Faroese plan third national stadium

The Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF) president Óli Holm has revealed plans for a new national stadium in Torshavn, boasting floodlights, covered stands and an artificial pitch.

'Long-term plan'
With presidential elections to be held in two weeks, Holm has announced a bold proposal for a new footballing venue in the Faroese capital, which would be the third national stadium built since 1991. "We at the FSF agree that the conditions for playing international matches in the Faroe Islands are not satisfactory at the moment," he said. "It's therefore necessary that the FSF takes the initiative with a long-term plan, so that international requirements can be met."

Neutral territory
When the Faroe Islands played their first official internationals in 1990, they had to stage their home games in Sweden due to a lack of suitable grass pitches at home. Then an unexpected 1-0 win against Austria prompted the Faroese authorities to construct a ground with a grass surface at the small village of Toftir. Less than a year later, in 1991, the Svangaskard Stadium was completed.

Home of their own
A new national arena, the Tórsvøllur, was subsequently erected in Torshavn, opening for business in 1999, and since then the national team have alternated between the two venues for home ties. However, Tórsvøllur was never really finished, and with the FSF owning neither of these stadiums, Holm argues that the association requires a home of its own. A new base should be ready in four years.

Generous capacity
The plan is that the new ground, funded in part by UEFA, FIFA, local authorities and television deals, will cost €17.5m and will hold 8,000 spectators – its predecessors have capacities of around 6,000. The Faroese record attendance of 6,642 was set in a match against Malta at the Svangaskard back in 1997, but with crowds having dipped as low as 1,800 for plum fixtures like the UEFA European Championship qualifier against France in 2007, the FSF hope the new arena will lure more supporters.

Unpredictable surfaces
A significant draw could be that the proposal includes floodlights and covered seating, yet perhaps the most significant change from the existing grounds in footballing terms is that the new one will have artificial turf. With players in the Faroes used to playing domestic games on artificial grass, this may well boost the national team who have experienced the same problems as visiting sides in dealing with the unpredictable surfaces at the Svangaskard and Tórsvøllur.