SfB-Oure

Svendborg fB's ups and downs (1900–2004)

Founded on 25 January 2018, SfB-Oure FA is the superstructure of Oure Fodbold Akademi, a football academy which is part of Skolerne i Oure, the largest boarding school environment in Denmark, and Svendborg fB, which has a long-standing history as an association football club in the Danish football league system.

The main parent club of this merger, Svendborg fB has a history dating back to the dawn of the 20th century. In the spring of 1900, a group of young men decided to establish a cricket club, "Phoenix", which in 1901 was renamed "Union", its founding date set to 2 April 1901 to commemorate the centennial of the Battle of Copenhagen of 1801. Following the formation of the club, the side started to play association football as one of the first clubs in Svendborg, which gradually suppressed the interest in cricket. The Svendborg club joined DBU Funen (FBU) in 1906, two years after the foundation of the local football federation, which officially made football a part of the club. Their first match under the FBU, in which they wore a kit consisting of black shorts and red and white striped jerseys and had their home ground at Nyborgvej Stadium, resulted in a 5–

0 win over North Funen side Start Otterup from Otterup. In the summer of 1915, the club changed its name to Svendborg Boldklub (SB). By winning the local rounds organised by the local football federation, the Svendborg-based club managed to qualify as FBU's only representative to participate in the 1925–26 season of the Denmark Tournament, a Danish FA-organised club football tournament between the championship clubs from each of the six regional football associations. Here, Svendborg Boldklub only made one appearance, on 30 May 1926, a match which was played in Vejle during the second round of the tournament DBU Jutland (JBU)'s representative Horsens fS, which they lost 3–1.

In 1954, another Svendborg-side was founded, Kammeraternes Boldklub (KB), who became a direct competitor to Svendborg Boldklub, a rivalry emanating from the clubs' table tennis departments. KB was formed through a merger between the sports clubs Fremad (Est. 1938) and Frem (Est. 1926 as Arbejdernes Boldklub (AB), name change to Frem in 1932), and had its home ground at Skovsbovej Stadium. Svendborg Boldklub had for years been close to reaching promotion to the 3rd Division (then Denmark's third highest tier) via its predecessor Kvalifikationsturneringen (Qualification Tournament; popularly called the "4th Division", today known as the Denmark Series). Meanwhile, Kammeraternes Boldklub only competed in the regional divisions, the Funen Series at the fifth highest tier. Between 1961 and 1962, the "bourgeoisie" club Svendborg Boldklub and the so-called working-class side Kammeraternes Boldklub merged and continued under the new name, Svendborg forenede Boldklubber (Svendborg fB or SfB), keeping Svendborg Boldklub's original founding date. In 1970, the new sports facility, Høge Bøge Stadium, was made the club's new official home ground.

Three years after uniting with the local rivals, the merger club managed to qualify for the Danish divisions for the first time in Svendborg fB's history by securing promotion to the Danish 3rd Division ahead of the 1964 season. Divisional status was lost after relegating to the newly created Denmark Series, the fourth tier, which was the tier below the three divisions, where the club played in the 1967, 1968 and 1970 seasons. In 1969, Richard Møller Nielsen was appointed head coach for Svendborg fB. Under him, the side claimed the Danish 3rd Division West championship and reached promotion to the Danish 2nd Division in the 1972 season, the first time appearance at this level in club history. Møller Nielsen would later coach the Denmark national team to victory at the 1992 European Championship. From the 1971 season until the 2002–03 season the club had an uninterrupted run in the Danish divisions, with, among others, striker John Eriksen (1975–1977, 1991–1993). Led by head coach Viggo Jensen (1982–1987), the club experienced its third-best season in the 1986 Danish 2nd Division. At the onset of this stretch the club's spectator record also occurred, with over 8,000 spectators present at Høje Bøge Stadium on 9 November 1975 – the end of the 1975 Danish 2nd Division – where the club faced eventual promotee and regional rivals Odense Boldklub (OB). Svendborg fB never managed to participate in the highest tier of Danish football, but played in the second tier for 15 seasons the third tier for 26 seasons. Svendborg fB reached the greatest achievement its league history in the 1996–97 season, finishing third, only six points from promotion to the Danish Superliga. In a direct match for promotion at Høje Bøge Stadium against eventual promotees, Aarhus Fremad, on 9 June 1997, the Funen club lost 1–3.