Full name | Odense Boldklub |
---|---|
Nickname(s) |
De Stribede (The Striped) |
Short name | OB |
Founded | July 12, 1887 |
Ground | EWII Park, Odense |
Capacity | 15,790 |
Owner | Odense Sport & Event A/S |
Chairman | Niels Thorborg |
Manager | Kent Nielsen |
League | Danish Superliga |
2015–16 | Danish Superliga, 7th |
Odense Boldklub (also known as Odense BK or the more commonly used OB) is a Danish professional football club based in the city Odense. The club has won three Danish championships and five Danish Cup trophies. OB play in the Danish Superliga and their home field is EWII Park in Odense on Funen. OB's clubhouse is located in Ådalen near Odense River.
OB were founded on 12 July 1887 as Odense Cricketklub, with cricket the only sport. In 1889, football and tennis departments were included in the club, and it changed name to the present Odense Boldklub. The club were then located in Munke Mose (The Monks bog) in Odense. OB moved to Ådalen in 1968, where the club still trains today.
In 1916, OB won the province championship for the first time and qualified to the semi-final of the Danish championship. They lost this match 3–9 to later champions B.93 from Copenhagen.
When the Danish championship was reorganized after the Occupation of Denmark during World War II, OB were placed in the third best league, then named the Danish 3rd Division. After good help from the top goalscorers Svend Jørgen Hansen and Jørgen Leschly Sørensen, the club were quickly promoted to the best league. Svend Jørgen Hansen became OB's first Danish national team player in 1942, while Jørgen Leschly Sørensen was sold to the professional Italian team Atalanta in 1949.