If you go to watch Hammarby with the Scandinavian Fulham fans, you know that one trip is not enough, so I had no hesitation in returning to Sweden to see the boys in green and white again, this time in Gothenburg. I was lucky enough to be joined by Hammyend founders Dan and Nick, Nick’s father, Kenneth, and Olav, a stalwart from FFC Norway. A spoiler alert for any readers worried following my last travelogue, no hats were harmed here – though it was a close call …
I thought Stockholm had stolen my heart, but Gothenburg also has much to recommend it. Even the hassle-free ride from the airport is a treat with gorgeous greenery and granite outcroppings merging suddenly into an impressive city that marries historic buildings with monuments to modernity, with the surprise of a thriving theme park in the centre. Gothenburg seems made for strolling, full of small alleys filled with independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. It has a rich cultural scene, one of the best urban parks in the world, paddle boats, a Volvo museum and a ‘fish church’, where there isn’t much religion, but plenty of pickled herring.
There are also a number of pubs that are football-focused, and we visited a fair few including Grace’s, the Glenn Sportsbar opposite Gamla Ullevi and British John Scott’s pub on the awesome Avenue. Nick booked a table at Glenn so we had seats in front of a massive screen to watch Sweden’s women surprise Germany to the top group at the Women’s Euros as we caught up with Olav’s mates and my Gothenburg-based friends, Maya and Jakub, who unfortunately supports GAIS. If you haven’t been in a packed pub while the Swedish women are in action, you haven’t really experienced Scandinavian football. The enthusiasm the crowd had for their women winning was unparalleled, even before Hammarby teenager Smilla Holmberg stunned everyone by scoring to beat the Swedes ahead.
Before we move off the subject of bars, I must mention the cocktails. They are glorious. Despite the opprobrium of my fellow football fans and gentle teasing from Kenneth, I enjoyed everything from a raspberry crush to the best pina colada on the continent. I stand by my assertion that real football fans sink pink drinks!
The next morning, we again experienced the glories of the Swedish hotel breakfast. After the casual Comfort Inn affair in Stockholm, the harried Gothenburg experience was an eye-opener. I wasn’t prepared for the brusque buffet etiquette that included staring at food for an age, going the wrong way in a queue and aggressive elbowing if you locked eyes on the boiled eggs. All bets are off if you liberate the last egg, let me tell you.
After breakfast and, with slightly bruised ribs, we headed to the game via a pair of pubs. Our Hammarby shirts attracted some good-natured ribbing, although as kick-off approached, it felt like a home game as green and white shirts descended on Gamla Ullevi, the historic stadium that hosts IFK and GAIS as well as the Swedish women’s home fixtures. Fifteen minutes from the city’s main station, the ground can’t match Craven Cottage’s charm but it is ergonomically pleasing and fits fabulously into the neighborhood.
Swedish crowd central and access into the stadium was straightforward easily surpassing the Stevenage Road scrum ahead of kick off. But we almost missed the game altogether – through no fault of our own. Nick’s tickets, booked weeks in advance, had been resold to the home fans. The boys baulked at battling the GAIS ultras, so after a bit of negotiation – that mercifully took place in Swedish – we were shepherded to seats between the home season ticket holders and Hammarby’s vast away followers at the top of the stadium. The view was fantastic – but this was far from Hammarby’s finest hour.
Bajen had the chance to leapfrog leaders Mjallby, who were not in action until Monday night, but Kim Hellberg chose the wrong afternoon to switch from a back four to three centre halves for the first time this season. That tactical switch left his previously adventurous outfit looking ponderous and emboldened the hosts, who pressed up high and were immediately rewarded. Hammarby diced with danger by playing out from the back on at least four occasions before a suicidal ball from Tesfaldet Tekie presented Ibrahim Diabate with a free run on goal and the Ivorian international didn’t miss.
Hammarby’s heads dropped, especially without the services of talisman Jusef Erabi, who began on the bench with rumours suggesting he was set for a move to Serie A. They struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half before Abdelrahman Boudah buried a header to level matters seven minutes after the break. More than 3,000 travelling fans delivered a roar of delight – believing Bajen’s title charge might soon be back on track.
The reality was rather different. Parity lasted less than seven minutes before Diabate converted a contentious penalty, which was incredibly the first given to GAIS in thirteen years. The referee, a friend of Nick’s from Gotland, didn’t endear himself to Dan, with a laughably laissez-faire approach, which had him pining for the PMGOL officials, which was particularly amusing. The home side’s best player, attacking midfielder Amin Boudri completed a commanding display by turning Hampus Skoglund inside out before placing a precise finish into the far corner to make it 3-1 with nine minutes left.
None of Hammarby’s travelling support seemed to head for the exits – and their vocal support only increased as Bajen’s chances of claiming a point slipped away. Hellberg’s side rallied to pile pressure on the GAIS defence in stoppage time. Erabi, who had been summoned from the substitutes’ bench, tucked away a generously-awarded spot-kick with five minutes left but GAIS held firm to celebrate a famous win. We commiserated with one another as more than 5,000 fans dispersed – whilst navigating a throng of school sides who had arrived in Gothenburg for the annual Gothia Cup, the largest youth football tournament in the world.
Those desperately awaiting a hat update can rest easy. I arrived home with my replacement pink Fulham hat safely in my possession, although it did blow off when a sharp gust of wind arrived from nowhere as we crossed the road. That’s more than I can say for my sunglasses – a trusty pair that didn’t even survive a fifty yard work from our taxi to the hotel on our first afternoon. A hat sacrifice might have been required for a Hammarby win, but I wasn’t willing to lose another fabulous Fulham hat. It was probably just my luck that my first awayday coincided with Bajen’s poorest performance of a stellar season.
It’s a fallacy to suggest on a football site that there’s more to life than the scoreline – as my immediately depressed Hammarby mates would tell you. But Hans, a friend of Nick and Dan’s who attended Fulham’s home win over Brentford back in November, warned me that Bajen have a habit of slipping up with a title on the line, and so it proved. All was not lost, though, Olav and Kenneth took me a terrific tram-based tour of Gothenburg’s glorious sights before I headed back to the airport, including a sojourn to the seaside that will live long in the memory.
I’m already looking forward to my next meet up with the Hammarby boys. Make mine a cocktail, Kenneth!
