Football is considered the most popular sport in the Faroe Islands,[2] followed by handball, volleyball, and rowing (the national sport). According to FIFA, there are well over 5,000 registered football players in the Faroe Islands.[3] As follows: All Players 8,094, Registered players 5,694, Unregistered Players 2,400 and Officials 1,050.
The record attendance for a football match in the Faroe Islands is 6,642 people. The record was set in 1998 when the Faroe Islands won 2–1 against Malta, at the Svangaskarð.[4]
English Football is also very popular in the Faroe Islands,[5] many people with access to satellite television and the internet watch the Premier League.
It has also become more common for talented Faroese players to leave for bigger clubs abroad. Naturally the clubs in the Faroes, that have "made and paid" these players since a young age want some kind of reimbursement. Even small fees can make a huge difference for the small and most often economically vulnerable Faroese clubs. Two good examples of very talented players "lost" abroad for nothing in the early 1990s are the Faroese national star player Todi Jónsson, and national goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen. Both players have been Champions in Denmark. They were both originally from KÍ Klaksvík – Faroese double winners 1999 – but the club did not receive any payment for these two players.[6] Though in recent years compensation and reimbursement of expenses has increased. It is also becoming more commonplace for players to transfer between clubs. Players are now contracted at clubs, this means they cannot just leave the club suddenly without notice for another club during the season or between two seasons, which was very much the case prior to 1998. Players have a full-time civilian jobs as well or the younger players might go to college. Money has crept into the game more and more, and the players in the top division are now semi-professional. But as the global economic slowdown has also hit Faroese football, players' wages were lowered considerably in 2009. KÍ Klaksvík was one of the clubs experiencing financial problems and were relegated for the first time in their history in 2009. Because of spending, the Faroese Football Association has now made stricter rules when it comes to football club's balance sheet.[7]
The teams are mostly made up of Faroese players, but there are increasing numbers of foreign imports. During the 2015 Faroe Islands Premier League season, twenty-five foreigners from fourteen different countries including Brazil, Nigeria, and the United States had featured in matches by June.[8]
Five different institutions run football schools, attended by 1,000 children each year. Todi Jónsson is probably the most famous player from the Faroe Islands of all times. He used to play for FC Copenhagen in Denmark and was the top scorer in the 2002/2003 season. In March 2010, Mona Breckmann became the first female player to sign a contract with a club on mainland Europe, after joining Karlsruher SC in Germany.[9] The only other female player from the Faroe Islands to play abroad, was when goalkeeper Randi Wardum had a spell with Valur Reykjavík in Iceland several years before.
On 20 August 2003 the national association headquarters in Tórshavn was officially opened on the occasion of the Euro 2004 qualifying match between the Faroe Islands and Iceland. The funds were supplied by Goal, the FIFA Financial Assistance Programme, national association and government, the latter also donating the land that was needed to realise the project. The building, which is adjacent to the national stadium, will bring together the administrative services, education staff and material management of the national association. It will also provide a central base for courses in development programmes, training camps of national/representative teams, conferences and meetings. The national association is confident that the investment will have a positive effect upon football in general, and the country as a whole.
History
The game has certainly come a long way in the Faroe Islands since the first club, Tvoroyrar Boltfelag, was established in 1892. Clubs initially played friendlies in an unofficial championship, with home and away matches, depending on the state of the weather and of the generally uneven grass pitches. Due to a lack of rivals, the first few teams on the island played their matches against members of the crews of English ships that usually docked in the ports of the island. Thus, matches could be seen especially against the crew of the British Royal Navy. It took 50 years for a national championship to be officially launched in 1942, three years after the formation of the Faroe Islands Sports Association (ISF). The national cup competition began in 1955.
The ISF's duties were taken over by the newly formed Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF – Fótbóltssamband Føroya) on 13 January 1979. The FSF's remit has included planning and organising national tournaments, as well as ensuring improved training conditions for coaches, officials and referees. The introduction of artificial turf in the 1980s is seen by many as the FSF's single most effective move, as it considerably raised the game's popularity as a participation sport.[10]
The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA on 2 July 1988 and joined UEFA on 18 April 1990. Before gaining international recognition, the Faroese national team played occasional matches against representative sides from Shetland, Orkney and Iceland. The team began taking part in UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup qualifiers from 1990.
In the first ever competitive match, the Faroe Islands recorded a 1–0 victory over Austria in a Euro 92 qualifying match, on 12 September 1990. This still ranks as the greatest day in the history of football on the islands, but the national team has also recorded a number of impressive results against higher-ranked teams since, primarily on home soil.[11]
International membership has also encouraged a steady rise in standards both on the pitch and off it – where administration is key. In the 1990s the country's first two grass-pitch stadiums were built, which ultimately enabled more and more Faroese players to try their luck abroad, primarily in Denmark, Iceland and Norway. Yet, to many local fans, the development of youth football is just as important as the top end of the national game. Competitions are run for young players across six separate age groups throughout the islands to make sure the future remains bright.
League System
The Faroe Islands has a Football League made up of 4 Divisions. There are also two women's leagues and two leagues for the veterans, male and female. There are also youth and junior leagues. There used to be a 5th Division (4. deild), this division was outside the ranking order, meaning teams were not relegated from 3. deild, neither could teams be promoted by winning 4. deild. In 2006 the system changed and the Faroese FA decided from season on there would only be 4 levels. This was because many matches were postponed in 4. deild for various reasons. In 2005 HB's fourth team was declared winners of 5. deild after only playing three competitive matches. Other changes in 2006 by the FA included the scrapping of the promotion and relegation playoffs at the end of the season, where the team who finished in 9th place would play the team that finished in second place in the league below.
The Faroese Women's Football League is an association football league in the Faroe Islands. Women's football teams are relatively new in the Faroes, only dating back to the 1980s. Recently, they have received the support of former clubs which are now helping them gain further popularity.
Women's teams in the Faroes are not easy to find, because the few women's teams that exist always play under the first of the men's teams. There are only six teams in the best division (1. Deild), and six in the second division (2. Deild).
Tórsvøllur, in Tórshavn, is one of two national stadiums in the Faroe Islands. It has the larger capacity of the two with 6000.
Most of the pitches in the Faroe Islands are covered with artificial grass, as the weather conditions aren't good for natural grass pitches. The two national stadiums used for international matches, Svangaskarð (cap. 5,000) situated at the village of Toftir, and since 1999 the new Tórsvøllur Stadium in Tórshavn (cap. 6.000), are two main natural grass pitches. Royn Hvalba, a club in one of the lower divisions, play their matches on real grass. B68 Toftir is the only other club to play on a grass pitch, as they play at the Svangaskarð. But all other league clubs play their home matches on artificial pitches.
The Gundadalur (cap. 5,000) was built in 1911 as a grass pitch, but it was soon changed to a sand pitch like all other pitches in those days. The introduction of artificial grass is regarded as one of the greatest benefits to football in this country. In the summer of 1998 the old surface was replaced with a new one. Gundadalur Stadium is owned by the Tórshavn City Council.
During the 1980s almost all pitches on the islands were covered with artificial grass, and now more than ever the pitches are the public playground (outside training and match hours) for the kids in particular. Many of the grounds have no seats for supporters, you have to stand up under no cover, often in harsh weather conditions and watch the matches, which usually attract approx. 300 to 1,000 people in the top division. The first official competitive match against Austria was played in Sweden, because there was no suitable grass pitches in the Faroe Islands at that time. Most teams played on artificial pitches, but a few still played on sand pitches.
All Faroese UEFA and FIFA matches are being played at these two stadiums. But since 2009 all international matches could in principle be played at Gundadalur Stadium, as UEFA and FIFA have now approved of the artificial grass in this stadium.
In general each football club/town in the Faroes has only one single pitch for both training and matches. This is most often a matter of physical circumstances (e.g. no space) and also very much a question of money. Most pitches today are owned by the town council and not by the clubs themselves. For most of the small clubs/towns one pitch is indeed enough, as the population in general is very small 400 to 2,000 people.
HB and B36, the two big clubs from Tórshavn (18,000 people) have only two artificial grass pitches in Gundadalur Stadium area, and both clubs have about 30 teams training and competing every year, so they have rather bad training conditions compared to other clubs, which can pick their training hours much more freely. The pitches in Tórshavn are owned by the city council and the clubs use it at no cost. In 1999 a new stadium with natural grass for international matches only - clubs and country - was built in Tórshavn (cap. 6,000 seats) owned by a private consortium.
Gundadalur training ground, Tórshavn. The other artificial pitch in Tórshavn. It is used for training by 3 of city's clubs: HB, B36 and FC Hoyvik. It is also used for matches in the lower divisions. The pitch is situated just behind the Tórsvøllur Stadium and next to the Gundadalur Stadium.
B36 Tórshavn is a Faroese semi professional football club based in the capital of Tórshavn, playing in the Faroe Islands Premier League, the top tier of Faroese football. B36 Tórshavn has always played its home games in Gundadalur.
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in men's international football, and is governed by the Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF). The FSF became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and represents the fourth-smallest UEFA country by population.
NSÍ Runavík is a Faroese football club, playing in Runavík on the island of Eysturoy. It was founded 24 March 1957. In 2003 NSÍ participated for the first time on a European stage.
The Faroe Islands Premier League is the top level of football in the Faroe Islands. It was founded in 1942 as Meistaradeildin, and it is played in current format since 2005, when Premier League replaced 1. deild as the country's top football division. The league is organised by the Faroe Islands Football Association.
Tórsvøllur is a football stadium on the sport site of Gundadalur in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. The stadium holds 6,500 people, and was built in 1999 to become the country's national stadium to provide an artificial grass surface on which international football matches could be played. Previously, the Faroe Islands national team played its home matches in the town of Toftir at Svangaskarð stadium.
Svangaskarð, also referred to as Tofta Leikvøllur, is a multi-purpose stadium in Toftir, Faroe Islands with two football fields and a sports arena for athletics around the lower field. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 6,000 people. It was the sole home ground of the Faroe Islands national football team from 1991 and until the Tórsvøllur Stadium was built in the capital Tórshavn in 1999 and is still occasionally used for international football matches.
EB/Streymur is a Faroese semi-professional football club based in Streymnes and Eiði. The club was founded in 1993, as result of the merger between EB and Streymur. They have won the Faroe Islands Premier League twice and the Faroe Islands Cup four times.
Argja Bóltfelag (AB) is a Faroese professional football club based in Argir. In 2020, they were playing their third season in the Faroe Islands Premier League, after being promoted from 1. deild after playing there for 1 season in 2017. After the 2020 season they ended as 9th and played a match against B68 Toftir from 1. deild, the winner would play in the Faroe Islands Premier League for the 2021 season. AB Argir lost the match 2-3 and were relegated to 1. deild. They play their home games at the Inni í Vika Stadium in Argir. In January 2024, AB Argir became a feeder club for F.C. Copenhagen.
Argja Bóltfelag is a Faroese football club based in Argir.
Fróði Benjaminsen is a Faroese former footballer who played as a defender or midfielder. Benjaminsen previously played for HB Tórshavn, B68 Toftir, Fram Reykjavík, B36 Tórshavn and Skála ÍF. He made a record 96 appearances for the Faroe Islands and captained the national team since 2008. In 2015, he retired from the national team, but continued to play at club level until 2022. On 16 August 2016, Benjaminsen came out of international retirement to play against Hungary in the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification phase.
2010 Faroe Islands Premier League, also known as Vodafonedeildin for sponsoring reasons, was the sixty-eighth season of top-tier football on the Faroe Islands. It began on 31 March 2010 with a match between NSÍ Runavík and ÍF Fuglafjørður and ended on 23 October 2010. HB Tórshavn were the defending champions, having won their 20th league championship last season.
The 2008 season of the Faroe Islands Premier League was the 66th season of the Faroese top-tier football since its establishment. It started on 29 March 2008 with a match between B36 Tórshavn and ÍF Fuglafjørður. The match was won by B36 with 4–0. The last games were played on 25 October 2008. NSÍ Runavík were the defending champions.
The Faroe Islands Premier League kvinnur is the top level women's football league of the Faroe Islands. It was called 1. deild kvinnur until 2018, when the Faroese top tier in the women's football for the first time was named after a sponsor. The new name was Betri Deildin kvinnur and is a deal for five years, from 2018 until the end of the 2022 season.
Christian Restorff Mouritsen is a Faroese footballer who currently plays for 2. deild club FC Hoyvík as a forward or midfielder.
The 2014 Faroe Islands Cup was the 60th edition of Faroe Islands domestic football cup. It started on 15 March and ended with the final on 30 August 2014. Víkingur were the defending champions, having won their third cup title the previous year, and successfully defended their title. As the winner of the competition, they qualified for the first qualifying round of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League.
2016 Faroe Islands Premier League was the 74th season of top-tier football on the Faroe Islands. For sponsorship reasons, it was known as Effodeildin. B36 Tórshavn were the defending champions, having won their eleventh Faroese title in 2015.
B36 Tórshavn kvinnur is the women's team of B36 Tórshavn, a Faroese football club based in Tórshavn and founded in 1936. The club participate in The Faroese Women's League and plays in black and white. Their stadium, Gundadalur, has a capacity of 4,000. The women's section of B36 was created in 1985.
The 2020 Faroe Islands Premier League was the 78th season of top-tier football in the Faroe Islands, and the 16th under the current format.
The 2020 Faroe Islands Cup was the 66th edition of Faroe Islands domestic football cup. It started on 27 June and ended on 5 December. Havnar Bóltfelag were the defending champions, having won their twenty-seventh cup title the previous year and successfully defended their title.
The 2024 Faroe Islands Premier League is the 82nd edition of top-tier football in the Faroe Islands, and the 19th under the current format. The season will run in 2024 from 9 March until 26 October.
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