NILS MIDDELBOE 1887 - 1976

Nils Middelboe (my grandfather) was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 2014 on the occasion of DBU's 125th anniversary.

More than 400 guests turned up to celebrate football and DBU's 125th anniversary when they were invited to a football party in 2024 at Fodboldens Hus. And they were all there - national coaches, former players, employees and partners to celebrate 125 years of Danish football.

But for a small group of guests, it was an extra special day and evening. They represented new members of the Football Hall of Fame, who in connection with the anniversary were inducted into the distinguished football society, including Nils Middelboe twice (both as a new member and as a representative).

Established in 2006, the Football Hall of Fame celebrates the unforgettable moments on the pitch created by players, created by coaches, created by teams. Football moments that have made us sit on the edge of our seats biting our nails, only to jump up and cheer in stadiums, in front of the radio or TV screen. Moments that have not only stuck deep in the memories of those who were there, but have also forever written themselves into Danish football history for those who come after.

The diploma and statuette were presented by then national coach Morten Olsen.

Nils Middelboe: His grandson Nils Middelboe received the diploma.

In Michael Kjæbøl's book Dansk Fodbolds 110 bästa, published in 2020, Nils Middelboe is chosen as the best right back in Danish football to date.

Nils Middelboe - best right back in Danish football to date

It's worth mentioning that Nils' brothers Kristian and Einar have also played for the Danish national football team.

Christian

Einar

Hilda Middelboe née Horndahl with future national team players (Photo from Arild)

Danish football team in 1908 Olympic Games at London. Top row, f. l. t. r. two officials, Harald Hansen, Harald Bohr, Sophus Nielsen, Marius Andersen, Oskar Nielsen. Middle row, f. l. t. r. official, Johannes Gandil, Charles Williams (coach), Charles von Buchwald, Bjørn Rasmussen, Kristian Middelboe, Nils Middelboe, Ludvig Drescher. Front row, l. to r. August Lindgren, Knud Hansen, H. P. Katberg (DBU), Ludvig Syslov (DBU), Dr. Jørgen Jensen (DBU), Vilhelm Wolfhagen. At the front, l. to r. Ødbert Bjarnholt, Magnus Beck, Einar Middelboe.

Nils Middelboe in Chelsea

Nils Middelboe (born October 5, 1887 in Flundrarp, Brunnby Sweden, died September 21, 1976 in Frederiksberg) was one of Danish football's first great players. Among other things, he was the player who scored the first goal for a Danish national team in an official international match at the 1908 Olympics. He also participated in the two subsequent Olympic tournaments in 1912 and 1920. Furthermore, when he moved to London in 1913, he became the first foreign player ever to play for Chelsea FC. Middelboe was an amateur player throughout his career, and after the end of his career he had a period as a coach.

Biography

Nils Middelboe moved with his family from Brunnby in Skåne to Copenhagen in 1891 at the age of 4. He had one sister and three older brothers. He became a Danish citizen on February 26, 1910.^[1]

Nils Middelboe began his career as a senior player in KB at the age of 15, where he played alongside two older brothers. In the fall of 1903, he was picked up by the club's first team and competed in KBU's top league, which at the time was the strongest tournament in the country. In addition to his football career, Middelboe also practiced athletics and became Danish champion in the triple jump and 4 x 100 meters, as well as setting Danish records in both the triple jump and 800 meter run. He was also an excellent bandy and tennis player

As a footballer, Middelboe was a halfback. Despite still being a Swedish citizen, he was selected for the Danish national team that participated in the 1908 London Olympics, which were the first official matches with a Danish team after some unofficial matches in the years before. He scored Denmark's first official goal in the match against France's B team, a match Denmark won 9-0. In total, he earned 15 caps, scoring 7 goals in the period 1908-1920. With the national team he won silver medals at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics. He won four KBU championships between 1904-1913 and finished the Danish part of his career with the first Danish championship for KB when the championship was introduced in 1913.

Middelboe graduated in 1905 from Fredriksberg Latin and Realskole (later Frederiksberg Gymnasium) and took a law degree from the University of Copenhagen in 1913 before traveling to England the same year, where he lived for 23 years.

Middelboe signed a contract with Newcastle United F.C. in 1913, but was given permission by the club's management to move to Chelsea F.C. before he could play for the club. He moved to London and joined Chelsea, where he played until 1923, all the time as an amateur, although he could have earned a good deal of money by turning professional. He joined the British Bank of Northern Commerce in 1913 and in 1917 joined the banking firm of Frederick Huth & Company, from 1927 as head of the foreign exchange department. By his own admission, he was not a football fanatic, so his banking career came first. He was also given an arrangement so that he didn't have to play away from home. Despite this somewhat luxurious attitude, Middelboe was named captain in his first match, November 15, 1913 against Derby County FC. He would go on to make 175 appearances, including 41 in Division One, for Chelsea and was the club's first non-British player. On November 15, 1919, Chelsea won 4-0 at home to Preston North End F.C., scoring the only goal of his career in the English league. He subsequently played for two amateur clubs, London Corinthians and London Casuals FC, and served on their boards and playing committees before retiring from the game in 1926. He then spent a year as director of Clapton Orient. At the request of the English Football Association, he gave several lectures on football.

Nils Middelboe returned to Denmark in 1936, where he became secretary and coach of KB and was appointed an honorary member. During his time as coach, KB won the Danish Football Championship in 1940. When KB celebrated its 70th anniversary in 1946, they invited Chelsea to a friendly match as a tribute to Nils Middelboe. He became director of KB-Hallen after its opening in 1938 and until 1959. As a lecturer and course leader, he was used all over the country, and from 1942-1964 he sat on DBU's coaching committee.

Nils Middelboe was the brother of footballers Einar and Kristian Middelboe. Their parents were the Danish painter and reproduction technician Bernhard Middelboe(1850-1931) and Swedish-born Hilda Horndahl(1852-1924). Nils Middelboe married Margaret Ada Comins(1891-1975) in London in 1917.

Statistics

Football & Soccer

National team career

• 15 international matches (11 wins, 0 draws, 4 defeats - goal score 71-15)
• 7 goals
• Debuted as player number 6
• Substitutions: 0
• Replacements: 0
• Captain: 10 matches

National matches

Middelboe participated in Denmark's first 12 official international matches as well as numbers 14, 18 and 36.

1. 19.10.08 Denmark-France B 9 - 0 2 goals Olympic quarterfinals
2. 22.10.08 Denmark-France 17 - 1 1 goal Olympic semi-final
3. 24.10.08 England-Denmark 2 - 0 Olympic final
4. 05.05.10 Denmark-England 2 - 1 Amateurs
5. 21.10.11 England-Denmark 3 - 0 Captain Amateurs
6. 30.06.12 Denmark-Norway 7 - 0 1 goal Leader Olympic quarterfinals
7. 02.07.12 Denmark-Holland 4 - 1 Leader Olympic semifinal
8. 04.07.12 Denmark-England 2 - 4 Captain Olympic final
9. 06.10.12 Denmark-Germany 3 - 1 2 goals Captain
10. 25.05.13 Denmark-Sweden 8 - 0 1 goal Captain
11. 05.10.13 Sweden-Denmark 0 - 10 Captain
12. 26.10.13 Germany-Denmark 1 - 4 Captain
13. 05.06.14 Denmark-England 3 - 0 Captain Amateurs
14. 04.06.16 Denmark-Sweden 2 - 0 Captain
15. 29.08.20 Denmark-Spain 0 - 1 Olympic final round

Athletics

Danish championships

• Gold 1911 Triple Jump 12.93
• Silver 1911 400 meters
• Gold 1911 4 x 100 meters 48.0
• Silver 1910 400 meters
• Gold 1910 Triple jump 13.29
• Silver 1910 4 x 100 meters 47.8

Danish records

• Triple jump: 13.67 Copenhagen August 19, 1911
• Triple jump: 13.44 Næstved July 23, 1911
• Triple jump: 13.29 B.93's track August 7, 1910
• 800 meters: 2.05.2