that Hümmet missed when it looked easier to score in a virtually empty net.

After that Sirius took over and Kalmar seemed to be content to knock the ball around and play for the result. As so often happens this did not work. First, Tashreeq Matthews slotted the ball home after a beautiful through pass and then in overtime a long ball was headed deftly into the net by Jamie Roche for a deserved equaliser. Kalmar have only themselves to blame for losing two points and need to play a more direct game and make better use of the power of Rajovic up front. When they do that they are very dangerous but in the second half they just didn't seem to try. 

There was a lot of mumbling and grumbling as the fans headed for the exits at the end and it felt more like a defeat than a draw.

Vissefjärda GIF v Söderåkra AIK, Swedish tier 8

A very chilly spring evening with hail showers mixed with sunshine. I headed inland to the village of Vissefjärda, famous for its idyllic church by the lakeside and birthplace of the great Swedish jazz sax player Lars Gullin and the legendary medieval rebel leader Nils Dacke who lead an army of local peasants in a revolt against the crown in the 1540s only to be defeated and killed.

Vissefjärda GIF was founded in 1929 by a group of local lads who wanted a field in the village to play football as well as other sports. The club, like many in Sweden, has over the years has offered a variety of sports including athletics, skiing and bandy (like field hockey but played on ice on a rink the size of a football field). Today the club offers football, tennis and gymnastics.

See location on map.

The ground

Widavallen has an embarkment on one side with a fence and long benches for spectators at the top. There is a pavillion and clubhouse that includes the all-important kiosk. The kiosk did brisk trade offering sausages or burgers from the barbeque and a nice touch was that the entry ticket (40 kronor, £3.10) entitled you to a free coffee or tea. Given the cold conditions this was extremely welcome. There are no other structures on the other sides of the ground and the players changed in a school just beside the ground. No programme but the speaker kept us up to date with scorers, bookings etc.

The match

Vissefjärda have started the season with an away win whereas this was Söderåkra's first league game of the new season. Vissefjärda played in red and white stripes whilst the visitors were in all blue kits. The first half hour of the game belonged to the home side who had several chances including a corner that swung in to hit the bar. Then, as so often happens, the away team took a surprise lead after a free kick from the left was headed in from close in by burly forward Anton Johnsson. It got worse for the home fans 7 minutes later when a cross from the right was swept home by Oscar Kennemar. Sleeves were then rolled up (at least metaphorically) and Vissefjärda battled to get back into the game. They did so in style with two quick goals in the last five minutes of the half by two hard-working players, Max Welander and Samuel Häggbring. So all square at the break.

The second half saw the home team pushing for the lead but Söderåkra also had their chances, often on breakaways. A home player got sent off for dissent and then pushing the referee and Vissefjärda seemed to have thrown their chance away. But then after 71 minutes a lovely shot from Malte Svensson gave them the lead. They looked like holding on but a spectacular shot from outside the box by Söderåkra's Emil Gustavsson tied things up at 3-3. Entertaining stuff indeed but I was glöad to get back to the car to warm up.

Final score: Vissefjärda GIF 3 Söderåkra AIK 3
Crowd: 102