GIF Sundsvall

GIF Sundsvall

Full name	Gymnastik- och Idrottsföreningen Sundsvall
Nickname(s)	Giffarna
Founded	25 August 1903
Ground	Norrporten Arena, Sundsvall
Capacity	7,700
Chairman	Johan Nikula
Head coach	Joel Cedergren Roger Franzén
League	Allsvenskan
2015	Allsvenskan, 12th
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Gymnastik och Idrottsföreningen Sundsvall, also known simply as GIF Sundsvall or Sundsvall, are a Swedish professional football club based in Sundsvall. The club are affiliated to Medelpads Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Norrporten Arena.^[1] The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are blue. Formed on 25 August 1903, the club have played thirteen seasons in Sweden's highest football league Allsvenskan, the club's first season in the league was in 1965. The club are currently playing in Allsvenskan, where the season lasts from April to October.

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 in 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 and 2012.

GIF Sundsvall earlier had women's football and ice hockey on the program. 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.

Norrporten Arena

Norrporten Arena, earlier known as Sundsvalls idrottspark

Norrporten Arena, formerly known as Idrottsparken, is located in the heart of Sundsvall and was inaugurated on August 6, 1903. It was renovated in 2001–02 for the club's previous stint in Allsvenskan and it can now hold a capacity of 8,000, with 5,000 under roof. In 2006 the stadium's name was officially changed to Norrporten Arena but the name isn't fully adopted by the fans.

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

Patronerna

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 post industrial revolution-era. FP-tifo, Patronerna's fraction of tifo-supporters, won the Swedish tifo-awards sponsored by Canal+, in 2005.

Achievements

• Superettan:
  • Runners-up (2): 2011, 2014
• Division 1 Norra:
  • Winners (2): 1990, 1999
• Norrländska Mästerskapet:
  • Winners (1): 1942
  • Runners-up (2): 1928, 1951

Players

First-team squad

As of 8 January 2016^[2]

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Lloyd Saxton 3 DF Dennis Olsson 4 DF Stefan Ålander 5 DF Eric Björkander 6 MF Rúnar Már Sigurjónsson 7 MF Kristinn Steindórsson 8 MF Lars Krogh Gerson 9 FW Johan Eklund (vice captain) 11 MF Sebastian Rajalakso 12 FW Shpëtim Hasani 14 FW Pa Dibba 15 DF Marcus Danielsson

No. Position Player 16 MF Robin Tranberg 17 GK Tommy Naurin (captain) 18 MF Robbin Sellin 19 DF Noah Sonko Sundberg (on loan from AIK) 20 MF Smajl Suljević 21 DF Eric Larsson 22 FW Stefan Silva 23 DF Filip Tägtström 26 MF Erik Granat 29 MF Amaro Bahtijar 30 FW Peter Wilson

Out on loan

As of 24 March 2016

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

No. Position Player 27 MF Granit Buzuku (at IFK Luleå until 8 January 2017)

No. Position Player 35 GK Jonathan Malmberg (at Levanger FK until 15 July 2016)

For season transfers, see transfers winter 2015–16.

Retired numbers

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

Managers

• Stig Sundqvist (1955–58)
• Jimmy Meadows (1976)
• Anders Grönhagen (1986–89)
• Jan Mattsson (1990–92)
• Anders Grönhagen (1999–01)
• Per Joar Hansen (2002–03)
• Patrick Walker (2002–04)
• Rikard Norling (Jan 2004 – Dec 04)
• Jan Halvor Halvorsen (Jan 2005 – Aug 05)
• Anders Högman (2005)
• David Wilson (July 2005 – July 06)
• Mika Sankala (2006–07), (2008–Ass.)
• Per Joar Hansen (Jan 2008 – Oct 08)
• Sören Åkeby (Oct 2008 – Nov 12)
• Joel Cedergren & Roger Franzén (Nov 12–Present)

Footnotes

References

1. "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar – Medelpads Fotbollförbund – Svenskfotboll.se". Retrieved 2011-01-12.
2. "Truppen" (in Swedish). GIF Sundsvall. Retrieved 7 July 2013.

External links

• GIF Sundsvall – official site
• Patronerna – official supporter club site