Lars-Ove Johansson

Lars-Ove "Larsa" Johansson (14 November 1938 – 11 November 2019) was a Swedish footballer who played as a forward, best known for representing Hammarby IF.

Club career Johansson was born in Härnösand and started to play football with local club IF Älgarna, making his debut for the senior team at age 14 in the Swedish lower divisions. As a youngster, he reportedly attracted interest from Degerfors IF.

Before the 1956–57 season, Johansson instead transferred to Hammarby IF in Allsvenskan, the domestic top tier. Aged 18, he immediately established himself as a starting player, but Hammarby got relegated at the end of the year.

In 1957–58, Hammarby scored an impressive 117 goals in 33 fixtures throughout the campaign, with Johansson playing an integral part, getting instantly promoted from the second division.

Johansson was a regular starting player for Hammarby from 1959 to 1963 in Sweden's top football league, the Allsvenskan. He got known as a prolific goalscorer with a powerful shot, forming a fruitful partnership with forward Karl-Evert Skoglund.