Malmö FF UK and Asia Tour 1961

The tour began at Bulltofta Airport (Malmö) on Oct 29, 1961, without Eric Persson, Ingvar Svahn, Gert-Arne Nilsson and Leif Wendt, who had earlier travelled to Zürich (and then Berlin) for Swedish FA youth matches, and joined the team in London. The squad left for Bagdad on Nov 8, arriving in Tehran on Nov 15. After stops in Bombay (India) and Colombo (Ceylon) they arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, continuing to Bangkok, where they stayed at the Grand Hotel just opposite of the stadium. The next stop was Singapore, the favourite venue of the players, because it was the most "European" town but also for the Christmas shopping at Robinsons at Raffles Place. Elmstedt and Lundgren got sick and stayed at a hospital in Singapore, but the rest of the team left for Indonesia. Elmstedt and Lundgren were picked up before the journey took the team to its final destination, Kuwait. They left Kuwait on Dec 18 and arrived home in the afternoon on Dec 19, after a tour of 52 days.

Tour members

Tour leader: Maximilian Gold (twice capped for Austria in 1922; died in an elevator accident in
                              Tehran during the tour)

Chairman: Eric Persson (did not participate in the whole tour)

Team leader/Trainer: Nils-Åke Sandell

Players (19): Bertil Svensson, Tore Svensson, Rolf Björklund, Bertil Elmstedt, Rolf Eriksson, 
              Bengt Fröjd, Lars Granström, Charles Gustafsson, Gert Lundqvist, Gert-Arne Nilsson, 
              Jörgen Ohlin, Ingvar Svahn, Lennart Svensson, Henry Thillberg, Prawitz Öberg;
              loaned: Lars-Erik Ahlberg (Helsingborgs IF), Antti Lundgren and Leif Wendt (Örebro SK),
                      Bertil Nilsson (IS Halmia).

Match Overview

30-10-61  London       West Ham United       4-0 Malmö FF
 1-11-61  Swansea      Swansea Town          5-1 Malmö FF
 6-11-61  Nottingham   Nottingham Forest     5-1 Malmö FF

10-11-61  Baghdad      Iraq Military         4-3 Malmö FF
12-11-61  Baghdad      Baghdad XI            1-0 Malmö FF              [hosts also listed as Al-Ahli]

17-11-61  Teheran      Iran XI               3-3 Malmö FF
19-11-61  Teheran      Iran XI               2-0 Malmö FF

22-11-61  Penang       FA Malaya XI          3-4 Malmö FF

25-11-61  Bangkok      The Thai Bankers Ass. 0-6 Malmö FF  
26-11-61  Bangkok      Royal Thai Air Force  1-2 Malmö FF

 1-12-61  Singapore    Singapore State       0-3 Malmö FF
 2-12-61  Singapore    All-Singapore         2-3 Malmö FF

 6-12-61  Djakarta     Indonesia FA          0-2 Malmö FF              [hosts also listed as PSSI Banteng]
 9-12-61  Djakarta     Java XI               2-4 Malmö FF 
12-12-61  Semarang     Indonesia Youth XI    5-2 Malmö FF

15-12-61  Kuwait       Kuwait FA             0-2 Malmö FF
17-12-61  Kuwait       Kuwait FA             1-4 Malmö FF   

Overall record Malmö FF:   17  9  1  7  40-38  19

Malmö FF Line-Ups

30 Oct v West Ham United

Tore Svensson, Jörgen Ohlin, Rolf Björklund, Lars-Erik Ahlberg, Gert-Arne Nilsson, Lennart Svensson,
Bengt Fröjd, Lars Granström, Rolf Eriksson, Henry Thillberg, Bertil Nilsson (Ingvar Svahn 46').

 1 Nov v Swansea Town

Bertil Svensson, Jörgen Ohlin, Rolf Björklund, Antti Lundgren, Gert-Arne Nilsson, Prawitz Öberg,
Bengt Fröjd (Lars-Erik Ahlberg 46'), Lars Granström, Leif Wendt, Rolf Eriksson, Ingvar Svahn.

 6 Nov v Nottingham Forest

Tore Svensson (Bertil Svensson 46'), Jörgen Ohlin, Rolf Björklund, Lennart Svensson, Gert-Arne Nilsson,
Prawitz Öberg, Charles Gustafsson, Lars Granström, Rolf Eriksson (Antti Lundgren 46'), Lars-Erik Ahlberg,
Ingvar Svahn.

10 Nov v Iraq Military 

Tore Svensson, Jörgen Ohlin, Gert Lundqvist, Lennart Svensson (Lars-Erik Ahlberg 15'), Gert-Arne Nilsson,
Antti Lundgren, Charles Gustafsson, Henry Thillberg, Rolf Eriksson, Lars Granström, Bengt Fröjd
(Rolf Björklund 46').

12 Nov v Baghdad XI

Bertil Svensson, Jörgen Ohlin, Rolf Björklund (Henry Thillberg), Lars-Erik Ahlberg, Gert-Arne Nilsson 
(Tore Svensson), Gert Lundqvist, Bengt Fröjd, Antti Lundgren, Charles Gustafsson, Rolf Eriksson
(Lars Granström), Bertil Elmstedt.

17 Nov v Iran XI

Bertil Svensson, Gert Lundqvist, Rolf Björklund, Lennart Svensson, Gert-Arne Nilsson, Prawitz Öberg,
Charles Gustafsson (Lars-Erik Ahlberg 46'), Antti Lundgren, Leif Wendt, Rolf Eriksson, Ingvar Svahn.

19 Nov v Iran XI

Tore Svensson, Gert Lundqvist, Rolf Eriksson, Lennart Svensson, Gert-Arne Nilsson, Prawitz Öberg, 
Rolf Eriksson, Antti Lundgren, Leif Wendt, Henry Thillberg, Ingvar Svahn.

22 Nov v FA of Malaya XI

Tore Svensson (Bertil Svensson 46'), Gert Lundqvist, Rolf Björklund, Lars-Erik Ahlberg, Gert-Arne Nilsson, 
Prawitz Öberg, Bertil Elmstedt, Henry Thillberg, Leif Wendt, Lennart Svensson (Lars Granström), 
Ingvar Svahn; also Rolf Eriksson played as substitute.

25 Nov v The Thai Bankers Association

Bertil Svensson, Gert Lundqvist, Rolf Björklund, Lars-Erik Ahlberg, Bertil Elmstedt, Prawitz Öberg, 
Rolf Eriksson, Antti Lundgren, Lars Granström, Lennart Svensson, Ingvar Svahn.

26 Nov v Royal Thai Air Force 

Bertil Svensson, Gert Lundqvist, Rolf Björklund, Lars-Erik Ahlberg (Gert-Arne Nilsson 2nd half),
Bertil Elmstedt, Prawitz Öberg, Bengt Fröjd, Antti Lundgren, Lars Granström, Henry Thillberg, Ingvar Svahn.

1 Dec v Singapore State

Tore Svensson, Gert Lundqvist, Gert-Arne Nilsson, Lars-Erik Ahlberg, Bertil Elmstedt, Prawitz Öberg, 
Rolf Eriksson, Henry Thillberg, Lars Granström (Leif Wendt 60'), Lennart Svensson, Ingvar Svahn.

2 Dec v All-Singapore

Tore Svensson, Gert Lundqvist, Rolf Björklund, Lars-Erik Ahlberg, Gert-Arne Nilsson, Prawitz Öberg, 
Charles Gustafsson, Lars Granström, Leif Wendt, Rolf Eriksson (Antti Lundgren 46'), Bertil Nilsson 
(Ingvar Svahn 46').

6 Dec v PSSI XI

Bertil Svensson, Jörgen Ohlin, Rolf Eriksson, Lennart Svensson, Gert Lundqvist, Prawitz Öberg, 
Bengt Fröjd, Henry Thillberg, Leif Wendt, Rolf Eriksson (Lars Granström 65'), Ingvar Svahn;
also Lennart Svensson and Lars-Erik Ahlberg played as substitutes.

9 Dec v Java XI

Tore Svensson (Bertil Svensson 46'), Jörgen Ohlin, Gert-Arne Nilsson, Lars-Erik Ahlberg
(Bertil Nilsson 75'), Gert Lunqvist (Rolf Björklund 10'), Prawitz Öberg, Charles Gustafsson,
Lennart Svensson, Rolf Eriksson (Leif Wendt 60'), Lars Granström, Ingvar Svahn.

12 Dec v Indonesia Youth XI

Bertil Svensson, Jörgen Ohlin, Rolf Björklund, Lars-Erik Ahlberg, Gert-Arne Nilsson, Prawitz Öberg,
Bengt Fröjd, Henry Thillberg, Leif Wendt (Bertil Nilsson 2nd half), Lennart Svensson
(Lars Granström 2nd half), Ingvar Svahn (red carded).

15 Dec v Kuwait FA

Bertil Svensson, Gert Lundqvist, Rolf Björklund, Lars-Erik Ahlberg, Bertil Elmstedt (Jörgen Ohlin 46'),
Prawitz Öberg, Bengt Fröjd, Lars Granström, Rolf Eriksson, Lennart Svensson, Ingvar Svahn.

17 Dec v Kuwait FA

Bertil Svensson, Jörgen Ohlin, Rolf Björklund, Lennart Svensson, Gert Lundqvist, Prawitz Öberg, 
Charles Gustafsson, Henry Thillberg, Leif Wendt, Rolf Eriksson, Ingvar Svahn.

About this document

Main source: Malmö FF 1961 yearbook.

Prepared and maintained by Örjan Hansson and Neil Morrison for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Authors: Örjan Hansson and Neil Morrison
Last updated: 25 Feb 2016

(C) Copyright Örjan Hansson, Neil Morrison and RSSSF 2009/16
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All rights reserved.