Lechia Gdansk v Arka Gdynia, Polish Liga 1

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Lechia Gdańsk 2-1 Arka Gdynia
Polish Liga 1, tier 2
Sunday 18 October 2026, 20:30 kick-off
Polsat Plus Arena, Gdańsk
Crowd: 37,501

I have been following Lechia since I first saw them about 15 years ago and usually attend at least one game a season. Last season I even managed three of their matches, two away and one at home. They are to some extent sleeping giants of Polish football with a large vocal following and a magnificent stadium but they are extremely inconsistent on the field and very seldom challenge the top teams in the country. Last season saw them relegated again to the second tier, as were local rivals Arka Gdynia who they face today. This game is always the biggest of the season, no matter in what league they play, this is the Tricity (Trójmiasto) derby - the three cities of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia that blend into each other along the shores of the Gulf of Gdańsk. The whole area has almost one million inhabitants with Gdańsk being the biggest, then Gdynia and the popular seaside resort of Sopot as the smallest. This will be my first derby here and although I want Lechia to win, I also like Arka and I have seen them at their home ground at least 6 times so far. 

Lechia were formed in 1945 when the city became a part of Poland and the German population fled west as the Soviet army advanced towards Berlin at the end of the war. The docks and shipyards had been destroyed and massive reconstruction of the whole city began in the sftermath of the war. The club was formed by workers who had been deported to Gdańsk from Lviv in Ukraine which had become part of the Soviet Union. Whole populations were shunted around Eastern Europe after the war as new borders were drawn. In fact the club existed before the war as Lechia Lwów when that city was part of Poland. Lechia's history has been a roller-coaster ride with many seasons in the second and third tiers and even a brief sojourn in the 6th tier in 2001 after a disastrous merger. However, in the last 15 years they have spent several seasons in the top tier, Extraklasa, coming third in 2019 as well as winning the cup. 

Gdańsk was of course at the centre of the rebellion against the communist government in the 1980s with the famous shipyard strike lead by Solidarity union leader and future president Lech Wałęsa. In a famous European Cup Winners' Cup match against Juventus in 1984, attended by Wałęsa, the capacity 40,000 crowd chanted the union name so loudly that the TV channel muted the second half to stop the rest of the country hearing the chants of defiance against the government.

Lechia started this season with some embarassing defeats but have pulled themselves off the bottom with 4 wins in their last 5 games and are now in 7th place with 16 points from 10 games. They play in green and white.

Arka were founded in 1929, also by shipyard workers in the newly-built city of Gdynia. The city was built as Poland's main Baltic port since neighbouring Gdańsk was under German control as the city of Danzig. I can write more about Arka when I go to my next game there but they have also had a history of ups and downs with many seasons in the second and third tiers. In recent years however, especially since moving to their new stadium, they have spent several seasons in the Extraklasa and were, like Lechia, relegated last season. They have not made a great start to this season and are at present third bottom with 11 points from as many matches. Arka haven't managed to beat Lechia away for 50 years so the odds are very much in Lechia's favour. Arka play in yellow shirts and blue shorts.

To say that the fans of these teams don't like each other is putting it mildly.

The ground

The Polsat Plus Arena, as it is called at the moment, was built for the 2012 European Championships and has a capacity of 41,620. It is a beautiful modern all-seated and covered arena that looks particularly spectacular at night with all the lights on. Most of the time it is a bit too big for Lechia and average crowds of 10-20,000 are usual unless it's a derby or one of the big clubs come to visit. Tonight, however, it was sold out, except for a few thousand seats surrounding the Arka fans' section.

I arrived about an hour and a quarter before kick-off and the atmosphere was already buzzing with the home end well packed. By the start the place was really cooking and both sets of fans made lots of noise. Poland is today famous for tifos and fireworks and there seem to be no big efforts made to stop the pyrotechnics. I've seen all this at previous games but today beat everything, even the Stockholm derby I saw a few weeks ago. They keep the spectacular stuff till later in the game focusing on noise at the start. The tifos were incredible, especially the massive viking long boat that was raised amidst flares and smoke. The Arka fans seemed to all be wearing exactly the same blue and yellow jerseys and had their own tifo with flares in the 2nd half but it naturally paled in comparison. I do wonder if these ultras actually see much of the match they have paid to watch. Most of the time they stand below the tifo displays or are lost in the almost constant smoke from the fireworks and flares. The match was stopped in both halves to let the smoke ease off. In the second half you could hardly see anything for a while. There was so much going on in the stands that it was easy to forget there was a big match being played.

I have been to many matches over here where the police presence is massive and rather intimidating in full riot gear plus nasty dogs and even horses. There were hordes of police vehicles parked all round the stadium today but I didn't actually see many police at all. I suspect they were focused on the ultras' sections. It's very spectacular but it sadly disrupts the game and I get rather tired of all the smoke and the smell of bangers and rockets. In Sweden they try vainly to limit the chaos but here they seem to have given up and accept it all. At the same time the fans in the rest of the ground are enthusiastic and vocal but good natured and I've never felt intimidated at any match here, though I might have got some stick if I had worn something yellow!

The game

While all this was going on there was actually a match in progress. Lechia got their three points but it was close and it could so easily have been a draw. Typically for a derby it was tense and tough with few big chances apart from the goals. 

Lechia pressed for most of the first half with Arka defending robustly, sometimes a bit too robustly for the home fans' liking. Despite all the possession the Arka keeper David Arndt was not called upon to make any big saves, in fact the shots on target stats for the whole match were only 4-3 in Lechia's favour. It wasn't until the 36th minute that Lechia finally got their reward. Kevin Dodaj ran into the penalty area and fired a shot on goal. The keeper parried it but only as far as league top scorer Artur Szach at the far post. He turned and managed to squeeze the ball home between the keeper and the post. The ground erupted!

But the narrow lead did not last far past half time, two minutes to be precise. Arka's Latvian international Vladislavs Gutkovskis received the ball on the left corner of the penalty area and he sent a beautiful curving shot into the far top corner of the net leaving the keeper helpless. In response Lechia pushed forward and four minutes later they regained the lead. The order of the first goal was reversed, this time Artur Szach found Kevin Dodaj in space on the left, he beat a defender and slotted the ball past the onrushing keeper. We had about 15 minutes "smoke break" and the players went off to the dressing rooms whilst the home fans set fire to various banners as well as filling the arena with smoke. I suspect there will be consequences for the club for all this in terms of a fine, let's see.

The latter part of the match saw Arka desperately trying to score an equaliser but the Lechia defence stood firm and even created a few good chances for a 3-1 lead but in the end there jubilation at another win and real contact with the front runners in the promotion race. For Arka this was a heavy defeat and their form is poor at the moment. They need to regroup and find a way out of the relegation zone. I hope they do so and I may well be back to see both teams in the spring.

Gedania 1922 Gdańsk v KP Błękitni Stargard, Polish regional division 3

 

Gedania Gdańsk 2-2 Błękitni Stargard
Polish regional division 3, tier 4
Saturday 17 October 2026, 12:00 kick-off
Stadion Klubu Sportowego Gedania Gdańsk
Crowd: About 120

A weekend trip over the Baltic to Gdansk and a couple of games to cover here. I come over here a couple of times each year but have so far not covered any Polish games on this blog, until now. The main attraction this weekend is the big derby between my Polish favourites Lechia Gdansk and rivals from up the road, Arka Gdynia, but as an appetiser I've chosen a division 3 match with Gedania Gdansk. The city is dominated by one big club, Lechia, and then there are several other teams in the fourth tier and below. At present Gedania are the highest placed smaller team in town.

Gedania Gdansk were founded in 1922 when the city was governed by Germany under the name Danzig. Gedania played in regional German leagues but were very much a Polish team. When the war came the club was disbanded by the nazis and the club's president and two vice-presidents were executed. The players and staff were sent to concentration camps. Shockingly 75 club members were killed during the war. After the war the city became part of  Poland and the club came back to life. Since then they have played in the lower leagues and their present position in the fourth tier is about as high as they have come. Going into today's game they are in 11th place in the league with 14 points from 12 games.

Błękitni Stargard come from the north-west of the country, near the city of Szczecin, and were founded just after the war. They reached the second division briefly in the 1980s but otherwise have spent their history in the regional leagues. At prsent they are in fifth position with 18 points from 12 games.

The ground

The ground is part of the club's sport complex with several pitches, halls and facilities that were in good use today with kids' matches being played in front of enthusiastic parents. Gedania's ground is basically a fenced-in pitch with spectators on one side sitting on open scaffolding with bucket seats. There's a large modern clubhouse building beside the stands. Facilities are pretty simple - no catering at all that I could find, no souvenirs and only one portaloo toilet. But to be fair there were many other buildings in the complex no doubt with toilets if needed. To my amazement entrance was free, or I saw no evidence of anyone wanting payment.

The other side of the ground has the team benches but there's no public access. The south end is just a high fence but at the north end there are a few rows of scaffolding stand with blue bucket seats almost hidden away among the bushes. This, I guess is for the away fans, if they should ever turn up. But no-one there today. Curiously I couldn't see a scoreboard and match clock so I had to keep checking my watch for goal times etc. As usual these days there was no teamsheets available but a kind steward fixed a photo of the official team sheet so I could do my report.

Sitting in the stand I was very surprised to hear two guys speaking Finnish and they were suitably surprised when I spoke to them. They were of course fellow groundhoppers here for the weekend to see the derby match tomorrow and this one as an aperitif.

The game

Definitely a game of two halves - action and goals in the first half and rather uneventful attritional football in the second. Gedania were in all black with a red diagonal stripe on the shirts whilst the guests were in white and light blue. We started at noon in hazy autumn sunshine but still warm for mid-October.

The visitors started positively and the big powerful central forward Szymon Krocz had a nice header past the post after only a couple of minutes. But it was Gedania who took the lead with a lovely goal from Konrad Waliszewski who controlled a cross from the right and fired past the keeper. The lead didn't last long for only five minutes later the visitors were level when once again Krocz rose above the defenders and this time headed into the net. The two burly Stargard forwards Krocz and Michalak worked hard up front and were a handful for the home defence.

However, once again Gedania fought back and regained their lead after 24 minutes when they won a free kick on the left edge of the box. The ball was passed quickly to Waliszewski who shot from a narrow angle and the ball somehow squeezed into the goal. It was end-to-end stuff and this lead only lasted another 10 minutes before were were level again through that man Krocz. This time he met a low hard cross from the right by Michalak and volleyed home. The eventful half wasn't over yet though. In the 37th minute Gedania got a penalty after a defender handled the ball, but the penalty shot was well saved by Stargard keeper Czarnota. So at the break it was 2-2 and a very even and hard-fought match.

Penalty save

Sadly the second half failed to live up to the frantic example of the first and there were few serious chances and plenty of midfield battles. The referee showed his yellow card regularly and I'm surprised that no-one managed to see it twice. There were a couple of decent chances later in the half - Gedania's hard-working defender Adrian Bielawski sent a hard shot just over the bar and Stargard's substitute Dominik hit the post - but in the end they had to settle for a point each. An enjoyable match and a nice contrast to the more frenetic atmosphere that awaits me in the big derby tomorrow evening.

FK Älmeboda/Linneryd v Kristianopels GoIF, play-off to regional division 3

 

FK Älmeboda/Linneryd 3-2 Kristianopels GoIF
Play-off to Swedish regional division 3
Saturday 10 October 2026, 13:00 kick-off
Kullbergsplan, Rävemåla
Crowd: 108

Arriving at the ground for today's match I discovered to my horror that I had left my mobile at home. So no photos from me in this report but a guy sitting near me kindly accepted my request and took the photos you see here. Normal service will resume for the next game I cover. It was also lucky that I actually had some cash on me otherwise I wouldn't have got into the ground - most people pay by mobile here.

Me in red!

Today's match is about a one hour's drive for me and a new ground to tick off.  The lower leagues of Swedish football have all been concluded and now it's time for the promotion and relegation play-offs.The play-offs take the shape of a four team group where each team plays three games and the winner takes a place in next season's regional division 3. The home team today, another merged club, FK Älmeboda/Linneryd, came second in their division 4 whilst the visitors, Kristianopels GoIF, were third bottom of their division 3 and therefore are fighting to avoid the drop.

FK Älmeboda/Linneryd is the result of a merger in 1994, brought about as usual by a shortage of players in this rural area. They alternate their matches between two grounds: one in Linneryd, a village of around 450 souls and the other, not in Älmeboda but in the nearby village of Rävemåla and the venue for today's game. They played in division 2 as recently as 2020, an admirable achievement for a village team. One half of the partnership, Älmeboda IF, rose to the same level in the late 1970s and I saw evidence of that, curiously enough, in the toilet at half time. Hanging on the toilet wall was a framed poster announcing the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup between Älmeboda IF and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium (pay entrance at gate!). We can all dream, as they obviouly did back then, but it was an amusing detail. I would have taken a photo but of course I couldn't! 

I saw Kristianopel at home a few weeks ago and you can read more about them on that post: Kristianopels GoIF v Rödeby AIF (21 August). 

The ground

Another fairly typical little ground for this region with the entrance at the east end beside the main road out of the village. At the entrance is a small wooden kiosk outside of which there was the obligatory barbeque for the sausages. They also have an old-school match clock and manual scoreboard. Up on an embankment is the wooden clubhouse and changing rooms plus the main kiosk.

The south side of the ground has benches along the pitch and a small scaffolding stand where I encamped. The north side has benches all along plus the two dugouts. 

The game

The game started with ominous dark clouds gathering and a stiff breeze blowing from the west. We had rain in the first half, then blue sky and sunshine in the second but with dark clouds again threatening at the end. The hosts played in orange and black whilst the visitors played in yellow and black kits.

This was an entertaining game with chances at both ends but in the end the hosts just about deserved their 3-2 win that puts them in a strong position for the promotion place. There were plenty of robust tackles and honest effort from both teams, as befits a play-off match. Älmeboda/Linneryd took the lead after 12 minutes when the lively forward Ibrahim Haddar took a shot from the right of the box and past the diving keeper. The game moved from one end to the other with several decent chances before Kristianopel got their equaliser when a cross from the left by Jörgensson (I think) took a deflection from a defender into the net.

The visitors put on more pressure and forced home keeper Brickarp into two saves in a row. Then at the other end Moustafa Azizi was sent clear on goal but was brought down from behind by defender Christoffer Svensson who got a straight red card. Älmeboda/Linneryd quickly made their advantage pay when a free kick from the left by Liam Boe Presteng found the gap between the keeper and the near post and so the hosts went in at the break with a 2-1 lead.

After the break Kristianopel pushed to level the score and had several corners in a row without really putting the home keeper under pressure. Instead, as so often happens, the hosts extended their lead in the 69th minute with a lovely lob by Presteng over the onrushing keeper. The hosts tried to slow down the game after that and succeeded for 10 minutes or so but then Kristianopel made a final push and pulled a goal back when Hilding Åkesson beat a defender on the edge of the box and fired home. But the hosts held on to their slender lead and grabbed three invaluable points. For Kristianopel this must have been a great disappointment and they'll need to win both their remaining matches to have a chance of retaining their division 3 status. 

Kosta IF v Kalmar City BK, Swedish regional division 3

 

Kosta IF 4-0 Kalmar City BK
Swedish regional division 3, tier 5
Sunday 4 October 2026, 14:00 kick-off
Ekevallen, Kosta
Crowd: about 100

Another new local ground for me and a match between the two clubs at either end of the league. Both have had incredible success in the last few years rising rapidly through the league system even if Kalmar City seem to have hit a wall and are relegated to division 4 next season.

Kosta IF are a village team that has won four promotions in a row to go from the lowest level (division 6) to division 2 next year and on the way broke the Swedish men's record for unbeaten games - an incredible streak of 63 matches. The village of Kosta has a population of just over 800 and its main claim to fame has been the glassworks that produces superb artistic glass creations as well as everyday objects. However the village has been transformed in recent years since billionaire Torsten Jansson bought the glassworks, built an exclusive hotel and shopping centre and is now investing in the football club, aiming to take them into the upper echelons of the league system. The club, which previously lead a quiet life in the lowest divisions has been catapulted into the limelight and show no signs of slowing down. Players with merits from the top divisions have been recruited and they have simply outclassed all opposition for the past 5 years, though this season they actually lost two matches.  There are plenty of examples from around the world of this type of development and the bubble usually bursts after a few years. Let's see how things go for Kosta in the next few years. They play in black and amber striped kits. Curiously I can't find their website despite numerous searches.

Kalmar City are a new team, formed in 2016, and have also climbed quickly up the leagues. However, in contrast to Kosta, they have found division 3 a step too far and are already relegated with only 6 points from 19 games. They play in sky blue and white, possibly inspired by a rather bigger club also called City.

Today's game is the last of the season and there is nothing to play for. Kosta were crowned champions last week and Kalmar City have been doomed to relegation for several weeks now. However, the home team will celebrate their league win today and should win easily.

The ground

This is still really a typical village ground though the pitch is beautifully kept and they have new floodlights. There are plans to develop the ground into one with a capacity of about 2,500, anticipating a further rise up the league system but that is not in place yet. However, they have attracted several top clubs to have training camps there and earlier in the summer hosted a friendly between Swedish champions Mjällby and Halmstad.

Today however the spectator facilities are pretty basic. The north side has a grassy bank and a fine little wooden clubhouse at the top. There's also a wooden kiosk selling the usual hotdogs etc. There are only four benches to sit on and most spectators seem to bring their own chairs, otherwise they stand. The opposite side has the substitute benches and nothing else. Behind it a new training pitch is being prepared, also with floodlights. The dressing rooms are quite far away from the pitch at the west end of the ground.

The match

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon though distinctly chilly when the sun went behind a cloud. As expected Kosta ran out comfortable winners, but it took into the second half before the goals started coming and Kalmar City were no easy opponents despite their lowly league placing. 

Kosta had most of the possession and passed the ball around with great confidence but didn't really create many serious chances in fromt of goal in the first half. Crosses from the left were the most common route forward but the Kalmar defenders dealt easily with the threat. There were several good shots on goal with Jesper Andreasson and Melvin Lockby creating the chances. Just before half time a cross from the right found Vllasalija at the far post but he hit the side-netting. The visitors had a few counter attacks but didn't threaten the home goal. 0-0 at half time.

The hosts continued to dominate after the break and a goal looked inevitable. After 60 minutes a through ball found Butrint Vllasalija and he ran past a defender before slotting the ball past the onrushing keeper to put Kosta into the lead. Five minutes later they doubled the lead when an unmarked Oskar Bolin volleyed in a cross from the left. The visitors kept plugging away and had a few promising counter attacks but they didn't lead to any serious chances and they didn't have a single shot on goal. The points were all wrapped up but Kosta managed to score two more before the end. After 76 minutes a perfect cross from Vllasalija found the head of Nedanovski for 3-0 and a few minutes from the final whistle Darmin Sobo scored the fourth with a speculative shot that found its way past the keeper.

Johansfors IF v Konga SK, Swedish regional division 6

 

Johansfors IF 3-2 Konga SK
Swedish regional division 6, tier 8
Saturday 26 September, 12:00 kick-off
Johansfors Idrottsplats, Johansfors
Crowd: officially 48 (I counted about 60)

As the local football season here draws to a close I visit another club at the very bottom of the league pyramid, Johansfors IF, who are propping up division 6 (Emmaboda area). The village of Johansfors has a population of about 400 and has been built around a glassworks and sawmill. Johansfors IF were founded in 1929 and have, like so many village teams, an important social function in the community with teams for boys and girls. They play in all-blue. The club's main claim to fame is that the three Elm brothers (Rasmus, Viktor and David) started their careers here. Swedish readers will know all about them as they all played a part in Kalmar FF's sensational Swedish championship win in 2008 and two of them, Rasmus and Viktor, also won many international caps. I spotted David in the crowd today! 

Konga is a similar sized village about 43 km away and built around an iron works and then a paper mill. Both industroes have gone now but there is still a factory for making pipes and robot welding. The football club was founded in 1933 and has played in the lower divisions since then. They play in red and white.

Both teams are marooned at the bottom of the league with Johansfors on 5 points from 19 games and Konga on 11 points. Today's game is the last of the season and since there is no relegation they will both hope for better times next year. 

The ground

A pleasant and tidy ground situated beside a campsite on the edge of the village. This area has plenty lakes and rivers and is quite popular for tourists in the summer. The entrance is on the south side and for a senior like me the admission was a mere 20 kronor (about £1.50 or €1.80). There is a clubhouse with kiosk and changing rooms on that side and even a covered area in case of rain. There are several benches for fans. As at many small grounds here there was a guy grilling sausages on a barbeque outside. Full marks to the kiosk staff for rustling up a up of tea for me despite that beverage not being on the menu. I also bought the attractive club club mug for a friend.

The north side has a long line of benches plus the wooden dugouts and beyond that a solar power plant. The west end has an old fashioned mechanical match clock and the east end is empty.

The game

This was a hard-fought and very enjoyable match and the hosts fully deserved getting their second win of the season with great jubilation and relief at the end. Johansfors is a proud little club and have seen much better times so finishing bottom will hurt, but closing the season with a win like this will give them hope for better days next year.

It was end-to-end action from the start and Konga's Jafari had a decent shot against the post in the opening minutes. Then the hosts took the lead after 8 minutes when a fairly weak shot from Truls Eriksson Jonsson somehow found its way into the net. They could have doubled the lead when defender Johansson made a fine solo run but couldn't finish. Konga replied in the 25th minute when a throw-in from the left was cleared as far as Nooh Meary on the edge of the box and his rather mis-hit shot looped into the net. Johansfors went back upfield determined to regain their lead and did so with a goal from Monir Jafari, scrambled home after a corner from the left. At the break the hosts were well worth their lead.

Konga came out determined to get another equaliser and it came through a lovely header by the tall defender Kevin Ljungberg from a corner on the left. The hosts pushed yet again for the lead and tough forward Oscar Ahlström should have scored when he battled free of the defenders and rounded the keeper only to miss the open goal. As the game progressed things got more tense and tackles got tougher. in the 67th minute Johansfors' Melvin Linnér got a straight red card after bringing down a Konga player who was almost through on goal. 

Despite playing with 10 men Johansfors really wanted to win this one and they got their reward when a through ball found Milo Östgran who rounded the Konga keeper and slotted home what proved to be the winner. The visitors went all-out for an equaliser and things got rather intense. Konga's Nooh Meary was sent off just before the end for dissent and in added time the Konga keeper went up as an extra attacker but to no avail. Home keeper Randewall made some good saves and the hosts held on for the three points. The relief at the end was enormous and the team came off the field to a cheering home crowd.

IFK Kalmar v Hovshaga AIF, Swedish women's division 2

 

IFK Kalmar 2-0 Hovshaga AIF
Swedish women's division 2, South-east Götaland (Tier 4)
Saturday 19 September 2026, 13:00 kick-off
Gröndals idrottsplats, Kalmar
Crowd: 52 (plus 2 big dogs)

IFK Kalmar was founded in 1970 and since 2005 it has only fielded womern's and girls' teams. I've seen them before but haven't taken photos or written about them so today is a good chance to change that. They play at a lovely ground on the north side of town as I hope my photos demonstrate.

The club has had a dramatic rise and fall in recent years. Only 3 years ago they were relegated from the top league and have since slithered down to the regional division 2 in the fourth tier of the national pyramid. In 2023 they were close to bankrupcy with debts of 1.8 million SEK and dreams of grandeur collapsed as they were relegated and sold most of their players. They eventually avoided going bust with contributions from the council and supporters but have been forced to start over with hopefully more realistic ambitions and finances. 

Today they have a secure position in the middle of the league well out of relegation danger but too far from the top teams. Their current form is not great with one win and a draw from their last five matches. They play in dark blue kits.

Today's opponents, Hovshaga AIF come from Växjö and are almost certain to be relegated unless they win all their three remaining matches and other teams lose all theirs. Hovshaga were founded in 1986 and have both men's and women's teams as well as several other sports. They also play in all-blue but today turned out in their away kit of white tops and blue shorts.

The ground

An attractive ground that only a few years ago hosted matches in the top flight of Swedish women's football. The entrance is in the south-east corner and today consists of a simple table with the QR-code for mobile payments (50 kronor). Outside the kiosk was a barbeque for the hot dogs and burgers. The north side has a large clubhouse with changing rooms and kiosk all painted appropriately in blue and white. The team benches are also on this side. Behind the east end is a large sports complex and home to the town's tennis club. The south side features two open wooden stands with five rows of plastic bucket seats that are in need of a serious clean-up with a power hose. I wouldn't recommend sitting here if you're wearing your best white disco trousers. The ground has floodlights.

The game

The dogs gaze longingly towards the barbeque

A lunchtime kick-off on a dull and overcast autumn day. IFK Kalmar deserved to win this rather scrappy game with few serious chances. The hosts looked sharper in the first 15 minutes or so but neither team could string many passes together or hold possession for long. The only chance of note was when Kalmar's nippy forward Alma Muharemovic broke through but she was forced wide by the keeper. 

Kalmar took the lead after 19 minutes. A corner was headed clear but only as far as midfielder Selma Ström who hit a looping shot from the edge of the box into the net. It wasn't particularly hard and she looked rather surprised that it went in but they all count. The rest of the half was fairly uneventful and neither keeper was troubled so the hosts went in at half time with a narrow lead.

The second half continued in the same vein and play confined to the midfield. Then after 54 minutes Alma Muharemovic scored with a lobbed shot from outside the boz and over the keeper for 2-0 and that really wrapped the game up. The visitors fought well but when they did get a chance the ball flew harmlessly past the post or over the bar. The hosts could have extended their lead on a couple of occasions. Silje Jörgensen forced a good save from Hovshaga keeper Björnfot and a few minutes later a free kick from Ström was tipped over the bar. In the dying moments of the game the visitors had their best chance of the game when a free kick from captain Ebba Nilsson hit the underside of the bar.

Not the best game I've seen this season but there was no lack of effort from the girls. Tomorrow I'll go and watch Kalmar FF again but they've already been covered twice here so I'll leave my notebook behind.

Alstermo IF v IFK Borgholm, Swedish regional division 4

 

Alstermo IF 1-2 IFK Borgholm
Swedish regional division 4, tier 6
Saturday 12 September 2026, 13:00 kick-off
Amokabel Arena, Alstermo
Crowd: 57

Alstermo is a village surrounded by forest with a population of around 850. It was built up around a paper mill and today is the home of Amokabel a company that makes electric cables.  the football club, Alstermo IF, was founded in 1927 and has several sections for football, skiing, orienteering, gymnastics and tennis. They have played a few seasons in division 3 but no major honours to speak of. The village's sporting interest is centred however on their successful handball club, Amo HK, who play in the second highest league in the country and usually fill the hall for home matches (handball is a very popular sport here in Sweden).

I saw Borgholm, from the island of Öland, only a few weeks ago and they looked impressive that day beating Kalmar Södra 5-1, see my report from that match.

Alstermo are currently adrift at the bottom of the league with 12 points from 18 games and need a lot of luck to avoid going down. Borgholm occupy a mid-table position but are only four points away from a play-off place so they still have a lot to play for. Alstermo play in white and red kits whilst Borgholm play in all-blue.

The ground

The Amokabel Arena as it is so grandly named is situated on the edge of the village. You enter on the east side usually by mobile payment or cash (60 SEK for seniors, 70 SEK for adults). On the left is the wooden clubhouse, kiosk and changing rooms and on the right is the main east side of the ground with an open wooden stand where most of the small crowd sat. There's also a two-storey wooden building with a scoreboard. The west side has some benches, the dugouts and electronic scoreboard. There's a white perimeter fence around the pitch but few other facilities.

One nice feature was that the kiosk offered free coffee and biscuits to us all and you could also get hotdogs and soft drinks at a reasonable price. A nice gesture. Last time I was here they had a catering wagon with street food and I was rather hoping to see it again but sadly no. But the half time coffee was fine.

The hotdog grill

The game

This was an enjoyable tight encounter and Borgholm came away with a narrow win and may well have condemned Alstermo to division 5 next year. They are now 7 points adrift with three games to play. The win puts Borgholm into the battle for a play-off place to division 3.

The first 20 minutes were relatively uneventful with the teams sizing each other up but no clearcut chances to note. After 20 minutes Borgholm came close with a nice free kick that went straight into the keeper's arms. But then a minute later the guests had better luck when  Jacob Petersson beat the home keeper to the ball and flicked it over his head into the net. Alstermo went for an equaliser and it came only three minutes later. Kujtim Shkreta passed into the box to an unmarked Isak Bonillo Abrahamsson who shot past the keeper. The visitors then pressed to regain their lead and came close on a number of occasions. Emanuel Thorsen had a shot against the bar and then after 37 minutes he scored what proved to be the winner with a hard shot from outside the box.

After the break Alstermo pressed for a leveler and although they showed great effort and some nice build-up work they couldn't penetrate the solid Borgholm defence. Midfielder Kujtim Shkreta and defender Giga Chkheidze were particularly active with strong runs and good passing but the points eluded the home team today and I suspect that this has been the theme of their season. They deserved a draw here and the disappointment was clear at the end.

Lessebo GoIF v Värnamo Södra FF, Swedish regional division 4

 

Lessebo GoIF 3-1 Värnamo Södra FF
Swedish regional division 4, tier 6
Sunday 5 September, 13:00 kick-off
Lessebo Idrottsplats, Lessebo
Crowd: Officially 45 but I counted about 70 plus two dogs (one large and one small)

From the tifos, passion and intensity of last weekend's matches I return to a quieter setting deep in the forests of Småland and a first visit to Lessebo GoIF. I know the place and area very well having hiked a lot round here but have not seen a match here, until now! Lessebo is a small town built around a paper mill and for many years was instantly recognisable by the distinct smell coming from the aforementioned industry. No smell these days but the paper mill is still the hub of the town. The population today is just under 3,000.

Lessebo GoIF was founded in 1925 and play in yellow and black. Back in the thirties they played a couple of seasons in the second tier of Swedish football but since then they have played in the lower tiers.

Värnamo Södra were founded in 1949 and have lived in the shadow of the town's main club IFK Värnamo who were relegated last season from the Allsvenskan (see previous post about Landskrona v IFK Värnamo, June 2026). They have played a few derbies in the lower leagues over the years. They play in all-red but today were in their white away kit.

Lessebo are in the relegation play-off place with 15 points from 17 matches and only two points from their last five matches. Värnamo Södra are mid-table with 19 points with a couple of convincing wins behind them but are still a long way behind the promotion places.

The ground

This is a lovely old ground and the focal point is a fine wooden stand that I suspect was built in the 1950s. The entrance gate is also a throwback from grander days with two old iron turnstiles still in place but unused in these days of mobile payments. The good people of Lessebo did not turn up in numbers today which is sad considering that it was a fine early autumn afternoon for football.

At the entrance end (north) there is a kiosk selling the usual selection and a guy was busy grilling sausages and burgers to order just beside the kiosk. There's also the electronic scoreboard and today there was even a gazebo tent for the local social-democratic party to engage in canvasing for the general election next week.The east side is crowned by the vintage stand nicely painted in club colours and housing the changing rooms. The west side has the fine wooden yellow and white team benches and space for people to stand. The south end has a high fence to catch wild shots and behind that is a fairly new artificial pitch used no doubt for training and early season matches when the grass pitch is unplayable. There's an old green metal fence around the field but no floodlights.

The game

Lessebo got three much needed points in a close match that was entertaining all the way. I sat in the stand most of the time but it was almost empty except for about 20 lads who sat at the back and cheered their mates in the team when they did something good. 

Värnamo looked good at the start and a hard shot from Lindberg was well saved by home keeper Christoffer Ahl who had a good game. Then after only 8 minutes the hosts took the lead when a fine shot from the edge of the box by Rasmus Holmström flew into the net. There was action at both ends with the visitors coming close again with a shot from Oliver Issal scraping the bar and just before the break the home defence had two extremely narrow escapes. First Kerim Musa shot from close in and the ball hit the post and rolled along the line before being cleared by a defender. Then a minute later Paukovic missed from close range and so the teams went in at the break with the hosts leading 1-0.

Värnamo Södra pressed for an equaliser directly after the break and got their reward when Jesper Claesson headed home a corner from the right. But the lead didn't last long. Lessebo got a free kick to the left of the box and defender Rasmus Dahlman blasted the ball into the far corner of the goal. A lovely goal and I managed to get a photo of it too. Dahlman played a good game otherwise and looked solid in defence.

2-1 to Lessebo

The game flowed from end to end after that and there was always a threat that the guests would get another equaliser but the deal was sealed four minutes from time when Khuluf broke free on the right and passed into the centre of the box where Mio Vuckovic slotted home Lessebo's third. Värnamo tried to push at the end but with no result and right at the end Kerim Musa got his marching orders, I think for dissent and maybe something else.

Relief for Lessebo and this gives them a bit of breathing space at the bottom. A good afternoon for me and another ground to put on my map.

IK Sirius v Malmö FF, Swedish Allsvenskan

 

IK Sirius 0-1 Malmö FF
Swedish Allsvenskan, tier 1
Monday 31 August, 19:00 kick-off
Studenternas Idrottsplats, Uppsala
Crowd: 9,672

Sirius from the historical university city of Uppsala have suddenly found fame as the runaway leaders in the Swedish top league. Until a few weeks ago they had a lead of 13 points over their nearest challengers and looked like certain champions. Then they sold their star Scottish striker Robbie Ure to Sevilla and have since collapsed to three defeats on the trot and suddenly the lead is down to six. The hardest defeat was away to last year's shock champions Mjällby. Sirius conceded a three goal lead to lose 4-3 and now the flair and style has vanished. Today's game was massive as they tried to regain their confidence and push on to the finish line.

Sirius was founded in 1907 and has spent most of its history in the lower leagues, mostly tier 3 and below. However, the club has blossomed in recent years gaining promotion to Allsvenskan in 2017 and slowly moving towards today's dizzy heights thanks to shrewd scouting, youth work and good management. A major boost for the club was the rebuilt stadium that was completed in 2020. As they have established themselves in the top flight the crowds have grown and the support has become increasingly vociferous. They play in Inter-style black and blue stripes.

Visitors Malmö FF have had a very mixed season and occupy a mid-table position. They have lost a lot of players in the past year or so and a new generation is still finding its feet. Rebuilding takes time even for the richest club in the country.

The ground

This is one of the nicest modern grounds in the country; modern but with character. Most fans approach it through a lovely park beside the river, Fyrisån, The contrast to the area around the Strawberry Arena that I visited yesterday is dramatic - from a concrete jungle to leafy riverside paths.Outside the ground there were plenty of fun things for children and adults and even a dancefloor where couples were jiving, not a common sight at football matches! I doubt that the dancers moved on to the match however. In three of the corners there are restaurants with good views of the ground but also out into the beautiful park beside the river. 

Inside it is a tight stadium with fans close to the action. Today's match was sold out and the atmosphere was excellent with a sizeable away support adding to the volume. The main west stand is impressive with two tiers of seating for theseason ticket holders, guests, corporate hospitality, media and suchlike. The rest of the ground is mainly wooden and has a modern but intimate atmosphere. Everyone is under cover. The east stand is all seating whilst the two ends are mostly terracing with the home support in the north end and the away fans in the south stand. As the home support has grown some of the south stand has been allotted to home supportersand this evening the away fans were given the south-west corner. During the game both sets of fans unfurled banners complaining about how midweek matches are tough on travelling fans. As in most top leagues these days the TV companies want fixtures spread out over the weekend and if you are a dedicated fan a round trip of over 1,000 km is a tough call on a working day.

A stadium well worth visiting though the catering was sadly very predictable (see many of my previous posts from the Swedish top leagues).

The game

Highlights video:

Despite the vociferous support and plenty of effort Sirius just couldn't break their losing streak and the title race could well go all the way to the final day of the season. Luckily nearest challengers Hammarby also lost so the gap at the top is still six points but Sirius will need regain their confidence very soon if they are going to win their first ever league title. It's a fairly common phenomenon in sport where a team or player suddenly gets an attack of self-doubt and starts losing games they would have won a few weeks previously. There's no lack of effort and skill but today they lacked the finishing touch in front of goal.

It was an intense and tough match with play moving rapidly from end to end and both sides well aware that these three points would mean so much. There were few clear chances and both keepers dealt with whatever came at them. Malmö's new defender Stian Gregersen was resolute at the back, blocking a shot from Sirius striker Bjerkebo plus many effective tackles and headers. Just before the break came what proved to be the winning goal when Malmö's Diego Garcia headed home from a fine cross by Lundbergh. That stunned the home crowd as they headed for the half-time break.

The second half saw Sirius putting on the pressure as they battled for an equaliser. Again they came agonisingly close but Swedish international keeper Robin Olsen was in good form and saved several dangerous chances. The hosts made several changes as the match wore on and one of them, Zalán Vancsa, a new signing, looked like a very wise acquisition. He reignited the home offense with smart position play and dribbling runs towards the box. Midfield dynamo Heier also worked hard but sadly the breakthrough never came. When the final whistle came many of the home players slumped to the ground in disappointment and no doubt some frustration.

It would be a major tragedy if this fairytale campaign crashlanded but Sirius will need wise coaching to put this losing streak behind them and get back on track. I'll be rooting for them from afar.