Allan Gaarde
Encyclopedia
Allan Gaarde is a Danish
former professional football player in the midfielder
position, who played 227 games and scored 48 goals for AaB Aalborg, and won the 1999 Danish Superliga
championship with the club. He also played abroad for Italian
club Udinese Calcio
and Norwegian
club Viking FK, before ending his career with Vejle Boldklub
in Denmark.
Gaarde usually played on the left of midfield, and his main assets were his technnique, vision, distribution and heading.
, Gaarde started playing with a local amateur club at the age of five. He played youth football with Vejle Boldklub
, but did not like the atmosphere in the team, and decided to end his dream of a professional career at the age of 16. He returned to amateur football in Grindsted. At the age of 20, Gaarde was poised to start an academic education, when an offer from lower-league Denmark Series
club Vejen SF prompted him to reignite his footballing career instead. He helped the club win promotion
for the Danish 2nd Division
, and was approached by a number of Danish clubs in the Summer 1997.
He turned professional at the age of 22, as he signed a contract with top-flight club Aalborg BK before the 1997-98 Superliga
season. He was signed to replace retired defender Ib Simonsen, though Gaarde made it clear that his favoured position was in midfield. Gaarde had a remarkable start at Aalborg BK. In the 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup, the club lost a game 2-8 to Dutch
club SC Heerenveen, and Gaarde was promptly moved to the midfield. In his Superliga debut on July 27, 1997, Gaarde was sent off
in a 0-0 draw with Odense BK
. Despite the negatives, Gaarde quickly established himself in the team, as he played 31 of 33 league games and scored six goals in his first season with Aalborg BK. One of his most remarkable games came in a game against Vejle Boldklub in October 1998. Aalborg was down 0-2 when Gaarde came on as a substitute in the 60th minute and promptly scored a hat-trick
in nine minutes to help Aalborg win 4-2. He played 31 of 33 games and scored eight goals in the 1998-99 Superliga
season, as Aalborg BK won the second championship in club history. He played a total 109 league games and scored 22 goals for Aalborg BK from 1997 to 2000.
While at Aalborg BK, Gaarde had played four games in the UEFA Cup
and UEFA Intertoto Cup
tournaments against Italian
club Udinese Calcio
, who had not been able to handle his awkward playing style. In December 2000, Gaarde was bought by Udinese Calcio under manager Roy Hodgson
. He made his Serie A debut on January 7, 2001, in a 1-3 defeat to AC Perugia. While at Udinese, Gaarde was sent off during a game without even playing. Hodgson soon left the club, and Gaarde did not find playing success at Udinese. He suffered from injuries, and only played eight league games in the Serie A
championship.
He moved back to Aalborg BK in spring 2002, and played his come-back game for Aalborg BK in May 2002. In February 2005, Gaarde had a training ground argument with Aalborg team-mate David Nielsen, who punched Gaarde and was subsequently fired from the club. In June 2005, Gaarde played his last Superliga game for the club. He played a combined total of 227 games and scored 48 goals in all competitions for Aalborg BK.
Gaarde moved to Norwegian
club Viking FK, once again playing under Roy Hodgson. Though Hodgson soon left the club, Gaarde was a success at Viking FK, and scored four goals in his first 13 games for the club. He was named team captain. When Gaarde suffered an injury in 2007, fellow Dane Nicolai Stokholm
took over the role as captain. Gaarde played a combined total of 136 games and scored 25 goals in all competitions for Viking FK.
In January 2009, he moved back to Denmark to play for relegation
battlers Vejle Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. In his debut game for Vejle, Gaarde was sent off in a 1-1 draw with FC Nordsjælland
. He played 11 of the last 16 games of the 2008-09 Superliga
, scoring one goal, but Gaarde could not keep Vejle from being relegated at the end of the season. He stayed with the club in the secondary Danish 1st Division
, but suffered a knee injury and ended his career in February 2010.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
former professional football player in the midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
position, who played 227 games and scored 48 goals for AaB Aalborg, and won the 1999 Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
championship with the club. He also played abroad for Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
and Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
club Viking FK, before ending his career with Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub 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....
in Denmark.
Gaarde usually played on the left of midfield, and his main assets were his technnique, vision, distribution and heading.
Career
Born in GrindstedGrindsted
Grindsted with a population of 9,548 was the site of the municipal council of now abolished Grindsted Municipality, Denmark. Today Grindsted is the municipal seat and largest town of Billund Municipality....
, Gaarde started playing with a local amateur club at the age of five. He played youth football with Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub 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....
, but did not like the atmosphere in the team, and decided to end his dream of a professional career at the age of 16. He returned to amateur football in Grindsted. At the age of 20, Gaarde was poised to start an academic education, when an offer from lower-league Denmark Series
Denmark Series
The Denmark Series is the 4th tier of football in Denmark. Teams are divided into three pools of fourteen teams each. The top two teams in each pool are promoted to the Danish 2nd Division West or Danish 2nd Division East, as is appropriate for each club geographically...
club Vejen SF prompted him to reignite his footballing career instead. He helped the club win promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
for the Danish 2nd Division
Danish 2nd Division
The 2nd Division is the third tier Danish football league, just after the 1st Division.It was founded in 1945, after World War II, as the second-best Danish football division. When the Danish Superliga was founded in 1991, the 2nd Division became the third level league...
, and was approached by a number of Danish clubs in the Summer 1997.
He turned professional at the age of 22, as he signed a contract with top-flight club Aalborg BK before the 1997-98 Superliga
Danish Superliga 1997-98
The 1997-98 Danish Superliga season was the 8th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 25, 1997 to final match on June 1, 1998....
season. He was signed to replace retired defender Ib Simonsen, though Gaarde made it clear that his favoured position was in midfield. Gaarde had a remarkable start at Aalborg BK. In the 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup, the club lost a game 2-8 to Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
club SC Heerenveen, and Gaarde was promptly moved to the midfield. In his Superliga debut on July 27, 1997, Gaarde was sent off
Red card
Red card may refer to:* A penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction* A suit of hearts or diamonds* Red Card , 1976 release by Streetwalkers* RedCard 20-03, 2002 extreme football video game...
in a 0-0 draw with Odense BK
Odense BK
Odense Boldklub is a Danish professional football club based in the town of Odense. The club has won three Danish championships and five Danish Cup trophies. OB play in the Danish Superliga and their home field is TRE-FOR Park in Odense on Funen...
. Despite the negatives, Gaarde quickly established himself in the team, as he played 31 of 33 league games and scored six goals in his first season with Aalborg BK. One of his most remarkable games came in a game against Vejle Boldklub in October 1998. Aalborg was down 0-2 when Gaarde came on as a substitute in the 60th minute and promptly scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in nine minutes to help Aalborg win 4-2. He played 31 of 33 games and scored eight goals in the 1998-99 Superliga
Danish Superliga 1998-99
The 1998-99 Danish Superliga season was the 9th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 1998 to final match on June 16, 1999....
season, as Aalborg BK won the second championship in club history. He played a total 109 league games and scored 22 goals for Aalborg BK from 1997 to 2000.
While at Aalborg BK, Gaarde had played four games in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
and UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
tournaments against Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
, who had not been able to handle his awkward playing style. In December 2000, Gaarde was bought by Udinese Calcio under manager Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
. He made his Serie A debut on January 7, 2001, in a 1-3 defeat to AC Perugia. While at Udinese, Gaarde was sent off during a game without even playing. Hodgson soon left the club, and Gaarde did not find playing success at Udinese. He suffered from injuries, and only played eight league games in the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
championship.
He moved back to Aalborg BK in spring 2002, and played his come-back game for Aalborg BK in May 2002. In February 2005, Gaarde had a training ground argument with Aalborg team-mate David Nielsen, who punched Gaarde and was subsequently fired from the club. In June 2005, Gaarde played his last Superliga game for the club. He played a combined total of 227 games and scored 48 goals in all competitions for Aalborg BK.
Gaarde moved to Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
club Viking FK, once again playing under Roy Hodgson. Though Hodgson soon left the club, Gaarde was a success at Viking FK, and scored four goals in his first 13 games for the club. He was named team captain. When Gaarde suffered an injury in 2007, fellow Dane Nicolai Stokholm
Nicolai Stokholm
Nicolai Stokholm is a Danish professional football player. He currently plays for FC Nordsjælland, having moved from Viking FK in the winter 2008–09. He made his debut for the Denmark national football team in the March 2006 1–0 friendly win against Israel.-External links:****, by Danmarks Radio...
took over the role as captain. Gaarde played a combined total of 136 games and scored 25 goals in all competitions for Viking FK.
In January 2009, he moved back to Denmark to play for relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
battlers Vejle Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. In his debut game for Vejle, Gaarde was sent off in a 1-1 draw with FC Nordsjælland
FC Nordsjælland
Football Club Nordsjælland is a professional Danish football team from the North Zealand town of Farum, Denmark. Founded as Farum Boldklub from the merger of the town's two football clubs Farum IK and Stavnsholt BK in 1991, the club changed its name to F.C...
. He played 11 of the last 16 games of the 2008-09 Superliga
Danish Superliga 2008-09
The 2008–09 Danish Superliga was the 19th season of Danish Superliga league championship, which determines the winners of the Danish football championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. The season started on 19 July 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009. The defending champions were Aalborg...
, scoring one goal, but Gaarde could not keep Vejle from being relegated at the end of the season. He stayed with the club in the secondary Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
, but suffered a knee injury and ended his career in February 2010.