Gustav Björk

Gustav "Måsen" Björk (10 July 1900 – 12 May 1928) was a Swedish football player, best known for being a prolific goalscorer for Hammarby IF. In 1921, he won two caps for the Sweden national football team.[1]

Gustav Björk
Björk in 1923.
Personal information
Full name Gustav William Björk
Date of birth (1900-07-10)10 July 1900
Place of birth Stockholm, Sweden
Date of death 12 May 1928(1928-05-12) (aged 27)
Place of death Stockholm, Sweden
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1917–1925 Hammarby IF 49 (32)
Total 49 (32)
National team
1921 Sweden 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Athletic career

Football

In 1917, at age 16, Björk was promoted to the senior squad of Hammarby IF. The following years, the club failed to reach the later stages of Svenska Mästerskapet, a cup by then held to decide the Swedish Champions.[2][3][4]

Björk soon became known as a prolific goalscorer and established himself as one of Hammarby's key players, together with goalkeeper Victor "Kucku" Olsson and defender Gösta Wihlborg.[5][4][6]

In 1921, Hammarby debuted in the Svenska Serien, by then the highest league in Swedish football. He played 17 competitive games and scored 9 goals throughout the season, as the club finished third in the table, three points behind winners Örgryte.[7] The same year, Björk won two caps for the Sweden national football team, featuring in two 0–3 losses against Norway and Finland[8][6]

Hammarby had an other strong showing where they went to the finals of Svenska Mästerskapet in 1922, losing 1–3 to GAIS in a game where Björk scored the consolidation goal for his side.[9][4]

In 1924, Hammarby IF was one of the founding members of Allsvenskan, a new league that was established to determine the Swedish Champions. Björk played 10 games and scored twice throughout the season, but was unable to save his club from an immediate relegation to the second tier.[10]

He was forced to retire from football in 1925 due to suffering from diabetes.[11]

Other sports

Like many footballers at the time, Björk also played bandy with Hammarby IF between 1918 and 1925.[12][10][6]

In 1921, the club founded their ice hockey department, and on 7 March the same year, Björk became the very first goalscorer for Hammarby IF in a 7–5 win against IF Linnéa.[7] He was part of their roster for two seasons in total.[13]

Personal life

Björk died on 12 May 1928, aged 27, due to appendicitis.[14][6]

Works cited
  • Persson, Gunnar (1996). Hammarby IF: En klubbhistoria 1897–1997 (in Swedish). Strömbergs Bokförlag. ISBN 91-7151-097-4.

References
  1. "National football team player Gustav Björk". EU-Fotball.info. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  2. Persson, p. 60-62
  3. "1917" (in Swedish). HIF Historia. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  4. "Julkalendern lucka 3: SM-spel med silver" (in Swedish). Hammarby Fotboll. 3 December 2014. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014.
  5. "Oövervinnerliga GAIS imponerade ej igår" (PDF) (in Swedish). Idrottsbladet. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  6. "Gustav Björk". HIF Historia (in Swedish). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  7. "1921" (in Swedish). HIF Historia. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  8. "Sveriges landslagsmän 1908-2017". Swedish Football Association (in Swedish). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  9. "1922". HIF Historia (in Swedish). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  10. "1925". HIF Historia (in Swedish). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  11. "1926". HIF Historia (in Swedish). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  12. "1917" (in Swedish). HIF Historia. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  13. "Gustaf Björk". Eliteprospects. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  14. "1928". HIF Historia (in Swedish). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
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