Halmstads BK facts for kids
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| Full name | Halmstads Bollklubb | ||
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| Nickname(s) | HBK | ||
| Founded | 7 February 1914 | ||
| Ground | Örjans Vall, Halmstad | ||
| Capacity | 10,873 | ||
| Chairman | Pelle Nilsson | ||
| Manager | Magnus Haglund | ||
| League | Allsvenskan | ||
| 2022 | 2nd in Superettan (Promotion) |
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Halmstads Bollklubb, often called Halmstad or HBK, is a Swedish football club from Halmstad in Sweden. The club started on February 7, 1914. HBK plays in the top Swedish football league, called Allsvenskan.
Over the years, HBK has won the Swedish national championship four times and the national cup once. The club is special because its members control it.
In 1995, HBK became famous in Europe when they beat the strong Italian team Parma A.C. 3–0 in a European cup match. However, in the second game, Parma won 4–0, and HBK was knocked out of the tournament.
Contents
Club History
The Early Years
In 1913, a group of young people in Halmstad decided to form a proper football club. They named it Halmstads Bollklubb. Axel Winberg became the club's first chairman. On March 6, 1914, the club officially joined the Swedish Sports Confederation.
The club played its first competition, Pokalserien, in 1915. They finished last. In 1917, HBK started to improve, finishing second in a local tournament. By 1920, the club won its first district championship title. They won it again in 1921.
In 1923, HBK reached a higher league called Sydsvenskan. They even started playing friendly matches against teams from other countries, like Austria and Denmark. In 1926, HBK won Sydsvenskan and tried to reach the top league, Allsvenskan, but they lost in the qualifying games.
Reaching the Top League
In 1933, Halmstads BK made history by reaching Allsvenskan, the top league in Sweden, for the first time. They even finished in fourth place in their first season, which was a great achievement! One of their players, Emil Carlsson, also became the first HBK player to join the Swedish national team.
The club was relegated from the top league in 1936 but quickly returned in 1937. They even hired their first non-Swedish manager, Harry Bruce from England. The 1930s saw HBK often competing in the second division, sometimes trying to get back to Allsvenskan.
During World War II, it was harder for the club to play, but they still managed to win Division 2 in 1942 and return to the top league. However, they were often relegated and promoted, showing how tough the competition was. In 1946 and 1947, HBK's youth team won the unofficial youth championship, showing promising young talent.
The 1950s brought more ups and downs. In 1954, HBK dominated their league and won promotion back to Allsvenskan. The 1954–55 season was one of their best, as they finished second in the top league, winning "The Big Silver" medal. In 1955–56, they had their biggest Allsvenskan win, beating Västerås SK 9–0! However, by 1959, the club was relegated back to the second division.
A Challenging Decade
The 1960s were a tough time for Halmstads BK. They struggled in the second division. In 1965, the club was relegated to Division 3 for the first time ever. It took them two years to get back to Division 2. In 1968, they had an amazing season in Division 3, scoring many goals and setting a record for goal difference in the Swedish league system.
By the end of the 1960s, HBK was back in Division 2 and started to sign their first professional players.
Becoming Champions
The 1970s marked a turning point for HBK. After being promoted and relegated a few times, the club hired Roy Hodgson as their new manager in 1976. Success came right away! Halmstads BK won the Allsvenskan title for the very first time in 1976. The whole city celebrated!
They finished in eighth place in 1977 and 1978. In 1979, HBK won their second Allsvenskan title, proving they were a top team.
After their second championship, Roy Hodgson left the club in 1980. The 1980s saw HBK mostly in Allsvenskan, sometimes finishing in the middle of the table. In 1987, after 14 years in the top league, they were relegated again. However, under new manager Stuart Baxter, they quickly won Division 1 in 1988 and returned to Allsvenskan in 1989.
Allsvenskan and European Adventures
The 1990s started with HBK being relegated again in 1991. But they bounced back quickly, winning Division 1 Södra in 1992 and getting promoted back to Allsvenskan. In 1993, Henrik Bertilsson from HBK was the top goalscorer in Allsvenskan.
1995 was a memorable year. Halmstads BK won the Svenska Cupen (the Swedish Cup) for the first time! They also finished third in the league. But the most talked-about moment was their 3–0 win against Parma F.C. in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Even though they lost the return game and were knocked out, it was a huge achievement.
In 1997, under new manager Tom Prahl, Halmstads BK won their third championship title! A young player named Freddie Ljungberg, who later became famous with Arsenal F.C., was part of this team.
The new millennium started with another championship for HBK in 2000, their fourth Allsvenskan title! They also did well in the UEFA Cup, beating S.L. Benfica before losing to TSV 1860 München.
In 2004, HBK came very close to winning their fifth title, finishing second in Allsvenskan. They also reached the group stage of the UEFA Cup in 2005, which was a big achievement, but they didn't win any points in the group.
Relegation and Bouncing Back
The 2008 season saw Halmstad finish in a respectable 8th place. However, the next season was tougher, and they barely avoided relegation.
The 2011 season was very difficult. Halmstad was relegated to Superettan (the second division) after 19 years in Allsvenskan.
But HBK showed their fighting spirit! In 2012, they quickly bounced back to Allsvenskan by winning a play-off match. In 2013, they had to play another play-off to stay in the top league, and they won again, allowing them to celebrate their 100-year anniversary in the top division.
Supporters
Halmstads BK's main fan group is called Bollklubben Support. They used to be known as Kvastarna (The Brooms) and started in 1995. They cheer for the team from the terrace section of Örjans Vall during home games.
In the past, HBK home games would attract 4,000 to 6,000 fans. For big matches against teams like Djurgårdens IF or IFK Göteborg, the crowd could grow to 8,000 to 10,000 people. Today, the attendance is a bit smaller, usually up to 5,000 or 6,000 for important games.
Stadium
Halmstads BK plays its home matches at Örjans Vall. They share this stadium with their local rivals, IS Halmia.
Örjans Vall is an old stadium, built in 1922. Because it's older, it doesn't meet all the modern rules for European football stadiums. This means that when HBK plays in European competitions, they have to use other stadiums like Olympia in Helsingborg or Ullevi in Gothenburg.
Örjans Vall was also used for two games during the 1958 FIFA World Cup.
Club Publications
In 2006, Halmstads BK chose to print their own match programs, unlike most other Swedish clubs who let big newspapers print theirs. This made HBK unique in the top league for having their own match program.
The club also publishes a small newspaper called Tidningen HBK (Newspaper HBK). It includes interviews with players and fans. You can find it as a special insert in the local newspaper, Hallandsposten, or download it from the club's website.
In Popular Culture
Famous Swedish comedians Hans Alfredson and Tage Danielsson, known as Hasse och Tage, made a funny sketch about former HBK manager Roy Hodgson. This happened in 1976 when Halmstads BK won the Allsvenskan title. The sketch was called Fotbollstränare Bob Lindeman (Football manager Bob Lindeman).
Players
First-team squad
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Famous Players
Here are some of the most famous players who have played for Halmstads BK. They are listed because they played many games, won a special award called Guldbollen, or played many times for their national team.
| Name | Years | Games | Goals | Awards | National Team Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Torbjörn Arvidsson |
1989–2005 | 306 | 22 | ||
| Tommy Jönsson |
1989–2005 | 304 | 29 | ||
| Håkan Svensson |
1990–2002 | 253 | 0 | ||
| Freddie Ljungberg |
1994–1998 | 79 | 10 | 2002, 2006 | 75 games for Sweden |
| Mikael Nilsson |
2000–2004 | 103 | 17 | 64 games for Sweden | |
| Niclas Alexandersson |
1989–1995 | 157 | 29 | 109 games for Sweden | |
 Artim Šakiri |
1997–1998 | 43 | 8 | 75 games for Macedonia | |
 Yaw Preko |
2004–2005 | 49 | 11 | 68 games for Ghana | |
 Tomas Žvirgždauskas |
2002–2011 | 211 | 6 | 56 games for Lithuania |
Top Goalscorers in Allsvenskan
These players from Halmstads BK have been the top goalscorers in the Allsvenskan league during their seasons.
| Name | Season | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylve Bengtsson |
1956 | 22 | |
| Rutger Backe |
1976 | 21 | |
| Henrik Bertilsson |
1993 | 18 | Shared with Mats Lilienberg |
| Mats Lilienberg |
1997 | 14 | Shared with Christer Mattiasson and Dan Sahlin |
| Stefan Selaković |
2001 | 15 | |
| Markus Rosenberg |
2004 | 14 | |
 Gunnar Heiðar Þorvaldsson |
2005 | 16 |
Technical Staff
As of May 4, 2022.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Magnus Haglund |
| Assistant coach | Per Olsson |
| Assistant coach | Johan Bergström |
| Goalkeeping coach | Dennis Nilsson |
| Physiotherapist |  Simon Bakkioui |
| Head Groundsman |  Jay Knowles |
Noted Managers
This is a list of managers who have helped the club win one or more major titles.
| Name | Years | Allsvenskan Titles | Svenska Cupen Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
 Roy Hodgson |
1976–1980 | 1976, 1979 | — |
| Mats Jingblad |
1992–1995 | — | 1995 |
| Tom Prahl |
1996–2001 | 1997, 2000 | — |
Achievements
National Titles
- Swedish Champions
- Winners (4): 1976, 1979, 1997, 2000
League Achievements
- Allsvenskan (Top League)
- Winners (4): 1976, 1979, 1997, 2000
- Runners-up (2): 1954–55, 2004
- Superettan (Second Division)
- Winners (1): 2020
- Division 1 Södra (Second Division)
- Winners (2): 1988, 1992
- Division 2 (Second Division)
- Winners (10): 1925–26, 1932–33, 1938–39, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1946–47, 1953–54, 1964, 1971, 1973
- Runner-up (4): 1924–25, 1936–37, 1949–50, 1951–52
- Division 3 Sydvästra Götaland (Third Division)
- Winners (1): 1968
- Runner-up (2): 1966, 1967
- Hallandsserien (Third Division)
- Winners (2): 1921–22, 1922–23
Cup Achievements
- Svenska Cupen
- Winners (1): 1994–95
Records
- Most games played in Allsvenskan: 306, Torbjörn Arvidsson (1989–2004)
- Most goals scored in Allsvenskan: 77, Rutger Backe (1972–1981)
- Most games played in European cups: 28, Torbjörn Arvidsson (1989–2004), Fredrik Andersson (1990–2001)
- Most goals scored in European cups: 11, Stefan Selakovic (1996–2001)
- Biggest victory: 12–0 vs. Fässbergs IK, September 7, 1968
- Biggest victory in Allsvenskan: 9–0 vs. Västerås SK, October 23, 1955
- Biggest defeat: 0–12 vs Malmö FF, June 3, 1943
- Highest attendance (before stadium updates): 19,783 vs. Djurgårdens IF, June 10, 1955
- Highest attendance (after stadium updates): 16,867 vs. IFK Göteborg, October 30, 2004
Images for kids
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Charles Teodor Hansson (left) in an early uniform and Axel Winberg (right).
See also
In Spanish: Halmstads BK para niños
