Hammarby away: Alright — Terrace Edition

Words: Jonas Zöller

Images: Jonas Zöller

Shot on film

“BP doesn’t have many fans”, my Swedish friend texts me when I tell him about our third and final stop in Sweden.

Great news. Still, that outlook doesn’t really dampen my excitement as we make our way to Stockholm once more, this time to Brommapojkarna, a team known for its youth ethos.

The sun is doing its best, and somewhere in the back of my head the Bajen chants are still echoing.

After seeing Hammarby’s Europa Cup qualifier against Anderlecht, I’ll be following the green-and-whites once again.

The Grimsta IP ground sits in the Vällingby district, a good 15km outside the centre of Sweden’s capital.

©Jonas Zöller/ Terrace Edition. Brommapojkarna vs Hammarby.

As we walk toward the stadium, it doesn’t exactly feel like the country’s biggest city. The path is lined with apartment blocks, playgrounds and parks.

Before long we’re swept into a stream of families and kids, Hammarby fans in green-and-white scarves picnicking and chatting on the grass next to the stadium, getting ready for the game.

There’s no derby feeling in the air here.

Even the floodlight masts rising above the treetops behind the stadium roofs seem to be dozing peacefully.

The stadium itself is more of a sports ground than a stadium, really. Next to the home end, bouncy castles blend right into the scenery.

The first time I feel the fan culture I experienced with Hammarby and the Malmö away section in Kalmar is when I turn to look at the packed stand of Bajen fans and even the main stand is firmly in Hammarby’s hands.

At kick-off the away end is in full voice, dropping one banger after another into the midday sun.

The stadium, the practically nonexistent home end, the artificial turf - it all feels a bit like a friendly, and somehow that seems to put everyone here in a good mood.

After an open start, Hammarby increasingly dominate on the pitch too.

Midway through the second half, the game turns into a full-on siege, and the away support, getting louder by the minute, seem to will the ball over the line.

When the relieving 0:1 finally comes in the 79th minute, the bajen faithful behind the goal are already getting ready to celebrate the away win.

But of course, it wouldn’t be that easy, and BP equalize in the 90th minute with their first shot on target. A bizarre sight, as just as many fans as players end up hugging each other on the pitch and in the home end

Even the late equalizer doesn’t ruin the Sunday outing for the Hammarby fans. That’s exactly how it feels as we head back through the parks toward the Tunnelbana with the stream of away fans after the game.

Today wasn’t a derby atmosphere, no mutual provocations, none of that all-consuming tension that’s usually why I go to football in the first place.

It was just a sunny Sunday with light beer and artificial turf. And somehow, that was okay too.