Hammarby IF facts for kids

Hammarby Idrottsförening, often called Hammarby IF or just Hammarby, is a well-known Swedish sports club. It is located in Stockholm and has many different teams that play various sports.

The club began in 1889 as Hammarby Roddförening (Hammarby Rowing Association). By 1897, it had grown to include other sports. This led to its new name, Hammarby IF.

In 1999, the club changed its structure. Each sports department became its own separate group. However, they all work together under the main "Hammarby IF" name. In 2020, the club had a record 22,746 active members across all its sections.

History of Hammarby IF

How Hammarby Grew (1889–1914)

Axel Robert Schönthal helped start Hammarby Roddförening.

On April 10, 1889, the Hammarby Roddförening (Hammarby Rowing Association) was started. It was in Södermalm, a part of Stockholm City Centre. Engineer Axel Robert Schönthal is known as the club's founder.

At first, the club only competed in rowing. Races usually happened on the Hammarby Sjö waterway. The club got its name from this water. Most members were young men who worked in factories in Södermalm.

By 1897, the club added more sports, like athletics. So, it changed its name to Hammarby Idrottsförening (Hammarby Sports Club), or Hammarby IF. This new multi-sport club officially started on March 7, 1897.

In 1905, Hammarby started its first team sport, Hammarby IF Bandy. This made it one of Sweden's first bandy clubs. Bandy is a sport similar to ice hockey, played on ice with a ball.

New Sports and Early Success (1915–1957)

The Hammarby IP sports ground was built in Södermalm in 1915. It opened on September 15, 1915, with Gustaf VI Adolf, who was then the Crown Prince, attending.

Because Stockholm needed more football fields, other local clubs wanted to join Hammarby IF. This way, they could use the new stadium. Hammarby accepted an offer from Klara SK. A football team, Hammarby IF Fotboll, was created in 1915. In 1918, Hammarby also joined with Johanneshofs IF.

The football team finished second in the 1922 Svenska Mästerskapet. This was a cup that decided the Swedish champions. They lost 1–3 to GAIS in the final game.

In 1919, Hammarby IF Boxning (boxing) was founded. This group helped create the Swedish Boxing Association. Gunnar Berggren won a bronze medal in boxing at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. He is the only Hammarby athlete to win an Olympic medal in an individual sport. The boxing team faced money problems in 1930 and was later closed.

The club started playing ice hockey in 1921. The team was first made up of bandy players. Hammarby IF Hockey became a very strong team in early Swedish ice hockey. They played in the top league from 1922 until 1957. During this time, they won the Swedish championship eight times. These wins were in 1932, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1945, and 1951.

Famous cyclist Sven Johansson joined Hammarby IF in 1937. He won 11 individual Swedish Championship titles. He also won 13 more titles with his club team.

In 1939, Hammarby IF Handboll (handball) was first started. This handball section stopped playing in the 1950s. But it was started again in 1970 after joining with Lundens BK.

The Nyman Years (1958–1990)

Lennart Nyman became the chairman of Hammarby IF in 1965. He held this job for 25 years until 1990. He was the longest-serving chairman in the club's history. He was also the chairman of Hammarby's football section at the same time.

In 1970, Hammarby IF Damfotboll (women's football) was created. This made Hammarby one of the first clubs in Swedish women's football. The team won the Swedish championship in 1985. Until 2011, Hammarby was one of only two teams that had played in every season of Damallsvenskan since it began in 1988.

The first Midnattsloppet (Midnight Run) was held in Södermalm in Stockholm in 1982. Hammarby IF has hosted it every year since then. Between 20,000 and 40,000 people run 10 kilometers at night. Many more people come to watch.

Recent Successes (1990–Present)

In 1999, the club changed its legal structure. Each sports department became a separate group. They all work together under the "Hammarby IF" name.

The club won its first Swedish championship in football in 2001. Football is the biggest sport in Sweden. About 20,000 fans celebrated this win at Medborgarplatsen square.

Hammarby won its first Swedish Cup title in 2021. They played the final against BK Häcken at their home stadium, Tele2 Arena. The game was tied after regular time. Hammarby won 5-4 in a penalty shootout.

Hammarby IF won three Swedish championships in handball in a row. These wins were from 2006 to 2008. This ended the long winning streak of clubs from southern and western Götaland.

In 2010, Hammarby IF also won its first Swedish championship in bandy. They had finished second in six seasons before this win. They won the gold medal again in 2013. That final game was played at Friends Arena in front of a record crowd of 38,474 people.

Colours, Badge, and Nickname

Club Colours

The club's main colours are green and white. You can see these colours in its crest and sports uniforms. When Hammarby Roddförening started in 1889, its crest was a white flag with three green lines. They chose green because it means hope.

Team Kit

In 1915, Hammarby IF decided its uniform would be a white shirt with "HIF" on the chest. It also included white shorts and black socks. After joining with Johanneshofs IF in 1918, Hammarby changed its uniform. They started using Johanneshof's black-and-yellow striped shirts, blue shorts, and black socks with yellow stripes. The bandy team was the first to use this new uniform. The football team started using it soon after.

The club changed from blue shorts to black in the 1960s. When famous footballer Lennart Skoglund came back to Hammarby in 1964, he gave the club black shorts. He thought the blue shorts looked bad.

In 1978, Hammarby changed its home colours again. They went from black and yellow to white shirts, green shorts, and white socks. This was 60 years after the merger with Johanneshof.

Club Nickname

When Hammarby's ice hockey team visited the United Kingdom in 1946, player Stig Emanuel Andersson supposedly came up with the name "Bajen". This is a short, fun way to say "Hammarby". It has been the club's most common nickname since the 1970s.

Supporters

Hammarby has often been seen as a club with many working-class fans. This is because of its history in the Södermalm area of Stockholm. Today, the club attracts fans from all parts of society.

A 2016 survey showed that many of the club's fans tend to support left-wing politics. This is compared to fans of their local rivals, AIK and Djurgården. The club has strong connections to Söderort, the southern part of Stockholm.

According to a survey by Novus, Hammarby Football is the most popular football club in Stockholm. Between 2013 and 2016, Hammarby Football had the highest average attendance in Scandinavia. In 2015, Hammarby Football set a Swedish record for attendance. The average number of fans per game was 25,507. In the 2022 season, Hammarby broke its own record with an average attendance of 26,372.

Honours

As of 2020, Hammarby has won many medals. They have 271 gold medals, 306 silver medals, and 294 bronze medals. These were won in 16 different sports.

Member Clubs

Former Member Clubs

• Hammarby Hockey (1921–2008)

See also

In Spanish: Hammarby IF para niños