ANYONE watching the Denmark versus Finland group game, in the stadium or on TV, probably came away vowing never to listen to anyone who claims football is more important than life or death. It’s hard, even four or five days … Continue reading Euro 2020: When football witnesses a life and death situation
AT THE end of October 2018, HJK were crowned Finnish champions for the sixth time in the last eight years and the 29thtime in their history. Football has to compete with other national pastimes in Finland, such as Pesäpallo, which … Continue reading Soccer City: Helsinki – Nordic gem
IT’S GOOD NEWS that the Nordic football associations are considering making a joint-bid for either Euro 2024 or 2028. The region has been under-used by UEFA and FIFA, hosting one European Championship in 1992, one World Cup in 1958 (neutral Sweden after WW2) and three European Cup-Winners Cups (Goteborg, Copenhagen and Stockholm). The plan is for a four-country approach, with Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden involved. Given that UEFA have, disastrously, opted for a pan-European competition for 2020 (which will include Copenhagen) four seems a magic number. But expectations may have to be tempered around crowd potential of such a … Continue reading If the Nordics get the euros…
NORDIC FOOTBALL would be lost without its three letter acronyms. Teams are frequently known by their TLAs rather than their full title, and it is just as well, because some club names require you to take a slug of oxygen when you start talking football. This certainly applies to Finland, where the latest champions Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho are known as SJK. This team from a town renowned for its huge tango festival, danced to the title on the final day of the season. “This is a reward for the entire journey we’ve made together,” declared coach Simo Valakari. It was the … Continue reading Flight of the Valakari – SJK break the HJK stranglehold
Game of the people 