In this article…
Our relationship with B36 Torshavn
In 2021, one of the most random football club sponsorships was agreed.
I decided to sponsor the front of the shirt of B36 Torshavn, one of the most successful football clubs in the Faroe Islands.
The first question everyone asks is, ‘why?’.
There are several reasons. Firstly, I wanted to do something different and bring a new fresh dimension to my community of hardcore UK football fans.
It’s boring to sponsor a British team, I wanted something unique and a community club, a team that aligns with my values and my followers will find interesting.
What’s more, where else can you sponsor a football club for such a low amount and get exposure in UEFA competitions?
Seeing my logo when I was in Croatia watching B36 versus Rijeka in the Europa Conference League was a special moment for me.
Finally, I’ve always had an interest in Faroese football. Weirdly, my first memory of the Faroe Islands was Scotland drawing 2-2 in Toftir in 2002, I just remember the national embarrassment at the time that we’d dropped points versus a bunch of part-timers.
What’s interesting about that is the player that scored both Faroe Islands goals played and managed B36, another great link.
The sponsorship has proven to be a huge success. It wasn’t about boosting brand exposure in the Faroe Islands, it was all about the community and just doing something fun and interesting.
Since 2021, I’ve visited the Faroe Islands to watch a league match versus NSI Runavik, ventured to Croatia to support the team in the Europa Conference League, and even sent a group of followers to the Faroe Islands at no cost as part of a Twitter competition.
The followers love it. I’ve given away over 500 B36 shirts as part of competitions or charity fundraisers. It’s such a unique club and a shirt that people want to have one and show off to their friends at fives.
Over the years, this partnership has grown stronger, leading to a genuine interest in the Faroese national team.
Notably, four B36 players have earned spots in the national squad for their upcoming matches against Poland and Moldova. As a result, I’ve prepared a special article detailing their qualification journey and providing insights into these talented B36 players.
Faroe Islands’ European Qualifying Journey
The Faroe Islands national team are well underway in their attempt to qualify for the European Championships for the first time in their history. They were drawn into Group E alongside some very strong nations.
- Albania 🇦🇱
- Czech Republic 🇨🇿
- Moldova 🇲🇩
- Poland 🇵🇱
Getting past these nations and qualifying would be an almost unheard-of achievement for the Faroes and would well and truly put them on the footballing map. So far, they have played three matches in the qualifiers:
- Moldova 1-1 Faroe Islands- 24/03/2023
- Faroe Islands 0-3 Czech Republic- 17/06/2023
- Faroe Islands 1-3 Albania- 20/06/2023
They have only managed to pick up one point so far, meaning the next five games are crucial to their Euro 2024 dream. They still have to play Poland home and away who are the strongest side in the group. The first match against them is their next fixture, away in Warsaw. This will be a huge test for the Faroes as they’ll be playing against some of football’s elite players, one potentially being Barcelona talisman Robert Lewandowski…
Today, I’m going to take a deep dive into the B36 players representing the Faroe Islands at international level, those tasked with stopping a man who has over 600 career goals to date.
Players to watch
1️⃣ Mathias Lamhauge
👕 Caps: 3
🏟️ Position: Goalkeeper
⚽ Goals: 0
Mathias Lamhauge is the starting goalkeeper for B36 and has rightfully earned another call-up to the national team. He has been at B36 since 2020 and has made 95 appearances for the club with this season being his stand-out year.
He has made 28 appearances for B36 this season, 20 in the league, two in the Faroese Cup, and six in the Europa Conference League qualifiers. He has kept nine clean sheets including two in Europe. He was instrumental in B36’s journey to the third qualifying round of the Europa Conference League.
He has faced 15 penalties during his career so far, saving four and conceding 11. If the Faroe Islands concede a penalty, the taker will be Lewandowski. A scary sight for even the most elite goalkeepers in football.
2️⃣ Sonni Ragnar Nattestad
👕 Caps: 46
🏟️ Position: Centre-back/Left-back
⚽ Goals: 3
Nattestad joined B36 in March of 2022 and plays primarily as a centre-back but can also be deployed as a left-back. With injury concerns in the centre-back position for the Faroes, it is now likely that Nattestad will start against Poland.
If Nattestad is to start, he’ll probably be on the left of a centre-back duo. Depending on how Poland set up he could be directly facing Lewandowski or Arkadiusz Milik. Poland will be on the front foot with their two strikers pressing the Faroese centre-backs.
The physical battle shouldn’t be an issue for Nattestad who stands at 6ft 5in. He should be able to dominate aerially which is crucial when playing against Poland who often look to send crosses in to their big men up top.
Nattestad’s aerial prowess may also be important for the Faroes on the attacking front. They won’t be able to hold possession for long periods so their best bet will be from set pieces. If they can pick out Nattestad in the box they’ll be laughing. He’s scored once for B36 this season in a Faroese Cup match.
3️⃣ Andrass Johansen
👕 Caps: 1
🏟️ Position: Left winger
⚽ Goals: 0
21-year-old winger, Andrass Johansen has also been called up to the national team. He will be looking to pick up his second cap for the Faroes during this international break. If he is to appear it will most likely be from the bench as opposed to starting.
If he can make a decent cameo and perform to the standard he does week in week out for B36, then he could earn himself a start but it will be difficult for him to get in ahead over Solvi Vatnhamar, who is vastly experienced.
If Johansen does get the nod, expect directness from his channel. He loves to get at his opposing full-back and put crosses into the box for strikers to get a hold of. He links the play well and carries the ball up the pitch excellently.
He is a player we’re particularly fond of here at Andy’s Bet Club as he’s a product of the B36 academy. He’s B36 through and through. We’d love to see him get more of a chance to test himself against tough opponents. If he does make an appearance he’ll be directly up against Aston Villa’s Matty Cash or Lens’ Przemyslaw Frankowski.
4️⃣ Hannes Agnarsson
👕 Caps: 3
🏟️ Position: Right winger
⚽ Goals: 0
Hannes Agnarsson is another player who came through the youth academy at B36. He has been with the club since 2016, spending just one season away at Hellerup IK in Denmark. He has also represented the Faroes at a range of different levels. He has played in the U17s, U19s, and U21s before being called up to the senior team.
Agnarsson was a standout player in B36’s Europa Conference League qualifying run, scoring two goals in five appearances. Equating to a third of B36’s goals in that competition this season. At just 24 years old he has the potential to get even better and nail down that right-wing position as his own.
He loves to provide goals more than he scores them. In just 21 appearances in all competitions this season he has managed six assists and five goals. He averages a goal or assist every 129 minutes, which is very impressive.
Football in the Faroes
Football in the Faroes is growing season on season. This year B36 made the third qualifying round of the Europa Conference League and were a game away from facing Lille in a play-off for the group stages.
KL Klaksvik became the first team from the Faroe Islands to qualify for the group stages of a UEFA competition this season. They qualified for the UECL after an impressive qualifying run. They were a game away from a play-off for the Champions League. Defeat took them to a Europa League play-off where they lost to Sheriff. This sent them to the Europa Conference League.
A huge achievement for them and as a fan of Faroese football, I couldn’t be more proud.
Now’s the time to jump on the bandwagon and get involved in Faroese football. It’s worth it, I promise.
If you’ve read this far, send me a DM over on Instagram with your shirt size. I’ll give a few shirts to some of you.
