Boldklubben Frem (also known as Frem, BK Frem or BK Frem Copenhagen) is a Danish

sports club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...

based in the

Valby Valby () is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is in the southwestern corner of Copenhagen Municipality, and has a mixture of different types of housing. This includes apartment blocks, terraced housing, areas with single ...

- Sydhavnen area of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. It is best known for its semi-professional football

team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to inf ...

. Since its foundation in 1886, Frem has won the Danish Championships six times and the

Danish Cup The Danish Cup ( da, Landspokalturneringen; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955. The winner will quali ...

twice. Until the disastrous bankruptcy in 1993, Frem had played in the top division all but six seasons. After the bankruptcy the club fought its way back to the top of Danish football, but in 2010 it went bankrupt again and was demoted to the

Copenhagen Series Copenhagen Series for men ( da, Københavnsserien for Herrer; Herre Københavnsserien), unofficially also known as Københavnerserien and often shortened to KS serien and KS Herre, is the highest division for men organised by the regional football ...

—the fifth tier in the Danish league system. After two back to back promotions, the club now participates in the Danish 2nd Division, the third tier. The club also has a youth and amateur football branch, as well as a

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

team. It is also involved in the running of the KIES sports boarding school.

History

Early years

BK Frem were founded as Fremskridtsklubbens Cricketklub on 17 July 1886 by a group of seditious young men from the then

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

hostile

Venstre Reform Party VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. (, ), full name Venstre, Danmarks Li ...

, as a cloak for political activities. In 1887 football was introduced and the name was changed to ''Boldklubben Frem, stiftet af Fremskridtsklubben'' (lit. Danish: The Ball Club Forward, founded by the Progress Club). In the first two years of the life of the club, only two sports matches were played, but when the Danish Football Association introduced a football tournament in 1889, the club was invited to participate, and in 1890 Frem became the first Danish club to beat KB in a football match. In 1902 Frem became unofficial Danish champions when they won the league played under the auspices of the Danish FA. This was the first ever senior title won by the club. In 1905, the club moved to its own field at Enghavevej, Vesterbro, obtaining its distinct working class profile. To this day, both the

Social Democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...

and the Union of Metalworkers holds Frem sponsorships. In 1912, Frem joined the representative team

Stævnet Stævnet ( da, the event or ''the meeting'') or Copenhagen XI were a Danish association football representative team which had its prime before 1970, however it was active until 1994. Stævnet participated in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the precu ...

which arranged lucrative exhibition matches and played a decisive role in Danish football politics.

Palmy days

In the years 1923–1944, Frem won six Danish Championships.

Division Yo-Yoing

Since 1983 Frem had been battling economically, and in 1993 saw themselves demoted to the Danmarksserien following a bankruptcy, which was due to a

debt Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money or other agreed-upon value to another party, the creditor. Debt is a deferred payment, or series of payments, which differentiates it from an immediate purchase. The ...

of DKK 8,500,000 and allegations of fraud. Following a short but expensive spell in the Superliga in 2003–2004, Frem were once again on the verge of bankruptcy with a debt of DKK 10,000,000. In 2010, after years of uncertain economy, the club once again went bankrupt and was demoted to the

Supporters

Frem's official supportergroup is called "BK Frem Support". It is Denmark's oldest supporters club, formed in 1986. Frem fans are especially known for unconditional love and support. Even when demoted to the fifth tier, attendances almost didn't drop.

Home ground

Frem play their home matches at the modest and somewhat worn-down, municipality-owned

Valby Idrætspark Valby Idrætspark is a multi-purpose stadium in Valby od Copenhagen, Denmark. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Boldklubben Frem. Valby Idrætspark has hosted a total of nine Danish FA-recognized internat ...

. In the early years, Frem were located on

Østerbro Østerbro () (literally, "Eastern Bridge") is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located just north of the city centre, outside the old city gate Østerport which, after it was moved around 1700, used to be located clos ...

in Copenhagen, playing its matches at Blegdamsfælleden, alongside its main rivals in the early years; AB and KB. In 1905 Frem moved to its own field at Enghavevej, Vesterbro. Being a field-owning club gave Frem the advantage of entry fees. Its location however lead to some muttering from football fans who found it to be too far out of town. In 1942, Frem moved to

, where the current main stand was erected in 1965. Throughout the years a lot of matches has been played at Idrætsparken. It is unclear when this tradition was discontinued. During the 2000s, there where several plans for a new stadium, but they were never realized. In 2006 the

Copenhagen Municipality Copenhagen Municipality ( da, Københavns Kommune), also known in English as the Municipality of Copenhagen, located in the Capital Region of Denmark, is the largest of the four municipalities that constitute the City of Copenhagen (), the othe ...

predicted that the main stand of the current Valby Idrætspark would last another 5–10 years.
As of April 2007 major investments in the current stadium are put on hold as a decision on the construction of a new stadium is being awaited. A final decision is expected was April

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

. Hans Hermansen, then

managing director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of BK Frem, has indicated that according to the plan, the construction of a new stadium should commence no later than 2010. However, the municipality estimated 2012. Frem suggested that it might be completed by 2016. In January 2016 the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

ordered a renovation of the existing stadium, worth 3 mio €, thus cancelling plans for a new stadium in the near future. The renovation is due ultimo 2017.

Sponsorships

After the clubs bankruptcy in summer 2010, Frem got a helping hand from Danish brewery giant Carlsberg. Being from the same city they signed on as main sponsor, because they saw it as a chance to help the fellow

-based brand back on its feet. In July 2013 an extension for three years was announced. On 11 June 2016 it was prolonged for another three years.
In June 2015 Frem announced they would switch back from Diadora to their old shirt partner, Hummel, starting from the 2015/2016 season.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Honours

* Danish Champions **Winners (6):

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

, 1933,

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

, 1941,

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

**''Runner-up'' (9): 1930, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1948, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1976 **''3rd placed'' (6): 1934, 1955, 1957, 1968, 1971, 1992 *

**Winners (2): 1956, 1978 **''Runner-up'' (3): 1969, 1971, 1981 * Unofficial Danish Champions **Winners (1): 1902 **''Runner-up'' (3): 1899, 1901, 1903 * Copenhagen Champions **Winners (3): 1904, 1923, 1933 **''Runner-up'' (8): 1906, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1918, 1922, 1929, 1937 * KBUs Pokalturnering **Winners (6):

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...

, 1938,

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * Januar ...

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 ...

, 1946 **''Runner-up'' (9): 1913, 1918, 1919, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1934, 1939, 1944 * Baneklubberne Cup **Winners (1): 1911 * UEFA Intertoto Cup **Winners (2): 1969, 1977

Club officials

Chairman: Per Jakobsen
Head Coach: Lasse Holmgaard
Assistant Coach: Samir Karadza
Goalkeeping Coach: Morten Cramer
Fitness Coach: Martin Frandsen
Reserve Team Coach: Martin E. Jensen
U19 Team Coach: Kim Voss
U17 Team Coach: Christian Antonsen

Head Coach history

Season-by-season results

Recent years

League status

Post 1993 bankruptcy and demotion

ImageSize = width:800 height:50 PlotArea = left:50 right:50 bottom:20 top:10 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1994 till:2017 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:1994 Colors = id:1d value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5) id:2d value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.3) id:3d value:rgb(0.8,0.6,0.6) id:4d value:rgb(0.192,0.192,0.192) id:5d value:rgb(0.7,0.7,0.6) PlotData= bar:Position width:15 color:white align:center from:01/01/1994 till:31/12/1995 color:4d shift:(0,13) text: " DS" from:01/01/1996 till:30/06/1997 color:3d shift:(0,13) text: " 2. DIV (East)" from:01/07/1997 till:30/07/2003 color:2d shift:(0,13) text: " 1. Division" from:01/07/2003 till:30/07/2004 color:1d shift:(0,13) text: "

Superligaen The Danish Superliga ( da, Superligaen, ) is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each yea ...

" from:01/07/2004 till:30/07/2010 color:2d shift:(0,13) text: " 1. Division" from:01/07/2010 till:30/07/2011 color:5d shift:(0,13) text: " CS" from:01/07/2011 till:30/07/2012 color:4d shift:(0,13) text: " DS" from:01/07/2012 till:30/07/2017 color:3d shift:(0,13) text: " 2. DIV"
Green denotes the highest level of football in Denmark; yellow the second-highest; red the third-highest; black the fourth-highest; grey the fifth-highest.

All time

ImageSize = width:800 height:50 PlotArea = left:50 right:50 bottom:20 top:10 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1885 till:2018 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1885 Colors = id:1d value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5) id:2d value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.3) id:3d value:rgb(0.8,0.6,0.6) id:4d value:rgb(0.192,0.192,0.192) id:5d value:rgb(0.7,0.7,0.6) PlotData= bar:Position width:15 color:white align:center from:01/07/1889 till:30/06/1895 color:1d shift:(0,13) from:01/07/1896 till:31/12/1960 color:1d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1961 till:31/12/1963 color:2d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1964 till:31/12/1980 color:1d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1981 till:31/12/1982 color:2d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1983 till:31/12/1985 color:1d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1986 till:31/12/1988 color:2d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1989 till:31/12/1991 color:1d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1991 till:31/12/1992 color:1d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1993 till:31/12/1993 color:2d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1994 till:31/12/1995 color:4d shift:(0,13) from:01/01/1996 till:30/06/1997 color:3d shift:(0,13) from:01/07/1997 till:30/07/2003 color:2d shift:(0,13) from:01/07/2003 till:30/07/2004 color:1d shift:(0,13) from:01/07/2004 till:30/07/2010 color:2d shift:(0,13) from:01/07/2010 till:30/07/2011 color:5d shift:(0,13) from:01/07/2011 till:30/07/2012 color:4d shift:(0,13) from:01/07/2012 till:30/07/2017 color:3d shift:(0,13)
Green denotes the highest level of football in Denmark; yellow the second-highest; red the third-highest; black the fourth-highest; grey the fifth-highest.

European competitions record

Cricket

Club

The Cricket branch is one of the oldest in Denmark.
It is still active and at the moment have a team in the 2nd-best tier.

Officials

Chairman: Kingsley Peiris

Honors

*Copenhagen Champions ** Winners (2): 1894, 1898 .

Footnotes and references

External links

Official website

Historical archive
{{commons category, Boldklubben Frem Frem, Boldklubben Frem, Boldklubben Frem, Boldklubben 1886 establishments in Denmark Football clubs in Copenhagen