October 2010 Round-Up:
31 October, 2010
Season has barely ended, but preparations have already started for next season. That also means that we’ll hear about player signings; especially from the bigger clubs who do the high profile signings. The smaller clubs have other things to think of in addition, like B71 Sandoy who needs a new surface for their current 20+ year old artificial surface. Also the oldest club in the country, TB Tvøroyri from 1892, have problems with their pitch and will have to play their matches away from home. But let's start this update with a friendly international with Scotland in November:
Scotland vs. Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands will play a friendly international against Scotland at the Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen on 16 November 2010. It’ll curious to see in what shape the Faroese players will be in 3 weeks after the end of season...
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AB Argir
Relegated AB Argir have announced that they have signed a two-year contract with coach Sámal Erik Hentze. Hentze released Allan Mørkerø who went to B36 in the latter stages of the season when B36 coach Sigfríður Clementsen was sacked.
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B71 Sandoy
This season, B71 Sandoy had been granted an exception for playing on their more than 20-year old artificial pitch, but now the Football Association have deemed the surface to be in such a poor condition that the exception will not be granted for next season. B71 will therefore have to change the surface to a new one. But B71 are short of money and so is the whole area where B71 is situated. However, it’s expected that the problem will be solved somehow.
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B71’s best player, 27-year old forward/offensive midfielder Símin Hansen is lost for the club as he has joined Víkingur. But with 4 red cards (one of them in the cup) and 8 yellow this season, Hansen spent quite a few matched sidelined through suspension anyway, so B71 are quite used to having to cope without him.
B71 might also face a problem with a possible lengthy suspension for Høgni Midjord from the start of next season. In the last match of the season against NSÍ, Midjord gave the referee a fairly hard push which produced a red card. There has been no news on the aftermath of the incident yet, but similar offences have previously produced an 8-match ban.
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HB Tórshavn
At their annual club party last night, champions HB Tórshavn revealed that they have signed a one year contract with the coach Julian Hansen who took over from Icelandic coach Kristján Guðmundsson when he was sacked with six games left of the season. The Icelandic coach has since been appointed coach at Icelandic club Valur Reykjavík. Faroese newspaper Sosialurin writes that the rumour has it that the coach will also take HB’s Icelandic central defender Thórður Hreiðdarsson back with him. Hreiðarsson was one of HB’s very best players.
New players are often revealed at these annual parties (several clubs had them last night), but this time it was only the coach who was revealed. However, HB announced that “things” would be announced later …
One rumour is that offensive B36 player Hjalgrím Elttør is on the way to HB. Another rumour is that HB is losing one of their offensive profiles as he might be moving abroad. But nothing confirmed.
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ÍF Fuglafjørður
ÍF Fuglafjørður have announced that goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen will stay for another season. They might also strengthen their squad with a high profile player, they have told earlier. ÍF will for the first time be playing European football next season.
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34 year old central defender Bartal Eliasen has announced his retirement from the national team because of dissatisfaction of the way he feels he has been treated. Eliasen told, that the day before the national team went to Slovenina, he had been called up by the national coach Brian Kerr who told him that he was selected for the Slovenia match. But when the team was announced the following day, Eliasen wasn´t on the list afterall.
Kerr on the other hand has said that he hadn’t selected Eliasen, but had only called him to hear if he was available, should he need him.
But Eliasen insists he had been selected and that he had also received the program for the trip to Slovenia.
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Víkingur
Midfielder Nenad Stankovic from Serbia, who played for Víkingur this season, has not extended his contract with the club. If he doesn’t get a good offer somewhere else, he’ll return to Serbia. The Serb has previously played for B68 Toftir, NSÍ Runavík (where he won the title in 2007) and Skála who were runners up in 2005 – not least thanks to Stankovic.
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As mentioned under B71, Víkingur have signed Símin Hansen from B71. Apart from the loss of Stankovic, Víkingur’s squad is intact for next season. That includes Hungarian goalkeeper Geza Turi, for example. Also coach Jógvan Martin Olsen will continues. Víkingur have also announced two assistant coaches, which is one more than most other clubs have. This to make it possible to have more individual special training. We’ll see in a year what benefit this will have…
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07 Vestur
07 Vestur’s coach Jógvan Hendrik Samuelsen have said that they will need to strengthen their team with 4 new players in order to stand a chance when they return to the Vodafone Division next year.
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TB Tvøroyri
Just like B71, TB Tvøroyri in the 1st division have also been granted an exception to play on their old footballs ground, Sevmýri, but that exception will not be renewed for next year, the Football Association has told TB.
But for TB, the oldest football club in the country (founded in 1892), the problem is much more serious than it is for B71, as they can not just change their surface, but will have to build an entire new football ground, as their current is in such a bad shape. The cost is about 20,000,000 DKK (around $ 3.7 mil.), which neither TB nor the town of Tvøroyri can come up with.
Next season, TB will therefore have to play their matches either at Royn’s pitch in Hvalba (which is a real grass pitch) or in Vágur, the home of FC Suðuroy.
FC Suðuroy would much rather want that the two clubs merged so they could have a stronger club on the Island that would have the means to compete at the highest level.
20 October, 2010
07 Vestur and KÍ Klaksvík back in the top flight
07 Vestur and KÍ Klaksvík, who were both relegated last season, have made a swift return to the Vodafone Division.
From the start of the season, it was a three-horse race between 07 Vestur, KÍ Klaksvík and TB Tvøroyri.
In the first half of the season, 07 Vestur and TB were out in front while KÍ seemed to struggle somewhat.
But in the second half of the season, TB had a string of bad results against some of the lesser teams while KÍ were performing on a consistent basis.
The final table looked like this (after 27 rounds):
01 07 Vestur 61 points
02 KÍ Klaksvík 58 points
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03 TB Tvøroyri 51 points
04 EB/Streymur II 45 points
05 HB Tórshavn II 39 points
06 Víkingur II 37 points
07 FC Hoyvík 33 points
08 AB Argir II 26 points
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09 NSÍ Runavík II 25 points
10 B68 Toftir II 6 points
Note: As AB Argir’s Vodafone Division team has been relegated to the 1st division, AB Argir’s second team will therefore be relegated to the 2nd division “by force”, because they are not allowed to have two teams in the 1st division. Because of this, NSÍ Runavík II in 9th place will stay in the 1st division. B68
It’s remarkable that the top scorer in the 1st division was 42-year old Jens Erik Rasmussen of 07 Vestur with 17 goals. - One goal ahead of 23-year old KÍ striker Steffan Kalsø.
The promoted teams for next season’s 1st division are Skála and 07 Vestur II.
New teams in the second division are Undrið FF and Royn Hvalba. Relegated from the 2nd division to 3rd division were Víkingur III and MB Miðvágur.
07 October, 2010
UEFA president Michel Platini to visit the Faroe Islands
UEFA President Michel Platini has said yes to an invitation from the Faroese Football Association to visit the Faroe Islands on 23 October.
As 23 October is the last day of the season, it will be Platini who will hand the champions the trophy.
Platini will therefore witness firsthand one of the “soundest” leagues in Europe which can boast about having had 5 different champions in the last 10 years and 4 in the last 5 years. In addition, at the time of writing, three teams are competing for the 2010 title with only 2 rounds remaining. Not many leagues are that unpredictable and exciting!
Also UEFA vice president Senes Erzik will be part of the visiting entourage. Erzik was president of the Turkish Football Association from 1989-1996 and has later been named honorary president. He was elected vice president of UEFA in 1994.
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Euro Qualifiers:
Goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen called out of retirement
With no. 1 goalkeeper Gunner Nielsen injured and short of experienced replacements, Faroe Islands boss Brian Kerr has called 40 year old Jákup Mikkelsen out of retirement for the qualifiers against Slovenia and Northern Ireland.
Mikkelsen retired after his 67th cap for the Faroes in the World Cup qualifier away to Rumania a year ago.
Having been left out for several years, it sprung a surprise when NSÍ Runavík right back Jónhard Frederiksberg was selected. Previously, Frederiksberg played as a forward – for club and country – and was one of the most feared strikers in the Faroese league when he played for Skála before he joined NSÍ in 2007 where he since has been retrained for the right back position. Kerr might be tempted to use him instead of Jónas Tór Næs who has otherwise owned the place for some time now.
Also B36 winger Hjalgrím Elttør has been recalled. He replaces midfielder Pauli G. Hansen of EB/Streymur who withdrew.
Another surprise selection was 20 year old defender Rógvi Baldvinsson who plays for Ålgård FK in the Norwegian 3rd level. Baldvinsson made his debut for the Faroese U-21 team earlier this year, completely unknown to most, as he has been living in Norway since he was 3 years old.
Balvinsson wasn´t originally selected, but replaced Víkingur defender Erling Jacobsen who withdrew. Neither Jacobsen had previously been selected for the senior team.
The full Faroe Islands squad for the qualifiers against Slovenia and Northern Ireland:
Goalkeepers: Jákup Mikkelsen (ÍF Fuglafjørður), Tórður Thomsen (HB Tórshavn), Gunnar Nielsen (Tranmere Rovers FC).
Defenders: Jónas Tór Næs (B36 Tórshavn), Atli Gregersen (Ross County FC), Johan Troest Davidsen (NSÍ Runavík), Egil á Bø (EB/Streymur), Hendrik Rubeksen (HB Tórshavn), Jónhard Frederiksberg (NSÍ Runavík), Rógvi Baldvinsson (Ålgård FK).
Midfielders: Daniel Udsen (EB/Streymur), Fróði Benjaminsen (HB Tórshavn), Símun Samuelsen (HB Tórshavn), Bogi Løkin (NSÍ Runavík), Jann Ingi Petersen (NSÍ Runavík), Jústinus R. Hansen (NSÍ Runavík), Christian Lamhauge Holst (Silkeborg IF), Christian R. Mouritsen (B36 Tórshavn), Hjalgrím Elttør (B36 Tórshavn)
Forwards: Jóan Símun Edmundsson (Newcastle United FC), Arnbjørn Hansen (EB/Streymur),
Faroe Islands Football News
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