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HISTORY
OF THE SOUTH SWEDEN SAINTS FOOTBALL CLUB
Years: 93,
94, 95, 96,
97, 98, 99,
2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004,
2005
1994
Early
`94 -
Membership Fee
- To be a member of HRFC costs 200:- which entitles one to train and
attend team meetings. To play league games each individual had to pay
150:- DK to DAFL
Early `94 - St.Kilda FC
- Reini comes back from his holidays in Oz. A visit with St.Kilda results
in them giving us books and videos, a training manual and much other
support. They also promised they will make a perpetual trophy for our
best and fairest and have us in an article in their upcoming newsletter
The Saint. If anyone reading this has this copy please send us some
sort of copy of the article.
Early `94 - Getting fit now
- To get the team fit, coach Marc Breeze arranges two professional fitness
trainers (Both national winners in bodybuilding), Rikard and Alexandra,
at Thursdays indoor trainings. The team has run in the woods, Påljsöskog,
every Tuesday night.
Early `94 - Brohult IP
- After DAFL redeems Gubbaparken to small to play League matches and
the ground at Fredriksdal is occupied by a baseball club. Joacim Aulin
and Terry Lundquist look for a new ground for the club. They find a
run-down ground called Brohults IP. Advantages are: it's oval, much
bigger than Gubbaparken, there's a clubhouse. Disadvantages: On the
ground are Four soccer posts, a baseball hill and 2 American goalposts,
glass spliters and poor drainage. Despite the disadvantages, Brohult
becomes the new home-ground for HRFC. Joacim Aulin contacts the community
and Brohult gets cleaned up. The soccer and American posts are removed.
Marc Breeze finds sponsors for the goal posts (lamp post painted white)
in the energy company Helsingborgs Energi.
Early `94 - The Saints are born
- Helsingborg receive the much awaited perpetual trophy from St.Kilda
FC plus a lot of St.Kilda Saints merchandise. The committee have a meeting
and decides it would be much wiser and cheaper to adopt the Saints mascot.
" When the Saints go marching in" becomes Helsingborg theme
song with this decision.
Early `94 - Juniors -
The team had five junior players at this stage, but there was no interest
from anyone to coach them.
Early `94 - New Captain
- Because of not attending trainings, Captain Tomas Polacek is stripped
of his Captaincy. Coach Marc Breeze replaces him with Lasse Eriksson.
Late February `94 - The Raven
- First issue of 94 is published. New and improved it now contains even
Player Profiles, the club song and an article of Reini's trip to Australia
visiting the St.Kilda Football Club. Price is an incredible cheap 0:-.
March `94 - First Pub - Marc Breeze and Terry Lundquist signs a sponsorship
with pub Rockbolaget. After every game each player receives a free beer.
05 March `94 - Outdoor Training
- First outdoor training for the season at Gubbaparken
05 March `94 - Match Draw -
Only 2 members of HRFC, Terry Lundquist and Fredrik Engren, are in attendance
at the match draw at Doktors Pub, Copenhagen.
10 March `94 - Angels -
Mark Breeze approaches a group of 13-15 year old girls gymnastics, who
train at Wieselsgrenskolan about the possibility of them cheerleading
at the Saints home games. They accept and call themselves the Angels.
They receive free soft-drinks at all home games.
18 - 21 March `94 - 1st Training
Camp - Players attend HRFC training camp at Skånes Fagerhult
at cost of 200:- each. Highlights include running in the woods in football
shoes in the snow, in order of the line-up. Each player had to shout
out their position, and the coach wasn't happy until everyone got it
right. It took 4 hours. With 5 chefs in the team, training camp became
more of a five star hotel, with every night being served cuisine type
meals. The infamous get together where Joacim Aulin played guitar and
Terry didgeridoo. Marc unhappy that the rest of the team didn't have
an activity bought spoons from the kitchen to distribute to every player
to clink on the table. After 5 minutes, Terry realized the insanity
and asked everybody what the f#*k they are doing.
26 March `94 - First
Match (unofficial) - Helsingborg Saints play
the North Copenhagen Barracudas at Faeleparken, Copenhagen at a practise
match. The match is available in video. The match sheet is unfortunately
missing although in a low scoring game NC won rather comftable despite
being outscored in the last quarter. Tomas Polacek kicks the first ever
goal for the Saints as a team. Reini Masarek on some pills from trainer
Rickard plays a superman’s game. Fredrik Birgesson got kicked
in the balls and has to be taken off. Terry Lundquist kicks two goals.
The fifth quarter was drinking beer at the Doktors Pub, Copenhagen with
our opponents.
"You guys sure know your positions well....but you have to
learn to move out of them also" - Barracuda Jan-Ola Nielsen giving
some friendly advice. But at least Marc training camp's torture had
done some kind of good.
01 April `94 - On the Radio
- Marc Breeze and Tomas Polacek are interviewed on Radio Stella about
Australian Rules Football and the Saints first match of the season against
Amager Tigers. The radio station promises to announce every upcoming
home game. Radio Stella stickers are put on the goal posts.
02 April `94 - 2nd Practise Match
- Helsingborg Saints have another practise match against North
Copenhagen Barracudas, this time at Gubbaparken, Helsingborg. The match
was spoiled by a very gusty wind. Match sheets have been lost but the
Barracudas won very easily. Notable for the game was Bobo Winzell's
grabbing the ball and running towards an open goal, only to handpass
it through the big sticks.
09 April `94 - Goal Posts
- Terry Lundquist and Joacim Aulin inspects the newly resurrected goal
posts at Brohult to only met by a shock. The construction company had
driven their vehicles on the ground opening deep graves. Joacim angrily
rings the company and tell them they have a week to fix it. Although
not perfect the ground is restored to a playable level during the week.
" This is rape " - Joacim Aulins re-action seeing Brohult
after the vehicles used to put up the goal posts had nearly destroyed
the ground.
Early April `94 - Retirements
- Players to retire before playing an officall DAFL game are: Henrik
Aulin (back in 95), Stefan Bergström, Klas Billing, Stefan Dreipner,
Per Rick, Marcus Waltermark and Bobo Winzell.
17 April `94 - Ambassadors Cup
- Sunday 17 April 1994 becomes a historic day as the Helsingborg R.F.C
play in their first officall DAFL game at Brohult IP, and the first
Australian Rules game for points from teams from two different countries
The game is also played for the Ambassadors Cup with the Australian
ambassador from Denmark in attendance. Around 300 spectators and the
press turn up for the event which is an hour delayed because of waiting
for DAFL president Mark Scotland to arrive with the jumpers. The crowd
is entertained by the Angels for their waiting. Marc Breeze makes the
team run around Brohult to warm up, Michael Garcia refuses to run and
is replaced by Dario Donelli in the team. Others not to make the team
was Albert Capuder who has the honour of being the first boundary umpire
in Sweden. At a later counting it showed that Helsingborg had played
21 players instead of the limit of 20. The match itself was a no contest,
with premiers Amager giving Helsingborg a real football lesson. Joacim
Aulin kicks the first ever goal for the Saints in an officall game.
Highlights of the game is available on video.
"The object of the game is to get the ball....if you haven’t
got the ball then they have the ball..or the ball is on the ground.
You can kick the ball from the ground...but not if a guy's face is on
it...." - Coach Marc Breeze before the start of the game.
" Because they are all out there on the field" - Scoreboard
keeper, Rolf Lundquist reply to someone asking why there weren’t
any zeros on the scoreboard.
20 April `94 - TV4 - Swedish
television, TV Skåne Sport from TV4 does a report of the Saints
at their training at Brohult IP.
Early May `94 - Angels disband
- The cheerleaders are told they their services are no longer required.
The last two matches they had done no dancing and only sat around the
ground drinking free sodas.
Late May `94 - The storm begins
- Committee member Reini Masarek learns that the money taken in from
selling merchandise and refreshments will not go to the club but straight
to Marc Breeze's pockets. Appalled the committee tells Mark that he
will no longer run the bar at Brohult, replacement is Lisa Aulin. Mark
asks the committee to quiet down the incident to the rest of the team,
because of team moral, the committee agrees.
28 May `94 - Don Scotland
- DAFL's President Mark Scotland's father arrives in Scandinavia and
follows the North Copenhagen teams game to Helsingborg. Being a St.Kilda
supporter ends up cheering the Helsingborg Saints which loses their
fourth game in a row. He attends the Helsingborg festival and he and
Mick Sitch along with Tomas Polacek are interviewed live at the Radio
Stella stand. He ends up staying the night at Lasse Åhfeldt and
Lisa Aulin's home. The next day he agrees to help Marc Breeze with coaching
the team. Don ended staying more in Sweden with Lasse and Lisa and later
at Terry's then with his son in Copenhagen!
28 May `94 - Great Last Quarter
- The Saints kick an amazing 9,3 to the Crocs 5,5 in a goal feast last
quarter. Helsingborg still loses to Copenhagen 13,10 to 20,20. Joacim
Aulin bags 8 goals for the Saints. The team is coached by assistant
coach Don Scotland.
11 June `94 - No coach -
Coach Marc Breeze doesn’t turn up for the teams game against Amager
in Copenhagen. Helsingborg lose by a then record margin, 40,28 to 7,7.
Helsingborg have lost their first 6 six games.
18 June `94 - Breeze sacked
- Don Scotland tells the committee his desire to be full-time coach
for the Saints. The committee agrees and Marc is told his marching orders.
The news isn't taken very well by him, but he agrees to be assistant
trainer and also a player.
22 June `94 - National Squad
- The DAFL national team (open at that time to all players in DAFL including
Australians) to play against Great Britain/Ireland is announced. 4 players
from Helsingborg make the team, they are: Joacim Aulin, Jörgen
Nielsen, Tomas Polacek and Michael Garcia. Unlucky to miss out is a
disappointed Björn Persson.
25 June `94 - First Win
- In his first official game as coach, Don Scotland leads the Saints
for their first ever win. The match was played against Aalborg Kangaroos
at a neutral ground in Copenhagen, Norvanskolen at Glostrup. Wild jubilation
was greeted after the game. Joacim Aulin kicked 9 goals being fed to
him by Phil Hodgkinson and Michael Garcia. Tagger Björn Persson
was voted best on ground by keeping Aalborg coach Mick Fitzgerald down
to 3 goals. A young Aalborg player was taken to hospital after a viscous
but fair tackle by Marc Breeze. All in all everyone for the Saints played
a good game, even Terry who had a chance do his first goal after taking
a nice mark fed to him by Phil Hodgkinson.
2 July `94 - First Home Win
- Helsingborg keep up their good form to win their first game at home
against the North Copenhagen Barracudas. Helsingborg win 15,15 to 12,10.
After three quarter time the Saints were in front by 15,9 to 7,8. Full-back
Jörgen Nielsen is voted best on the ground, despite Mick Sitch
kicking 6 goals, nearly all in the last quarter. Helsingborg had to
wait till April 20 1996 to win their next game.
16 July `94 - England rules the
waves - Great Britain/Ireland thrashes the DAFL team 19,15
to 6,4. Best among the DAFL team is Jörgen Nielsen. Apart from
the 4 players, attending are from Helsingborg are Terry Lundquist, Lasse
Åhfeldt and Lisa Aulin.
"I can't believe this.... look.. they can fit in 40% alcohol
in such a little tiny bottle.... that's the same as a big bottle, I'm
gonna be rich...." - Michael Garcia's reaction at the free drinks
served in miniature bottles on the flight to London.
30 July `94 - Point post overturned
by the Breeze - In a high-scoring match riddled with spite
and acrimony saw Marc Breeze play his last game with the Saints. He
had an eventful third quarter, first having the better of a brawl with
a point-post which he pulled out from the ground and heaved away, nearly
striking a young spectator. And then worse of an awkward fall being
unable to move and holding the game up for fifteen minutes, getting
up when the ambulance arrived. Mark Denny kicked 5 for the Saints, and
Michael Garcia was best on the ground. Helsingborg lose 25,25 (175)
to 17,17 (119). After the game Marc Breeze tried unsuccessfully to claim
his coaching job back by accusing coach Don Scotland for being drunk
during the game.
6 August `94 - LA Vision
- Local TV channel Landskrona Vision show the game between Helsingborg
vs. Aalborg at Brohut IP. They make a music video of the team in action
with the Saints theme song. Helsingborg are trashed the game being over
at quarter time. Quarter-time scores: 1,0 to 12,9. Final scores: 12,15
to 26,20. Michael Leontini kicked 4 for the Saints. The video also revealed
why Reini was so hated by his opponents when it is shown him striking
Roo's Piet Larsen at the ball up. The game is available on video.
"We are the team in the stripes" - Jörgen Nielsen
commentating for LA vision for the match between Helsingborg (striped
St.Kilda jumpers) and Aalborg (striped Nth:Melbourne jumpers).
27 August `94 - Final game `94
- Helsingborg are thrashed by North Copenhagen at Stefan BK, Copenhagen
in the final game for season 94. In a disappointing end to coach Don
Scotland’s career. Helsingborg finishes the season last with 2
wins and 10 losses. Highlights of the game are shown on Australia's
news program, A Current Affairs. The match is available on video.
27 August `94 - DAFL's B&F
- Joacim Aulin finishes fourth in DAFL's Best and Fairest held at the
Australian Embassy in Copenhagen. He also wins Best 1st year player
and is awarded the first ever DAFL scholarship along with Dennis Klindt
of Amager to play for Powerhouse in Melbourne next year. 3 Helsingborg
players make the 1994 DAFL all-star team: Joacim Aulin (LF pocket),
Jörgen Nielsen (RF pocket) and Michael Garcia (Interchange). Winner
of the B&F is Amager's Rick Ellis with 71 votes, Second Amager's
Peter McDonald with 38 votes and third Copenhagen's Aaron Ravenarki
with 30 votes. The vote getters for the Saints are:
28-Joacim Aulin, 13-Michael Garcia, 12-Jörgen Nielsen, 5-Phil
Hodgkinson, 4-Anders Borgström, 3-Anders Nilsson, 2-Tomas Polacek,
1-Lars Eriksson, Björn Persson, Paul Rämö.
11 September `94 - On the boundary
- Terry Lundquist is boundary umpire at the 1994 DAFL Grand Final at
Baegsverd, Copenhagen. Won by Copenhagen against Amager.
8 October `94 - Saints B&F
- The first ever Helsingborg best and fairest night is held at the Cardinal
Night Club. It was an extremely successful night with over 50 members
and friends in attendance. Master of ceremonies Terry Lundquist and
Reini Masarek were in charge of the count and giving of prizes. Joacim
Aulin and Michael Garcia tied for the award with Jörgen Nielsen
finishing third. Marc Breeze and Don Scotland was awarded lifetime membership
of the club. (Marc Breeze lifetime membership was to be taken back early
1995.) One of the big highlights was Joakim "Duck" Christiansen
doing his impression of the smurf song. The presentation winners on
the night:
Goal kicking award: Joacim Aulin with 34 goals.
Helsingborg goal kickers 1994: 34-Joacim Aulin, 12-Michael Leontini,
Tomas Polacek, 11-Mark Denny, 9-Phil Hodgkinson, 6-Mattias Pettersson,
5-Michael Garcia, Reini Masarek, 4-Anders Nilsson, 3-Kent Frödeberg,
Mikael Krause, Jörgen Nielsen, 2-Anders Borgström, Marc Breeze,
Albert Capuder, Paul Rämö, Andreas Svensson, 1-Dario Donelli,
Ross Impicinni, Fredrik Jonsson.
Most Improved - Björn Persson
Most Inspirational - Tomas Polacek
Coaches choice - Mark Denny
President's choice - Patrik Insulán
Best and fairest votes (based on three persons voting 1-2-3 at each
game)
39-Joacim Aulin, Michael Garcia, 28-Jörgen
Nielsen, 15-Phil Hodgkinson, 13-Tomas Polacek, 10-Björn Persson,
9-Anders Borgström, Mattias Pettersson, 8-Paul Rämö,
7-Mark Denny, Andreas Svensson, 6-Lasse Eriksson, 5-Michael Leontini,
Anders Nilsson, 4-Reini Masarek, 3-Joakim Christiansen, 2-Fredrik Jonsson,
Patrik Insulán, Jocke Jackobsson, 1-Dario Donelli, Christer Hjelm,
Mikael Krause.
Helsingborg Team List 1994 (33 players)
Joacim Aulin, Fredrik Birgersson, Anders Borgström, Marc Breeze,
Albert Capuder, Joakim Christiansen, Mark Denny, Dario Donelli, Fredrik
Engren, Lars Eriksson, Kent Frödeberg, Michael Garcia, Christer
Hjelm, Phil Hodgkinson, Andreas Hoff, Peter Hult, Ross Impicinni, Patrik
Insulán, Jocke Jakobsson, Fredrik Jonsson, Mikael Krause, Michael
Leontini, Ingmar Lundquist, Reini Masarek, Jörgen Nielsen, Anders
Nilsson, Andreas Nilsson, Fredrik Olofsson, Björn Persson, Mattias
Pettersson, Tomas Polacek, Paul Rämö, Andreas Svensson.
18 December 1994 - 2nd Annual meeting
- An early meeting is called for all players to vote for a new committee
(see 1995)
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