Skies of Degerfors — Terrace Edition

Words: Erik Wibaeus

Images Erik Wibaeus

Degerfors carries weight. A company town that has always been important to the Swedish iron and steel industry.

History has been rough against people in these parts and wolves still roam in the forests around the small town.

Situated between the mines of Bergslagen in the east and the shipping lanes in the west, Degerfors has always been a sign you pass on your way to something else.

One could have thought that this has made people bitter. Introverted. Unwelcoming.

This is not the case.

©Erik Wibaeus/ Terrace Edition. Degerfors IF Fotbollens Hus.

There are few places in Sweden where I as a guest feel as welcome, as I do coming to the municipality football field Stora Valle (meaning large embankment/mound).

People here are friendly and confident. I get a feeling that this springs from the club’s rich heritage.

On a afternoon in late July, both autumn and Djurgårdens IF came to visit Degerfors. The damp pitch lit by proper floodlights set the scene for one of the most mediocre games to be played by both teams this year.

Djurgårdens bench outranks the starting players of Degerfors, information that hadn’t reached any of the teams on the pitch.

Degerfors, stuck in the bottom section of the table did what they could this wet day. Djurgården did not.

©Erik Wibaeus/ Terrace Edition. Degerfors IF supporters.

Nothing unusual really. Djurgården has been lousy at the stadium of Stora Valla for the past 35 years, so when Norwegian midfielder Hegland put a rebound in the net just before half-time, the supporters from Stockholm came to cheer with some relief.

The second-half saw damp conditions turned to wet which brought absolutely nothing of joy to the match.

Steadfast home supporters did what they could to support their club, but Stockholm proved a number too big this time.

The scoreboard read 0-1 when the ref decided it was enough for the day.

For groundhoppers, Stora Valla together with its football museum is an absolute must. A more honest working-class club is hard to find.