Arbroath v Partick Thistle, Scottish Championship

 

Arbroath 0-0 Partick Thistle
Scottish Championshi (tier 2)
Gayfield Park, Arbroath
Attendance 2,015

My first tip home to Scotland in three years and of course a visit to my football home, Gayfield Park Arbroath. I started following Arbroath way back in 1970 and have been with them, mostly from afar, through thick and thin from the grim days of the early 2000's when we were one of the worst senior teams in the country till today when we are about to take part in the play-offs to the premiership for the second time in the last five years. This was the last home game of the regular season with Arbroath in third place and Partick in second behind champions St Johnstone who bounce straight back to the top flight. This game had no real significance to the league positions but was a sparring match in anticipation of a possible play-off clash in a few weeks time.

Considering the town of Arbroath only has around 24,000 inhabitants the club is punching well above its weight as a respected and feared championship side. Unlike the other teams in the league they are part-time and the club is very much a community club. They grabbed international headlines back in 2022 when they were only minutes away from beating Kilmarnock to gain promotion to the top flight but missed out after a nail-biting match. Their success was largely due to the charismatic management duo of Dick Campbell (famed for his bunnet) and his brother Ian. Today they are managed by two members of the Campbell squad, David Gold and Colin Hamilton, who seem to have inherited some of the Campbell magic and have lead the team back to the premiership play-offs asfter promotion from League 1 last season. Media, YouTubers and bloggers have all made pilgrimages to Gayfield Park in recent years so I am very much in the slipstream.

Partick Thistle are Glasgow's third team, living in the shadow of the giants, Celtic and Rangers, but have a loyal following who long for a return to the top league. They have been in many play-offs but seldom manage to convert that into promotion. This year they'll be favourites to get through to a play-off final against the 11th team in the SPL, probably Kilmarnock, but I suspect they will not be strong enough to beat them.

The ground

I am a little biased on this topic but this is simply one of the best grounds in the country. Although it has been renovated and improved over the years it still looks very similar to when I followed the team in the early seventies. A small cosy stand and proper old-school covered terracing on the other three sides. The floodlights are rather special as you can see in my photos - I think they were second hand bargains from Hamilton's old ground. You're close to the action whereever you go and when the ground is well filled the atmosphere is great. 

Gayfield is also famous for being the closest ground in Britian to the sea with only a narrow path between the perimeter wall and the fury of the North Sea. It is well-known for fierce cold winds with balls often being lost at sea and goal kicks looping back over the keeper's head and out of the ground. I've spent many freezing afternoons on the terracing over the years.

Opposite the ground is the ultimate fooball pub, Tutties Neuk, where fans of both teams congregate, nearly always amiably.

Food and drink

The staple diet of Scottish fans is the pie and Arbroath offers an impressive selection that usually score highly in reviews - mince, steak, steak and black pudding or macaroni. The macaroni pie was delicious! No beer is alowed unless you are in the hospitality lounge so the fans make do with coffee, tea or bovril. Danish fans would be shocked at the lack of match beer but we Scots make up for the deficiency before and after the game.

The match
Unusually for Arbroath, fans enjoyed a warm, sunny and wind-free afternoon. One pleasnat surprise for me was the lack of fireworks and loud music as the teams came on to the picth. They just ran out, and got on with the business. I get a bit tired of the pre-match razamataz at so many grounds these days.

I got the feeling that the teams were using the game to prepare for the much harder business of the play-offs and Thistle had made quite a few changes to their line-up. Arbroath had more of the play but Thistle were very dangerous on the break and were particularly strong at the start of the second half. I was disappointed at not seeing a goal or an Arbroath win as a reward for travelling all the way from Sweden but when you support smaller clubs like Arbroath you learn not to be too fussy. The visitors managed to extend their unbeaten league run of 13 matches.

Judge for yourself with the match highlights video below.

Match highlights (from Arbroath FC TV)

Östers IF Växjö v Örebro SK, Swedish Superettan

Östers IF 0-0 Örebro SK

Saturday 11 April 2026, kick-off 13:00
Swedish Superettan (tier 2)
Spiris Arena, Växjö
Attendance: 4260

An hour's drive west to the city of Växjö and another game at Spiris Arena, home of Östers IF. This is their first home game of the season and finds them back in the second tier of Swedish football after a quick visit to the top level last season. They could have saved themselves in the top flight but threw away important points and turned a few victories into defeats in the last minutes. So it's now a case of rolling up the sleeves and trying to bounce right back. Unfortunately they haven't made a great start with a 1-4 defeat away to Helsingborg last weekend so today's home game should see them going all out for the three points. I posted a match report from here on this blog (the first post to be more exact) a couple of year's ago so I don't need to add too many details about the ground.

Öster are a bit of a sleeping giant in Swedish football having won several league titles during their heyday of the late sixties and seventies. They were, in fact, the first Swedish team I ever saw, playing away to Hibernian in 1976 in the UEFA Cup (Öster won 4-3 on aggregate). Örebro is a similarly sized town and the club has had quite a few seasons in the top flight in recent years without ever challenging at the top. They missed relegation to Division 1 by the skin of their teeth last season (penalty win in the rlegation play-off). That scared the team and the fans and they will expect to see big improvements this season. They started well with a win last weekend.

The ground
No changes since my last visit - a modern tidy ground with good views all round. Today's crowd was a bit disappointing considering the spring sunshine, first game of a new season and a lunchtime kick-off. However the home fans made a lot of noise all game long and had a nice tifo at the start. If you like strong sunshine and warmth then the east stand is where to go. The west stand is always in the shade and that's where I usually go after getting badly sunburned on my first visit, staning in the east stand.

There's plenty of parking around the ground and it's easy to get to by bus. I just wish they could fill the ground more often but they probably need to get promotion to do that.

Food and drink
Standard Swedish selection of hotdogs, popcorn, coffee and snacks. My vegetarian and tea preferences mean that I usually eat and drink before matches here. I did notice that they actually offered a veggie option in the kiosks, a cheese roll, but it didn't tempt me. No tea either so I abstained. I wish Swedish grounds could invite a street food vendor into the grounds to offer something more imaginative for people who don't eat hotdogs or burgers.

The match
No goals and not too many chances as neither side made any significant breakthroughs. Örebro were better in the first half with a few half chances but Öster were rather unimaginative up front and didn't threaten the Örebro keeper. The hosts were more lively in the second half and could have won the game if they had been sharper. Too often the last pass was off target or they passed backwards to start again. I get very frustrated with the modern game of long periods of sideways and backwards passing against a compact defence. I saw too little movement up front today and few through balls.

A fair result though there was drama at the end when Öster won a corner only for the referee to blow the full-time whistle. However, I think he was right since we had 5 minutes of added time and they were up. The home fans were angry but a draw was the logical result. Neither team impessed and will have to improve to be challenging at the top this season. Early days yet of course.

What made my day was meeting an old colleague from work who just happened to have the seat next to me. Hadn't seen him for 15 years. A good chat was had!

Lindsdals IF v Hanaskogs IS, Swedish divison 3 south east

 

Lindsdals IF 4-1 Hanaskogs IS
Monday 6 April 2026, 15:00 kick-off
Swedish division 3 south east (5th tier)
Fjölebro Idrottsplats
Attendance: 86

The Swedish season 2026 started up this Easter weekend and I made the short trip to Lindsdal, a few kilometres north of Kalmar to see a match in the regional division 3. I've been to this ground several times now but not on this blog. Lindsdal is a village that has grown to become a suburb of Kalmar with a population of about 6,000. The football team was founded in 1926 and its greatest achievement was when the women's team played in the highest division back in the 1990s. They have a substantial youth programme and have produced several players who have gone on to greater things. The men's team have spent most of their time in the lower leagues apart from a few seasons in division 2 back in the 2010s. Last season they only just missed promotion, losing the play-off so this season they will be aiming at going all the way. They play in yellow and black but today turned out in an all black kit.

Today's opponents, Hanaskogs IS, were a completely new acquaintance for me, winning their regional division 4 last season. They also play in yellow and black.

The ground

Not a classic to be honest but modern and functional for this level. Club house, kiosk and dressing rooms at one end, a scaffolding stand with bucket seats on one side and the wooden dugouts on the opposite side. Artificial pitch of course. No frills and no cover. The weather was windy, grey and rain threatened several times without becoming more than a brief drizzle. I was well wrapped up with woolly hat and a blanket.

Clubhouse and kiosk

Food and drink

In Sweden the hot dog is compulsory but it is smaller and less tasty than what you get in Denmark. Otherwise you can get various snacks, coffeee and even toasties. Sadly no tea for me.

The match

Kick-off

Solid 4-1 win for Lindsdal and it could've been more. They took the lead after only 3 minutes with a lovelt shot from Benjamin Bengtsson from the right of the penalty area. That became 2-0 after 17 minutes when the same player stuffed it in from close range after a cross from the right was headed back into the box. Hanaskog were dangerous on the break and pulled one back with a close-range header from Kojo Annor after a corner from the right. Lindsdal got a penalty at the end of the first half but the visitor's keeper meade a fine save so the half ended at only 2-1. 

In the second half the hosts looked much more lively and were soon 4-1 up after a fine shor from the left by Seferovic and then a close range shot from Schylström wrapped up the points. A perfect start of the season for Lindsdal but the visitors can take away a few pluses. They had their chances and fought well. Points will come I'm sure.

Seconds before Hanaskog scored from a corner

Fremad Amager v Brabrand IF, Danish division 2

 

Sundby Idrætspark

Fremad Amager 1-0 Brabrand IF
Saturday 21 March 2026, 14:00 kick-off
Danish division 2 (3rd tier)
Sundby Idrætspark
Attendance: 1024

Fremad Amager play on the island of Amager (pronounced Amar) on the south side of Copenhagen. You get there by metro line M1 to Sundby or bus 33 from the city centre. Today's game was a big one for both sides as they are fighting to avoid relegation with Fremad in greater need of points. Fremad Amager (fremad means forward) are a proud working class club with a loyal following but a fairly turbulent history. They hold the national record of three bankruptcies, the latest in 2008 when they had to start again from the very bottom of the Copenhagen local leagues. Founded back in 1910 they have spent most of their time in the second and third tiers but had a brief visit to the top league in 1994 and an appearance in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 after being runners up in the previous year's Danish Cup (lost in the first round to Besa of Albania). Two famous players who started their careers with Fremad are Frank Arnesen and Søren Lerby, stars of the magnificent Danish national team of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Fremad play in blue and white with the shirt reminding me of Sheffield Wednesday back in the seventies (blue with white sleeves).

Today's visitors were Brabrand, a western suburb of Aarhus. They have spent most of their almost 100 year history in the lower leagues apart from a short visit to division 1 (2nd tier) in 2009. They are also a blue and white team though today they played in a striking orange and white combination.

The ground

Fremad march in to the sound of Kim Larsen's 70s hit Vi er dem (everyone in Denmark knows it)

The beer queue ignores the statue's advice

Once again a large main stand and low terracing opposite as well as a limited running track with only three lanes. I doubt if there are any athletics events here now. The official capacity is 6,000 though the record crowd was 10,000 against rivals Kastrup in 1976. One end has a scaffolding stand and the other end has the barbeque tent and other kiosks. There are some nice details around the ground in the form of athletic statues that seem rather out of place among all the modern advertising and catering.

The terracing side of the ground is known as the sunny side for the simple reason that if the sun is out it shines on that side (today's amazing fact). The main stand is in perpetual shade. The sunny side is where most fans gather amid impressive collections of plastic beer mugs. The atmosphere is very friendly and no signs of masked ultras or fireworks. 

Food and drink

If you've read my last three posts you'll know that the catering at all Danish matches is virtaully the same - sausages, popcorn and a lot of beer. I had a beer this time but had already eaten elsewhere before the match. One kiosk broke the mold by solling crepes with a selection of fillings. Next time I might save myself for one of those.

Not sure what animal the mascot is supposed to be - long-eared wolf, dog, bear ...

The match

Three desperately needed points to the home team and the cheer of relief was very clear at the end. Fremad had the edge and should have scored more than just one goal but their finishing was not as clinical as they might have wished. Symptomatic of teams at the bottom really. Kenneth Zohore missed a couple of sitters but was one of Fremad's best players working hard up front and always looked dangerous.

The only goal of the game came after 23 minutes. An shot/cross from the left found Andreas Bredahl on the far side who shot home. Brabrand had some dangerous attacks and had several chances to equalise but in the end Fremad deserved the win. Not a classic but relegation battles seldom are. The crowd enjoyed their afternoon in the spring sunshine.

Celebrations after the goal

More than football

Amager is not really a tourist hotspot. In the old days it was mostly a working class area with a lot of allotments where city dwellers could cultivate flowers and vegetables and enjoy the summer in the fresh air. Today's Amager features Copenhagen's international airport, Kastrup, and many flashy business districts, expensive apartment blocks, shopping malls and leafy residential areas. The Øresund tunnel-bridge over to Sweden and the new metro lines have also contributed to the complete transformation of the island since the eighties.

Another Danish double weekend, FC Roskilde v FC Helsingør

FC Roskilde 0-1 FC Helsingør
Friday 20 March 2026, 19:00 kick-off
Danish division 2 (3rd tier)
Roskilde Idrætspark
Attendance: 681

With the Swedish league season still a couple of weeks away I decided on another weekend over in Denmark with one new ground, Roskilde, and a return visit to Fremad Amager the follwoing day. 

Roskilde is a beautiful historical city about 30 km west of Copenhagen and famous for its 11th century cathedral and the incredible viking ship museum, more of that below. The football club, now called simply FC Roskilde, was formed in 2004 with a merger of three local clubs.They were relegated from Division 1 last season and are hoping to bounce back up again. They play in sky blue and white with the Eagles as their nickname and a mascot known as Ørnen Jørgen (Jørgen the Eagle) who I saw but did not capture on film. They have done well so far and are sitting in third place so this match against FC Helsingør, currently firmly aty the bottom of the league, would surely be a formality for the hosts. I've seen Helsingør a few times and the two clubs have several similarities  both sky blue home shirts and rather similar grounds. They are also inhabitants of the same leagues, moving up and down between divisions 1 and 2, but I can imagine that they will not relish the prospect of falling down to the lowest league of the Danish senior set-up.

Fans gathering before kick-off. Usual barbeque tent does very good business

The ground

The totem pole of fame

Like so many other lower league grounds in Denmark, Roskilde Idrætspark has a main stand on one side, low terracing on the other side and just fencing at the ends. The main stand is modern and offers clear views for all. On the top level is the clubhouse and members' lounge and bar. You pay a standard entry fee (I paid 50 DKK concession) and you can sit in the stand or join the hardy souls on the terracing. The atmosphere is friendly and most people seem to know each other. There's a good mix of young and old, men and women. Very Danish really, even if that description doesn't mean so much if you don't know the place so well.

One curiosity was a sort of totem pole with an eagle on top and metal plaques with the names of the players of the year.

Food and drink

Same as at every ground round here. Open-air barbeques with big sausages, popcorn, beer in abundance, coffee etc. The evening was distinctly chilly (verging on freezing) so I didn't really fancy a cold beer. As usual, there was no tea on offer so I settled on a hot chocolate and that did the trick. Since going veggie I always eat before a match so I can't comment on the food but I remember Danish sausages as being very tasty (in stark contrast to the tasteless things they serve in Sweden).

The match

Top versus bottom but you couldn't have guessed that. Roskilde dominated most of the match but most attacks fizzled out or were well dealt with by the Helsingør defence who played very well and deserved their clean sheet. The first half had very few chances and the hosts couldn't seem to outwit the guests dogged defenders. Then just before half time, against the run of play, the guests had a short period of pressure and won a corner on the left. It was headed back from the near post and was nodded home by Sebastian Slettegaard Petersen.

Everyone hoped a rousing half-time talk from the manager would fire up the hosts in the second half. They created more chances and one effort was cleared off the line. The guests defended resolutely soaking up the pressure until the 94th minute when Freitag shot home what seemed to be the equaliser. But to general consternation the referee signalled for a free kick to Helsingør and that was that. 

Did Roskilde underestimate their opponents or was it a case of Helsingør going all out in a last ditch survival attempt. A bit of both probably. Anyway, I headed briskly back to my hotel well chilled but glad to have another ground ticked off!

If you can read Danish or use a translation tool there's a match report on the club site.

Helsingør defence deals with another home attack near the end.

Mug shot

More than football

The city of Roskilde is one of Denmark's most popular tourist destinations. I have been here several times over the years but there are always new things to see. I wandered around in warm spring sunshine and admired the snowdrops, crocuses and even dafodils in full bloom. Spring hasn't come this far at home in Sweden yet. The magnificent 13th century cathedral is a UNESCO heritage site and houses the graves of 40 Danish kings and queens.Close by is the bishop's residence and the convent, both still in use and not open to the public. 

The other big attraction is the Viking Ship Museum. In the 1950s five viking ships were discovered buried in the mud in Roskilde fjord and were recovered after years of painstaking archaeological work. The ships are now displayed in the museum hall. Some are relatively complete whilst others only have about 30% or their original timbers. There is a real longship built for warfare and able to travel over the stormy seas of the north Atlantic and there are several wider cargo ships as well as a fishing boat. Outside are replica versions of the five that have been built using the same type of tools as the vikings used. These boats have been successfully sailed as far as Scotland and Ireland.

Danish double 2: Brønshøj BK v Sundby BK

 

Fans gathering outside the clubhouse

Thumbs up from the Brønshøj wasp

Brønshøj BK 4-2 Sundby BK
Saturday 7 March, 2026. 14:00 kick-off
Danish Division 3 (4th tier)
Tingbjerg Idrætspark, training ground
Attendance: Rough guess of about 250

I took the train from Køge back into Copenhagen and then a city bus to the western suburb of Brønshøj and the park area of Tingbjerg. Like most clubs in Denmark's lower leagues Brønshøj have a solid local support and a real community feeling. Fans gather at the social club and today many were sitting outside in the early spring sunshine (see above). Brønshøj have fallen on hard times of late and languish in the 4th level of the Danish league set-up. They are a proud working-class club with loyal and colourful fans decked out in the yellow and black colours befitting their nickname, the Wasps (Hvepsene). They were up in the top league when I first got interested in Danish football back in the 1980s and their last Danish international, Kent Nielsen, was a regular in the great Danish side of the mid-eighties. Read more about the club here.

Tioday's guests, Sundby, come from the island of Amager to the south-east of the city and are currently propping up division 3 and look like heading towards a non-league life next season. They groundshare with the more famous local club Fremad Amager.

The ground

Tingbjerg stadium is a fairly typical smaller Danish stadium with a main covered stand and then limited space for standing around the rest of the ground.Sadly for me the pitch was waterlogged and unfit for play - it was covered in snow only a few days earlier so it wasn't so surprising.  So this match was played on the training ground that had no spectator facilities.

Tingbjerg stadium waiting for drier weather

Fans had to gather on one touchline or behind the fencing around the ground. Volunteers had set up tables and a barbeque at the entrance and it was a blessing that the weather was clear - it would have been very miserable in the rain with no cover at all.

The big question is if whether I can count this ground as officially "ticked off" since the game was played next door.

Food and drink
The open air makeshift barbeque beside the fence did a roaring trade in the usual big Danish sausages and a lot of beer, sold in cans (unusual for a football match these days). The club house bar was also very well stocked but one quirky item on the bar menu was a special of coffee and Baileys for 50 DKK. Not an offer you normally see at football matches! I didn't see any fans taking their Baileys into the ground though. 

The match

The wasp mascot welcomes the rest of the swarm

I enjoyed this one. Plenty goals and chances for more and some good moves especially for the Wasps who could easily have scored two or three more goals.An unfortunate own goal after 13 minutes put the hosts in the lead and a second goal fired in from the back post followed soon afterwards. The game looked all over after a lovely solo goal by Stojanovic early in the second half. he got a perfect through ball , beat the defender and raced in on goal slotting the ball neatly past the keeper. But as often happens in football you can't relax even with a solid 3-0 lead. Sundby scored two goals in the space of six minutes and it was game on again. Things were getting nervous until Brønshøj got a penalty in the74th minute and that was that. Sundby fought hard and may surprise a few teams and pick up a few points in their fight to avoid relegation. If you want to read more about the match you can go to the club's website (if you can read Danish of course).

I thoroughly enjoyed the match and my only regret was that I didn't see Brønshøj in their natural surroundings. I may have to go back!

Danish double 1, HB Køge v Esbjerg fB

HB Køge 0-1 Esbjerg fB
Friday 6 March 2026, 18:30 kick-off.
Danish Division 1 (2nd tier)
Capelli Sport Stadium
Attendance: Cannot find any official figure but I guess 1,500 - 2,000.

I have decided to revive this blog after a couple of years' break. During this time I have of course visited many grounds in several countries and could have built up an impressive number of posts by now. Anyway, it's time to try again and I hope now to cover a wide range of football grounds from my home region of south-east Sweden as well as the nearby countries that I often visit, namely Denmark, Poland and Norway. If you want to see where I've been it's all on a Google map where I feature photos on most of the pinned grounds. It's actually a lifetime map so some of the grounds were visited way back in the 1970s back home in Scotland.

I often take the train from my base in Kalmar, Sweden to Copenhagen to watch my favourite Danish team Brøndby and to visit other grounds in the Copenhagen region. This time I decided to head south of the city to the historical coastal town of Køge to see a match between HB Køge and Esbjerg fB from the west coast. The home team are second bottom and fighting to avoid relegation whilst Esbjerg are in the promotion hunt in fourth place, only 3 points behind current leaders Lyngby from a northern suburb of Copenhagen. This was my second encounter with Esbjerg this season having watched them soundly beating fellow promotion hopefuls Hvidovre at the end of November so I knew they would fancy a win here in Køge.

The large stand behing the goal was
well-filled

The ground

The ground has been largely been rebuilt and is almost complete. There is still some building work in progress and finding the entrance wasn't so simple, having to walk round fenced off areas and getting my shoes a bit muddy. The crowd was restricted to the west and east stands and they were well filled and vocal. The south end is the solid wall of a sports centre and the main east stand is not quite finished. The changing rooms are already in the new stand but the dugouts are on the opposite side so the subs and trainers have to traipse across the pitch at the start and end of each half. It will be a compact and very tidy ground once it's all ready and maybe some day the club will return to the top league where they last appeared in 2012.

One curiosity was the absence of a PA system or if there was one I couldn't hear it. It felt very retro when the teams just casually ran out on to the pitch at the start without the usual hysterical speaker and the tones of ACDC or  "Eye of a tiger" and suchlike. I liked it but that's because I'm getting old. Disdavantage was that you didn't know who had scored or what the attendance was. I so miss programmes!

The new east stand

Food and drink

Typical Danish fare: big grilled sausages with bread and condiments washed down with plenty beer. Also popcorn. Excellent if that's what you like but if you don't, you're struggling. I'm sure I'm not the only vegetarian who watches football and it wouldn't hurt to offer a bit of choice on the menu. At least a bag of fries or toasties. I see plenty of UK grounds that offer an amazing selection of food for all tastes but over here in Scandinavia it's sausages or nothing.

The match
Esbjerg deserved their win with a beautiful free kick by Strandby in the 79th minute, curling over the wall and in off the top left post. They always looked more dangerous up front whilst Køge, typically for a side near the bottom, played some nice football but just couldn't make that final touch up front. They battled hard to equalise but despite pressure and several corners the guests held them off. Esbjerg are now 4th in a very tight promotion struggle with four teams seperated by only two points. Køge have a fight on their hands to avoid the drop - bottom team Middelfart looked doomed whilst Køge and Hobro fight to avoid the second relegation spot. I wish them well. With a nice new stadium it would be sad to fall down to division 2.

Køge (blue and black) defending in the first half

More than football ...
Køge is a very historical town and well worth visiting. The town centre features a beautiful church from the early 17th century and many other buildings from that period. It was very pleasant strolling around the streets in the early spring sunshine and there are many wonderful cafes and bakeries to stop at. Denmark is deservedly famous for its fantastic baking - more than just Danish pastres!

A few kilometres outsuide town is the site of a viking ring fortress, Borgring, built by King Harald Bluetooth (Harald Blåtand). He converted Denmark to Christianity and built five ring fortresses at strategic points around the country to demonstrate the new faith. The actual fortress is a circular mound and there isn't so much to see since it was mostly made of wood but the new visitors centre is excellent and explains the history and legends of the site. And yes the mobile technology Bluetooth was named after the king!

See more on Google maps.

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.