Ringsted

In the spring of 1991 Ringsted IF stood one match away from Denmark's second tier. The play-off went against them — Nr. Åby won it — and the club stayed where it was. That near-miss came in the middle of the only spell Ringsted has spent among the country's senior clubs: from 1989 to 1993, before relegation sent them back down through the divisions they have been moving between ever since.

The climb to that point had been quick. Ringsted reached the Danmarksserien in 1986, then the 3. Division Øst for the first time in 1988, and by the following year they were in the top flight. Coming back down took far longer than going up: the club has spent recent years in the Sjællandsserien, winning promotion back to the Danmarksserien in 2021 and again in 2023.

Among the players who passed through, Nikolaj Hansen is the one the club raised itself. He left, moved around, and in 2021 was named player of the year in Iceland after finishing as the league's leading scorer.

Home is Ringsted Stadion.

The matches that matter most are the short trips.