GIF Sundsvall

GIF Sundsvall
Full name Gymnastik- och
Idrottsföreningen Sundsvall
Nickname(s) Giffarna
Founded 25 August 1903 (1903-08-25)
Ground Idrottsparken, Sundsvall
Capacity 7,700
Chairman Johan Nikula
Head coach Joel Cedergren
League Allsvenskan
2017 Allsvenskan, 13th
Website Club website

Gymnastik- och Idrottsföreningen Sundsvall, more commonly known as GIF Sundsvall ([ˈɡɪfː ²sɵnːsval]) or simply Sundsvall, are a Swedish professional football club based in Sundsvall. The club are affiliated to Medelpads Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Idrottsparken.[1] The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are blue. Formed in 25 August 1903, the club have played 17 seasons in Sweden's highest football league Allsvenskan, the club's first season in the league was in 1965.

History

A chart showing the progress of GIF Sundsvall through the swedish football league system. The different shades of gray represent league divisions.
GIF Sundsvall in their traditional blue and white kits during an Allsvenskan game against Helsingborgs IF.

The club was formed on August 25, 1903 at Matilda Anderssons Café. At that time, GIF Sundsvall stood for "Godtemplarnas Idrotts Förening Sundsvall" which mainly was for Teetotallers up until the alcohol demands was lightened in 1920. The initials then came to stand for, to this day still, "Gymnastik och Idrottsföreningen Sundsvall" (Gymnastics and sports club Sundsvall).

The club reached the first tier of the domestic football in 1965. The club has since been a "yo-yo team" mainly playing in the second division but with Allsvenskan stints in 1975, 1987–89, 1991, 2000–06, 2008, 2012 and since 2015.

GIF Sundsvall earlier had women's football, bandy and ice hockey on the program. The bandy team became district champions for Västernorrland in 1921.[2] The hockey team folded in the late 1960s. In 1985 the women's team was transferred to Sundsvalls DFF. This mainly because the women's team was disappointed with the lack of support from the men's team.

Idrottsparken

The stadium Idrottsparken, earlier known as Norrporten Arena.
Idrottsparken, earlier known as Norrporten Arena.

GIF Sundsvall's home stadium is Idrottsparken, formerly known as Norrporten Arena. It is located in the heart of Sundsvall and was inaugurated on August 6, 1903.

It was renovated in 2001–2002 and it can now hold a capacity of 7,700, with 5,000 under roof.

2006–2016 the name was changed to Norrporten Arena and during 2017 the club expect to present a new sponsor and name of the stadium.

The stadium's grass is artificial turf since 2004.

Top attendance: 16,507 vs Högadal on October 15, 1961.

Supporters

The official supporter's club of GIF Sundsvall is called Patronerna. Formed in 1999, mostly as a joke by some friends supporting their friend, the club has in a short period of time amassed a strong reputation. The name is mainly a historical reference to the sawmill owners who were very powerful in Sundsvall during the post-industrial-revolution era. In 2005, FP-tifo, the group who designs the club's terrace choreography, won the Swedish tifo awards arranged by Canal+.

Achievements

Players

First-team squad

As of 11 August 2018[3]

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

No. Position Player
1 England GK Lloyd Saxton
3 Sweden DF Dennis Olsson
4 Sweden DF David Myrestam
5 Sweden DF Eric Björkander
6 Spain MF Juanjo Ciércoles
7 Sweden MF Kim Skoglund
8 Spain MF David Batanero
9 Sweden FW Linus Hallenius (captain)
13 Sweden DF Filip Tägtström
14 Sweden MF Paya Pichkah
16 Spain DF Carlos Gracia
17 Sweden GK Tommy Naurin
No. Position Player
18 Norway MF Oliver Berg
19 Spain DF Pol Moreno
20 Sweden GK William Eskelinen
21 Spain MF David Haro
22 Jordan DF Jonathan Tamimi
23 Sweden MF Maic Sema
26 Sweden MF Erik Granat
29 Sweden MF Amaro Bahtijar
30 Sweden FW Peter Wilson
32 Sweden MF Jonathan Morsay
35 Sweden MF Christian Rubio Sivodedov (on loan from Strømsgodset)
70 Nigeria FW Chidi Omeje

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
2 Finland DF Juho Pirttijoki (on loan at KuPS until 1 December 2018)
No. Position Player
14 Sweden FW Samuel Aziz (on loan at IK Brage until 1 December 2018)

Retired numbers

10 – Leif Forsberg, forward (1980–1988, 1990–2001)

Managers

Footnotes

    References

    1. ↑ "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar – Medelpads Fotbollförbund – Svenskfotboll.se". Retrieved 2011-01-12.
    2. ↑ Eric Sköld (ed.): Boken om bandy, Uppsala: Bygd och Folk Förlag (1948), p. 469 (in Swedish)
    3. ↑ "Truppen" (in Swedish). GIF Sundsvall. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
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