GAIS facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
GAIS

Full name	Göteborgs Atlet- & Idrottssällskap
Nickname(s)	Makrillarna (the Mackerels) Grönsvart (Green-black) Gårdakvarnen (the Gårda Mill)
Founded	11 March 1894; 131 years ago (1894-03-11) 1897; 128 years ago (1897) (football department)
Ground	Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg
Ground Capacity	18,416
Chairman	Roland Blomstrand
Head coach	Fredrik Holmberg
League	Allsvenskan
2024	6th of 16
Home colours Away colours

Göteborgs Atlet- och Idrottssällskap, usually called GAIS or Gais, is a Swedish football club. It is based in Gothenburg. The club plays its home games at Gamla Ullevi stadium. Fans often call the team Grönsvart (green-black) or Makrillarna (the Mackerels). These names come from their traditional green and black striped shirts.

GAIS is one of Sweden's oldest football clubs. It was one of the first teams in the top league, Allsvenskan. GAIS was also the first team to win that league. They have won four national championships and one national cup. For a long time, GAIS was known as a "yo-yo club." This means they often moved between different leagues. They would go up to a higher league, then fall back down. After being promoted in 2005, they stayed in Allsvenskan for seven years. This was their longest time in the top league since 1955. After being relegated in 2012, they returned to Allsvenskan for the 2024 season.

Club History

How GAIS Started and Early Wins

GAIS was founded on March 11, 1894, in Gothenburg. The club started to promote all kinds of sports. At first, they focused on athletics and strength sports. The football part of the club began in 1897. Their first official football game was in 1903 against Örgryte IS.

GAIS first played in the top league, Svenska Serien, in 1915/16. They finished in fourth place. In 1919, the club won its first national championship. They beat Djurgårdens IF in the finals. They won again in 1922 against Hammarby IF.

GAIS won the first season of the new top league, Allsvenskan, in 1924/25. They were two points ahead of IFK Göteborg. They won again in 1926/27. The league champions were not called national champions until the 1930/31 season. GAIS won that year too.

Sune Sandbring of Malmö FF playing against Frank Jacobsson of GAIS in 1953.

During the 1930s, GAIS slowly lost its top position in Allsvenskan. In 1938, the club was relegated. After three years in the second division, GAIS returned strong in 1941–42. They finished second. Later in 1942, they won the Svenska Cupen for the first and only time.

The club stayed in Allsvenskan through the 1940s and early 1950s. They won their fourth national championship in 1953/54. They were just one point ahead of Helsingborgs IF. The next year, they were relegated again.

The 1960s and 1970s

The 1966 GAIS team. They helped the club stay in Allsvenskan during the late 1960s.

GAIS returned to Allsvenskan in 1955/56. But from the mid-1950s, the club struggled to stay in the top league. They were relegated again in 1959. They spent four seasons in the second division. They briefly returned to Allsvenskan for one year in 1964. After that, they immediately returned to Allsvenskan in 1966. GAIS then stayed there from 1966 to 1975, except for one year in 1971.

In 1975, the club played in the UEFA Cup for the first time. They played against Śląsk Wrocław. GAIS lost to the Polish club. The same year, GAIS was relegated from Allsvenskan for the sixth time.

Ups and Downs: 1976–2006

Being relegated in 1975 was a tough moment for GAIS. They couldn't get back into Allsvenskan in 1976. They also lost their top spot in Gothenburg to their rival, IFK Göteborg. The club failed to qualify for Allsvenskan for five years. In 1981, they were relegated to the third division. This was due to money problems and poor performance.

The future looked difficult. But in 1983, GAIS played very well. They secured a spot in the playoffs and won promotion to the second division.

This chart shows how GAIS has moved through the Swedish football league system. The different shades of gray show different league divisions.

In 1984, GAIS signed a very important player. Samir Bakaou, a midfielder from Tunisia, joined the team. He brought new energy and skill. With "the Black Pearl" as their main player, GAIS became strong again. They reached the promotion playoffs for Allsvenskan in 1985. However, they lost to Djurgårdens IF after a penalty shootout.

GAIS finally returned to Allsvenskan in 1987. This ended eleven long years in lower divisions. For the second time, GAIS reached the finals of Svenska Cupen. But they lost 2–0 to Kalmar FF.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, GAIS mostly fought to stay in Allsvenskan. They finished third in 1989, but usually stayed in the lower half of the league. They were relegated again in 1992. GAIS then had another long journey through the second division. The lowest point was in 1997. The club was in the third division and had big money problems.

GAIS players wearing their traditional green and black striped shirts during a game in 2008.

GAIS was promoted to the second division in 1998. They made it back to Allsvenskan after the 1999 season. They finished second and beat Kalmar FF in the playoffs. After finishing second to last in the 2000 Allsvenskan, the club fell further. They were relegated to the third division for the 2002 season.

Things improved slowly. After a tough fight in 2003, GAIS won their series. In the promotion playoffs for Superettan, they beat Mjällby AIF.

The next year, GAIS hired Roland Nilsson as head coach. Under his leadership, the club finished sixth in 2004. The next season, GAIS finished third. They played Landskrona BoIS in the promotion playoffs for Allsvenskan. GAIS won the home game 2–1 and drew the away game 0–0. This meant GAIS finally returned to Allsvenskan. They stayed there for seven seasons. After a strong fifth-place finish in 2011, they ended up in last place and were relegated in 2012. They have been in the Swedish second tier since then, until their recent promotion.

Supporters and Rivalries

GAIS supporters cheering in 2006.

GAIS is the third most supported club in Gothenburg. About 13% of football fans in the city support GAIS. Their supporters are known for being very loyal, even when the club faces difficulties. The oldest GAIS supporter group is called Makrillarna (the Mackerels). It was founded in 1961.

In 2018, the club allowed a supporter to be an assisting manager for one game. This was against Halmstads BK in September. It was a unique event for a Swedish football club.

The club and its fans have a strong rivalry with IFK Göteborg. This is another traditional club from Gothenburg. When GAIS plays in the top league, about 4,500 to 7,000 people attend games. In the second tier, it's about 3,000 to 4,000. More people come to games against local rivals like IFK Göteborg, Örgryte IS, and IF Elfsborg. Big teams from Stockholm and Skåne also draw larger crowds.

Players

First-team squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Mergim Krasniqi 2 DF Egzon Binaku 4 DF Axel Norén 5 DF Robin Wendin Thomasson 6 DF August Wängberg 7 MF Joackim Aberg 8 MF William Milovanovic 9 MF Gustav Lundgren 10 FW Mervan Çelik 11 FW Edvin Becirovic 12 DF Robin Frej 13 GK Kees Sims

No. Position Player 14 MF Filip Gustafsson 17 MF Amin Boudri 18 FW Alexander Ahl Holmström 19 FW Richard Friday 21 MF Axel Henriksson 22 DF Anes Cardaklija 24 DF Filip Beckman 25 FW Jonas Lindberg 26 FW Chovanie Amatkarijo 28 FW Lucas Hedlund 32 MF Harun Ibrahim (on loan from Molde FK) 33 GK Erik Krantz

Players Out on Loan

No. Position Player 20 FW Chisomnazu Chika Chidi (at Helsingborg until 30 November 2024) 27 FW Mohamed Bawa (at Norrby until 30 November 2024) GK Erik Westgärds (at Ljungskile until 30 November 2024)

Retired Jersey Numbers

15 – Fredrik Lundgren, defender and midfielder (1999–2002, 2003–2012)

Famous Players

Karl-Alfred Jacobsson has been chosen as "player of the century" and "player of the millennium" by GAIS fans. The "Honorary Mackerel" award is given by the supporter group Makrillarna each season since 1961. The players below have received this award:

Gunnar Gren won the award as a player manager in 1963. His statue stands outside the Gamla Ullevi stadium.

Wánderson became a top goalscorer in the 2012–13 Russian Premier League after leaving GAIS.

Managers

1994 FIFA World Cup bronze medalist Roland Nilsson was the manager who most recently helped the club return to Allsvenskan.

Achievements

National Championships

• Swedish Champions
  • Winners (4): 1919, 1922, 1930–31, 1953–54

League Titles

• Allsvenskan:
  • Winners (4): 1924–1925, 1926–1927, 1930–1931, 1953–1954
  • Runners-up (4): 1925–1926, 1932–1933, 1933–1934, 1941–1942
• Superettan:
  • Runner-up (1): 2023
• Division 1 Södra:
  • Winners (1): 1987, 2022
  • Runners-up (2): 1995, 1999
• Svenska Serien:
  • Winners (1): 1923–1924

Cup Wins

• Svenska Cupen:
  • Winners (1): 1942
  • Runners-up (1): 1986–1987
• Svenska Mästerskapet:
  • Winners (2): 1919, 1922

European Competitions

• Intertoto Cup:
  • Winners (1): 1990

See also

In Spanish: GAIS Gotemburgo para niños