GAIS, short for Göteborgs Atlet- och Idrottssällskap, is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg, founded on 11 March 1894. The club’s official colors are green and black, a combination that inspired the nickname “Makrillarna” (the Mackerels) because the striped match shirts resemble the fish. The men’s team currently plays in Allsvenskan, Sweden’s top division, at Gamla Ullevi. [1]
Design and History
The GAIS club badge was adopted in 1909 as the official symbol of the association. According to a club history account, the badge “looks exactly the same today as it did then,” indicating remarkable continuity in the visual identity for over a century. [2]
The year 1909 was significant for the club beyond the badge. It marked the arrival of Axel Svensson as chairman, who took command and methodically built up the football section over the following years. [3] The same year, the club kit was decided to be entirely black, with both black shirts and black shorts. [2]
The current crest is a shield-shaped emblem. The shield is divided into two sections, with the top half in one color and the bottom half in another. In the center of the shield sits a yellow star bearing the letters “A&S” in black, referencing the club’s full name Göteborgs Atlet- och Idrottssällskap. Around the star are six yellow circles arranged in a circular pattern. [4]
While the badge itself has remained largely unchanged since 1909, the club’s playing kit has seen some variation. The classic green-and-black striped shirt with white shorts became the association’s hallmark, and apart from some minor modernizations, it remains the club’s signature outfit to this day. [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The letters “A&S” on the star are a direct reference to the club’s full name, Göteborgs Atlet- och Idrottssällskap (Gothenburg’s Athletics and Sports Association). [1] The green and black colors are the official club colors and are also reflected in the nickname “Grönsvart” (Green-black), which fans use to refer to the club. [6]
The club’s association with the mackerel stems from the visual resemblance of the green-and-black striped shirts to the fish, a connection that has become part of the club’s identity and supporter culture. [1]
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