AIK facts for kids
| Full name | Allmänna Idrottsklubben |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Gnaget |
| Sport | association football, bandy, handball, ice hockey, and others |
| Founded | 15 February 1891 |
| Based in | Solna, Stockholm, Sweden |
| Colors | Black and Yellow |
| President | Cecilia Wahlman (interim) |
| Website | http://aik.se |
Allmänna Idrottsklubben, often called AIK, is a big professional sports club from Stockholm, Sweden. Its name means "the Public Sports Club" in English.
AIK was started in 1891 in downtown Stockholm. It is now the largest sports club in Scandinavia. AIK has won many Swedish championship titles in different sports. These include football, ice hockey, floorball, bandy, and handball. The club has also won big tennis tournaments like Wimbledon championships and French Open.
Contents
How AIK Started: A Fun Race
The idea for AIK began with two brothers, Isidor and Paul Behrens. They were walking fast in central Stockholm. They noticed two other young people walking quickly behind them. The strangers tried to pass the Behrens brothers. So, the brothers sped up to stay in front. The strangers did the same thing. Soon, everyone was running in a fun, unplanned race!
After the race, Isidor told Paul they should start a sports club. They wanted to compete with others.
So, on February 15, 1891, the brothers gathered their friends. These friends loved sports too. They met at the Behrens' home in Stockholm. Isidor shared his idea, and everyone liked it. They agreed that the club should practice every sport they could think of. That's why they chose the name "Allmänna Idrottsklubben." This means "The General Sports Club." The name also meant that anyone could join AIK. This was special because many clubs back then had rules about who could be a member.
AIK's Look: Colours and Badge
AIK's main colours are black and yellow. White is also used as a secondary colour.
The club's special badge, or crest, is dark blue, yellow, and gold. Its design looks like the Art Nouveau style. This was a popular art style around the year 1900. Fritz Carlsson-Carling, a runner and football player, designed AIK's crest. Some people think the sun on the crest is from the Solna Municipality coat of arms. But this is not true! Solna became a city much later than AIK was founded.
AIK's Sports Teams
AIK has many different sports teams, called departments. Here are some of them:
American Football
American football joined AIK in 2020. AIK took over a team called Northside Bulls. They play in the second-highest league in Sweden.
Athletics
Athletics was the very first sport played by AIK. This was back in 1891 when the club started. The Swedish word for athletics at that time was allmänn idrott. This is part of where the club's name comes from. Athletics stopped in 1916 but came back as a department in 2012.
Bandy
Bandy is a team sport played on ice. It's a bit like ice hockey and football. AIK has a bandy team.
Basketball
In 2016, AIK joined with a basketball club called Solna Vikings. The Solna Vikings were champions of the Basketligan (Sweden's top basketball league) in 2003.
Floorball
Floorball is a fast-paced indoor team sport. It's played with sticks and a light ball. AIK has a floorball team.
Football
AIK has both men's and women's football teams. Football is one of the most popular sports at AIK.
Handball
Handball is a team sport where players pass and throw a ball into the opponent's goal. AIK has a handball team.
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is another very popular sport for AIK. The club has both men's and women's ice hockey teams.
AIK Online
On February 5, 1995, AIK made history. It became the first sports club outside of the USA to have its own website on the internet!
AIK Fans and Support
Fans of AIK are called AIK:are. They are also sometimes called gnagare, which means rodent. Both words are used for one fan or many fans.
AIK fans live all over Stockholm and Sweden. But the northwest part of central Stockholm is known as the club's main area.
Many fan groups support AIK. Black Army – Stockholm started in 1981. It is the biggest fan group today. Other groups include Smokinglirarna, Ultras Nord, and Sol Invictus. These groups, along with AIK-Tifo, work together as the AIK-Alliansen (the AIK Alliance).
The Swedish Royal Family also supports AIK. In 1907, Crown Prince Gustaf VI Adolf became the first honorary member of the club. Today, the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, is the club's patron. Members of the royal family often visit AIK's home games. Prince Daniel was a known AIK fan even before he married Crown Princess Victoria.
Many famous people are also AIK fans. These include songwriter Max Martin, DJ Sebastian Ingrosso, swimmer Sarah Sjöström, and Spotify founder Daniel Ek. Even Lennart Johansson, a former president of UEFA (European football's governing body), was an AIK supporter. The powerful Wallenberg family also has strong ties to AIK.
AIK has a club song called "Å vi é AIK" (meaning "Oh we are AIK"). It's a Swedish version of the 1971 song "The Last Farewell" by Roger Whittaker.
AIK's Rivals
AIK has a big rivalry with Djurgårdens IF. This club also started in Stockholm in 1891, just three weeks after AIK. AIK also has a strong rivalry with Hammarby IF, another major Stockholm team. Outside of Stockholm, AIK's biggest rivals include IFK Göteborg, Leksands IF, and Malmö FF.
Images for kids
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AIK supporters at a charity football game in 2013.
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An old AIK supporter club lapel pin from the 1970s.
See also
In Spanish: Allmänna Idrottsklubben para niños
