Helsingborgs IF

Helsingborgs IF (alternative spelling Hälsingborgs IF between 1912 and 1971), commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. The club, formed 4 June 1907, has won seven national championship (Allsvenskan) titles and four national cup (Svenska Cupen) titles. However, two of their seven national championship titles—the ones in 1929 and 1930—do not technically count as championship titles as Allsvenskan did not have championship status at that time.

Helsingborg was a founder member of Allsvenskan, and between 1924 and 1968 they spent all but two seasons in the top division, and won the league five times. At the end of the 1968 season, HIF was relegated, and while most people initially expected a quick return, they went on to spend the next 24 seasons in the lower leagues before finally getting promoted back to the top flight in 1992. Since returning to Allsvenskan in 1993, Helsingborg has remained in the top division, and has re-established itself as one of Sweden's top clubs, winning the league in 1999 and 2011.

Helsingborg is the latest Swedish team to qualify for the UEFA Champions League (in the 2000/2001 season). The club is affiliated to the Skånes Fotbollförbund.^[1]

History

1907 to 1920

The club was formed in 1907 after the merger of Svithiod and Stattena, and the club played their first game on 6 June 1907, beating neighbours IFK Helsingborgs 6–2. Otto Malm was a star of the team; in the 1911–12 season he scored 69 goals in only 24 games. At the end of his time at Helsingborgs IF he had played 500 games and scored 735 goals. The year after the club's formation, John Pettersson joined as club president, and during his tenure the club won the league five times. The year after, the club changed their kit from white shirts and blue shorts to red shirts and blue shorts, as well as winning the Scandinavian Championships. In 1914 the club lost in the final of the Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup) and also in the Svenssons Cup. That year the club were invited to play in the Swedish Series, but declined because they thought that playing friendlies brought higher attendances. Additionally, the club's players were part-time, meaning that regular away matches would have been impractical. On the 30 May 1915, the club lost 5–4 to Gӧta in the District Championships. 1918 again saw the club finish second the Svenska Cupen, after losing to IFK Göteborg.

1998–1999: Success

With the arrival of Norwegian manager Åge Hareide things started to look very good for the first time in many years. During Hareides first year HIF finished 2nd in the league and won Allsvenskan in 1999, for the first time since 1941.

2005: Failed year

In 2005, Helsingborg opened strong with four wins from their first five matches. But they ended at sixth place in Allsvenskan losing both derbys with rivals Malmö FF in the process.

2006: A successful Autumn

Helsingborg went through the spring of the 2006 Allsvenskan season very slowly. They once again lost the derby against Malmö FF and their manager Peter Swärdh was fired. Following the World Cup break however, Henrik Larsson arrived at Helsingborg along with a new manager, Stuart Baxter, and Helsingborg started to win matches. After victory in the derby and a 3–2 win at home against IFK Göteborg, Helsingborg finished in fourth place in the league and as winners in the Svenska Cupen after a 2–0 victory over Gefle IF in the cup final.

2007: A disappointing year with a glimpse of hope

After a pretty mediocre season Helsingborg finished 8th in the league and everyones expectations were very low before the upcoming UEFA Cup qualifiers. Helsingborg however managed to make it to the group stage after eliminating the Dutch team SC Heerenveen. Helsingborg ended up in the same group as FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Galatasaray S.K, FK Austria Wien and Panionios F.C.

With wins against Galatasaray and Austria Wien, a draw against Panionios and a loss against Bordeaux, Helsingborg finished second in the group and faced Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven in the round of 32. PSV proved too difficult and won with 2–0 at home and 2–1 away. Stuart Baxter had left the club shortly after the loss against FC Girondins de Bordeaux following a disagreement with the club president Sten-Inge Fredin and was replaced with the club's Director of Football Bo Nilsson. It was from the beginning only supposed to be temporary but after a few months of good results, Nilsson was contracted for the whole season.

2010 & 2011: Change at heart at Helsingborg and the historical treble

Before the season 2010 HIF introduced new management. A new trainer was introduced, Conny Karlsson, who together with Reine Almqvist was to lead a new HIF. The club also introduced a new chairman, Claes Ohlsson. He took a more quiet approach to the job than his predecessor, Sten-Inge Fredin. Together with the sports director Jesper Jansson, who had been with the club since 2008, they led HIF into the new season.

With homecomers like Erik Edman, the club had a wonderful start to the season. Even though HIF were league leaders far into the season (they held their 1st position until the 22nd round), they were eventually beaten by a better Malmö FF team. HIF ended the league in second place. In the cup they had better fortune and won the final 1-0 against Hammarby IF after a goal by Rasmus Jönsson.

HIF managed to keep most players to the 2011 season. HIF started the season victorious in the Supercupen (a one-game cup between the league winners and cup winners the previous season), where they faced off against Malmö FF (2-1). In contrary to the previous season, Conny Karlsson had it rough in the beginning of the league season. Erik Edman announced a bad management, even though the team was in 1st place in the league. The team with its coaches regrouped and kept winning league games. However, during the season several important players were sold. Marcus Nilsson and Alexander Gerndt was sold to FC Utrecht and Rasmus Jönsson was sold to VfL Wolfsburg. The new management however, had already thought of replacements. Thomas Sørum, Erlend Hanstveit and Álvaro Santos were among the ones brought into the club in order to secure it's future. Throughout the entire season HIF held a comfortable lead and was able to secure the league trophy three games from the end. After the last game of the season, HIF focused on winning the Swedish Cup, making it the first team in Swedish history to win a treble, comprising Super Cup, League and Swedish Cup titles. In the cup final HIF were the superior team and won against Kalmar FF 3-1.

Club culture

Helsingborgs IF have a long-standing rivalry (known as the Skåne derby) with fellow Scanian club Malmö FF, another major club in southern Sweden, and other Scanian clubs like Landskrona BoIS in particular.

Helsingborg enjoys loyal support in the Northwestern Scanian region. Helsingborg come from a harbour city located close to continental Europe. This affects the club: It is always focusing hard on the European competitions and it has often been open to foreign influences. The club is also known for promoting attacking football - it is stipulated in Helsingborg's association bylaws that the team should play attractive football. Furthermore, as with most Scanian clubs, support for HIF is closely associated with a strong sense of belonging to Scania, rather than Sweden. For example, the Swedish flag is rarely seen among fans at Olympia, whereas the Scanian flag is far more common.

There are a few supportergroups in Helsingborg: "Kärnan", "tHIFo", "HIF-vänner", "Bortom Sans", "Helsingborg Soldiers", "Sundsbusarna", "Frontline" and "Helsingborg Hardcore", they support the team in each match. Helsingborg's supporter culture carries a certain tradition of Anglophilia. Some Helsingborg supporters have a friendship with FC København, who currently play in the Danish Superliga.

The official anthem of Helsingborg is "På Gator Röda och Blå" by Björns Band.^[2]

League positions

Current squad

As of 3 January 2012

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Available youth players

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

For season transfers, see transfers winter 2011–2012.

Retired numbers

17. Henrik Larsson (1992–1993, 2006–2009), 163 competitive matches and 104 goals for HIF.

European cup history

Notable players

Players included in the list below are all former (with some exceptions) Helsingborgs IF players who are generally considered by the fans to have had a tangible impact on the club's fortunes.

Achievements

• Swedish Champions^[A]
  • Winners (5): 1932–33, 1933–34, 1940–41, 1999, 2011

League

• Allsvenskan:
  • Winners (7): 1928–29, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1940–41, 1999, 2011
  • Runners-up (7): 1927–28, 1948–49, 1953–54, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2010
• Division 1 Södra:
  • Runners-up (3): 1990, 1991, 1992

Cups

• Svenska Cupen:
  • Winners (5): 1941, 1997–98, 2006, 2010, 2011
  • Runners-up (2): 1950, 1993–94
• Svenska Mästerskapet:
  • Runners-up (2): 1914, 1918
• Supercupen:
  • Winners (1): 2011
  • Runners-up (1): 2007

Records

• Most appearances, Allsvenskan: 349, Kalle Svensson (1943–62)
• Most goals scored, Allsvenskan: 140, Knut Kroon (1925–42)

Footnotes

A. ^ The title of "Swedish Champions" has been awarded to the winner of four different competitions over the years. Between 1896 and 1925 the title was awarded to the winner of Svenska Mästerskapet, a stand-alone cup tournament. No club were given the title between 1926 and 1930 even though the first-tier league Allsvenskan was played. In 1931 the title was reinstated and awarded to the winner of Allsvenskan. Between 1982 and 1990 a play-off in cup format was held at the end of the league season to decide the champions. After the play-off format in 1991 and 1992 the title was decided by the winner of Mästerskapsserien, an additional league after the end of Allsvenskan. Since the 1993 season the title has once again been awarded to the winner of Allsvenskan.^[3]

Notes

External links

• Helsingborgs IF – official site
• Kärnan – official supporter club site
• HIF E-zine – supporter site
• tHIFo – the terrace arrangements group site
• Bakgatan – Supporter site
• HIF1907 – the leading HIF-blog