Saturday 7th June 2025 ko 16:00

Division 4 Stockholm Södra

NORSBORG FC 2 (Kelile 6 38)

Baysal sent off 67 (second booking)

IFK ASPUDDEN-TELLUS 4 (Vaitsis 35secs Hassan 15 Tavares 56 Birggersson 61p)

Att 88 at Kärsby BP

Free Entry

The Swedish Hop’s cost of £350 included bed and breakfast for two nights, all transport in Sweden, together with entry fees for all games, and a goodie bag!

The merry band that was the 2025 Swedish Hop continued our tour into Stockholm’s southern suburbs. Norsborg is famous as being for where the capital’s waterworks is based- I’m now wondering whether we could do some kind of Swedish Monopoly Board Hop next year. But moreover Norsborg is also used as the name of a range of furniture at IKEA- is there anything in the world more Swedish than that?

In the world of Swedish non league football normally a Stadion (stadium) is seen as better appointed than an Idrottsplats (all sports facility) which is in turn seen as better than a Bollplan (ball field). Maybe this is the exception that proves the rule, the place is better than plenty of idrottsplats I’ve visited. If you are thinking of heading here under your own steam, Norsborg is the south-western terminus of the red line of the Stockholm metro.

There was a real curiousity there though, and that was there was a cricket match taking place! In the long history of the Swedish Hop we’ve only encountered the sport once before, and that was an ad hoc game taking place on land near to Midgårdsvallen, Märsta back in 2015. This was altogether more organised, there was even a scoreboard, perhaps a league has been set up? But before you think it, no we are not thinking of setting up a Swedish cricket hop!

Those with longer memories might remember us visiting Aspuddens IP on the 4th Hop for a Gröndals game. The club didn’t last much longer, they were rather too reliant on Brommapojkarna for players, but when they folded, Tellus moved in, adding the name of the ground as they did. I looked around and realised only Kim Hedwall the organiser, Dave Bogie and I were the only ones there that had been at that game!

We saw an excellent game, perhaps better even than the Strängnäs game the previous day, and let’s face it two goals in 6 minutes is a good start to any game! In the end Tellus won, in no small part to just being sharper than their hosts.

We headed back to our base in Hammarby Sjöstad, and to Lumaparken for an evening meal at a rather high-class burger bar. I do find it remarkable how every year the group seems to find a way of getting along- even acting as a team. That’s something Kim never takes credit for but ought to.

Afterwards some headed back to the hotel, others had a nightcap at the nearby Carnegie Brewery, so named as its housed in the former Carnegie lightbulb factory. It does come with a wonderful view of the waterfront and beers were good too, so the brewery’s tagline of “Drink Local” was easy to obey! Eventually we strolled the one tram-stop back to Sickla Kaj and the hotel. It had been a highly satisfying day.