Djurgårdens IF facts for kids
® The club logo, adopted in 1896, is a registered trademark.
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| Founded | 12 March 1891 |
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| Based in | Stockholm, Djurgården |
| Stadium | Tele2 Arena (association football, men), Stockholm Olympic Stadium (association football, women), Hovet (ice hockey), Östermalms IP (bandy) |
| Colours | Yellow, red, blue |
| Official fan club | Järnkaminerna |
Djurgårdens Idrottsförening, often called Djurgårdens IF or just Djurgården, is a large Swedish sports club. It is located in Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden. This club has many different sports sections, meaning it has teams for various sports.
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What's in a Name?
The club gets its name from a beautiful city park and area in Stockholm called Djurgården. This area used to be a special hunting park for the king. The name Djurgården means "the animal garden" or "the animal yard" in Swedish. The word djur means "animal," but it's also related to the word "deer." So, it might have originally meant "deer garden."
A Look Back: History of Djurgården
The club was started in 1891 by young athletes. They lived in the Djurgården area of central Stockholm. Many of the first members worked in the shipping industry. Djurgården quickly became known for its strong focus on winter sports and track and field.
Soon, the club added many other sports. It grew into one of Sweden's most successful sports clubs. In 1899, Djurgården started playing association football. This led to a big rivalry with a nearby club, AIK, known as the "twin derby."
Today, the most popular sports sections are ice hockey and football. The ice hockey team has won 16 Swedish national championships. The football team has won 12. Other popular sections include bandy, handball, and floorball. By 2023, Djurgården had won an amazing 470 Swedish championships in 25 different sports. This makes it the most successful sports club in Sweden!
Club Colours and Emblem
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The first symbol of the club was a silver star with the letters DIF. The current symbol, or emblem, is a shield in yellow, red, and blue. It has the letters D.I.F. on it and was chosen in 1896.
The club's main colours are yellow, red, and blue. These colours are important for the club's identity. In many sports, like football and bandy, the home jerseys have vertical stripes of light and dark blue. Because of this, blue is often seen as the most important of the three colours. The ice hockey team uses blue jerseys with yellow and red details.
Djurgården's Sports Sections
Djurgårdens IF has many different sports sections. Each section is its own group with its own money and sports goals. However, they all share the same club name, logo, and values. They also support each other.
Main Sports Teams
- Djurgårdens IF Fotboll – Men's football
- Djurgårdens IF Fotboll (women) - Women's football
- Djurgårdens IF Hockey – Men's ice hockey
- Djurgårdens IF Hockey (women) – Women's ice hockey
Other Sports Teams
- Djurgårdens IF Alpint – alpine skiing
- Djurgårdens IF Amerikansk fotboll – American football
- Djurgårdens IF Bandy – bandy
- Djurgårdens IF Basket – basketball
- Djurgårdens IF Boxningsförening – boxing
- Djurgårdens IF Brottningsförening – wrestling
- Djurgårdens IF Friidrott – athletics
- Djurgårdens IF Handboll – handball
- Djurgårdens IF Innebandy – floorball
Past Sports Teams
Djurgårdens IF used to have sections in other sports too. One of these was ski jumping. For fifty years, DIF was one of the best clubs in Sweden in this sport.
Fans and Club Culture
Djurgården is one of the most popular sports clubs in Sweden. Most of its fans live in Stockholm and the areas nearby. While some Stockholm clubs are linked to specific parts of the city, Djurgården is seen as a club for all of Stockholm.
In 1981, the main fan club "Blue Saints" was formed. Later, the fan club changed its name to Järnkaminerna. This means "The Iron Furnaces," which was an old nickname for Djurgården athletes from the 1950s.
Djurgården is a unique club because it has been represented in space! Christer Fuglesang, the first Scandinavian in space, is a Djurgården supporter. The club has also been represented in the Himalayas by Raul Helander.
You can find many souvenirs and items for the club. One popular item is a stuffed rabbit toy called Järnkanin ("Iron Rabbit"). This name is a fun play on the word Järnkamin.
Famous Djurgården Supporters
Many well-known people support Djurgården, including:
- His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden
- Fredrik Reinfeldt, a former Prime Minister of Sweden
- Olof Palme, another former Prime Minister of Sweden
- Christer Fuglesang, an astronaut
- Veronica Maggio, a singer
- Robin Söderling, a tennis player
- Magnus Uggla, a musician
- Felix Herngren, a comedian and actor
Working Together: Partner Organisations
The following non-profit groups work closely with Djurgårdens IF. They are independent but share a strong connection with the club:
- DIF Supporters Club (helps young athletes with scholarships)
- Sällskapet Gamla Djurgårdare (a group for older Djurgården fans)
- Djurgårdsandan (focuses on the club's values)
- DIF-arkivet (helps keep track of the club's history)
