Hälsingborgs IF
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| Full name | Helsingborgs Idrottsförening |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Di Röe (The Reds), Skånes Stolthet (The Pride of Scania) |
| Short name | HIF |
| Founded | 4 June 1907 |
| Ground | Olympia, Helsingborg |
| Capacity | 16,500 |
| Chairman | Sten-Åke Tjärnlund |
| Manager | Per-Ola Ljung |
| League | Superettan |
| 2016 |
Allsvenskan, 14th (relegated via play-offs) |
| Website | Club home page |
Helsingborgs IF (alternative spelling Hälsingborgs IF), commonly referred to as Helsingborg, or (especially locally) HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the second highest Swedish league, Superettan. The club, formed 4 June 1907, has won five national championship titles and five national cup titles. Helsingborgs IF have also won Allsvenskan on two occasions when the title of Swedish champions was not decided by the outcome of that league.
Helsingborg was a founder member of Allsvenskan, and between 1924 and 1968 they spent all but two seasons in the top division, and won the league five times. At the end of the 1968 season, HIF was relegated, and while most people initially expected a quick return, they went on to spend the next 24 seasons in the lower leagues before finally getting promoted back to the top flight in 1992. Having returned to Allsvenskan in 1993, Helsingborg remained in the top division until 2016, winning the league twice in 1999 and 2011.
The club is affiliated to the Skånes Fotbollförbund.
The club was formed in 1907 after the merger of Svithiod and Stattena (not to be confused with the Stattena IF of today), and the club played their first game on 6 June 1907, beating neighbours IFK Helsingborgs 6–2. Otto Malm was a star of the team; in the 1911–12 season he scored 69 goals in only 24 games. At the end of his time at Helsingborgs IF he had played 500 games and scored 735 goals. The year after the club's formation, John Pettersson joined as club president, and during his tenure the club won the league five times. The year after, the club changed their kit from white shirts and blue shorts to red shirts and blue shorts, as well as winning the Scandinavian Championships. In 1914 the club lost in the final of the Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup) and also in the Svenssons Cup. That year the club were invited to play in the Swedish Series, but declined because they thought that playing friendlies brought higher attendances. Additionally, the club's players were part-time, meaning that regular away matches would have been impractical. On 30 May 1915, the club lost 5–4 to Gӧta in the District Championships. 1918 again saw the club finish second the Svenska Cupen, after losing to IFK Göteborg.
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