The HIF speaker enters the 23rd season: "I think it's great fun"

Today, Bengt Streuli enters his 23rd season as announcer at HIF’s home matches.
Skånesport had a chat with the profiler, who believes in a good match against Brage tonight – and who remembers back to the SM golden day when he had to act as a microphone stand for Björn Helgesson. Han se tells about Hasse Selander’s discussion with the audience, hard-to-pronounce names, homecomings and the collaboration with Ola Selmén.
– I am excited all day when I go there, because HIF is my team and I love football, says Bengt Streuli about his assignment.

How do you feel when you call out a HIF goal over the loudspeakers?
– Wild joy. It’s absolutely crazy. I think it’s so fucking beautiful. All up in our director’s room, there are four or five of us there. We are helped to check so that we get the right goalscorer and the right warnings, but when a goal is scored, everyone screams.
Bengt Streuli has for various periods been a speaker in other contexts. For example, at the handball in Helsingborg (Olympic/Viking) and at the Vallåkra meeting.
– But the main thing is football. That’s who I’m passionate about. When they contacted me in 2002, I thought I might as well be in the best place at the Olympia – I’m there anyway. And I have never regretted it. I think it’s great fun. I’m excited all day when I go there, because HIF is my team and I love football.

In the very first years, Bengt Streuli was not the main speaker, but helped the predecessor Olle Larsson and later Ola Selmén with certain parts of the arrangement.
Over the years, the arrangement has changed in some parts. For a while they had studio programs before and after the match and guests in the studio during the break. Mikael Ragvald has been a sidekick to Bengt Streuli, as has Daniel Andersson.
– I remember things like when Ola had pre-shows out on the lawn. Then he had written some stuff that he thought I should say. There was something against Elfsborg that everyone who was dressed in yellow was asked to change because there were a lot of rape beetles outside. At some point I would read out a personal message during the break and announce that “it was a girl”.

Skånesport asks if Streuli remembers his exclamation before Elfsborg at home in 2009, when he was quoted by Aftonbladet Simon Bank after the Allsvenskan summit which HIF won 3–2:
“It was one of those days at Olympia when you can tell very early on where things are going. A speaker proclaiming HIF to be “the pride of Helsinki, Skåne, perhaps Sweden”, Bank wrote.
– I can’t say that I remember that. I shoot quite a lot from the hip when I present!
Have you ever done something wrong?
– It’s done. Some names have been pronounced entirely for him. I remember when Razak Omotoyossi came and got thrown in his first game. People had been asked how he pronounced his name, but no one knew. Polish teams are the worst (pronunciation-wise) you can face, but we haven’t done that many times.
– When Anton Kinnander scored his first goal, I called out another scorer. I had got the name wrong, but I corrected it afterwards.

HIF after the match against Elfsborg in 2009.

He has followed HIF since the 60s.
– My first memory, I don’t remember exactly what year it was, is that me and a friend went there with a neighbor from Råå who liked going to HIF.
– One thing I strongly remember was when they announced over the loudspeakers that (hockey player) Lill-Strimma Svedberg had died in a car accident (1972). It has stuck in my head, says Streuli.
The good memories are more.
– Inge Danielsson. Anders Linderoth. “The note” Johansson. I remember when Hasse Selander came out to the touchline and picked up a ball and someone shouted “damn, how bad you are”. He then started talking: “Don’t you think we are good? Don’t you think we are good???”.

Hans Selander (1945-2023), in HIF 1962-1969.

When Bengt Streuli is asked to tell about his best memories, he answers quite quickly.
– It was fantastic when they won all five trophies (2010-12). The gold in 2011, it was completely euphoric.
The SM gold day was won by HIF away against GAIS. The title became clear later in the afternoon when AIK lost points in Malmö. When the HIF team came home to Helsingborg, they did so as Swedish champions.
– I saw the match on TV and then I was told to come (to Olympia). My wife was working at HD at the same time, so we both had to leave because she had to pick up gold banknotes. I called Björn Helgesson and asked if he could bring a guitar and sing (On red and blue streets) live, but he didn’t have one available. I had a friend who was allowed to bring one and I acted as a microphone stand for him, Streuli recalls.
He also mentions Henrik Larsson, Andreas Granqvist and Roland Nilsson’s homecomings to HIF. “Rolle” came home twice.
– I remember one time in particular. The audience never stopped clapping – he had to silence them himself.
– I have a lot of wonderful memories. Lovely evenings with winnings.

How is it going against Brage?
– I actually think HIF will win. It can be due to several different things. I think they are in a flow. Klebér (Saarenpää, coach) has a pretty good picture of (former club) Brage. Although Brage changed some players, they still have a basic structure. He (the HIF coach) is probably good at conveying things about them to the players. Then it’s a bit like what he said after Gefle, that it was a bit of a chicken coop in the second half. But it is due to the irregularity and completely understandable. It is part of the routine that they acquire now. I thought the first half against Gefle looked really good. And it was important players who scored the goals.
He goes on to share his thoughts on what it takes to have a good season, team by team.
– Kalle Joelsson must have a good season. He can decide matches by himself when he makes idiotic saves.
– I think it is very important that we have stable centre-backs who can clear corners. In recent years, people have been short of breath at corners. I hope (Thomas) Rogne gets to be healthy and be the reigning captain down there.
– In midfield, I think (Lukas) Kjellnäs can become a really good midfielder. And that (Benjamin) Acquah gets off to a great start.
– I have a lot of faith in (Wilhelm) Loeper. He has looked damn good in the practice matches: Fast, sharp – he is probably incredibly difficult to face. If you can get these team parts to work, this can be really good, says Bengt Streuli and adds one more thing:
– Don’t forget to mention our wonderful audience! It gets better and better every year. Last year they pushed until the last second, they are on the hook the whole damn game – more than I have experienced before, although they have been good in previous years as well. I thought it was a turnaround last year.

Photo: Bildbyrån