Thursday 26th September 2024 – Allsvenskan – Tele2 Arena, Stockholm

Football in Stockholm is in rude health. After years of ground surfing and uncertainty off the pitch, all three of the Swedish capital’s clubs are leading the charge at the top of the Allsvenskan in trying to catch current champions Malmö FF as the season enters the final month. At the end of September, the trio of AIK, Djurgårdens IF and Hammarby IF are separated by just two points in 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively in the league, although they are probably too far behind Malmö FF to catch them.

It’s been over a decade since I was in the Swedish capital but work brought me back, and an opportunity to meet up with our man in Roma, Adam Lloyd, who was now a Swedophile, having been here for work for over 5 years. In that time he’s learnt the language, developed a fondness for licorice, bought a boat and most importantly, found a team to follow.

In the first few weeks after he arrived, he took in home games of the three major sides in the capital and decided that his heart would become green and white So, when luck (no, seriously) determined I would be attending a conference in the city when Hammarby were hosting BK Häcken, it was a no brainer to meet up and for him to introduce me to all things Bajen.

It wasn’t my first ever Hammarby game, nor the first visit to the impressive Tele2 Arena. I’d seen them play at the old 13,000 capacity Söderstadion, just a few hundred yards from the new stadium until 2013, then seen city-rivals Djurgårdens IF a few years later. Hammarby struggled off the field in the final years at the old stadium, spending five seasons in the Superettan, the second tier, until the returned to the top flight in 2014, which also saw Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), increase their ownership share, to go alongside their investment in LA Galaxy. In 2019, it was announced that Zlatan Ibrahimović had acquired 23.5 percent of the outstanding shares in the club.

So life was good on the green and white side of the city? Well not yet. The club has only won one Allsvenskan, back in 2001, and whilst they got their hands on the Swedish Cup in 2021, they lag a long way behind the rest in Sweden. Even visitors for tonight’s game, BC Häcken, had won the league as recently as 2022. Five different teams have won the title in the last ten seasons, with current champions Malmö FF having won six of those.

Work done, it was time to sample the legendary atmosphere at the Tele2 as the rain poured down. The area around the Tele2 Arena, had in common with many other similar entertainment centres around the work, been redeveloped with bars and restaurants, providing fans shelter from the rain and a chance to lubricate their voices. I met Adam, and his next door neighbours Richard (x 2) and Lovlina, for a swift pint and was brought up to speed with all I needed to know about the season so far, and what to expect from the ultras (notably the Hammarby Ultras, Ultra Boys, Söder Bröder, and E1 Ultras).

Armed with my newly acquired Hammarby scarf I made my way up to the top tier ready for the club anthem ‘Just idag är jag stark’ (Today, I am strong), ready to twirl it around my head on demand. The amazing banner slowly rose up the upper tier, then gave way to a banner celebrating the 25th anniversary of the formation of the main Ultras group, and the green flares were lit. An announcement over the PA, and messages on the screen reminded us all it was strictly forbidden to use pyrotechnics.

The visitors certainly looked the most assured in the opening exchanges, with left winger Zeidane Inoussa causing the home side all sorts of problems and unlucky not to give Häcken the lead when his curled effort from the edge of the box hit the post. But against the run of play it was the home side who took the lead in fortuitous fashion in the 32nd minute when Nahir Besara’s shot smashed off the bar and right into the path of onrushing Oscar Johansson Schellhas who tapped into an empty net.

The start of the second half was delayed by a superb display of pyrotechnics from the fans, and with smoke still hanging over the pitch the home side doubled their lead in the 48th minute. With no VAR in place in Swedish football, Oscar Johansson Schellhas tapped home from what looked like an offside position, although he knew little about it, the ball hitting him after it passed under the keeper. Hammarby never really got out of second gear but at this stage of the season it was all about the three points.

There was some disappointment with a crowd of 17,599 – the club have been the best supported in Sweden for six of the last seven seasons. This season it was AIK again leading the way with an average of almost 28,000, some four thousand more than Hammarby. Granted, in most instances there would be more away fans than the 40 or so who had made the long journey across from Gothenburg.

Only the top three are guaranteed European football (the 4th spot is reserved for the Svenska Cuper winner) so it could be a nervous final few weeks of the season for the Bajen. It was be a fine return for the fans if they could once again show their support on the European stage.