Saturday 15th June 2024 ko 16:00

Division 2 Norra Svealand

FoC FARSTA 0

IK FRANKE 4 (Jacinto 48 Abshir 83 Siljander 84 Rylander 90+1)

Jacinto penalty saved 54

Att 127 & a red squirrel at Farsta IP

Entry 100sek (roughly £7.47)

The Swedish Hop’s cost of £320 included bed and breakfast for two nights, all transport in Sweden, together with entry fees for all games, and a goodie bag!

We’d left Boovallen in a hurry and with a little regret. The plan had been to head to nearby Saltsjöbaden IF for the final game of the day, the two fixtures had tessellated beautifully but as we’d all checked in to our flights the fixture got moved. Even the club couldn’t believe what had happened when Kim phoned them! So, Kim reset our compasses to the Stockholm’s southern suburbs to Farsta. We made kick-off easily enough but even then there was further regret.

It involved Scot James, latterly of Kilmarnock, but now domiciled and naturalized and once involved at Långholmen FC. He’s based in Farsta and is a part owner of a restaurant locally. It would have been lovely to have seen him again, but I’d completely forgotten he’s based here. I’m sure we we’d have ended up at his restaurant afterwards too! Yes, this is my mea culpa, and my only excuse is that we knew so late my attendance certificate for this year’s Swedish hop is double-sided, one side says Farsta, the other Saltsjöbaden!

The prefix FoC is a little unusual. The club is the sum of a 1977 merger of Farsta AIK and IF Cobran. Since the latter translates as “The Cobra” the prefix Farsta och Cobran means Farsta and the cobra! But on arrival at Farsta IP the first thing we all noticed was just how much the place reminded us of Solluntunavallen from last year’s hop, albeit without the lake as a backdrop! Here though you get the chance to catch the commuter trains travelling to and from Farsta Strand station nearby. Swings and roundabouts I suppose!

The game was intriguing, the highest status adult male fixture we saw, versus Västerås-based Franke, it must be one of the longest distances between clubs in this division. We had an interesting spectator too; Victoria Svensson played for and captained both Djurgårdens and Sweden in the 1990’s and 2000’s and was watching with her wife Camilla Sandell. She’s pointing in the seventh photo.

But with all due respect to Mrs Svensson-Sandell the spectator that created the biggest stir probably didn’t want to be there. Mid-way through the first half a little red squirrel trotted up to the edge of the seating, watched what was going on for a few seconds, then scuttled away clearly having decided he had better things to do. Robyn found him contemplating life in a tree as we left after the game.

Perhaps what the squirrel really needed was the little cafe at the back, but then he’d never have reached the counter. If only he’d known he could have added to the roaring trade in drinks and ice creams the place was selling. Then of course there was the Great Dane resplendent in his Franke shirt, he had the right idea, relaxing in the heat and taking the occasional slurp of water from his bowl. It was a moment to sit back, and take in the warmth of both the temperature, and the moment. Dear reader you might wonder why the Swedish hop still exists after so many years, perhaps times like these is why.

The game did take an age to spring to life, in fact Kim and I had strolled over to the clubhouse for a natter when Franke forward Carlo Jacinto finally broke the deadlock; typically, neither of us were concentrating when the goal went in! And despite the same player’s penalty being saved Franke never looked back although 4-0 was harsh on our hosts.

We decamped back to Hammarby Sjöstad and enjoyed a convivial evening in a local sports bar. Some ate planksteaks, others plumped for burgers, but the kebab meat, chips and sauce pizza was a new one for me! Best of all the blue riband ground of the hop was yet to come.