IFK Eskilstuna

Background

IFK Eskilstuna was founded on 9 September 1897 as the 7th Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna. In the beginning, IFK Eskilstuna practiced athletics, especially running events, and had a ground in Djurgården in Eskilstuna. Speed skater Herman Söderbäck won the national championship titles in 500 metres in 1900 and 1906. IFK Eskilstuna severals sports in the first half of the 20th century, among them handball, ice hockey and cross-country skiing and orienteering.

The football team was started in 1901 and played in the 1910 Svenska Serien. Their first championship final match took place in 1921, when IFK defeated IK Sleipner 2–1 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium before 11,695 spectators. They competed in another championship final match in 1923, which resulted in a 5–1 loss to AIK.

IFK competed in the very first Allsvenskan season in 1924–25, and played a further 13 seasons in the Allsvenskan from 1924–25 to 1928–29, from 1930–31 to 1935–36, in 1942–43, in 1957–58, and in 1964. Their best season was in the 1931–32 Allsvenskan when they finished in fifth place. The marathon table of Allsvenskan teams shows IFK in 23rd position, their last season at the highest level being in 1964.

The club also played bandy and was playing in the then Swedish top-tier league Division 1 for two years in the 1930s.

IFK reached the Allsvenskan qualifying stage in 1981 after winning Division 2 Norra by pipping Örebro SK to the top position. However, IFK failed to win the play-offs against Kalmar FF to progress to the higher level. The 1987 season proved another near miss when IFK finished in second place, to second place in Division I Norra; Djurgarden. In 1988 history was repeated, this time IFK finished second to Örebro SK.

In 1992, IFK were relegated from Division 1 and subsequently have competed in the middle divisions of the Swedish football league system. The club currently plays in Division 3 Västra Svealand which is the fifth tier of Swedish football. They play their home matches at the Tunavallen in Eskilstuna.

In November 2024, Armin Suljic took over as head coach for the club after Kent Andersson and Sebastian Larsson, who had led the team to relegation from the 2024 Division 2.

The club has an active youth section. In 1970 and 1985, the junior team won the Swedish Junior Championship. Famous footballers who have played for IFK Eskilstuna include Kenneth Andersson and Sebastian Larsson.

Season results

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

Attendance statistics

In recent seasons IFK Eskilstuna have had the following average attendance statistics:

** Attendance statistics are provided in the Publikliga sections of the Svenska Fotbollförbundet website.* |}

The attendance record at Tunavallen was set in 1963 when 22,491 spectators attended the match with GAIS.

Achievements

• Swedish Champions
  • Winners (1): 1921

League

• Division 1 Norra:
  • Runners-up (2): 1987, 1988

Cups

• Svenska Mästerskapet:
  • Winners (1): 1921
  • Runners-up (1): 1923

Footnotes

:A. The title of "Swedish Champions" has been awarded to the winner of four different competitions over the years. Between 1896 and 1925 the title was awarded to the winner of Svenska Mästerskapet, a stand-alone cup tournament. No club were given the title between 1926 and 1930 even though the first-tier league Allsvenskan was played. In 1931 the title was reinstated and awarded to the winner of Allsvenskan. Between 1982 and 1990 a play-off in cup format was held at the end of the league season to decide the champions. After the play-off format in 1991 and 1992 the title was decided by the winner of Mästerskapsserien, an additional league after the end of Allsvenskan. Since the 1993 season the title has once again been awarded to the winner of Allsvenskan.

Notes

References

1. Edwards, Sven. (1939). "Eskilstuna-Kamraterna". Nordisk familjeboks förlag.
2. "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar – IFK Eskilstuna – Svenskfotboll.se".
3. "IFK Eskilstuna – Föreningen".
4. "Tabell och resultat – Div 3 Västra Svealand, herrar – Svenskfotboll.se".
5. "Fotbollsverige.se – Division 3 Västra Svealand".
6. Danielson, Tobias. (25 November 2024). "Avslöjandet bekräftat: Han tar över IFK Eskilstuna". Eskilstuna-Kuriren.
7. "IFK Eskilstuna – Föreningen".
8. "GAIS – Lagfacta – IFK Eskilstuna".
9. "Västra Svealand - Division 3 – Fotbollsserier 2010 – Fotboll – everysport.com".
10. "Sweden Final Tables – Clas Glenning".
11. "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar – Svenska Fotbollförbundet – svenskfotboll.se".
12. "IFK Eskilstuna – Föreningen".
13. "Svenska mästare 1896–1925, 1931–". svenskfotboll.se.