Karlsrofältet

Karlsrofältet (transl. The Karlsro Field) is a former football pitch in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was the first home ground of IFK Göteborg, and was used extensively for grassroots football until the 1950s.

Karlsrofältet
Karlsrofältet in 2013
LocationGothenburg, Sweden
Coordinates57.685556°N 11.953333°E / 57.685556; 11.953333
OwnerGothenburg Municipality
TypeFootball field
SurfaceDirt
Construction
Built1890s (1890s)
Renovated1906
Closed1950s
Tenants
IFK Göteborg 1904–1910

History
The memorial stone at Karlsrofältet. The Annedal Church is visible in the background.

The site was originally planned to house the new Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and the municipality bought the land in 1896 for that purpose.[1] The plans were however changed and the land was instead converted to a playground for the planned Änggården garden city. Sports clubs from around the nearby Linnéstaden district also started using the field.[1]

One such club was the in 1904 founded IFK Göteborg, who played their first match—a training match between the first and second team of the club—on the field. A memorial stone with the text "Here on Karlsrofältet, IFK Göteborg played their first football match in the year 1904" (Swedish: "Här på Karlsrofältet spelade IFK Göteborg sin första fotbollsmatch år 1904") has been raised on the site as commemoration.[1]

The field was renovated in 1906, ensuring correct playing dimensions and regulation goalposts. It was mainly used for training and lower league games despite this, due to the lack of changing rooms and a very uneven pitch.[2] IFK Göteborg stopped using the venue for training in 1910, but returned a final time in 1923 to play the season premiere at Karlsrofältet in front of a crowd of 4,000.[3]

All official activity was moved from the field in the 1950s due to major traffic rerouting nearby claiming part of the ground, and in 1960 the pitch size was reduced from the previous full-size to seven-a-side measurements, due to further traffic projects in the area.[3]

Citations
  1. Josephson & Jönsson 2004, p. 42.
  2. IFK Göteborg – Arenor genom åren.
  3. Josephson & Jönsson 2004, p. 43.
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References
  • "IFK Göteborg – Arenor genom åren" (in Swedish). IFK Göteborg. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  • Josephson, Åke; Jönsson, Ingemar, eds. (2004). IFK Göteborg 1904–2004: en hundraårig blåvit historia genom elva epoker (in Swedish). Göteborg: IFK Göteborg. ISBN 91-631-4659-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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