Östersunds FK, formally Östersunds Fotbollsklubb, is a Swedish football club based in Östersund. The club was formed on 31 October 1996 through a cooperation between local clubs IFK Östersund, Ope IF and Östersund/Torvalla FF, with Frösö IF joining the following year and Fältjägarnas IF in 2000.[1] The club’s colours, reflected in its crest and kit, are red and black.[2]
Design and History
The current club emblem has been in use since 1997, the year after the club was founded.[3] The emblem features a falcon, a motif that is also reflected in the name of the club’s supporter club, Falkarna (Swedish for “the Falcons”), which takes its name from the falcon on the club crest.[4]
In a 2016 analysis commissioned by Sveriges Radio P4 Jämtland, designer Lena Andersson reviewed the emblem and suggested that while the colours were effective, the falcon itself could be updated and stylised. Andersson noted that the current design was difficult to use consistently across different applications, leading to varied interpretations of the emblem in different productions.[3] The club’s then administrative manager Lasse Landin responded that he and many football enthusiasts were conservative on the matter, arguing that a club badge should not be changed because it marks the start of the club and the time of its formation.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The emblem’s colours are red, yellow and black. Designer Lena Andersson observed that these colour choices correspond to warning colours found in the animal kingdom, a connection that ÖFK’s then administrative manager Lasse Landin believed was unintentional.[3] Andersson felt the colours were good and suited the message conveyed by the falcon in the emblem.[3]
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