Sealand national football team explained

Sealand
Badge:Sealand_Coat_of_Arms.svg
Badge Size:180px
Nickname:Seals
Elo Rank:N/A
Association:Sealand National Football Association
(SNFA)
Confederation:None
Captain:Ed Stubbs
Most Caps:Christian Gunn
Jack Field
Sam Churchman (8)
Top Scorer:Dan Hughes (6)
Fifa Trigramme:N/A
Home Stadium:Broadfield Stadium
Capacity:6,134
Leftarm1:FF3333
Body1:FF3333
Rightarm1:FF3333
Shorts1:FFFFFF
Socks1:000000
Leftarm2:FFFFFF
Body2:FFFFFF
Rightarm2:FFFFFF
Shorts2:FF3333
Socks2:FFFFFF
First Game: 2–2
(Åland; 15 May 2004)
Largest Win: 1–6
(Chur, Switzerland; 9 August 2014)
Largest Loss: 8–0
(St John's, Isle of Man; 5 July 2013)

The Sealand national football team represents the unrecognized, self-proclaimed micronation of the Principality of Sealand. It is not a member of FIFA or UEFA, but was an associate member of the N.F.-Board, an organisation for teams who are not members of FIFA. They were admitted to the N.F.-Board as a provisional member in 2005 and as an associate member in 2006, before the organisation became defunct in 2013. The team has been inactive since 2014, although discussions are underway to revive the team as of April 2023.[1]

History

Foundation

The Sealand National Football Association (SNFA) was founded in 2003.[2] In 2004, they played their first game against Åland drawing 2–2.[3] All the players on the Sealand team were members of Vestbjerg Vintage Idrætsforening, a veterans side from Aalborg. However, the Danish-based SNFA ended their activities in 2006 and Sealand football took a break.

Recent times

On 23 December 2009, Scottish author Neil Forsyth was appointed head of the revived SNFA.[4] [5] He stated a goal of participation in the 2010 VIVA World Cup, a dream ultimately ended by a lack of finance.On 5 May 2012, Sealand took to the field against fellow N.F.-Board members the Chagos Islands at Weycourt in Godalming, Surrey. The Chagossians won 3–1, with Ryan Moore scoring for Sealand. The team was captained by former Bolton Wanderers defender Simon Charlton and actor Ralf Little.[5] [6] [7]

Sealand played an away game against Alderney on 25 August 2012.[8] After drawing the match by a scoreline of 1–1, Sealand won 5–4 on penalties. On 9 March 2013 Sealand won their first ever international when they beat Alderney 2–1 in Godalming.

Sealand competed in the Tynwald Hill Tournament on the Isle of Man in July 2013. The tournament was held at Mullen-e-Cloie, St John's. Following a late 5–3 defeat to Tamil Eelam and an 8–0 demolition at the hands of eventual winners Occitania, Sealand finished bottom of their group and went on to the 5th place playoff where they beat Alderney 2–1.

In February 2014 Sealand recorded their record win as they beat the Chagos Islands 4–2 in Godalming.[9]

In May 2014 Sealand drew 1–1 with the Chagos Islands at Crawley Town a fortnight before another draw, 2–2 with Somaliland (who were making their non-FIFA debut) in London.

Sealand underwent a European tour for the first time in August 2014 which proved to be hugely successful. In Chur a record 6–1 win over Raetia saw Dan Hughes become the record-scorer with 4 goals, before a 3–2 win over Seborga in Ospedaletti, Italy. Hughes added to his tally in that game and the Seals extended their unbeaten international run to 6 games.[10]

Sealand has not been a member of a confederation since the N.F.-Board became defunct. An application to join CONIFA was rejected.[11]

Overall record

Opponentwidth=20width=20width=20width=20width=20width=20% Won% Drawn% Lost
1 0 1 0 2 20%100%0%
3 2 1 0 5 366.7%33.33%0%
3 1 1 1 6 633.33%33.33%33.33%
1 1 0 0 6 1100%0%0%
1 1 0 0 3 2100%0%0%
1 0 1 0 2 20%100%0%
1 0 0 1 3 50%0%100%
1 0 0 1 0 80%0%100%
Total12543563741.67%

B team record

Opponentwidth=20width=20width=20width=20width=20width=20% Won% Drawn% Lost
1 0 0 1 1 40%0%100%
Total1 0 0 1 1 40%0%100%

Coaches

ManagerSpanHonours
Christian Olsen2003–2006101022%
Neil Forsyth2009–2013311145%
Julian Dicks20133102514%
Ed Stubbs[12] [13] [14] 2013–present75202410%

Kit

Sealand's kit has the same colors as the flag of Sealand. Their original kit consisted of a red shirt with white trim, black shorts and white socks, and was provided by JJB with sponsorship from UK investment firm Property Secrets.[15]

For the Tynwald Tournament, Sealand introduced a new Nike home kit, in red, with a white stripe down the right-hand side. In the 8–0 defeat to Occitania, Sealand debuted their Stanno away kit of a white shirt with pale red shorts.

Notes and References

  1. https://theathletic.com/4368448/2023/04/02/sealand-the-national-football-team-from-a-country-half-the-size-of-a-football-pitch/ Sealand: The national football team from a country half the size of a football pitch
  2. Web site: Tony Incenzo And His Experience Watching Sealand. 888sport.com. 2022-12-23. 2022-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20221223102435/https://www.888sport.com/blog/tony-incenzo-on-sealand. live.
  3. Web site: IBWM Fantasy football micronation style. IBWM. 29 February 2012. 1 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120601044750/http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2011/8/3/fantasy-football-micronation-style.html. live.
  4. Web site: FANTASY FOOTBALL MICRONATION STYLE. inbedwithmaradona.com. 2022-12-23. 2022-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20221223102430/https://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2011/8/3/fantasy-football-micronation-style.html. live.
  5. News: Sealand FC: The Most Unlikely Story In International Football. 15 May 2012. 18 May 2012. 18 May 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120518104628/http://www.sabotagetimes.com/football-sport/sealand-fc-the-most-unlikely-story-in-international-football/. live.
  6. News: Ralf Little gets an international cap for Sealand. BBC Sport. BBC. 7 May 2012. 7 May 2012. 6 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306040420/http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/17981522. live.
  7. News: Amy. Taylor. Sealand and Chagos Islands play out football history. Surrey Today. 11 May 2012. 11 May 2012. 20 May 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120520202803/http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2113590_sealand_and_chagos_islands_play_out_football_history. live.
  8. Web site: Sealand vs Alderney football result. https://web.archive.org/web/20130115115831/http://www.sealandgov.org/announcements/sealand-vs-alderney-football-result. dead. 2013-01-15.
  9. Web site: Sealand shock Chagos Islands with record win. Non-FIFA FootballUpdates. 2014-02-24. 2014-03-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20140301213403/http://nonfifafootball.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/sealand-shock-chagos-islands-with.html. live.
  10. Web site: Sealand deny Seborga comeback in Ospedaletti. Sanremonews. 2014-08-14. 2014-08-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205351/http://www.sanremonews.it/2014/08/11/leggi-notizia/argomenti/sport/articolo/calcio-fantastico-esordio-per-la-nazionale-di-seborga-che-sfiora-unepica-rimonta-contro-sealand.html. live.
  11. Web site: World Football Cup an alternative to Fifa and a lesson in geopolitics. Matthew. Engel. 1 June 2018. 28 January 2019. www.theguardian.com. 24 June 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190624095518/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/01/world-football-cup-alternative-fifa-lesson-geopolitics. live.
  12. Web site: I Went to an International Football Match Between Two Non-Countries. vice.com. 2022-12-23. 2022-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20221223101621/https://www.vice.com/en/article/9bjnm5/chagos-islands-sealand-football-match. live.
  13. Web site: Micronation prepares for Island tournament. manxradio.com. 2022-12-23. 2022-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20221223101630/https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/micronation-prepares-for-island-tournament/. live.
  14. Web site: Sealand and Chagos Islands play out football history. getsurrey.co.uk. 2022-12-23. 2022-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20221223101621/https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/sealand-chagos-islands-play-out-4810632. live.
  15. Web site: Sealand's Blog . www.sealandgov.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924232736/http://www.sealandgov.org/_blog/Sealand_News/post/Sealand_2-1_Alderney/ . 2015-09-24.