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GIF Sundsvall
Full name	Gymnastik- och; Idrottsföreningen Sundsvall
Nickname(s)	Giffarna
Founded	1903
Ground	Norrporten Arena,; Sundsvall; (Capacity: 8,500)
Chairman	Carl-Göran Andersson
Manager	Sören Åkeby
League	Superettan
2008	Allsvenskan, 15th (relegated)
Home colours	Away colours

GIF Sundsvall is a Swedish football club located in the city of Sundsvall. The club, formed on 25 August 1903, is currently playing in the second highest Swedish league, Superettan. They were promoted to Allsvenskan on October 27, 2007, after a turnaround win (4-2) away to Ljungskile in the last game of the season.

[edit] History

The club was formed on August 25 in 1903 at Matilda Anderssons Café. At that time, GIF Sundsvall stood for "Godtemplarnas Idrotts Förening Sundsvall" which mainly was for Teetotallers up until the alcohol demands was lightened in 1920. The initials then came to stand for, to this day still, "Gymnastik och Idrottsföreningen Sundsvall" (Gymnastics and sports club Sundsvall).

The club reached the first tier of the domestic football in 1965. The club has since been a "yo-yo" team mainly playing in the second division but with Allsvenskan stints in 1975, 1987-89, 1991, 2000-2006 and 2008.

GIF Sundsvall earlier had women's football and ice hockey on the program. The hockey team folded in the late 60's, in 1985 the women's team was transferred to Sundsvalls DFF. This mainly because the women's team was disappointed with the lack of support from the men's team.

[edit] Norrporten Arena

Norrporten Arena, earlier known as Idrottsparken

For more details on this topic, see Norrporten Arena

Norrporten Arena, formerly known as Idrottsparken, is located in the heart of Sundsvall and was inaugurated on August 6, 1903. It was renovated in 2001-2002 for the club's previous stint in Allsvenskan and it can now hold a capacity of 8,000, with 5,000 under roof. In 2006 the stadium's name was officially changed to Norrporten Arena but the name isn't fully adopted by the fans.

Top attendance: 16,507 vs Högadal on October 15, 1961.

[edit] Patronerna

The official supporter's club of GIF Sundsvall is called Patronerna. Formed in 1999, mostly as a joke by some friends supporting their friend, the club has in a short period of time amassed a strong reputation. The name is mainly a historical reference to the sawmill owners who were very powerful in Sundsvall during post industrial revolution-era. FP-tifo, Patronerna's fraction of tifo-supporters, won the Swedish tifo-awards sponsored by Canal+, in 2005.

[edit] Achievements

Allsvenskan:
- Best placement (5th): 1988

Norrländska Mästerskapet:
- Winners (1): 1942
- Runners-up (2): 1928, 1951

[edit] Current squad

As of 16 July 2009:

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Fredrik Sundfors
2	DF	Christian Brink
3	DF	David Myrestam
5	DF	Billy Berntsson
7	MF	Daniel Sliper
8	MF	Robert Mambo Mumba
9	FW	Jonas Wallerstedt
11	MF	Ari Skúlason
12	FW	Robin Bergman
14	DF	Christian Söderberg
15	DF	Robert Lundström
16	MF	Alieu Jagne

No.	Position	Player
17	FW	Akombo Ukeyima
19	FW	Hannes Sigurðsson
20	GK	Alexander Hysén
21	FW	Magnus Powell
22	MF	Anton Andersson
23	DF	Erkan Saglik
24	MF	Kali Ongala
25	DF	Nuri Mustafi
26	MF	Aziz Corr Nyang
27	DF	Kristian Ek
28	MF	Mirza Durakovic
33	FW	Emil Forsberg