Hammarby Fotboll on film — Terrace Edition

Words: Jonas Zöller

Images: Jonas Zöller

The rain in Kalmar is long forgotten as we sit in the sun with a coffee and a cinnamon bun.

Stop number two of our trip through Sweden takes us to the capital, where Hammarby and Anderlecht are set to face off in one of the bigger ties of the European qualifying rounds.

As we wander through Stockholm’s Södermalm district that afternoon, it quickly becomes clear: today is football day.

Green scarves are everywhere and the bars are packed with Bajen fans. The build-up to HIF’s home match clashes in a strangely fascinating way with the rest of the neighbourhood.

Södermalm seems gentrified as hipster cafés sit next to spotless delis. Nice, without a doubt, but somehow not at all what I associate with football culture.

©Jonas Zöller/ Terrace Edition. Hammarby Fotboll vs Anderlecht.

By the time we’ve had our first pints among the green and white faithful, and especially once we join the stream of Hammarby supporters making their way towards the stadium, any doubts are gone.

More and more supporters joining the crowd at every Metro stop along the way and ah the stadium station, a sea of green and white slowly pushes its way up the stairs.

The area around the ground is already bursting at the seams when we arrive. A temporary open-air fan shop is packed with supporters.

Just like in Kalmar, the stadium in Stockholm isn’t exactly a treat for football romantics, feeling much more like a modern multi-purpose arena.

In the stands, however, the Bajen fans are already putting on a show during the warm-up.

As the evening sun catches the beams of the stadium roof and the North Stand unveils its tifo, the European night at Söderstadion completely draws me in.

The support spreads far beyond the home end and echoes through large parts of the stadium.

The travelling Belgians in the rather sparsely populated away section are clearly enjoying themselves too, even if they can only match the home support for a brief moment after taking the lead.

As the second-half goes on, the occasional grumbling among the green and white supporters becomes louder.

They argue with the referee and grow increasingly frustrated. Still, I get the feeling that the stadium never stops backing its team, and together they eventually force a last-minute equaliser.

Even though the stands erupt afterwards, Hammarby can’t quite complete the comeback.

The whole day was full of strange contrasts. A trendy neighbourhood and football romanticism.

Fanatical support inside a modern arena.

Still, the Bajen fans leave me wanting more.

On the final stop of our little trip through Sweden, we’ll follow Hammarby once again as they make the short journey across the city to face local rivals Brommapojkarna.

Jonas is on Instagram: @FadingFloodlights

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