There are special and unique stories of many football teams. They come from smaller towns, or dorfs if you like. One of them is Atvidabergs FF from Sweden. The town of Atvidaberg had a magnet industry blossoming after World War II. The company Facit was a major player.
They specialized in mechanical calculators, furniture, and typewriters. They had a global reach. They were also able to employ good amateur footballers at their organization, attracting talent from all over Sweden.
After years in the lower tiers football, Atvidaberg FF reached the top flight in Swedish football by 1967. They established themselves and in 1972, they won the league title for the first time. They repeated this achievement in 1973. The team had some of the best footballers in Swedish football. These players became export articles, just as the products of Facit.
To advance both the company and the club, a certain Olof Ericsson was pivotal. He brought the necessary facilities into place. As a result, this little town with just 6,500 people became the top force of Swedish football.
Players such as Conny Torstensson, Ralf Edstrom, and Roland Sandberg were their major stars. They were also in the national team qualifying for the World Cup in West Germany. Bayern Munich signed Torstensson, PSV Eindhoven came in for Edstrom and Sandberg moved to Kaiserslautern.
Swedish forward #RalfEdström made 40 appearances for the Swedish national team and scored 15 times. He is most noted for his performance in the 1974 #WorldCup where he had a big part in Sweden finishing fifth, and he made 6 appearances during this tournament. pic.twitter.com/od75vR7trq
— Fútbolismo ⚽️🌎🌍🌏⚽️ (@ftblsm) September 8, 2019
They also had other players in there such as Benno Magnusson who also made a move to Kaisersalautern. The team consisted of all young players in their early 20’s at the time. It became difficult to find replacements as Atvidaberg ended 5th in the 1974 season. They won the Cup in 1970 and 1971.
Sweden had seven players with a past at Atvidabergs FF in their squad for the 1974 World Cup. Magnusson, Edstrom, Sandberg, and Torstensson were no longer at the club. However, Kent Karlsson, Jorgen Agustsson, and Jan Olsson were still around.
Playing in Europe most certainly helped to market the team and their players. They faced teams such as Chelsea, Barcelona, and Bayern. The best players were sold. The club fell out of the top flight in 1976. They came back up the next season and stayed up until 1982.
The downfall was evident in the industry front. Facit were having difficulties and problems. They were sold to Electrolux in 1972. This made it impossible to maintain the necessary standard. As a result, it was hard to attract talents to replace the Swedish internationals. These players left to become professional in other European countries.
Atvidabergs FF had to wait 27 years to return to the top flight. They were back at the top in 2010. They were tipped to struggle and they did, falling out, but still managed to get back up 2012. Atvidabergs FF stayed up until 2015, but has since struggled, being out of the top flight since then.
This season the club played in “Ettan Sodra”. It is the third level of Swedish football. Sadly, the club ended 2nd to bottom. Next season, the club will play in “Division 2”.
They do have their history and traditions. Hopefully, they will find their way back to a level they feel is proper. With just a bit more than 6,500 people in town, of course, you have limits to consider. We will love to see Atvidabergs FF back in the top.
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