IK Brage

Idrottsklubben Brage, also known as IK Brage or simply Brage, is a Swedish football club located in Borlänge. The club is affiliated with Dalarnas Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Domnarvsvallen.[1] The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are green and white. The club can be seen as a continuation of IK Blixt which was founded in the early 1920s but merged into Domnarvets GoIF in 1923. Two years later the merger was split and IK Blixt changed their name to IK Brage, after the Norse god Bragi. The club has played a total of 18 seasons in Allsvenskan, which is the highest level of the Swedish football league system. They currently play in the second highest level (Superettan) where the season lasts from April to November. IK Brage also recently spent time in the third division Division 1 (2014–2017) and fourth division Division 2 between 2005 and 2009) but has mainly played in the two highest Swedish divisions since its foundation.

IK Brage
Full nameIdrottsklubben Brage
Founded1925 (1925) as IK Blixt
GroundDomnarvsvallen, Borlänge
Capacity6,500
ChairmanUlf Aronsson
Head coachKlebér Saarenpää
LeagueSuperettan
2019Superettan, 3rd (Promotion Playoff - Not Promoted)
WebsiteClub website

History

[2]

Creation and early rise

Brage playing in the 1930 promotion playoff game against Djurgårdens IF which qualified them for their first ever Allsvenskan season.

In the early 1920s the two Borlänge clubs IK Blixt and Domnarvets GIF merged to form a new club by the name of Domnarvets GoIF. The motive for the merger was to combine their efforts in building the new stadium that would become Domnarvsvallen. The merger did not go smoothly however as the IK Blixt members felt that there needed to be more focus on the football part of the multisport club. This caused them to want to bring back the original IK Blixt but the newly formed Domnarvets GoIF would not allow this since they technically owned the name as IK Blixt was half of the new club. So in 1925 the old IK Blixt members started up a new football club instead and decided in a meeting that the new name would be IK Brage, named after the Norse god Bragi.

After its creation, the club quickly advanced through the divisions until it reached the second highest level after the 1929–1930 season. The club would then go on to have a very successful 1930s which included playing at the highest level for the first time ever in the 1937–38 Allsvenskan. This first golden age culminated in the fourth-place finish two years later but was quickly followed by a relegation followed by a long period of time spent in the second tier.

In early years, in the winter time Brage also fielded teams in bandy.[3]

1970s misery and 1980s success

A chart showing the progress of IK Brage through the swedish football league system. The different shades of gray represent league divisions.

During the mid-1970s the club had fallen down into the third tier for the first time in nearly 30 years. After spending four straight seasons at such a low level the club brought in Rolf Zetterlund from AIK as their new player manager. During his reign the club advanced quickly through the divisions and made their return to the highest level in the 1980 Allsvenskan where they finished in fourth place, again matching their best ever finish. That same year the club also came close to winning their first major title as they finished runners-up in Svenska Cupen. The success would continue throughout the 1980s as Brage established themselves as an Allsvenskan club. During this period, which is the most successful in club history, Brage finished in the top five three times. This qualified them to compete in the UEFA Cup on several occasions where they played against clubs like Werder Bremen and Inter Milan.

1990s relegation from Allsvenskan

Brage home stadium Domnarvsvallen in 2010.

Brage was relegated to the second tier in 1990 and then again in their latest Allsvenskan season in 1993 after having spent the entire year in last place from the first to the last round of the league. After that they have not been able to come back to Allsvenskan.

2000s performance in Superettan and struggling in Division 1 and 2

Things got even worse at the start of the new millennium when the club was relegated first into the third tier but then also into the fourth, a level which the club hadn't played at since its creation in the 1920s. However, they have since bounced back and reestablished themselves in the second tier of swedish football which is from the year 2000 called Superettan.

2010s successful comeback to Superettan and a new level of misery

IK Brage qualified against Qviding in 2009 and was promoted to Superettan for the first time since 2004. Much thanks to great team spirit influenced by the manager Lennart "Kral" Andersson", who was very popuplar among the supporters in Serik Fans. But in 2013 everything collapsed. The new chairman Tommy Andersson and the sports director contracted a lot of experienced but controversial players like Dulee Johnson, Jan Tauer and Njogu Demba Nyrén. Brage only won two games that season and half of the squad left the team before the season was over. The club was relegated to Division 1 once again and was almost in bankruptcy in 2014 and 2015 due to the failed investments in 2013. In 2019, Brage qualified for promotion playoff against Kalmar FF after a dramatic last game of the season.

Players

First-team squad

As of 26 August 2020[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  SWE Adrian Engdahl
2 DF  SWE Alexander Zetterström
3 DF  ENG Moses Makasi
4 DF  SWE Mattias Liljestrand
5 DF  NCA Carlos García Ambrosiani
6 MF  ISL Bjarni Mark Antonsson
7 MF  SWE Robbin Sellin (captain)
8 MF  LBR Seth Hellberg
9 FW  SWE Douglas Karlberg
10 MF  SWE Leonard Pllana
11 MF  SWE Anton Lundin
12 GK  SWE Victor Astor
13 DF  SWE Pontus Hindrikes
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW  SWE Jonathan Lundbäck
15 DF  SWE Alexander Ekblad
16 MF  SWE André Kamp
17 MF  SWE Karl Johansson
18 MF  RSA Bantu Mzwakali
19 FW  SWE Pontus Jonsson
20 MF  RUS Nikita Kashaev
21 DF  SWE Lukas Hiltunen
22 MF  DEN Kristian Andersen
23 MF  SWE Oscar Lundin
24 MF  SWE Noa Williams
88 GK  SWE Peter Rosendal

Notable players

The following players have received the player of the year award that supporter group "Serik Fans" started giving out in 1996,[5] or are listed as either "club legends"[6][7] or foreign players with over 50 games at the club[8] on the official Brage website.

Managers

[9]

Season to season

Season Level Division Section Position Movements
1926-27 Tier 2 Division 2 Uppsvenska Serien 3rd (Unofficial series, promotion not possible)
1927-28 Tier 2 Division 2 Uppsvenska Serien 5nd Relegated (Unofficial series, promotion not possible)
1928-29 Tier 3 Division 3 Uppsvenska 2nd
1929-30 Tier 3 Division 3 Uppsvenska 1st Promotion Playoff – Promoted
1930-31 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 2nd
1931-32 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 3rd
1932-33 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 2nd
1933-34 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 1st Promotion Playoff – Not promoted
1934-35 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 1st Promotion Playoff – Not promoted
1935-36 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 2nd
1936-37 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 1st Promotion Playoff – Promoted
1937-38 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 7th
1938-39 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 6th
1939-40 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 4th
1940-41 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 11th Relegated
1941-42 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 1st Promotion Playoff – Not promoted
1942-43 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 1st Promotion Playoff – Promoted
1943-44 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 11th Relegated
1944-45 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 4th
1945-46 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 4th
1946-47 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 6th Relegated
1947-48 Tier 3 Division 3 Norra 3rd
1948-49 Tier 3 Division 3 Norra 1st Promoted
1949-50 Tier 2 Division 2 Nordöstra 7th
1950-51 Tier 2 Division 2 Nordöstra 7th
1951-52 Tier 2 Division 2 Nordöstra 8th
1952-53 Tier 2 Division 2 Nordöstra 8th
1953-54 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 4th
1954-55 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 8th
1955-56 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 1st Promotion Playoff – Not promoted
1956-57 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 5th
1957-58 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 4th
1959 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 6th
1960 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 9th
1961 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 7th
1962 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 4th
1963 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 3rd
1964 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 3rd
1965 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 1st Promotion Playoff – Promoted
1966 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 11th Relegated
1967 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 1st Promotion Playoff – Not promoted
1968 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 5th
1969 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 4th
1970 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 3rd
1971 Tier 2 Division 2 Svealand 8th Relegated
1972 Tier 3 Division 3 Norra Svealand 1st Promotion Playoff – Promoted
1973 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 12th Relegated
1974 Tier 3 Division 3 Norra Svealand 2nd
1975 Tier 3 Division 3 Norra Svealand 2nd
1976 Tier 3 Division 3 Västra Svealand 2nd
1977 Tier 3 Division 3 Västra Svealand 1st Promotion Playoff – Promoted
1978 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 2nd
1979 Tier 2 Division 2 Norra 1st Promoted
1980 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 4th
1981 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 4th
1982 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 6th
1983 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 9th
1984 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 6th
1985 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 9th
1986 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 8th
1987 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 5th
1988 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 7th
1989 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 10th
1990 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 10th Relegated
1991 Tier 2 Division 1 Norra 4th
1992 Tier 2 Division 1 Östra 1st Promotion Playoff – Promoted
1993 Tier 1 Allsvenskan 14th Relegated
1994 Tier 2 Division 1 Norra 6th
1995 Tier 2 Division 1 Norra 5th
1996 Tier 2 Division 1 Norra 6th
1997 Tier 2 Division 1 Norra 8th
1998 Tier 2 Division 1 Norra 6th
1999 Tier 2 Division 1 Norra 5th
2000 Tier 2 Superettan 8th
2001 Tier 2 Superettan 10th
2002 Tier 2 Superettan 14th Relegated
2003 Tier 3 Division 2 Västra Svealand 1st Promoted
2004 Tier 2 Superettan 15th Relegated
2005 Tier 3 Division 2 Norra Svealand 8th
2006 Tier 4 Division 2 Norra Svealand 2nd
2007 Tier 4 Division 2 Norra Svealand 1st Promoted
2008 Tier 3 Division 1 Norra 11th
2009 Tier 3 Division 1 Norra 2nd Promotion Playoff – Promoted
2010 Tier 2 Superettan 11th
2011 Tier 2 Superettan 14th Relegation Playoff – Not relegated
2012 Tier 2 Superettan 10th
2013 Tier 2 Superettan 16th Relegated
2014 Tier 3 Division 1 Norra 4th
2015 Tier 3 Division 1 Norra 7th
2016 Tier 3 Division 1 Norra 4th
2017 Tier 3 Division 1 Norra 1st Promoted
2018 Tier 2 Superettan 6th
2019 Tier 2 Superettan 3rd Promotion Playoff – Not promoted
2020 Tier 2 Superettan

* League restructuring in 2000 resulted in a new division being created at Tier 2 and subsequent divisions dropping a level.

* League restructuring in 2006 resulted in a new division being created at Tier 3 and subsequent divisions dropping a level. [10]

Achievements

League

Cups

International play

European games

Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Agg. Notes
1982–83 UEFA Cup First round Lyngby 2–2 (Report) 2–1 (Report) 4–3
Second round Werder Bremen 2–6 (Report) 0–2 (Report) 2–8
1988–89 UEFA Cup First round Internazionale 1–2 (Report) 1–2 (Report) 2–4

Footnotes

A ^ Current youth players who at least have sat on the bench in a competitive match.

References

  1. "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar – Dalarnas Fotbollförbund – Svenskfotboll.se". Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  2. "Historisk sammanfattning – IK Brage". Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  3. IK Brage: Erik Eriksson, retrieved 11 September 2017
  4. "Truppen 2020" (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  5. "Serik Fans". Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  6. "Reportage – IK Brage". Archived from the original on 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  7. "Partner – IK Brage". Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  8. "Internationella Brage". Archived from the original on 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  9. "Tränare – IK Brage". Archived from the original on 2010-08-12. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  10. "Sweden Final Tables – Clas Glenning". Archived from the original on 2010-07-31. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
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