# Walhalla IP

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For the current football stadium, see [Valhalla IP](/source/Valhalla_IP).

**Walhalla Idrottsplats** (short form **Walhalla IP**) was a sports [stadium](/source/Stadium) in [Gothenburg](/source/Gothenburg), [Sweden](/source/Sweden) with a total capacity of 8,000. It was located near [Korsvägen](/source/Korsv%C3%A4gen), on the site that currently is the [Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre](/source/Swedish_Exhibition_and_Congress_Centre). Walhalla IP was in use between 1908 and 1921.

## History

Walhalla IP was built by [Örgryte IS](/source/%C3%96rgryte_IS) in 1908 to replace their old stadium [Balders Hage](/source/Balders_Hage) as the [Swedish Football Association](/source/Swedish_Football_Association) had banned international football on it.[1] The city deeded land to Örgryte IS for this purpose, which today is used by the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre, opposite to amusement park [Liseberg](/source/Liseberg).[1][2]

The roofed main stand had 1,200 seats, and another 6,800 spectators could be accommodated on terraces around the pitch. The stadium was modelled after [Liverpool F.C.](/source/Liverpool_F.C.)'s [Anfield](/source/Anfield).[3] At the time of its opening, Walhalla IP was the most modern stadium in [Scandinavia](/source/Scandinavia).[1] The pitch was enclosed by a slightly longer than 400 metre [running track](/source/All-weather_running_track) and other [athletics](/source/Sport_of_athletics) facilities,[3] and several Swedish athletics championships were held in the stadium.[1]

The inauguration match was played on 6 September 1908, between Örgryte and German champions [Viktoria Berlin](/source/BFC_Viktoria_1889).[1] It was the main venue for sports events in Sweden until [Stockholm Olympic Stadium](/source/Stockholm_Olympic_Stadium) was opened in 1912. The [Sweden national team](/source/Sweden_men's_national_football_team) played its first ever international against [England national football team](/source/England_national_football_team) on Walhalla IP in September 1908,[4] and [IFK Göteborg](/source/IFK_G%C3%B6teborg)—that rented the stadium from Örgryte IS—won their two first [Swedish championships](/source/List_of_Swedish_football_champions), in 1908 and 1910, there.[1]

In 1912, the stadium was the scene of one of the first known instances of Swedish [football hooliganism](/source/Football_hooliganism). IFK Göteborg supporters [stormed the pitch](/source/Pitch_invasion) to get to the referee, who had first awarded IFK a penalty kick against Örgryte IS in the last minute of the match, but then blown the final whistle before the kick could be taken.[5]

IFK Göteborg left Walhalla IP for newly built [Ullevi](/source/Gamla_Ullevi_(1916)) in 1916.[1] The land on which Walhalla IP stood was chosen as one of the sites for the 1923 [Gothenburg Tercentennial Jubilee Exposition](/source/Gothenburg_Exhibition_(1923)), and Örgryte IS was forced to move from the stadium as a consequence.[1][6] The last event at Walhalla was an international sports gala arranged by Örgryte and held on 25 September 1921.[7]

## Citations

1. Josephson & Jönsson 2004, p. 44.

1. IFK Göteborg – Arenor genom åren.

1. Persson 2011, p. 131.

1. Persson 2011, p. 133.

1. Persson 2011, pp. 225–227.

1. Alsiö 2011.

1. Jerneryd 1981, p. 96.

## References

- Alsiö, Martin (2011). *100 år med allsvensk fotboll* (in Swedish). Västerås: Idrottsförlaget i Västerås/Canal+. ISBN 978-91-977326-7-3.
- ["IFK Göteborg – Arenor genom åren"](http://www.ifkgoteborg.se/Om-IFK-Goteborg/Gamla-Ullevi/Arenor-genom-aren/) (in Swedish). IFK Göteborg. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
- Jerneryd, Roland (1981). *Hur idrotten kom till stan: Göteborgs idrottshistoria 1800–1950* (in Swedish). Göteborg: Göteborgs hembygdsförbund.
- *IFK Göteborg 1904–2004: en hundraårig blåvit historia genom elva epoker* (in Swedish). Göteborg: IFK Göteborg. 2004. ISBN 91-631-4659-2.
- Persson, Lennart K. (2011). *Den hårda kampen: fotboll i Sverige, särskilt Göteborg, före första världskriget* (in Swedish). Lindome: Bricoleur. ISBN 978-91-85411-22-1.

## External links

- [IFK Göteborg official website – Arenor genom åren](http://www.ifkgoteborg.se/Om-IFK-Goteborg/Gamla-Ullevi/Arenor-genom-aren/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Walhalla IP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walhalla_IP) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walhalla_IP?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.