Greenland league

Discussion in 'Scandinavia' started by Gerrit, Jul 15, 2005.

  1. Gerrit

    Gerrit New Member

    May 20, 2005
    Istanbul, Turkey
    Yes, they have a league !! Football is very popular in Greenland. Villages of 2000 inhabitants sometimes have up to 5 clubs in league, and smaller towns sometimes run empty when the only team is playing an away game... Despite the geographical difficulties for travels, the Greenland FA runs a league in a good way and football is widely played and supported in the country.

    Anyone else who is fascinated by the country and the league ?

    As I said several times yet, I have a lifelong arctic obsession. When I started following football fanatically I have emailed the Greenlandic FA several times, and now have a list of all participating clubs + their contacts :cool:

    My favourites ? Not hard to guess... The northernmost team in the league AND northernmost competitive team in the world: Qanaaq !! Those are my favourites... The fact that such an isolated community that is so far north, still manages to rule a football club, that proves just how popular soccer is in Greenland.
     
  2. RedandWhite

    RedandWhite Member

    Jul 5, 2005
    Canada
    Wow. I never knew that. Sounds kinda wierd. Well Iceland has their own league, so it doesn't that wierd.
     
  3. urtel

    urtel Member

    Jul 16, 2003
    PDX
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    Finland
    It's not that hard to believe Iceland has a league. It's not all ice!

    How do you pronounce that?! Any internet links?
     
  4. Own Goal Hat-Trick

    Jul 28, 1999
    ColoRADo
    ill take a stab.

    Kah-naak.

    could be wrong though. likely am.




    wonder if i could play for a club in greenland. thatd be fun.
     
  5. Elninho

    Elninho Member+

    Sacramento Republic FC
    United States
    Oct 30, 2000
    Sacramento, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Do I sense a the possibility of having a Yank Abroad in Greenland? It's closer than Nepal...
     
  6. Bruiser

    Bruiser New Member

    Jun 1, 2004
    Sykkylven, Norway
    Club:
    SK Brann Bergen
    Nat'l Team:
    Norway
    In my mind I'm picturing them using polarbears as goalkeepers and walrus's as ref's. Hilarious mental image!

    Btw, would you dig up some match-pics for us please? if there are any..
     
  7. urtel

    urtel Member

    Jul 16, 2003
    PDX
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    Finland
    An igloo locker room?

    How does one stumble upon Greenlandic football?
     
  8. ENZO!82

    ENZO!82 New Member

    May 14, 2005
    Caserta - Italy
    bro you can see the results and stats in www.rsssf.com ...here there's unbelieveble this c'ship!:) but it's unoficial Federation in FIFA&UEFA (togheter at: Gibiltar,man islands,Monoco,Vatican city,northern cyprus,zanzibar in africa etc...).
     
  9. Canadian_Supporter

    Staff Member

    Dec 20, 1999
    Prostějov, CR
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    A few years back I saw a picture of one of the fields they use in Greenland. It was mostly stones and dirt from what I remember.

    http://www.wbur.org/special/dispatches/greenland/media/tasiilaq/images/14.jpg

    http://www.wbur.org/special/dispatches/greenland/media/tasiilaq/images/12.jpg

    http://www.greenland-discoverer.com/fotoalbum/algl/images/Greenland02.jpg

    http://www.mortbay.com/images/holidays/1998/Greenland/Photos/08.03.RogerB03.jpg

    The stadium in Nuuk (the capital)
    http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/greenland/nuuk_football.shtml
     
  10. Canadian_Supporter

    Staff Member

    Dec 20, 1999
    Prostějov, CR
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Greenland also participated in the 2005 Islands Games at the Shetland Islands which wrapped up a few days ago.

    Here are their results...

    Greenland 0 Ynys Mons 0
    Greenland 2 Orkney Islands 1
    Western Islands 4 Greenland 4
    Guernsey 6 Greenland 0

    7th Place
    Aland 3 Greenland 2

    Their roster can be found here
    http://www.shetlandresults2005.com/Competitor.aspx?RegID=6077
     
  11. urtel

    urtel Member

    Jul 16, 2003
    PDX
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    Finland
    I thought Tromsø IL was the northernmost club. They are 500 km above the polar circle. RoPS of Rovaniemi can't be that far behind.
     
  12. Gerrit

    Gerrit New Member

    May 20, 2005
    Istanbul, Turkey
    Tromso's the furthest north in a FIFA-recognised country's top league.

    In Norway itself some third- and fourth-divisionists are further north than Tromso, and Qanaaq is the northernmost club in the world. just check how far north it is (it's next to the Thule base, and the town district of Siorapaluk claims to be the northernmost town in the world)

    How I got interested in Greenlandic football ? As I stated a few times before on this forum, I am deeply obsessed with the Arctic since I was a little kid. The fascination has not tempted yet, and I still dream of settling down above the polar circle one day (in Greenland for example ; though unlike Iceland and Norway, it is extremely hard to find a job in Greenland when you're not local. I would still love to move to Greenland though)



    And those pitches you posted on pictures may be not good quality, but the sceneries form the most idyllic decor a football ground can ever have. And they have some better stadiums as well, with artificial grass.
     
  13. Daniel A

    Daniel A New Member

    Jul 12, 2005
    Why don´t Greenland have a national team and participate in UEFA competitions? After all, Faroe Islands does, so why shouldn´t Greenland?
     
  14. Gerrit

    Gerrit New Member

    May 20, 2005
    Istanbul, Turkey
    They will be allowed in by FIFA as soon as their stadium meets regulations, and the FA is working on it. They must enlarge the stands, and the artificial grass used to be an issue, but FIFA seems to become tolerant when it comes to artificial grass.

    So once the stadium's enlarged, Greenland will join FIFA. It's just a matter of time, but they will definitely join.
     
  15. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've always wanted to visit Greenland. Watching a game there would be sweet.
     
  16. IASocFan

    IASocFan Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 13, 2000
    IOWA
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I can't wait for the Greenland - Monserrat WCQ matchup!

    Should be an interesting cultural exchange anyway.
     
  17. urtel

    urtel Member

    Jul 16, 2003
    PDX
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    Finland
    They would be in either UEFA or CONCACAF...
     
  18. petersoccer

    petersoccer Red Card

    Dec 2, 2004
    Mississauga,Ontario
    Great pics. SOunds like a great place to watch soccer.
     
  19. JanBalk

    JanBalk Member+

    Jun 9, 2004
    Yes, but I have hard imagining them not to be in UEFA, all their political and administrative ties are with countries in UEFA.
     
  20. irishapple21

    irishapple21 Member

    Apr 4, 2005
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    Turks and Caicos Islands
    Since greenland is officially a colony of Denmark, it makes sense they'd be in UEFA. That's too bad though. It would be nice to play against them in CONCACAF. They could sell scarves woven from polar bear hair and beat their game drums with walrus tusks in the supporters section. :D
     
  21. JanBalk

    JanBalk Member+

    Jun 9, 2004
    I think the correct official term is that it is a Danish territory with home rule. :D
     
  22. Justin O

    Justin O Member+

    Seattle Sounders
    United States
    Nov 30, 1998
    on the run from the covid
    Club:
    Seattle
    Yeah well, political and administrative ties aren't everything. Their cultural and linguistic ties are closer to CONCACAF (Canada)! Plus, CONCACAF has some countries they could probably even beat, espeically at home.
     
  23. JanBalk

    JanBalk Member+

    Jun 9, 2004
    There are a significanr dannish minority with much closer ties to Denmark.
    But over to the sporting part of it, correct me if I am wrong but the lowest ranking teams in CONCAF only plays two games (home-away) in a qualifying tournament? and are out if they don't win?
    All UEFA team plays in groups of 5-7 teams and thus play at least 10games in each qualifying tournamet, 5-7games/years since it is either WC or EC each even year.

    And it exist European team they have a chabse against, Andorra, San Marino,Lichtenstein etc :)
     
  24. Ceres

    Ceres Member+

    Jan 18, 2004
    Aarhus, Denmark
    Club:
    AGF Aarhus
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
    Did you know that the Danish NT winger Jesper Grønkjær was born in Greenland ?...

    Ther are probably also quite many who live in Denmark, having a Danish mother or father and play soccer perhaps at 2nd or 3rd level. They could reinforce the Greenland NT to be fairly good quite fast, just as I belive it happened with the Greenland Team Handball NT's...

    Then they would surely have no trouble beating teams from Andorra, San Marino, Lichtenstein or competing with the Faroe Islands..

    .
     
  25. Gerrit

    Gerrit New Member

    May 20, 2005
    Istanbul, Turkey
    I did lot of research on the arctic given my lifelong dream of setteling down above the polar circle, and I can confirm Greenland is semi-sovereign. They have their own language, parliament and for local cases they are self-governing. They're not even in the EU anymore, even though Greenland is..
     

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