IFK Mariehamn salutes its footballing heroes

Saturday party to include players, management, and club volunteers

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There is to be a large public gathering this Saturday in the central square of Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland Islands, to celebrate the promotion of local football team IFK Mariehamn to Finland's Veikkaus League.
      All the players will be presented with roses, and alongside the congratulations from the city, the provincial government, and others, it is likely that the club will be in line for a cash reward of some sort.
      After the gathering in the square, the players will adjourn to a nearby shopping mall to sign autographs. In the evening the City of Mariehamn is offering dinner to the entire MIFK operation. This means not merely the playing staff and management, but also those who have sold tickets and refreshments at the club's ground, and all others whose volunteer contributions have helped the team make it into the top division for the first time in their history.
     
On Thursday, the Mariehamn City Board is to appoint a sub-committee to plan floodlighting at the ground, an extension of the grandstand, and an artificial grass pitch with sub-surface heating.
      "Realistically, however, it is likely that we will get down to actual building work only immediately after the end of next season", commented Robert Mann from City Hall. As a Scot by birth, Mann admits that he has more of a genetic predisposition towards football than some of the native-born Ålanders. Whilst football is a year-round sport in Scotland, ice hockey tends to win more attention on the islands in the winter, just as it does on the mainland of Finland.
     
Monday was a hectic day at the MIFK offices, with flowers and congratulatory messages arriving. The club's board-member Peter Mattsson also received calls from footballers offering their services to the successful squad. Nothing is likely to happen on this front very quickly. At least not this week, as the MIFK chief coach Pekka Lyyski is taking a well-earned holiday in the Greek Islands, explained Mattsson.
      All the current members of the playing staff have expressed a wish to extend their contracts, and Mattsson already has more than a dozen players signed up for next season.
      Next Monday the IFK management will be in Helsinki to meet with representatives of the Finnish FA. Their discussions will include the special permission required for the local ground next season, and also sponsorship questions.
      The Åland Islands' own betting and gaming company PAF has expressed a desire to be a part of the team's activities into the future, even if the Finnish FA will not approve of the use of its logo on team outfits in the Veikkaus League, which is sponsored in its turn by the state-owned betting and pools operator Veikkaus.
      "Of course, potential sponsors from the mainland are very welcome to pick up the phone and call us", laughs Mattsson.
      IFK Mariehamn secured promotion to Finland's top league after finishing as runners-up in Division One and by beating Pori Jazz in a two-legged playoff tie. Pori Jazz were relegated, along with FC Hämeenlinna.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  IFK Mariehamn win promotion to top Finnish soccer league (18.10.2004)

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