Valur

Valur
Full name Knattspyrnufélagið Valur
Nickname(s) Valsarar
Founded 11 May 1911
Ground Hlíðarendi
Reykjavík
Iceland
Ground Capacity 3,000
Club Chairman Björn Zoëga
Manager Ólafur Jóhannesson
League Úrvalsdeild
2014 5th

Knattspyrnufélagið Valur is an Icelandic athletic club based in Reykjavík, Iceland. The club is situated close to the city centre, in the east side of town, on the former farmland of Hlíðarendi. The club was originally formed as part of the local YMCA to play association football, but later incorporated handball and basketball. The club has won multiple national and cup titles amongst both men and women in the three biggest local ball sports: football, handball and basketball.[1] Valur's handball section reached the EHF Champions League final in 1980. It has won the Icelandic league 22 times, more than any other N1 deildin team.

History

The club was founded on 11 May 1911, as a subdivision of KFUM, the Icelandic YMCA. Later that year its name changed to Valur, which is an Icelandic word for gyrfalcon. In 1930 the club won its first national title, and it has been amongst the best football teams in the country ever since. In 1939 Valur bought the farmland of Hlíðarendi which retains its name even today, where they now have a football field and an indoor arena.

Originally Valur played only football, but around 1940 the club got involved in more sports, starting with men's handball. They won their first national handball title in 1940, and reached the final of the EHF Champions League in 1980. In the post-war era (1948), a women's handball division was started at Valur, and in the 1970s a women's football division was added. In 1970, Körfuknattleiksfélag Reykjavíkur (Reykjavík Basketball Club, KFR) joined Valur and became their basketball division.[1]

Stadia

The grounds at Hlíðarendi were completely renovated in the years between 2004 and 2007 and Valur currently play their home games at Vodafonevöllurinn ("The Vodafone Field"), and the handball games in the new Vodafonehöllin ("The Vodafone Hall"), the first section of the new grounds to be utilised. The new football pitch was used for the first time in the 2008 season.

In June 2007 the club signed a 5 year sponsorship deal with Vodafone.[2]

Club honours

Men's football
  • 1965, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2005, 2015
  • 2005, 2008
Women's football
  • 1978, 1986, 1988, 1989, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
Men's handball
  • 1940, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2007
  • 1974, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1998, 2008, 2009, 2011
  • 2009
  • Final 1980
Women's handball
  • 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1983, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
  • 1988, 1993, 2000, 2012, 2013, 2014
Men's basketball
  • 1980, 1983
  • 1980, 1981, 1983

Players

Current squad

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

No. Position Player
1 Iceland GK Ingvar Þór Kale
3 Scotland MF Iain Williamson
4 Iceland MF Einar Karl Ingvarsson
5 Iceland DF Baldvin Sturluson
7 Iceland MF Haukur Páll Sigurðsson (Captain)
8 Iceland MF Kristinn Ingi Halldórsson
10 Iceland MF Kristinn Freyr Sigurðsson
11 Iceland MF Sigurður Egill Lárusson
12 Iceland GK Anton Ari Einarsson
13 Iceland DF Darri Sigthórsson
14 Iceland DF Gunnar Gunnarsson
16 Iceland MF Tómas Óli Garðarsson
17 Iceland MF Andri Adolphsson
No. Position Player
18 Iceland FW Haukur Ásberg Hilmarsson
19 Iceland MF Marteinn Högni Elíasson
20 Iceland DF Orri Sigurður Ómarsson
21 Iceland DF Bjarni Ólafur Eiríksson (Vice-captain)
22 Iceland MF Matthías Guðmundsson
23 Iceland MF Andri Fannar Stefánsson
Denmark DF Rasmus Christiansen
Iceland DF Hilmar Thór Hilmarsson
Iceland MF Sigurbjörn Örn Hreidarsson
Iceland MF Páll Magnús Pálsson
Iceland MF Gudjón Lýdsson
Iceland FW Dadi Bergsson

Out on loan

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

No. Position Player
Iceland MF Andri Sigurðsson (on loan at Ægir)

Coaches

  • Iceland Guðmundur H. Pétursson (1930)
  • Iceland Reidar Sörensen (1933–35)
  • Scotland Murdo MacDougall (1935–37)
  • Scotland Murdo MacDougall & Scotland Robert Jack (1937–38)
  • Scotland Murdo MacDougall (1938)
  • Scotland Joe Devine (1939), (1948)
  • Iceland Hermann Hermannsson (1955)
  • Iceland Óli B. Jónsson (1967–31 Dec 1968)
  • Soviet Union Yuri Illichev (July 1, 1973 – June 30, 1974), (July 1, 1976 – June 30, 1978)
  • Hungary Gyula Nemes (1978–79)
  • Germany Volker Hofferbert (1980)
  • Germany Klaus-Jürgen Hilpert (1982)
  • Germany Claus Peter (1982–83)
  • Scotland Ian Ross (Jan 1, 1984 – Dec 31, 1987)
  • Iceland Hörður Helgason (Jan 1, 1988 – Aug 1, 1989)

References

  1. 1 2 "Saga – Knattspyrnufélagið Valur" (in Icelandic). valur.is. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  2. "Valsmenn kynna ný íþróttamannvirki" (in Icelandic). ruv.is. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
  3. 1 2 "Knattspyrnudeild – Titlar" (in Icelandic). valur.is. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Handknattleiksdeild – Titlar" (in Icelandic). valur.is. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  5. 1 2 "HSÍ meistaraskrár" (in Icelandic). Handball Association of Iceland. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  6. "Körfuknattleiksdeild – Titlar" (in Icelandic). valur.is. Retrieved 11 June 2015.

External links

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