“The semi-finals of the required 6 000 halvpannor brandy”

“Fredrik Persson-Lahusen if bandy – from snobbspel to the people’s game”

“In the day played the 113 th CHAMPIONSHIP finals in bandy when Västerås SK and Villa Lidköping meet at the Student in Uppsala. How it goes in the game sounds so clear not to be said. Certainly, however, is that the tv viewers will be offered on the seductive panoramas, where the unmistakable silhouette of the castle and the cathedral becomes a national romantic fund to the game itself. In tidningsspalterna learn the skaldas about the portfolios, the breakfasts and vallfärdande rural residents when the chroniclers are going to catch the bandyns cultural soul.”

“To the folklore angle is used so extensively is due to the far from all the posted to fully understand what’s going on, on the plane, but hangs most together with to the finals since long seen as a national symbol of the same kind as the Vasaloppet. If this, and much more, is idrottshistorikern Torbjörn Andersson book, The dying bandy? A peculiar story about the Swedish countryside, nationalism, and nostalgia.”

“you day described the bandy almost always popular, but when it got a foothold in Sweden around 1900, it was a pure societetssport with some critical elements. The experience and the natural rekreationen was as important as the results, which probably has contributed to every major change (from a frozen lake to people travel and enlightened plans for halls) has been considered to be an attack on bandyns the authenticity and existence.”

“A distinctive american symbol became the bandy first, in contrast to the ice hockey breakthrough in the twenties. At about the same time spread the bandy to a long line of (between)the Swedish mining. Thus confirmed both the image of a Swedish community that unites poor and rich, and the notion of a fosterländskt puzzle in which the regional peculiarities – like the Open – work together to create a strong national unity.”

“unlike most other sports is not expressed bandyns the national dimension most evident in international competitions. It is the SM and not the world CUP final that is both sporting and symbolic feast. One explanation is, of course, that bandy is practiced in few countries, however, there early grew up a both colorful and loud publikkultur around the bandy in Sweden, was also important.”

“Already during the twenties and trettiotalen created the visiting supporters great spectacle of the finals at the Stockholm stadium with their banners, chants and the tutor. The consumption of alcohol did. After the 1951 final between Örebro SK and Bollnäs GIF low 6 000 empty halvpannor brandy left in the stands. The fifties was in many ways a golden age for the bandy and the finals were seen an average of 24 000 people. Despite the quite significant fluctuations have finalpubliken remained impressive, large decades through.”

“thus, it is obvious that Andersson is concentrating its extensive and solid (newsprint)study to precisely the finals. At the same time I am wondering about how well bandyns true essence can be captured through the finals. The sport’s daily work – as evidenced by the book’s amazing artwork – after all, very different.”

“Finalfokuset also makes it very detailed reports for results, attendance figures, and weather and a little bit of in-depth discussion. Several times to hurry, Andersson – who admits that he has become bandyfrälst during the course of the work – past the less flattering sides as superi, supporterslagsmål, betting fraud, black money and unrealistic high wages. At times, he risks even to romanticize their studies.”

“Andersson prisoners also skillfully how to bandy constantly navigated between tradition and innovation in an almost schizophrenic way. In 1959, accepted the covenant no to tv broadcast from the final, but had no qualms a few years later, the use of two cosmonauts as the drawcard or to early to allow dräktreklam.”

“That bandy moved indoors and the association wanted to host the final to the Stockholm 2013 going to understand. A sudden thought they could attract 50,000 spectators, with an announcer on the speed and the disco music which took death on as well traditionstecken that mood, however, remains incomprehensible.”

“In a idrottsvärld there soon enough everything is modernized and commercialized after the american pattern can perhaps bandy will never be anything other than a doomed anachronism. While I share Andersson’s opinion that the unique and somewhat odd needs to be cared for about the sport at all to survive.”

“To the final later in the year to again be played outdoors in Uppsala, shows that a certain backward-looking can be culturally rejuvenating: ”Sometimes a little old-fashioned setting also be an event.”

“” The dying bandy? A peculiar story about the Swedish countryside, nationalism, and nostalgia”