Football in the Faroe Islands
[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.
They were both originally from KÍ Klaksvík – Faroese double winners 1999 – but the club did not receive any payment for these two players.
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.
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.
It will also provide a central base for courses in development programmes, training camps of national/representative teams, conferences and meetings.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
In 1999 a new stadium with natural grass for international matches only - clubs and country - was built in Tórshavn (cap.
