Join me as I cycle into the heart of Swedish football history, visiting two of the oldest and most iconic clubs – Örgryte IS and GAIS! From exploring their legendary training grounds to meeting players and scoring signed shirts, this vlog is packed with nostalgia, football passion, and behind-the-scenes access. A must-watch for football fans and history lovers alike!
[Music] It seems uh seems that I’m going to arrive a little bit early. We have set up a meeting for uh 11:30. So, I have plenty of time. I’m not in a rush. I can just enjoy this ride. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Yeah, as I said, I love the fact that uh or greet doesn’t have the training ground in the city center or around there. So, I don’t have to so I don’t have to to take the busy roads and all the bumps and pay attention on all the traffic on all the passengers. It’s so nice and quiet to ride. on this countryside and as I said it’s a little bit refreshing as well because you have a little bit of shadows so you can breathe a little bit fresh air air on the road with the sun above you you’re bubbling I shall be at the destination in about 3 4 minutes Uh, so I need to focus to see whether I have to turn right or eventually left. You have arrived. See you soon. It has been played Gotautia Cup games here this week. So, it’s a lot of mess, but all the way it’s a nice little training ground. Let’s see if it’s anyone here. So, it’s a nice uh cafeteria with a terrace where you can see the trainings, a barbecue grill. What else could you wish for while you watch a training? It’s a nice training ground. a little one, but you know, it’s a second league club in Sweden. Uh they’re having a a huge history behind and uh they’re playing uh I think they’re playing their their home games at the UVI stadium in the city center. So they’re using this one only for for training. Let’s see what are they selling the club shop. A burger for €6, energy drink for €2.5, and the tea or a coffee for €2, I think. Uh, here are the toilets and the changing rooms. Uh, or at least the referee’s rooms. Yeah. and the ladies wardrobe. And I do not know exactly what that word means. So guys, this is the little training ground and the clubhouse of uh Urga. A huge club. It’s actually the oldest club in uh Sweden. Uh about 147 years old if I my calculation is right. And uh yeah, they won a lot of trophies along the along the way. As far as I as far as I know, I think they have 12 uh Swedish titles. So, we’re waiting for their sporting director. Their sporting director is uh Pontos. He played for Monaco and Sporting Lisbon and for EF Kagberg here in Sweden. He played for Swedish national team and he will uh he will donate us today a shirt. So, we’re waiting for him. Marks. So, Pontus, nice to see you. So, this is the man, this is the legend of Monaco, Lisbon, huh? Have you enjoyed your time there? Yeah, it was nice. So, you’re used to with this weather. Yeah, exactly. No, this this heat we’re not so used to in Sweden, but yeah, for sure. Thank you for for having me. I know it’s a big day for you. I mean, it’s a busy day, I guess. Are you going are you driving to Deal for the game? I will go with the bus. So, we leave in 1 hour. Ah, so the boys are not left yet. Okay. No, exactly. Okay. It’s a short I think it’s 1 hour drive for me. It took like three hours by bike. So it makes sense. Yeah. It’s not too bad. And I I I would say they have the best training centers in Sweden. Both of them. Even the Stockholm team, they don’t have these. I have seen. Yeah. Yeah. Great. They don’t have this either. Uh but yeah, we have two pitches here. Uh two 11 uh versus 11 pitches. And then uh a smaller pitch there as well. You can see on the other side after. Then we have on the other side of the road we have another pitch as well. Ah really? Okay. For the youth or Yeah, for now for the youth. Uh so we will uh maybe maybe put artificial on this one and move the first team to that one so we can have even more. But it will be a little bit of pain in the neck to for the boys for the lads to try to go under the main road. That’s what I said to the board as well. But I think anyway in long term it’s good for the club because in the winter uh it’s good during the winter months it’s good that everything can be here or else we have to go somewhere else to train because we cannot train on this one in the winter. Now it’s a little bit messy because we’ve had Gucci company. Yeah, I have seen but we had a lot of people running around and a look at this. Yeah, here you can see. Wow. history. You see, he have the great facilities, but they do not have But they don’t have any history. Yeah, they’re young and dynamic club, but uh wow, this is this is something special. Yeah, actually last year it was the 100 years of Alans, the first division in Sweden and uh obviously since uh Wow. This is the protocol book from 1887. Exactly. That’s in the middle. uh some championship 1905 1906 1907 championships all the titles. Yeah. In the beginning they have this uh these medals. Jesus. Um look at this trophies. Yeah. It’s nice. You see it’s quite unique. Yeah. Exactly. You see it’s a lot of older uh Yeah. sculptures and so on also. I always wants to keep this history. Um yeah. Yeah. Because you have a huge history. You have to move forward. Storage can working with with the club as well trying to keep this. This is amazing. Into the new era. Yeah. This is amazing. Wow. Then you have the What about this one? Looks like a B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B Bundesliga trophy. Yeah, exactly. You see here where we because this is where they painted in a way the first pitch in uh where it all started. That’s actually where Lisberg is is right now. U if you go to Lisber, there is a monument there saying here uh I think I read about it. First first game. I think I read about it on Wikipedia actually. Yeah. And that’s our men’s son in Corpor Mind and a healthy body. Yeah, exactly. I know a little bit of that’s our it’s been there since forever. Great. And uh yeah, as you see this older things that we kept the founder of of the club didn’t give a Is that his stick there? My I cannot swear but I imagine it is. Yes. Nice. And then here is the boardroom. So obviously here is where the decisions are made. Made exactly and the player sign and the strategist thing. Yeah. Yeah. A little bit for me as well. No no it’s it’s it’s other values a little bit. Uh but we have we have uh collaboration with real sidad. Oh really? Yeah. Since uh 3 years now. Okay. That was a smart move. Very because they are one of the best. Yeah. So they can loan some players here help you to they can. It’s a little bit difficult because they’re first team players. Obviously they’re too good for us. They’re second team players. It’s a little bit maybe maybe not. Uh it also depends on what we have here in our academy. [Music] You haven’t played for yet. You played for EF. So that’s the the last time the last title 1985 won the almost my age championship. Yeah. How old are you? Uh 40. Okay. 84. 83 actually. November. So yeah, 40 140 to next winter. Here is a normal uh like training center gym and uh good for the players having it next to the locker room. You can just go here doing the warm up or rehab after the session or some musculation. We have the locker room. Normal locker room. Yeah. Nice. Uh here we have a little uh video room where we do all the analysis. Yeah, exactly. Um little dark but it’s good for the players to keep their concentration. Is this place for everyone in here? Yeah. Yeah, it is. The whole squad fits. So then we have a coaching room and physio rehab room. And then we are on the outside again. And on this side it’s the the youth. So the youth they have this uh Yeah. The academy. Exactly. And we are a club that has everything on the same place. Yeah. Only club here in Gothberg that has the youth and the first team. Yeah. On the same place. We have a ladies team as well. Women’s team. Yeah. Yeah. Uh so that’s a little bit unique as well uh because we’re doing our academy but we also uh when they are 13 and the academy is starting uh the players that are not coming into the academy they still continue to play for us until they are senior players. Uh so we keep the uh that uh part as well not kicking them out from the club. Maybe they don’t go into the academy part, but they can still play in the train and play. Yeah. Great. So guys, I’m waiting for the team to arrive before they departing for the away game to sign my shirt. It won’t be a match worn because Pontus has been in holiday and he just returned and he didn’t have time to organize a match worn. But uh it will be a team shirt club issued signed by the players. They should arrive here soon. I have about half hour and I said, you know, I don’t want to waste time. So, I’m cleaning a little bit after gotia cup. I’m cleaning a little bit of the mess. A lot of bottles and all that kind of stuff and cans around here. Uh, so I’m trying to do I’m trying to make myself useful a little bit until the boys arrive to sign my my shirt. At least that I can do for this amazing club. [Music] [Applause] [Music] So, here are the boys. They start arriving. Okay, ladies and gentlemen. I didn’t have time to film because I was busy with something else. Uh, taking care of my wounds, but the boys have signed uh this beautiful jersey. It’s a retro one. It’s amazing. I’m really, really grateful. Now let’s move on. Uh now we need to see how we manage to reach guys football club. I think this is the right direction. Yes, it is. Oh, it will be only 4 minutes ride. So it’s not that far. [Music] Everybody’s playing golf in this country. So in about 1 minute we should arrive at the guys training center or training ground something like that. Let’s see. So, seems we are here. So, here we are at guys football club. I don’t know what guys means, but I think it’s something athletics getable club or something like that. Let’s see if it’s anyone here. I have made it to guys garden which is the training ground of guys football. As I mentioned before guys, football is one of the oldest football clubs here in Sweden among Urug and they were founders members of uh football Swedish football league. So let’s have a closer look at their training ground. Let’s see how if our contact person is around here with the shirt. My bike is over there already. Uh let’s see if it’s anyone that can take us in in a short tour or I can do it myself. Uh the team is playing a ways this weekend and uh it’s pretty quiet here. It’s a Saturday so it’s not much happening but uh until then I will take it I will take you guys on tour myself. Um, very nice beaches here. I think that’s natural grass and the smallsized with artificial grass here. It’s a quite small uh it’s a quite small training ground and it’s behind these trees and over the hill is uh actually the the club that we just visited or greet. So it was about 5 minutes ride. Uh on this side we have another astroturf pitch. And uh that’s pretty much it with the pitches. There are not so many here. It’s a thank you message from the club for all the donors I think and all the members that are paying annual fees I think to the club or so and the companies that are involved with the club. This is the blue submarine, my super trike. Uh here it’s a sitting area. Very nice to sit outside in the summer when it’s not uh raining. Uh the door is locked because I have tried. This is their nice beautiful logo. And I have seen the academy building and the trophy room over here. It looks very very nice. You can see a lot of trophies from outside. I guess there are more in. And uh this seems to be the academy building. And this seems to be a very nice decent cozy sitting area. And from here you can sit and watch the training almost. So uh I’m waiting for their uh secretary to bring me the signed shirts. I had to sign it yesterday or the day before because the boys are away today in a they’re having away game. So it was impossible to get in contact with the team but they have done it for me. So it is really much appreciated. Those uh I assume are uh players cars. So they met here and they drove by a by a bus uh for the away game. So they left their cars here because obviously there is no staff left in the club. I’m the only one spinning around here waiting for the secretary to arrive with my with my signed shirt. Meanwhile, guys, I’m going to have a lunch break here. And I think that that will going to be it for today. A short ride, a short episode, and a short lunch. going back to the hotel and I’m preparing for the long trip tomorrow. Tomorrow I’m planning well it’s not plan to break any records but I have to make 160 kilometers to my next uh to my next camping well it’s not a camping it’s uh I’m using for the first time the warm shower platform and I don’t want to miss that one because obviously it’s you know it’s free accommodation and I don’t have to pay anything and I’ll have access to showering and electricity and whiffy and I don’t want to miss that place. So tomorrow I have to make the 60 kilometers. So it will going to be a long long long day tomorrow. So that’s it for today. I will see you tomorrow from the road. [Music]