Vejle Boldklub

Football club infobox
clubname = Vejle Boldklub


fullname = Vejle Boldklub
nickname = The Reds
short name = VB | founded = 1891
ground = Vejle Stadion, Vejle
capacity = 10,250
chairman = Flagicon|DEN Lars Skou
manager = Flagicon|DEN Ove Christensen
league = Danish Superliga
season = 2007-08
position = 1st Division, Winners
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pattern_la2=_whiteshoulders|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=_whiteshoulders
leftarm2=262624|body2=262624|rightarm2=262624|shorts2=262624|socks2=262624

Vejle Boldklub (founded in 1891) is a Danish football club with proud traditions from the town of Vejle. The club has won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times.

The homeground, Vejle Stadion, has been placed in beautiful surroundings in Nørreskoven (the northern forest) since 1922. The club has been playing in red shirts and white pants since 1911.

The main rival of Vejle Boldklub has always been AGF from Aarhus.

In the 2008/09 season Vejle Boldklub is playing in the Danish Superliga, while the reserves are playing in Danish series, group 2.

The manager of the club is Ove Christensen, who in 2007 replaced Kim Poulsen.

Current squad

:"Up to date as of September 7, 2008."

The players in bold have senior international caps.Fs player|no=1|nat=DEN|name=Jimmy Nielsen|pos=GK (captain)

New signings 2008/09

History

When 23 men from Vejle the third of may 1891 founded Vejle Boldklub, they would never had imagined that the club would go on to be one of the greatest football clubs in Danish history. This has a natural cause, since Vejle Boldklub was founded as a cricket club. Football first became a part of the clubs activities in 1902.

The first golden age

The period from 1910 to 1920 is often referred to as Vejle Boldklub’s first golden age. In this period the club took part in the Jutland championship final seven times and won it four times in 1912, 1913, 1914 and 1915.

This way Vejle Boldklub established itself as the best club in the western part of Denmark. Truly a great period in the clubs history.

The 1950s: A golden decade

About 15.000 people was seated at Vejle Stadion on may 22 1952 when Vejle Boldklub secured promotion to the second best Danish league in a nerve wrecking match against Odense KFUM. One of the central players in the Vejle team was Bent Sørensen, who later went on to become the clubs first national team player.

On may 10 1956 an even bigger triumph was secured when VB in front of 25.000 people in Parken in Copenhagen met B93 in a qualification game for a place in the best Danish league. Once again Bent Sørensen scored the winner. After this VB played in the best Danish league for 36 years, which is the record.

In 1958 the club celebrated its biggest triumph so far. For the first time Vejle Boldklub won the Danish championship - and as if that was not enough the club also went on to win the Danish cup. This made VB the first club in Denmark to win The Double. Among the profiles in the squad was Tommy Troelsen and Henning Enoksen. Tommy Troelsen was only 17 years old when he played the final.

Normally 15.000-20.000 people attended the matches in Vejle these days and they got full value for their money. Copenhagen were beaten 8-3 and Odense Boldklub was sent home with a 7-2 defeat. The manager was Frits Gotfredsen and he was the man who started developing the attacking style of play that made VB the most popular club in Denmark in this period.

The 1959 season also offered great moments for the history books. The biggest triumph was without a doubt the cup win against AGF. 33.000 people came to the national arena to see the match between the two great clubs from Jutland. VB won the game 1-0, but until this day it has never been decided who scored the winner. Both the ball, Henning Enoksen and a couple of AGF players were in the net. However, it was a goal and VB could celebrate the clubs second cup win in two years.

At the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960 four VB players were selected in the Danish side who sensationally won silver medals. The four VB players were: Henning Enoksen, Tommy Troelsen, Poul Mejer and Poul Jensen (captain).

The 1970s: A triumph march

In 1971 Vejle Boldklub celebrated its 80 years jubilee and the players gave the club the best birthday present possible: The Danish championship trophy and the clubs first ticket to the European Champions Cup. The trophy was won through great attacking football, and there was never any doubt that VB would win it.

The Danish football audience were impressed with the new top side in Danish football and thousands of people came to Vejle to enjoy the charming football of Vejle Boldklub. Among the many profiles in the team were Allan Simonsen and Flemming Serritslev. The manager was once again Frits Gotfredsen. He ended his amazing carrier in Vejle Boldklub after this big triumph.

In the 1972 season VB went on to prove that the team was now on top of Danish football. The Danish championship in 1971 was followed up by another cup triumph and once again the Danish championship ended up in Vejle – The Double.

The title was won even more convincingly than the year before after ten straight victories in the spring half of the season. It was simply VB and the others. After the 1972 season VB's biggest profile, Allan Simonsen, joined the German giants Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he was named European Footballer of the Year in 1977 as the only Danish player in history.

In the 1975 season VB did not live up to the huge expectations in the league. However, the club delivered some great attacking football in the cup tournament and went on to win the final for the fourth time with a 1-0 victory over Holbæk. Club record holder, Gert Eg, scored with a great first timer, which qualified VB for the European Cup Winners Cup.

The 19th of may 1977 Vejle Boldklub won its third cup final in only six years. The fifth cup triumph was won with a 2-1 victory against B1909. The goal scorers for Vejle was Ib Jacquet and Knud Nørregård. VB could now name itself the best cup team in Denmark – a status that was taken away from AGF.

In the following season, 1978, Vejle Boldklub underlined its top position in Danish football by winning the Danish title for the fourth time in the clubs history. Manager, Poul Erik Bech, and his players could celebrate the victory in Vejle before the last game as AGF and Esbjerg fB could no longer catch the reds. Among the profiles in the team were Alex Nielsen, Tommy Hansen and Ulrik le Fevre, who later became the first player to score Tor des Jahres in the German Bundesliga.

The 1980s: The trophies are brought to Vejle

In 1978 Vejle Boldklub became the first team to win the Danish title after the involvement of money in Danish football. But as it turned out VB would find it difficult to adapt to the new times.

However, in the beginning of the decade VB continued in the footsteps of the successful 1970s. On the 28th of May 1981 Boldklubben Frem was beaten 2-1 in the cup final. This meant that the beautiful trophy - which the Danish clubs had been fighting for since 1955 - was brought to Vejle permanently and placed in the club house in Nørreskoven.

In 1983 Allan Simonsen – same year named the third best player in Europe – returned back to Vejle Boldklub. Simonsen had a big impact on the team and was a major profile as the club went on to win its fifth Danish title in 1984. With this victory the greatest trophy in Danish football found a permanent spot in the club house in Vejle next to the cup winners trophy. Among the biggest profiles in the squad was John Sivebæk, Allan Simonsen and Steen Thychosen, who became the league top scorer with 24 goals.

After some indifferent seasons VB was in 1988 taken over by four local business men. Once again the club started dreaming about titles and the fans were excited by the signings of star players such as Preben Elkjær Larsen, John Larsen and Keld Bordinggaard. However, the new manager, Ebbe Skovdahl, could not get the team to work together even though he had several star players in his side.

1991: A black year in VB’s history

Vejle Boldklub’s centenary was celebrated in the worst possible manner with relegation to the second tier for the first time since 1956. Many star players went to play for other clubs and a sad atmosphere of crisis descended upon Vejle. The four businessmen left the club, but ensured on their way out that it was not in dire straits. To turn things around VB hired their old star player Allan Simonsen as new manager. However, it was a thankless task for Simonsen, who started his managing carrier with a defeat.

In 1994 the successful manager from 1981, Ole Fritsen, was named as the new manager of Vejle Boldklub. As a former youth coach in the club, Ole knew all about the many talented young players in VB, amongst which were the Danes Thomas Gravesen, Kaspar Dalgas and Peter Graulund. Ole started to build up a new team around these young players.

Vejle Boldklub was back in the top Danish league in 1995. Ole Fritsen’s young team played impressive, charming and attacking football, which earned them runners-up medals in 1997 and qualification for the UEFA Cup on two occasions. For his fine work, Ole Fritsen was named Danish Manager of the Year in 1997.

2000: Crises and rebuilding

In the beginning of the new millennium VB was relegated from the best Danish league for the second time in the clubs history. However, the club was back after only one season in the second best league, but it turned out to be a shot visit as the club was relegated the same season. This turned out to be the beginning of a serious crises. In 2004 VB was almost relegated to the third league and the club was threatened by bankruptcy. This resulted in some desperate attempts to "save" the club through amalgamations with clubs in north, south, east and west.

But late in 2004 another turning point occurred as a group of visionary businessmen reconstructed the clubs economy and launched the so called four point plan: A new stadium, promotion to the best league, income through other business than football and a new sponsor strategy. In 2006 VB was back in the best league. However, the club got a miserable start to the season with nine defeats in a row and had to leave the good company once again. But a successful second half of the season pointed in the right direction and the optimism was back in the club.

Today VB brings together the most successful businesses in the south-east of Jutland, which potentially makes the club one of the richest in Danish football. And where the club earlier had to look in vain for local support it is today seen as an attractive investment.

In the spring of 2008 Vejle Boldklub opened the gates to a new modern stadium. The name is still Vejle Stadion and the stadium is still placed in Nørreskoven.

The fifth of June 2008 VB made a new record as the most sovereign winner of the Danish 1. division ever. The promotion to the Superliga was secured with impressive 78 points for 30 matches.

Honours

Danish championship
* Winners: 1958, 1971, 1972, 1978, 1984
* Runners-up: 1965, 1974, 1997

Danish Cup
*1958, 1959, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1981

Europe

1973 was the year when Vejle Boldklub debuted in the European Champion Clubs' Cup. Vejle was put up against one of the biggest clubs in Europe at the time; Anderlecht from Belgium. Vejle gave the Belgians a good match, but the reds could not keep Anderlecht from progressing in the tournament.

The highligt of Vejle Boldklub's European history came in 1978, when the club went all the way to the quarter finals in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, where VB lost out to dutch side FC Twente.

The last time Vejle Boldklub played in Europe was in 1998, when the reds were drawn with Real Betis in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Betis came to Denmark with a great team including the starplayer Denílson. But against all odds VB won the first match against the Spanish stars as Peter Graulund scored the winnner in the dying minuts of the game. However, in Sevilla VB could not follow up on the good result and lost 5-0.

Notable former players

1950s
*Poul Mejer (1950)
*Poul Jensen (1953)
*Knud Herbert Sørensen (I) (1954)
*Tommy Troelsen (1957)
*Henning Enoksen (1957)
*Bent Sørensen (1957)1960s
*Johnny Hansen (1962)
*Karsten Lund (1962)
*Ole Fritsen (1963)
*Ulrik le Fevre (1965)
*Jørgen Markussen (1966)
*Flemming Serritslev (1966)1970s
*Iver Schriver (1970)
*Allan Simonsen (1971)
*Knud Herbert Sørensen (II) (1971)
*Gert Eg (1973)
*Ib Jacquet (1975)
*Ulrich Thychosen (1975)
*Steen Thychosen (1977)
*Alex Nielsen (1978)1980s
*John Sivebæk (1980)
*Troels Rasmussen (1980)
*Finn Christensen (1981)
*Henrik Risom (1986)
*Johnny Mølby (1987)
*Brian Steen Nielsen (1988)
*Preben Elkjær Larsen (1988)
*Keld Bordinggaard (1989)
*John Larsen (1989)
*Jacob Laursen (1989)1990s
*Kaspar Dalgas (1995)
*Thomas Gravesen (1995)
*Peter Graulund (1995)
*Dejvi Glavevski (1995)

Recent history

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Note: 1D = Danish Superliga, 2D = Danish 1st Division

Achievements

*43 "seasons" in the "Highest Danish League"
*17 "seasons" in the "Second Highest Danish League"
*9 "seasons" in the "Third Highest Danish League"

External links

*da icon [http://www.vejle-boldklub.dk/ Official website]
*da icon [http://www.vb-fan.dk/ The Crazy Reds: Official Vejle fanclub]
*da icon [http://www.red-lightning.tk/ Red Lightning: Unofficial Vejle fanclub]
*da icon [http://www.romshule.dk/ Roms Hule - en side om Vejle Boldklub]