Can singing and dancing bring football success?
Swedish newcomers Östersunds FK believe so.
Two major challenges are facing Östersunds Fotbollsklubb in 2016. Number one is obviously survival. In April, Östersund are starting their very first season in the Swedish premier division, Allsvenskan – just five years after languishing in the fourth.
Östersund make their debut playing a daring, Guardiola-inspired style of football (with three at the back). Heading into the historical season, pundits have applauded their bravery, while also asking why they need to take so many risks?
The answer lies in Östersund’s second challenge of the season. In September, there will “sounds, pictures and music” on stage at a local convention center. The performers? Östersund’s players, coaches and other staff.
Östersund is a city of around 50,000, 350 miles north of Stockholm. Far from pretty much everything, in mountainous center of the country (which is considered the far North by most southerners). When it comes to sports, the city has always been associated with winter activities. In an effort to improve footballing standards, rivals IFK Östersund and Ope IF merged in 1996 to form Östersunds FK. But Allsvenskan seemed far off, especially after relegation from the third division in 2010. Internal turmoil followed and the club were taken over by Daniel Kindberg, a sometimes controversial CEO of the county-owned housing company. Kindberg is well connected in England (he considers Roberto Martinez a close friend) and found a young, open-minded manager in Graham Potter, a former defender with two England Under-21 caps while with West Brom. A unusual squad, full of different nationalities and ethnicities, was brought together. And then there was culture.
Karin Wahlén, a Stockholm PR consultant originally from Östersund, had a vague idea about starting a literature festival in her home city and therefor arranged a meeting with Kindberg. The festival never materialised, but the chairman liked the idea of mixing football and culture. By forcing players to perform, by bringing them out of their comfort zone, he thought they would become braver – and better footballers.
In 2012, the Östersunds FK Culture Academy was launched, with a theatre play as the initial project. The second year produced a book, My journey to ÖFK. English striker Jamie Hopcutt wrote about how Potter – his former youth coach at York City – invited him for a trial when Hopcutt was playing at the fifth level of non-league for Tadcaster Albion. Many shared similar stories.
2014 saw an art exhibition, and last year, a dance recital was scheduled. Over time, players have warmed to the unusual methods and some organised a book circle of their own (which has received video greetings from writers such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Belinda Bauer). As Kindberg says: “Culture is a form of training to us. Just like actual football practice, or going to the gym. We use cultural expressions totally cynical, to win more football games,” Kindberg says.
And win they did. Östersund gained successive promotions, to the nationwide second division. In the fall of 2015, the dream finally became true. After clinching promotion to Allsvenskan (Hopcutt was the top scorer), thousands celebrated the team in the city square. But before the players could go on holiday, there was still two weeks of practice left. Dance practice. Some grumbled, but knew what they had signed up for. “If they don’t participate, they will be fired,” Kindberg states.
So in November, at a sold-out theatre in Östersund, they danced. Starting out with their version of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, continuing with freeform dancing in the second act. Graham Potter did a solo, defender Dennis Widgren performed his dance interpretation of Diego Maradona’s second goal in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final (with the English coaches and players clutching their heads). Afterwards, reviews were positive.
Now, players have started choir practice and playing instruments, with the theme for this year’s performance being “love and solidarity”. Wahlén, the team’s culture coach, says all proceeds will go to helping people in need. For it is not all cynical. “The club believes in diversity, integration of socio-economically challenged groups and a rich society for everyone.”
Of course, the culture projects have generated massive media attention. However, Östersund’s players are ready to become famous for their football. “In a lot of interviews, you end up talking about dancing,” says Alex Dyer, a Montserrat international. “I want to discuss football, but at the same time, I understand that we are doing something different here.”
From When Saturday Comes, issue 351, May 2016.