Frem

Full name	Boldklubben Frem af 1886
Nickname(s)	Fremmerne
Short name	Frem
Founded	1886
Ground	Valby Idrætspark, Copenhagen (Capacity: 12,000 (4,400 seats))
Chairman	Peter Hornbæk
Head coach	Christian Andersen
League	1st Division
2007-08	1st Division, 11th
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Boldklubben Frem (also known as Frem, BK Frem or BK Frem Copenhagen) is a Danish sports club based in the district of Valby, in Copenhagen. It is best known for its semi-professional football team. Since its foundation in 1886, Frem has won the Danish Championships six times and the Danish Cup twice. Until the disastrous bankruptcy in 1993, Frem had played in the top division all but six seasons.

The club also has a youth and amateur amateur football branch, as well as a cricket team. It is also involved in the running of the KIES sports boarding school.

[edit] History

[edit] Early years

Frem's squad of the 1901-1902 Copenhagen Championship-winning season. The player at the very centre is Axel Byrval.

BK Frem were founded as Fremskridtsklubbens Cricketklub on July 17, 1886 by a group of seditious young men from the then government hostile Venstre Reform Party, as a cloak for political activities.^[1] In 1887 football was introduced and the name was changed to Boldklubben Frem, stiftet af Fremskridtsklubben (lit. Danish: The Ball Club Forward, founded by the Progress Club).

In the first two years of the life of the club, only two sports matches were played, but when the Danish Football Association introduced a football tournament in 1889, the club was invited to participate, and in 1890 Frem became the first Danish club to beat KB in a football match. In 1902 Frem became unofficial Danish champions when they won the league played under the auspices of the Danish FA. This was the first ever senior title won by the club.

In 1905, the club moved to its own field at Enghavevej, Vesterbro, obtaining its distinct working class profile. To this day, both the Social Democrats and the Union of Metalworkers holds Frem sponsorships. In 1912, Frem joined the representative team Stævnet which arranged lucrative exhibition matches and played a decisive role in Danish football politics.

Match against AB around 1940. Frem players (hooped shirts): Pauli Jørgensen (far left), Johannes Pløger (2nd from right) and Erling Sørensen (far right).

[edit] Palmy days

In the years 1923-1944, Frem won six Danish Championships.

[edit] Division Yo-Yoing

Since 1983 Frem had been battling economically, and in 1993 saw themselves demoted to the Danmarksserien following a bankruptcy, which was due to a debt of DKK 8,500,000 and allegations of fraud.^[2]

Following a short but expensive spell in the Superliga in 2003-2004, Frem were once again on the verge of bankruptcy with a debt of DKK 10,000,000.^[3]

[edit] Home ground

The clubhouse at Enghavevej, Vesterbro used 1905-1942.

Frem play their home matches at the modest and somewhat down worn, municipality-owned Valby Idrætspark.

In the early years, Frem were located on Østerbro in Copenhagen, playing its matches at Blegdamsfælleden, alongside its main rivals in the early years; AB and KB. In 1905 Frem moved to its own field at Enghavevej, Vesterbro. Being a field-owning club gave Frem the advantage of entry fees. Its location however lead to some muttering from football fans who found it to be to far out of town.^[4]

In 1942, Frem moved to Valby Idrætspark, where the current main stand was erected in 1965. Throughout the years a lot of matches has been played at Idrætsparken. It is unclear when this tradition was discontinued.

The construction of a new stadium is currently in the planning.

[edit] Honours

Frem's squad of the 1943-1944 championship-winning season.

Cricket squad, 1892.

Cricket squad, 1898.

[edit] Football

• Danish Champions
  • Winners (6): 1923, 1931, 1933, 1936, 1941, 1944
  • Runner-up (9): 1930, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1948, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1976
  • 3rd placed (6): 1934, 1955, 1957, 1968, 1971, 1992
• Danish Cup
  • Winners (2): 1956, 1978
  • Runner-up (3): 1969, 1971, 1981
• Unofficial Danish Champions
  • Winners (1): 1902
  • Runner-up (3): 1899, 1901, 1903
• Copenhagen Champions
  • Winners (3): 1904, 1923, 1933
  • Runner-up (8): 1906, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1918, 1922, 1929, 1937
• Copenhagen Cup
  • Winners (6): 1927, 1927, 1938, 1940, 1943, 1946
  • Runner-up (9): 1913, 1918, 1919, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1934, 1939, 1944
• Baneklubberne Cup
  • Winners (1): 1911

[edit] Cricket

• Copenhagen Champions
  • Winners (2): 1894, 1898

[edit] Players

[edit] Significant former players

See also: Boldklubben Frem players

[edit] Current squad

No. Position Player 2 DF Samir Haiba 3 DF Martin E. Jensen 4 DF Joachim Bjerg 5 DF Frank Palka Jensen 7 MF Mikael Simonsen 8 DF Tim Ilsø (captain) 10 FW Danny Andersen 11 FW Patrik Wozniacki 12 DF Kadir Mumuni 13 MF Martin Jürgensen 14 FW Søren Weibel 15 MF Jesper Christjansen

No. Position Player 16 FW Edin Cakovic 17 MF Mustafa Bozkurt 18 FW Prince Nana 19 DF Jónas Þór Næs 20 MF Thomas Krause 21 DF Simon Leth Nielsen 22 DF Rasmus Håkansson 24 GK Jakob Køhler Hansen 25 DF Stefan Maletic 27 GK Mads Nielsen 30 FW Martin Jørgensen

[edit] Club officials

[edit] Professional branch

Chairman00000000000	Peter Hornbæk
Head Coach	Christian Andersen
Assistant Coach	Dževdet Šainovski
Goalkeeping Coach	René Heitmann

[edit] Amateur branch

Chairman00000000000	Steen Ryborg
Reserve Team Coach	Ole Rasmussen
U19 Team Coach	Denni Conteh
U17 Team Coach	Søren Hermansen

[edit] Season-by-season results

[edit] Recent years

[edit] League status

[edit] Post 1993 bankruptcy and demotion

Green denotes the highest level of football in Denmark; yellow the second highest; red the third highest; black the fourth highest.

[edit] All time

Green denotes the highest level of football in Denmark; yellow the second highest; red the third highest; black the fourth highest.

[edit] Sponsorships

• GourmetBryggeriet (head sponsor)
• hummel (material sponsor)

[edit] Footnotes and references

[edit] External links

• (Danish) Official website
• (Danish) Historical archive
• (Danish) Official fansite
• (Danish) Official fan forum