Gefle Idrottsförening, usually known more simply as Gefle, was first established as a football club back in December 1882. The team is based in city of Gävle and the club takes its name from the old-fashioned spelling of the city's name. Although they have spent most of their history outside of the top flight of Swedish football, they have now amassed in excess of ten Allsvenskan seasons in total and have further established themselves through participation in continental competitions.
At the conclusion of the 1933 season, Gefle gained promotion to the top flight for the first time in history. However, their initial stay was short-lived and in 1935, they suffered relegation. Since that time, their spells in the top division have been rare and brief, including a foray into the Allsvenskan in the early 1980s. Since the turn of the 21st century, the club has been more convincing and have managed to remain a top tier side since re-entering the division in 2005.
To date, Gefle have struggled to get their hands on major silverware, although they came close in 2006, after reaching the final of the Svenska Cupen. Unfortunately, they were beaten 2-0 by Helsingborg. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the team took part in the short-lived Rosenska Pokalen competition and were victorious on three occasions, in 1899, 1900 and 1902. In more recent times, the club have entered the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League, with qualification in both 2006–07 and 2010–11 coming through the UEFA Fair Play scheme, rather than through their league position in the previous season.
The club currently plays its home games at Strömvallen, which opened back in 1892. It has existed in its current state since 1923 and is able to hold a maximum of 7,302 supporters for the team's matches.
