IK Brage explained

Clubname:IK Brage
Fullname:Idrottsklubben Brage
Founded: as IK Blixt
Ground:Domnarvsvallen, Borlänge
Capacity:6,500
Chairman:Ulf Aronsson
Mgrtitle:Head coach
Manager:Jan Mian and William Bergendahl
League:Superettan
Season:2022
Position:Superettan, 7th of 16
Website:http://ikbrage.se/
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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.

History

[2]

Creation and early rise

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

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 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

[4]

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

SeasonLevelDivisionSectionPositionMovements
1926-27Tier 2 Division 2Uppsvenska Serien3rd(Unofficial series, promotion not possible)
1927-28Tier 2 Division 2Uppsvenska Serien5ndRelegated (Unofficial series, promotion not possible)
1928-29Tier 3 Division 3Uppsvenska2nd
1929-30Tier 3 Division 3Uppsvenska1stPromotion Playoff – Promoted
1930-31Tier 2 Division 2Norra2nd
1931-32Tier 2 Division 2Norra3rd
1932-33Tier 2 Division 2Norra2nd
1933-34Tier 2 Division 2Norra1stPromotion Playoff – Not promoted
1934-35Tier 2 Division 2Norra1stPromotion Playoff – Not promoted
1935-36Tier 2 Division 2Norra2nd
1936-37Tier 2 Division 2Norra1stPromotion Playoff – Promoted
1937-38Tier 1 Allsvenskan7th
1938-39Tier 1 Allsvenskan6th
1939-40Tier 1 Allsvenskan4th
1940-41Tier 1 Allsvenskan11thRelegated
1941-42Tier 2 Division 2Norra1stPromotion Playoff – Not promoted
1942-43Tier 2 Division 2Norra1stPromotion Playoff – Promoted
1943-44Tier 1 Allsvenskan11thRelegated
1944-45Tier 2 Division 2Norra4th
1945-46Tier 2 Division 2Norra4th
1946-47Tier 2 Division 2Norra6thRelegated
1947-48Tier 3 Division 3Norra3rd
1948-49Tier 3 Division 3Norra1stPromoted
1949-50Tier 2 Division 2Nordöstra7th
1950-51Tier 2 Division 2Nordöstra7th
1951-52Tier 2 Division 2Nordöstra8th
1952-53Tier 2 Division 2Nordöstra8th
1953-54Tier 2 Division 2Svealand4th
1954-55Tier 2 Division 2Svealand8th
1955-56Tier 2 Division 2Svealand1stPromotion Playoff – Not promoted
1956-57Tier 2 Division 2Svealand5th
1957-58Tier 2 Division 2Svealand4th
1959Tier 2 Division 2Svealand6th
1960Tier 2 Division 2Svealand9th
1961Tier 2 Division 2Svealand7th
1962Tier 2 Division 2Svealand4th
1963Tier 2 Division 2Svealand3rd
1964Tier 2 Division 2Svealand3rd
1965Tier 2 Division 2Svealand1stPromotion Playoff – Promoted
1966Tier 1 Allsvenskan11thRelegated
1967Tier 2 Division 2Svealand1stPromotion Playoff – Not promoted
1968Tier 2 Division 2Svealand5th
1969Tier 2 Division 2Svealand4th
1970Tier 2 Division 2Svealand3rd
1971Tier 2 Division 2Svealand8thRelegated
1972Tier 3 Division 3Norra Svealand1stPromotion Playoff – Promoted
1973Tier 2 Division 2Norra12thRelegated
1974Tier 3 Division 3Norra Svealand2nd
1975Tier 3 Division 3Norra Svealand2nd
1976Tier 3 Division 3Västra Svealand2nd
1977Tier 3 Division 3Västra Svealand1stPromotion Playoff – Promoted
1978Tier 2 Division 2Norra2nd
1979Tier 2 Division 2Norra1stPromoted
1980Tier 1 Allsvenskan4th
1981Tier 1 Allsvenskan4th
1982Tier 1 Allsvenskan6th
1983Tier 1 Allsvenskan9th
1984Tier 1 Allsvenskan6th
1985Tier 1 Allsvenskan9th
1986Tier 1 Allsvenskan8th
1987Tier 1 Allsvenskan5th
1988Tier 1 Allsvenskan7th
1989Tier 1 Allsvenskan10th
1990Tier 1 Allsvenskan10thRelegated
1991Tier 2 Division 1Norra4th
1992Tier 2 Division 1Östra1stPromotion Playoff – Promoted
1993Tier 1 Allsvenskan14thRelegated
1994Tier 2 Division 1Norra6th
1995Tier 2 Division 1Norra5th
1996Tier 2 Division 1Norra6th
1997Tier 2 Division 1Norra8th
1998Tier 2 Division 1Norra6th
1999Tier 2 Division 1Norra5th
2000Tier 2 Superettan8th
2001Tier 2 Superettan10th
2002Tier 2 Superettan14thRelegated
2003Tier 3 Division 2Västra Svealand1stPromoted
2004Tier 2 Superettan15thRelegated
2005Tier 3 Division 2Norra Svealand8th
2006Tier 4Division 2Norra Svealand2nd
2007Tier 4Division 2Norra Svealand1stPromoted
2008Tier 3 Division 1Norra11th
2009Tier 3 Division 1Norra2ndPromotion Playoff – Promoted
2010Tier 2 Superettan 11th
2011Tier 2 Superettan 14thRelegation Playoff – Not relegated
2012Tier 2 Superettan 10th
2013Tier 2 Superettan 16thRelegated
2014Tier 3 Division 1Norra4th
2015Tier 3 Division 1Norra7th
2016Tier 3 Division 1Norra4th
2017Tier 3 Division 1Norra1stPromoted
2018Tier 2 Superettan 6th
2019Tier 2 Superettan3rdPromotion Playoff – Not promoted
2020Tier 2 Superettan
  • League restructuring in 2000 resulted in a new division being created at Tier 2 and subsequent divisions dropping a level.

Achievements

League

Cups

IK Brage in UEFA competitions

European games

SeasonCompetitionRoundCountryClubHomeAwayAgg.Notes
1982–83UEFA CupFirst roundLyngby2–2 (Report)2–1 (Report)4–3
Second roundWerder Bremen2–6 (Report)0–2 (Report)2–8
1988–89UEFA CupFirst roundInternazionale1–2 (Report)1–2 (Report)2–4

Footnotes

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar – Dalarnas Fotbollförbund – Svenskfotboll.se . 2012-12-21.
  2. Web site: Historisk sammanfattning – IK Brage. 2012-12-21. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120305192206/http://www.ikbrage.se/pages/historia/historisk_sammanfattning/default.aspx. 2012-03-05.
  3. http://ikbrage.se/om-ik-brage/ik-brages-historia/reportage/title IK Brage: Erik Eriksson
  4. Web site: SPELARTRUPPEN 2024. sv. 2 June 2023.
  5. Web site: Serik Fans . 2012-12-28.
  6. Web site: Reportage – IK Brage. 2012-12-28. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120619233829/http://www.ikbrage.se/pages/historia/reportage/default.aspx. 2012-06-19.
  7. Web site: Partner – IK Brage. 2012-12-28. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130102013009/http://www.ikbrage.se/pages/sponsor/default.aspx. 2013-01-02.
  8. Web site: Internationella Brage. 2012-12-28. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120619233801/http://www.ikbrage.se/pages/historia/internationella_brage/default.aspx. 2012-06-19.
  9. Web site: Tränare – IK Brage . 2012-12-30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100812110524/http://www.ikbrage.se/pages/historia/tranare/default.aspx . 2010-08-12 .
  10. Web site: Sweden Final Tables – Clas Glenning . https://web.archive.org/web/20100731010524/http://home.swipnet.se/clasglenning/Sweden/1stpage.htm . dead . 2010-07-31 . 2019-11-18.