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Fictional History of SFL (AFA Universe) 1975: The SFL will return in November 2016


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Eskilstuna_70s_by_rezland_zpsvklknaqp.pn

Charlie Stalcup wasted no time in going after more talent, and headed to the USA with one player in mind. former Los Angeles Comets DT,John Stark the greatest defensive tackle in the history of the AFA who had just spent the past four years in the state penitentiary for assaulting a Police Officer. This was not the first incident of his career, as their were reports of run-ins with the law while he was a student at Ohio State.

Stalcup knows Eskilstuna needs to toughen up, and Eskilstuna is a blue collar town, in need of a defensive player to take over games, and Stark's tough guy persona fits in perfectly with the new Black and Blue image of the Steelmen.

Stark, who will turn 33 this season may have lost a step, but with a huge chip on his shoulder after not one AFA team would even entertain a tryout, he could be just the tough guy the Steelers need to compete in the stacked East. At the very least he will shore up a defensive line that gave up a league high yards per carry in 67.

Stalcup was asked why he would take a chance on a player with Stark's reputation, his response was perfect "it's football, it's a sport built on who is the biggest bully... we just got the biggest bully in AFA history, I think that speaks for itself"

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SFAF Lineup for 1968

SFAF-1968_zpsrjifftsw.png

With the offseason in full swing, and GM's traversing the US looking for coaches and players to complete their teams, the league puts out its first league poster.

No its not exciting, but the use of real helmets this year makes for a nice departure from the hand drawn versions of the first three seasons.

Changes for '68 include a black facemask for Goteburg, and the name change for Eskilstuna, including the leagues second black helmet.

Uppsala has approached the league about a possible change to their uniforms with the expansion year coming. Rumors have the team going red and black, with a minor logo change.

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Gavle News

Rosenberger signs thru 1970 and takes an ownership stake in the Goats

New Stadium Plans announced

Gavle - Gavle Goats announce plans for a modern Football only stadium for 1969 season. (More information on that in the following days)

The Goats fresh off their first SFAF Championship, Swedish candy giant Ahlgrens, havecome to an agreement with Goats ownership on partnering with the new league champions, and with the first premier league championship in any sport in decades, Gavle is football crazy.

Star QB Johnny Rosenberger is the most eligible bachelor in town, and has promised another championship for 1968, but... Rumors abound that at least two AFA teams have met with Goats QB Johnnie Rosenberger, and rumors of his return to the premier league in football were met with Gavle Caffe signing the American star a 3 year promotional contract worth an unheard of $10,000 US a year. This was fully half of his now $20,000 yearly salary, and is a preemptive strike to keep Gavle's top player from leaving for the AFA.

Rosenberger has signed with the goats for 1968-1970, and will take an ownership stake in the team in exchange for keeping his $20,000 salary the same for 1968. JR, as he is known in Sweden had signed a two year deal in 1966 worth $14,000 a year, with incentives to raise it to $20,000. Rosenberger led the Goats to the Odin's Cup both years and was negotiating to renew his contract, with a 1968 value of $35,000 plus a $7500 bonus for winning a second Odin's Cup.

After seeing the growth in Swedish Football, he opted for a 5% share of the club, in addition to his $20,000 salary.

If he leads the Goats to a second championship in '68 he will receive an additional 2.5% share. Each additional championship is worth 1%

JR was seen cruising around Gavle in his new Vovlo P1800 with Swedish movie star Britt Eklund after signing with the Goats.

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1968 Season Kickoff

The East

East

  • Eskilstuna returns to its natural alignment in the East, with new ownership, and a new name "Steelmen", about the only thing that hasn't changed is the majority of the roster. The big off season signings for Eskilstuna were new GM Charlie Stalcup, and former Los Angeles Comets DT,John Stark the greatest defensive tackle in the history of the AFA.
  • Stockholm got younger after two season of decreasing win numbers, and rather than hire a bunch of past their prime Americans, chose to go after top youngSwedish talent from Uppsala and Gavle, including 20 year old, 265 pound DT Jesper Johansson, a 6'1" fire plug who discovered American football while an exchange student in Aledo, Texas. Johansson only played one year of football, but was recruited by FWU, Texas, OU, and Minnesota Tech. Due to his student Visa expiring he returned to Sweden with the intention of returning to the USA for college, but ended up on Uppsala's B team for a season, and was expected to challenge for a spot on the A team before the Vikings offered him a roster spot, and apartment in the Sports district. A hard thing to pass up for a young Swede. Coaching is on a short leash, and if the team does not make strides developing a young nucleus of players, look for a change prior to the 69 season.
  • Uppsala - AB's squad gains a new American WR out of SFU, in Bob Johnson, a 6'2" Iowa farm kid with golden hands. In Johnson, Gus Torstonsson , gets a big time receiver who grabbed 29 TD receptions over his last two seasons at SFU. Touted as a mid round drat pick in the AFA, Bergstrom convinced the young Johnson that he could be the difference in Uppsala, or could fight for a roster spot in Pittsburgh. Uppsala looks to rebound with the hiring of both, St Louis QB coach Sammy Myers, and SF Whales Receivers Coach Gerald Rice as co offensive coordinators.
  • Gavle - Coming off their first Championship season the Goats look to repeat with All Sweden QB Johnny Rosenberger at the helm, and with a focus that has not been there his first two seasons. Rumors of a fight in the AFA over his rights, and a reported bidding war mean nothing until the Goats release him to play in the AFA. Not likely to happen in 1968, but the treasure chest of cash that could come from selling their star player could change minds. With the retirement of American Linebacker #56 Jack Lamb, the Goats grabbed South Florida's Tom Turner, an undersized ILB with great sideline to sideline speed, and a nose for the football.

Week One:

Gavle 21 Eskilstuna 20

JR looks to be in mid season form as he throws for 280 yards and 3 TD's and new running back, Carl Carlsson #33 rushes for 85 yards, almost all of it on power sweeps as new Steelmen DT John Stark #68 makes 10 tackles and gets his first SFAF Sack in the third quarter, as the Steelmen put the brakes on Gavle's offense late.

Uppsala 18 Stockholm 15

Gus Torstonsson found rangy wideout Bob Johnson on a fly pattern with time running out to lift Uppsala to a week one win over a much improved Stockholm squad.

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1968 Season Kickoff


The West



Malmö - After a successful first year in the East, Malmö settles into the West with the Skåne group and Goteburg. For the second year the Seaman stay the course, and only pick up 2 new Americans, in Defensive ends, #77 Deacon Smith and #79 Bubba Jones, from Seattle and Los Angeles respectively. One of the missing links in Malmö was a pass rush in the new pass happy West.


Göteburg - The Trolls have been trolling around the middle of the pack since the first season and are looking for that piece that will get them in contention. Seeing Helsningborg win immediately set new Trolls GM Eric Bergman on a mission. The off season began with key Swedish players headed to Ft Worth Texas to run thru spring drills at FWU, and learn the new Veer offense. Göteburg was not going to be a ball control offense, and run first, with a stout defense. Bergman also picked up Offensive line guru Steve French on a one year loan from FWU. The players also spent two weeks working with new Stallions staff, and look to set up a loosely organized pipeline thru Texas.


Lund - Much like Göteburg, Lund is looking for a spark, and think they have found it in former Angels Asst GM Knut Carlson a second generation Swedish American looking to make a name for himself, and earn a GM job in the AFA. Lund, opened the purse strings and allowed him to go after several American players backing up stars in the AFA. the biggest signing was Whales backup QB Vince Jackson, who will be the first Black QB in the league. Jackson was a superstar at Grambling, and has never been able to break thru in SF. Like Carlson, Jackson is a hired gun, and has made it clear he is here for the opprotunity.. only time will tell if it works out for either of them.


Helsingborg - The building plan broke the mold, with the Berzerkers charging to the Championship game, and Zak Wahlstrom vying for league MVP and OPOTY. Now the bar is set and the "Zerkers" are looking to challenge for the Cup in their second season. Young Wahlstrom and Gavle's Rosenberger are the two best QB's int the league and management went out and found another top flight receiver in Fuzzy Williams, a 5'10" speedster who nabbed 13 TD's and 1545 yards for Florida Central, but size and a history of injuries caused him to fall completely out of the draft. HC Scheile wants to win, and win now.



Week One:


Goteburg 31 Helsingborg 24 In week one action Goteburd used ball control offense to keep high powered Helsingorg off the field and saw the new veer attack shred a sound Berzerker defense, but it was 2 special teams TD's that made the difference, and showed the league that Goteburg is not to be overlooked.



Malmo 30 Lund 13 In the other Western Division game, Malmö opened with a 20 point first quarter and cruised from there with #77 Smith and #79 Jones each getting 2 sacks, and for hte first time in league history, both the offense and defense for Malmö were entirely Swedish in the second half.


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1968-SFAF-Results_zpsmxqmaxbh.png



Stockholm - The 1968 season came to an end with the Gavle Goats and Helsingborg Berzerkers squaring off for the second consecutive season in Odins Cup IV.


The result was the same with Rosenberger (21 of 27, 303 yards, 3 TD’s 1 Int), in what might be his last game in the SFAF, leading Gavle to a 34-31 victory, and earning OC IV MVP honors, and a second ring. While Rosenberger and Gavle get the trophy, it was Helsingborg QB Zak Wahlstrom, who established himself as a star, and his Berzerkers as more than a one year wonder.


Gavle jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the opening minutes on a Rosenberger 72 yard bomb to backup WR Göran Stenström, a 6’2” former soccer player from tiny Tvååker, on the games opening play, and a 34 yard FG after Helsingborg turned the ball over on a bad snap.


Turnovers continued to plague the Berzerkers in the first half, as they outgained Helsingborg 221-105 but after Wahlstrom led ‘zerkers to a 17-10 lead early in the second quarter, his luck ran out and instead of taking a loss and kicking another field goal, the young QB threw a pick 6 to LB Kirby North, and the half ended 17-17.


The second half was all about the QB’s again and it was Rosenberger who led the Goats on a game winning drive late in regulation, with #3 Jan Lund kicking a Odins Bowl record 56 yard FG as the clock expired.


While Gavle celebrated their Second Championship, many wondered if JR would ever appear in a Goats uniform again.


Around the league, rumors of the AFA sending scouts to Gavle, Helsingborg, Uppsala, and Eskilstuna during the season were becoming more evident. Was the SFAF becoming a proving ground for future AFA players?


Stockholm’s youth movement will continue with a #4 pick in the April Draft, and Lund after losing Vince Jackson to a shoulder injury dropped its last 8 games after starting out 2-0.


Goteburg just missed the championship and looks like a up and coming power in the west, but with another expansion draft coming in March, can they continue to improve ?


1969 Brings a 12 game season for the first time, and likely the leagues first non Swedish Squad, as rumors point to Copenhagen being named the 9th Franchise and the other to be from the East.


Expansion teams will be announced at the League Banquet Dec 30th in Uppsala

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1968 League Meeting

Expansion 1969 & 1971

Relegation Beginning in 1974

Ligan Ett

LiganTvå

Board to be established for 1970

Possible Name Change for 1970

Odins Cup Hosting Bids Beginning with 1970 Game

SFAF Headquarters - Uppsala Sweden

After the 4th Odins Cup, league owners met in Uppsala to discuss ways to monetize the growing American Football movement in Sweden, and around Scandinavia.

Expansion

The first issue was deciding on the two expansion teams to begin play in 1969, and a total of 7 cities were chosen including 2 International cities. All have had operational football teams for at least two years, and were in markets who were either under-served, had critical mass to support a SFAF franchise, or were in metropolitan areas with a history of supporting more than one club in a sport.

Secondary Leagues

The second issue on the table was the rapidly growing base of club level football stand alone leagues around the country, primarily based in four area.

Stockholm Metro area

Göteburg Metro area

Lakes Region (Eskilstuna, Örebro, Linköping)

Malmö/Copenhagen

In total 36 Teams were considered of quality to be considered for future expansion sites. Seven of which are up for vote into the 1969 and 1971 expansion windows.

This leaves 32 teams that qualify for consideration to be included in the proposed First Division, to be called Ligan Ett

The League will be broken into East and West Divisions with 8 Teams per Division

Top Two Teams from each Division will Compete against each other in a 2 game playoff

East 1 v West 2

West 1 v East 2

Beginning in 1978 the top two teams will play the bottom two teams in SFAF, with the winners earning SFAF slots, and the losers placed in Ligan Två

Ligan Två will include the 16 teams that did not make the cut to Ligan Ett, and will similarly feature relegation and play in games at the end of the season.

(International Teams will not be considered for Relegation until 1980 in an effort to grow the footprint of SFAF)

Note: This is not the SFAF creating new teams across Sweden, but instead a takeover of existing leagues, giving cities and teams a clear path to the SFAF.

SFAF Owners Voted to Elect a Board and Commissioner to take over League Operations in 1970.

With Expansion happening, new teams fear the original six will use their power to control the league, in the best interest of growing the league and increasing revenue, as Board and League Commissioner give the league a more transparent operation.

Proposed Name Change to the SFAF

With one and possibly two Scandinavian teams joining SFAF, it is proposed by Eskilstuna City Councilman Jan Jansson that the league becomes the governing body for American Football in Scandinavia, and Changes to the Scandinavian Federation of American Football, and the Top Division shortens their name to become the SFL. The vote is unanimous to change the name beginning in 1970

Odins Cup Host City Bids

With Stockholm hosting the first 4 Odins Cup Games, the League votes to open bids for Host Cities beginning with the 1970 Season.

Stadiums must hold 20,000 (temporary bleachers are allowed, if teh stadium has a capacity of 15,000 permanent seats)

Rail and Highway access are required.

Cities do not have to currently host a SFAF Team.

All other league business was tabled until after the two new franchises were announced.

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Early voting has Copenhagen and Oslo way ahead of the rest...

  1. Copenhagen 27 pts
  2. Oslo 22 pts
  3. Västerås 7 pts
  4. Norrköping 6 pts
  5. Örebro 6 pts
  6. Linköping 2 pts
  7. Umeå 2 pt

If this holds, the soon to be SFL will bring not one, but two international teams for 1969, with a battle for the 1971 berths a much closer race.

ahh names for Oslo and Copenhagen.

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Oslo Drager (Norwegian for Dragons-of the Viking longships, the drakkar is probably the best-known style, with a dragon's head as the bow and its tail as the stern).

Copenhagen Kongelige (Danish for Royals-thanks to Hamlet, the best known distinctly known thing about Denmark is its royalty)

bYhYmxh.png

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This is great, but for future expansions and votings, might I recommend more info on the cities/expansion plans.

My top vote was Copenhagen, but if, hypothetically, you say that the fan base there sees the sport more as a novelty than anything else, perhaps I move Örebro, my second choice, up because they have tried to take a franchise before, so I know they have fans ready to embrace the sport.

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This is great, but for future expansions and votings, might I recommend more info on the cities/expansion plans.

My top vote was Copenhagen, but if, hypothetically, you say that the fan base there sees the sport more as a novelty than anything else, perhaps I move Örebro, my second choice, up because they have tried to take a franchise before, so I know they have fans ready to embrace the sport.

Yeah I absolutely agree.

Copenhagen, is a ferry ride from Malmö, and the hotbed of Swedish Football. While Lund has been average, Helsnigborg's immediate success has created a ground swell of support for the team in Denmark, partly becuase Copenhagen and Malmö are so close, but Danes are competitive, and Skåne spent a good portion of its history as part of Denmark, so those in Skåne are not so different from the Danes.

Copenhagen started a team in 1966 and where Helsingborg was built from scratch by Americans, the Danes have taken to doing it their way. The Copenhagan squad has not lost a game in the two years they have been playing, and the club Dansk AFK has already grown to include a U19 and U17 teams with U14 and U11 teams forming for 1969.

Competition is limited, but the top team has been playing teams from Skåke and with a 20,000 seat stadium available in the city, are ready to compete from day one.

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Oslo - with the formation of the SFAF in 64, the Norwegians formed their own league, albeit not at the pro level, and like Sweden the majority of their players had been American or Canadian exchange students, and had played American football for a year, a few excelled, though, most of more successful ones were place kickers.

Two leagues popped up in Oslo and Bergen, with the population of Oslo and surrounding communities supporting a few good club level squads.

Bergen had arguably the best team however, and over 4 years had only lost to the Oslo Norse one time. With their bid to join professional football the NFAF agreed to fold into the SFAF as a member organization, but would continue to work to develop grass roots football in Norway, and maintain a level of anonymity.

Bergen also put in a bid, but with travel concerns outweighing the benefits of joining the league at this point, put their support behind a unified Norwegian team in Oslo, and would send their best players to strengthen the Oslo team. Afterall, beating the Swedes comes before city rivalries.

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Orebro - Swedens 6th largest city, and a natural rival for Eskilstuna.

After failing to lure the Svards to Orebro, city leaders and top land owner Carl Lindholm set out to gain a franchise. Lindholm like Uppsala's Bergstrom had been a Soccer team owner in the 1950's and after the Orebro FC made it to Super League level, lost his fire and sold the squad. Now a decade later Carl wanted to see the Orebro skyline on TV along with Stockholm. He couldnt stand that Eskilstuna had derailed his plans to take their team, and would do just about anything short of murder to get his own, and show those steel workers which city was truly entitled to a professional team.

Lindholm purchased the team and players from Falkenberg (Halland lan) that played in the Skåne American Football League, and had sent 20 players to the SFAF over the past 3 seasons, and moved them to Orebro. Lindholm, ever the entrepreneur took over a small Soccer stadium in an area of town that was floundering, and built up a training area for other clubs to train and play weekend games. This required buying up 4 city blocks and converting the area into a sports training center, with shopping, and high rise apartments that would give his team a built in housing option for his top level players, and income from the younger ones in both soccer and football.

With the addition of Copenhagen and Oslo to the expansion pool, Lindholm put his sights on 1971 and a more international league that would bring in more television rights. In the mean time he would build up his Team and its youth programs, to be fully prepared for a couple seasons in the second division. Just in case.

Note: Lindholm and Bergström are not friendly, and AB would prefer the foreign teams join the league, and Orero be forced to earn a shot with the play ins coming in the 1970's.

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Västerås - After failing to gain entry into the first 6, Västerås put together a youth league with support from 20 American Nuclear Engineers working on the new plant in Västerås. The Americans enjoyed teaching the Swedes about their game, and one even played in the AFA during the 1950's. Jack Hughes, was a highly touted prospect out of Texas A&T, where he was an All Conference QB and DB. But a knee injury during his rookie year in Houston put an end to his career, and he joined the Navy where his Electrical Engineering degree got him into the early Nuclear power program. After being away from his family for the better part of 10 years he resigned his commission in early 1967 as a Navy Captain and took a shore based job in Västerås on their new Nuke plant to give his family a stable lifestyle, and because he just wanted a challenge outside of the comforts of the USA.

Hughes was known as Cap to his friends, and still had a great love for football, and as a former professional player was critical to the development of football in Västerås. His club Reactor Football, used the Radioactive symbol in Purple and Gold as their crest. Having grown up in West Texas, Hughes saw rival Permian Basin HS win championships by moving in the best athletes parents to oil jobs in the area. It wasn't long before he was hiring ex navy nukes and alumni from Texas A&T with athletic kids, or young ones who he could add to his A team.

Västerås would be ready when they gained a franchise... and with the Expansion draft, Hughes would be able to add the pieces he needed to compete with Uppsala and the rest of the SFAF.

Note: Swedish Nuclear industry is centered in Västerås, and with 9 new Nuclear plants having been built in the 1960's the city has plenty of money to support the team, and plans are already underway for a stadium that would seat 15,000.

Vasteras-Reactor_25_70s_by_rezland_zpsca

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Umeå - The Umeå Football Club is well organized, but underfunded and not quite ready to compete in the SFAF, but Owners in the SFAF included them as a token gesture. Financially the other teams would have to help support travel costs, and at this stage of the league not every team is capable of sharing the load, so while they are included in the list, it will be 8-10 years before they are truly ready to join the top league.

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Norrköping - Situated southwest of Stockholm, Norrköping plays in the Uppland American Football Ligan, the second largest independent league in Sweden, and the oldest, with its origin dating back to 1958. the UAFL was really only a pub league until the SFAF organized in 1964.

Like Orebro, Norrköping bid on one of the first six teams and founders felt having Eskilstuna, Uppsala and Stockholm more than covered the area. With the growth of SFAF support, Norrköping again bid in 66, but were told that securing a solid foundation in Skåne took precedent, and to resubmit for 1969.

Industrialist Stellan Johansson returned to Sweden after attending Harvard in the 30's and never lost his love for the American game. After Norrköping was left out of the 67 expansion, he threw his might behind a new bid, with support for the local team, and paid for several former collegiate players to come over and work as player coaches in Norrköping.

Johansson, and his close friend Anders Bergström were behind the proposal of a tiered system in Sweden, and see the potential of American Football in Sweden, and the television revenues that will come from it in the next decade.

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Linköping - With a strong sporting tradition in Hockey and Innebandy, the city supports its local cluben, but with a less than stellar history in Association Football (Soccer) building a top tier American Football (Football) program. Like most of the other cities on this list, Football is a new sport and has been embraced by locals looking for another program to be in the top tier of sport.

While Lund had support of SAAB in winning their bid, Linköping Jets AFC, has a SAAB Draken silhouette as their helmet logo, and has been in the top three of the Skåne American Football League every year of its existence. Like Eskilstuna, the city is behind the bid, and has brokered a deal with the 400 year old Cathedral Gymnasium to create a sports academy to include the new American Football among its sporting programs.

Linkoping-Jets_70s_by_rezland_zpsyq7dovp

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Oslo Drager (Norwegian for Dragons-of the Viking longships, the drakkar is probably the best-known style, with a dragon's head as the bow and its tail as the stern).

Copenhagen Kongelige (Danish for Royals-thanks to Hamlet, the best known distinctly known thing about Denmark is its royalty)

Im liking both of those...Norway should have a viking reference in their first team. I have been playing with Norsemen, as it is different from Viking, even if its essentially the same.

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