Football (Soccer) Country Trends: Sweden


Figure 1.--Here we see a Swedish soccer team that seems to have won some sort of championship. The team seems to be Vaksala, perhaps a town in Sweden. I'm nor sure when the team portrait was taken, but would guess about 2005.

We have limited infomation about sports in Sweden. We believe that ice hockey is a very popular sport. . This is, however, a difficult sport to play, especially for children. Soccer is a sport that children can begin playing at a very early age. Thus as in the rest of Europe, soccer has become hugely popular in Sweden. It certainly is the sport most commonly played by children. It is widely played as a club sport. Of course the climate limits when it can be played outdoors. There are indoor facilities as in Germany. We first see sports in Sweden (mid-1870s). The first activies were gymnastics and the influence was continental Europe. Football followed, more of a British influence. The earliest football games we note (1870s). They seem to have been organized by the existing gymnastic clubs. The game rapidly became popular. Official ruleas appeared when clubs in Gothenburg, Stockholm and Visby (1885). The first international club match was played (1890). The first match with modern rules was played soon after (1892). The Svenska Idrottsförbundet Association organized the first Swedish national football tournament--Svenska Mästerskapet (1896). As a result of the Association, Gothenburg for many years was the dominant football town in Sweden. The Svenska Mästerskapet tournament was played until 1925 when the first national league, Allsvenskan, was founded. The IFK associations began playing football (1890s). The first Kamratmästerskap (IFK championship) in football was arranged (1901). Sweden was one of the few places in Europe where normal sports activities continued through World War II. Football has grown spectacularly after World War II, especially youth sports. There are currently around 3,300 clubs with 32,700 teams and some 1 million members. About half a million are active players.

Popularity

We have limited infomation about sports in Sweden. We believe that ice hockey is a very popular sport. This is, however, a difficult sport to play, especially for children. Soccer is a sport that children can begin playing at a very early age. Thus as in the rest of Europe, soccer has become hugely popular in Sweden. It certainly is the sport most commonly played by children. It is widely played as a club sport. Of course the climate limits when it can be played outdoors. There are indoor facilities as in Germany.

Sport in Sweden

We first see sports in Sweden (mid-1870s). The first activies were gymnastics and the influence was continental Europe.

History

Football followed gymnastics. It was more of a British influence. The earliest football games we note (1870s). They seem to have been organized by the existing gymnastic clubs. The game rapidly became popular. Official ruleas appeared when clubs in Gothenburg, Stockholm and Visby (1885). The first international club match was played (1890). The first match with modern rules was played soon after (1892). The Svenska Idrottsförbundet Association organized the first Swedish national football tournament--Svenska Mästerskapet (1896). As a result of the Association, Gothenburg for many years was the dominant football town in Sweden. The Svenska Mästerskapet tournament was played until 1925 when the first national league, Allsvenskan, was founded. The IFK associations began playing football (1890s). The first Kamratmästerskap (IFK championship) in football was arranged (1901). Sweden was one of the few places in Europe where normal sports activities continued through World War II. Football has grown spectacularly after World War II, especially youth sports. There are currently around 3,300 clubs with 32,700 teams and some 1 million members. About half a million are active players.







HBC






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Created: 6:40 PM 10/28/2005
Last updated: 2:40 AM 11/12/2016