Won the national cup in 1966 and 1970.
Finished third in 1969, and won the league in 1995.
COACH:
The current AaB-coach is Swede Hans Backe.
He took over the AaB-squad in January 1998, following a double-sacking of former coach
Per Westergaard, and before that the firing of the former Danish national coach Sepp Piontek
(who is now employed with Silkeborg IF). Backe has formerly coached in both Sweden and Norway,
and seems to be the right man to get some discipline into both the board and the players.
So far, Backe has now coached AaB for more 3/4 of a year, and we have improved MASSIVELY in that period. Although the spring-season didn't go too well, we've had an awesome beginning to the 98/99 season - and if you count backwards, we haven't lost a game in almost 20 matches (counting the end of last season and training-matches during the summer).
He has also attracted foreign players; Dutchman Clemens Zwijnenberg (who is now on loan to Bristol City), Norwegian international Staale Solbakken (this guy is THE captain) and also two Swedish players - defender Jozo Matovac and attacker Dan Sahlin
Headcoach Hans Backe
Norwegian star Staale Solbakken
THE BOARD:
Well, much can be said about the AaB-board, and not all of it good things.
They have made many good signings over the years, such as Jes H�gh (bought for 700.00 kroners, played half a season, then sold for 10 million kroners), Jens Madsen, Thomas Gill (goalkeeper in our golden 94/95 season), S�ren Andersen. More recently Staale Solbakken, Sahlin and Matovac have all been good signings too.
Unfortunately, some stupid things have also been done, such as firing former coach Sepp Piontek after only a year, in which we were hard-pushed because of our taking part in the
Champions League. Then after that firing the next coach Per Westergaard TWICE, and also making a great fuss about the lights at the stadium
just before important games. Furthermore, it has become apparent from players like
Johnny M�lby and Jens Madsen, who have now left the club, that the board is certainly
not as professional as it would like to see itself.
Perhaps these things have now changed, it could seem that way with the recent introduction of shares.
All in all, a conservative board that is afraid of making too radical changes, lead by the fairly unknown, conservative J�rgen Brix Steby, and still-not-too-popular sportsmanager
Lynge Jacobsen.
1995/1996 SUMMARY:
Got off to a blinding start in the league, but failed to qualify for
the Champions League, although we were put in after Dynamo Kiev
(who beat us in the qualification) were caught trying to bribe a
referee. In the Champions League things went like this:
FC PORTO - AaB: 2-0, NANTES - AaB: 3-1, AaB - PANATHINAIKOS: 2-1,
AaB - NANTES: 0-2, PANATHINAIKOS - AaB: 2-0, AaB - FC PORTO: 2-2.
(Click here to hear what it sounded like
when Jens Madsen made it 2-1 at home to FC Porto) (93 K)
This cost us a lot of points in the league, and when spring came around,
top-striker Erik Bo Andersen was sold, and S�ren Andersen was brought
in. He did very well, but we ended up in 5th position in the league,
missing out on European contention.
1996/1997 SUMMARY:
AaB got off to yet another blinding start, winning the first 4-5 games.
Then we ran into a 6-1 trouncing by AGF, and things started to go a little more
against us. Still, AaB managed some good results, like a 2-2 result away to Br�ndby
where AaB were 2-0 down. By the time winter-break came around, AaB were firmly in
second position, looking sure of qualifying for Europe. But alas, things were to go
another way. First of all, Br�ndby knocked us out of the domestic cup, and AaB then
missed several golden opportunities to go top of the league, which ultimately lead to
an 11-game streak in which AaB didn't win. When it was all over, AaB ended up in 5th
place, just outside of European contention, AGAIN!
1997/1998 SUMMARY
My view of this season
Well, another season has passed by, and once again it seems like we missed the train. The 7th place in the league is somewhat misleading if you ask me, but we only have ourselves to blame for not being further up the league than that.
The season got off to a shaky start, it took three games before we broke the long line of games without a win, but when it finally came (3-0 against Vejle) it put us on a roll, and wins against AGF and, more noteably, Br�ndby followed. The new man Allan Gaarde settled very quickly, and I must admit that I have never seen anyone make the leap from the 2nd division to the Superliga this quickly - simply amazing!!
After that succesfull period, a few losses and the a sacking of Per Westergaard as coach followed. Assistant coach Lars S�ndergaard managed to put the pieces together brilliantly for the last 6 games of the autumn-season, including the most entertaining AaB-games this season: 5-0 win against Lyngby and 6-1 against AB. Just before the autumn-season ended, we played the 1/8th and quarter-final games of the national cup.
The 1/8th-final is probably THE away-game of the season (okay, it's a tie with the 0-1 win in Odense). A 2-1 victory was gained at Vejle, but AaB did the "usual" thing and drew Br�ndby in the quarterfinal and a narrow exit followed.
The expectations for the spring-season rose more and more as the 4 month winter-break wore on. First the signing of Dutchman Clemens Zwijnenberg, and then the brilliant stroke of genius by signing Staale Solbakken from Wimbledon for a very small fee.
However, these expectations were let down, just like a year earlier, when new coach Hans Backe failed to produce any miracles right away. I guess it was unfair to expect as much of him and the players, but fans have a tendency to be more hopefull than realistic. Too many inconsistent matches screwed things up, and even though the team started performing well in the last 4-5 matches, it was too little too late. In my opinion, we the fans have just got to be more patient and supportive of what's going on, and things will eventually be good for us again. Staale Solbakken has vowed to stay at AaB, but Clemens Zwijnenberg's days at AaB are probably (I don't hope so, I'm just being realistic) over.
HOME FORM:
AaB are now back to having a strong home-field advantage, following a couple of years with some bleak results (like Herf�lge, AB and Hvidovre victoreis in Aalborg).
Only the true fans in the west-end of the
stadium have stuck with the players through all of the troubled times.
Gates have averaged between 6000 and 7500 the past two seasons, but in this new season it seems we may come closer to averaging 9,000 - 10,000t.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
International players Dan Sahlin and Staale Solbakken are both a joy to watch. Another note-worthy striker is S�ren Frederiksen - our current topscorer who does the wackiest celebrations around.
In defense, several youngsters have gotten their breakthrough, especially Thomas B�lum, and goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen who has saved AaB many points on several occasions. Both are now established U-21 national players witha bright future ahead of them
KIT:
Red and white striped shirts, white shorts with three red stripes, and white socks with three
red stripes
PLAY AT:
Aalborg Stadion in Aalborg.
CAPACITY:
Only 13,600 people are allowed past the gates, although many
would like to see an expansion of the stadium, and roofing in the
two "ends". Unfortunately, the Aalborg city council are a bunch
of twats, who promised us everything when we won the championship three seasons ago, but refused to spend any money on stadium renovation when things started going a little wrong - thanks for nothing!! The latest promise is that within 1999/2000 the stadium will be renewed, meaning that both ends will be roofed and a new stand will be built. This idea has now come even closer to being realised, with AaB's recent sale of shares - meaning that we can now help pay for the rebuilding ourselves.
RECORD ATTENDANCE:
22,000 against Br�ndby (official count) in autumn 1994
Personally, I think there were at least 25,000.
WE ALL HATE:
Br�ndby (the most hated/loved team in Denmark).
Br�ndby is the classic "hate-team" in Aalborg, most likely because the greater part of their fans is made up of people who only follow the winning team, and the fact that the Br�ndby-players are more often than not from Sealand but from Jutland. Another not-too-popular opponent is AGF, since the matches between the two teams are considered the "Battle of Jutland", and the fact that some AGF "fans" have
made a bad habit of attacking the AaB-fans at matches as of late - w*nkers!
CELEBRITY SUPPORTERS:
Bob Anders, VJ on Danish TV2, news-anchor Jeppe S�e at the
Danish tv-station TV3, politicians Peter Brixtofte, Frank Aaen and the Danish minister of justice Frank Jensen. A couple of musicians are also known to support AaB: Lars Lilholt and S�ren Sko. If anyone knows of others, please mail me.
