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.

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.