Away 2006/08
Matchworn (player unknown) 2006 FIFI Wild Cup
Manufacturer: Umbro
Source: Collector
THE TEAM
Have you ever wondered why Greenland is called “Greenland”, despite being mostly white with some brown spots? Wouldn’t "Stracciatellaland" be a more appropriate name?
Well, it was a marketing stunt by Norse explorer Eric the red, in hopes that it would attract more settlers to the island.
The fact that Greenland is the world’s biggest island and just around 56,000 people call it their home, suggest that his plan didn’t work out.
As opposed to the Faroe Islands, which are also a part of Denmark, Greenland is not a recognized member of either FIFA or UEFA and thus isn’t eligible to take part in the World Cup or EURO. However, Greenland’s football association, the KAK, is working on becoming a member of the UEFA or CONCACAF soon.
Without playing competitive matches on a regular basis, it’s difficult to maintain a competitive squad. Therefore, Greenland has taken part in different international tournaments over the years, like the Island Games, the FIFI Wild Cup or the ELF Cup, while the team hasn’t been able to qualify for any of the ConIFA tournaments so far. As of yet, they haven't been able to win any of said tournaments, but they can boast a 16-0 win against the Channel Island of Sark in 2003.
THE SHIRT
Greenland = snow = Christmas = Santa Claus = Coca Cola – a chain of thought that really made sense in the eyes of the world’s biggest soda company, which is why they have slapped their easily recognizable scribble on the shirts of the “Polar-Bamserne” (“The Polar Teddy Bears”) – a truly fearsome nickname for a sports team!
This particular shirt was worn during the 2006 FIFI Wild Cup in St. Pauli, Hamburg, where the team lost both of their games against later finalists Northern Cyprus and Zanzibar and later gifted to the collector I eventually received it from. It is already the second Greenland matchworn that found its way into my collection.
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