BK Häcken facts for kids
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| Full name | Bollklubben Häcken | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Getingarna (the Wasps) | ||
| Founded | 2 August 1940 | ||
| Ground | Bravida Arena, Gothenburg | ||
| Capacity | 6,500 | ||
| Chairman | Anders Billström | ||
| Head coach | Joop Oosterveld | ||
| League | Allsvenskan | ||
| 2024 | Allsvenskan, 8th of 16 | ||
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Bollklubben Häcken, usually called BK Häcken or just Häcken, is a professional football club from Gothenburg, Sweden. They play in Allsvenskan, which is the top football league in Sweden.
The club was started on August 2, 1940. Häcken has played 23 seasons in Allsvenskan, first joining the league in 1983. The team plays its home games at Bravida Arena. Their team colors, shown on their badge and uniforms, are yellow and black.
Contents
Club History
How it Started
The club began with a group of 14- to 15-year-old friends. They loved playing football and wanted to create a real team. They also wanted to join the national league system.
At first, they called themselves BK Kick. But another club already had that name. So, when they joined the Gothenburg Football Association, they changed their name. They chose Bollklubben Häcken, which means "The Hedge Football Club." This name came from a hedge that grew around their practice field. Bollklubben Häcken officially started on August 2, 1940.
Early Years and Rise
After the first few years, the club mostly played youth games. But soon, they started playing at the senior level. In 1943, they joined the league system and quickly found success. Between 1944 and 1947, they won their league every year. They moved up from west seniorclass 4 to seniorclass 1.
The 1950s started well too. The club won Division 4 in 1950. The next year, they won Division 3. This made them famous as a "comet team" in the national news. In 1953, they almost reached Allsvenskan, but Kalmar FF beat them. In 1954, they were moved down from Division 2.
In 1955, BK Häcken set a record for the most fans at a Division 3 game. A huge crowd of 18,229 people watched them play against IK Oddevold. The club played in Division 3 for the rest of the 1950s.
The 1960s began with the opening of their new clubhouse, called Häckensborg. Häcken was a strong Division 3 team for most of this time. But in 1967, they were moved down to Division 4. The club also faced some money problems and internal issues.
The 1970s started tough. The club dropped out of Division 4. They even talked about joining with another club, IF Warta. But BK Häcken members voted against it. In 1971, the club won Division 5. They then played in Division 4 until 1975, when they won that league too.
In 1977, they won Division 3 with Agne Simonsson, a former Swedish international player, as their manager. This win helped them move up to Division 2. In 1978–79, they played well in Division 2, finishing 3rd at their best. In 1978, BK Häcken also started a women's team.
Reaching the Top League
The 1980s started strong. Agne Simonsson continued to bring success. They won Division 2 and almost made it to Allsvenskan. But IF Elfsborg was too strong. BK Häcken lost 0–1 at home and tied 1–1 away.
During the home game at Gamla Ullevi, BK Häcken set a new record. They had their biggest home crowd ever, with 19,205 fans. The club didn't give up. In 1982, they finished 2nd in Division 2. This time, they played against IFK Norrköping to get promoted.
BK Häcken won 2–0 at home at Rambergsvallen. Then they tied 1–1 away in Norrköping. This meant the club reached Allsvenskan for the very first time! However, their time in Allsvenskan was short. Their successful manager, Agne Simonsson, left. The club finished last and was moved back to Division 2. They stayed there for the rest of the 1980s.
BK Häcken started the 1990s by winning Division 1 Söder. They played against GIF Sundsvall to get promoted. Häcken won 5–2 at home, but Sundsvall came back to win the overall match. So, Sundsvall was promoted instead. The club also did well in Svenska Cupen, reaching the final. But Djurgårdens IF beat them 3–0.
In 1991, they were close to Allsvenskan again. But they lost to Helsingborgs IF. In 1992, they finally made it to Allsvenskan by finishing 4th in Kvalsvenskan. This time, they stayed longer. BK Häcken finished 6th in 1993, playing a second year in Allsvenskan. However, in 1994, they finished last and were moved down again.
After some changes in leadership, they stayed in Division 1 until 1997. That year, they finished 2nd and played against Västerås SK for promotion. With a 1–1 home draw and a 4–2 away win, BK Häcken moved up to Allsvenskan again. They were moved down in 1998 but returned in 1999 after winning Division 1 Södra. In 1999, Kim Källström also played his first game for the club.
New Millennium Success
The new century continued the club's up-and-down journey. In 2000, BK Häcken stayed in Allsvenskan by winning a play-off against Mjällby AIF after penalties. Kjell Pettersson left as manager, and Torbjörn Nilsson took over.
In 2001, BK Häcken played its sixth season in Allsvenskan. But they finished second to last and were moved down to Superettan. Through a partnership, future Liberian national player Dulee Johnson joined the club. In 2002, Jimmy Dixon and Dioh Williams also joined.
BK Häcken stayed in Superettan until 2004. They were close to moving up in 2002, missing out on goal difference. In 2003, GIF Sundsvall beat them in the play-offs. But in 2004, the club won Superettan and returned to Allsvenskan.
In 2005, the club brought in former Swedish international Teddy Lučić and Danish international Stig Tøfting. They aimed for a higher position and finished 8th. The 2006 season was tougher. Stig Tøfting and Dulee Johnson left. The club had to play a play-off against IF Brommapojkarna. BK Häcken lost 4–1 overall and was moved down to Superettan.
In 2010, Häcken won the Fair Play award for Allsvenskan. This earned them a spot in the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. In 2012, BK Häcken finished second in Allsvenskan. This was their best league finish ever. That season, Ghanaian striker Waris Majeed scored 23 goals. He became the top scorer in Allsvenskan for the year.
In 2016, Häcken won their first major title. They beat Malmö FF in the final of the Svenska Cupen, winning the cup. In 2019, Häcken won their second major title. They beat AFC Eskilstuna 3–0 in the Svenska Cupen final at Bravida Arena.
The club made history in 2022. They won the Allsvenskan, becoming Swedish champions for the first time! On May 11, 2023, BK Häcken won the Swedish Cup for the third time. They defeated Mjällby AIF 4–1 in the final game.
Club Rivalries
Häcken's main rivals are the three other big teams from Gothenburg. These are IFK Göteborg, GAIS, and Örgryte IS. IFK Göteborg is seen as their biggest rival.
There are also smaller rivalries. These include games against IF Elfsborg from Borås. They also have rivalries with other teams from the island of Hisingen, like IF Warta and Hisingsbacka FC. These rivalries are especially strong among the younger teams.
Club Honours
Leagues
- Allsvenskan
- Champions: 2022
- Runners-up: 2012
- Superettan
- Champions: 2004
- Runners-up: 2008
- Division 1 Södra:
- Champions (2): 1990, 1999
- Runners-up: 1997
- Division 1 Västra
- Champions: 1992
Cups
- Svenska Cupen
- Winners (3): 2015–16, 2018–19, 2022–23
- Runners-up: 1989–90, 2020–21
European Record
BK Häcken has also played in major European football competitions. These include the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League. The table below shows their overall performance in these tournaments.
- As of 29 August 2024
| Competition | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 50.00 |
| UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League | 35 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 43 | 56 | −13 | 31.43 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 15 | +10 | 50.00 |
| Total | 47 | 17 | 11 | 19 | 76 | 71 | +5 | 36.17 |
Legend: GF = Goals For (goals scored). GA = Goals Against (goals conceded). GD = Goal Difference (GF minus GA).
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | UEFA Cup | First qualifying round |  KR Reykjavik |
1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Second qualifying round |  Dunfermline Athletic |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | ||
| First round |  Spartak Moscow |
1–3 | 0–5 | 1–8 | ||
| 2011–12 | UEFA Europa League | First qualifying round |  UN Käerjéng 97 |
5–1 | 1–1 | 6–2 |
| Second qualifying round |  Honka |
1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | ||
| Third qualifying round |  Nacional |
2–1 | 0–3 | 2–4 | ||
| 2013–14 | UEFA Europa League | Second qualifying round |  Sparta Prague |
1–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 |
| Third qualifying round |  Thun |
1–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | ||
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | Second qualifying round |  Cork City |
1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| 2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | First qualifying round |  Liepāja |
1–2 | 3–0 | 4–2 |
| Second qualifying round |  RB Leipzig |
1–1 | 0–4 | 1–5 | ||
| 2019–20 | UEFA Europa League | Second qualifying round |  AZ |
0–3 | 0–0 | 0–3 |
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | Second qualifying round | Aberdeen |
2–0 | 1–5 | 3–5 |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Champions League | First qualifying round |  The New Saints |
3–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 |
| Second qualifying round |  KÍ |
3–3 (aet) | 0–0 | 3−3 (3–4 p) | ||
| UEFA Europa League | Third qualifying round |  Žalgiris |
5–0 | 3–1 | 8–1 | |
| Play-off round | Aberdeen |
2–2 | 3–1 | 5–3 | ||
| Group H | Bayer Leverkusen |
0–2 | 0–4 | 4th out of 4 | ||
 Qarabağ |
0–1 | 1–2 | ||||
 Molde |
1–3 | 1–5 | ||||
| 2024–25 | UEFA Conference League | Second qualifying round | F91 Dudelange |
6–1 | 6–2 | 12−3 |
| Third qualifying round |  Paide Linnameeskond |
6–1 | 1–1 | 7−2 | ||
| Play-off round | Heidenheim |
1–2 | 2–3 | 3–5 |
Players
First-team squad
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Out on loan
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Retired numbers
2 – Johan Lind, defender (1995–2010)
Managers
Sven-Agne Larsson (1958–59)- Agne Simonsson (1977–82)
- Reine Almqvist (1983, 1989–93)
- Jan Sjöström (1984–86)
- Stefan Lundin (1989–91)
- Kjell Pettersson [sv] (1996–00)
- Torbjörn Nilsson (2001)
- Jörgen Lennartsson (2002–04)
- Stefan Lundin (2005 – Sept 06)
- Reine Almqvist (Sept 2006–07)
- Sonny Karlsson [sv] (2007–09)
- Peter Gerhardsson (2009–16)
- Mikael Stahre (2017)
- Andreas Alm (2018–21)
- Per-Mathias Høgmo (2021–2023)
- Pål Arne Johansen (2024)
- Joop Oosterveld (interim) (2024–)
See also
In Spanish: BK Häcken para niños
