Shetland football team explained

Shetland
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Nickname:The Shelties, The Blues
Coach:Neil Fenwick
Captain:Erik Peterson
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First Game: 2–3
(Kirkwall, Orkney; 7 May 1919)
Largest Win: 0–8
(Kirkwall, Orkney; 30 July 2022)
Largest Loss: 7–1
(Kirkwall, Orkney; 30 June 1972)

The Shetland football team represents the islands of Shetland, Scotland, in association football. It is not a member of FIFA or UEFA and is therefore not eligible to enter the World Cup or the European Championships. The team regularly competes in the Island Games, which it won in 2005, and has a strong rivalry with the representative team of Orkney.[1] [2] [3] This representative team should not be confused with Shetland FC, which was formed as a separate entity to compete during the mainland's winter season cup competitions - despite being separate entities, the teams share management staff and squad of players.[4]

Venues

Shetland normally play their home matches at Gilbertson Park (capacity unknown, highest attendance approximately 5,000, sometimes referred to as "the Gibbie") in Lerwick. Some matches, particularly friendlies, are occasionally played elsewhere, often at Seafield (Lerwick) or Harbison Park (Whalsay). They sometimes go on tour to play pre-season friendlies against Highland League clubs in July.

Competitions

Beginning in 1929, Shetland played biennial matches against the Faroe Islands. These were initially played for the Adam Shield (donated by a Glasgow shipbuilding firm) and later for the North Atlantic Cup. The logistics of this required a 14-hour trip by boat trip and a week-long stay for the visiting team. The last such friendly was played in 1990, the same year that the Faroes joined UEFA.[5]

Shetland are neither a national team nor do they participate in league competitions, so they do not have many regular games.

However, more recently, they have entered some of the cup competitions organized by the North Caledonian Football Association.

The latest most noticeable event to take place in Shetland was the 2005 Island Games: many of the group matches were played on pitches all around Shetland, and the final was at Gilbertson Park.

2005 Island Games

Match: Final

Shetland Islands 2 (0) V 0 (0) Guernsey

Time: 16:00Date: Friday 15 July 2005Venue: Gilbertson Park

Group 1 matches

Pos.TeamPlayedWonDrawLostForAgainstDiff.Points
1stShetland431081710
2ndIsle of Man421112397
3rdSaaremaa41215505
4thÅland410347–33
5thFalkland Islands4103316–133

Current squad

This is the squad that competed in the 2023 Milne Cup held in Shetland.[6]

Goalkeepers

Andrew Goodlad (Celtic), Rory Henderson (Scalloway)

Defenders

Lorne McNiven (Whitedale), Liam Flaws (Ness Utd), Josh Carroll (Spurs), James Farmer (c) (Ness Utd), Jack Clubb (Celtic).

Midfielders

Neil Laurenson (Whalsay), Declan Adamson (Ness Utd), Calvin Leask (Thistle), Brandon McKay (Spurs), James Aitken (Celtic), Harry Thomson (Ness Utd), Ronan Grant (Spurs).

Forwards

Sam Maver (Spurs), Finn Regan (Celtic).

CoachesNeil Fenwick (Manager), Richard Arthur (Coach), Bruce McCulloch (Coach), Craig Dinwoodie (GK Coach), Martin Leyland (Conditioning).

Notable players

Tournament records

Island Games record

Island Games record
YearRoundPositionGPWDLGSGA
1989Group stage5th4004113
1991Group stage5th420278
19937th4103310
1995Did not enter
1997Group stage5th421146
199910th52031414
20018th412167
20037th5212108
2005Champions1st5410101
2007Did not enter
2009Group stage13th411279
2011Did not enter
2013Did not enter
2015Fourth place4th5212105
2017Group stage10th4103712
2019Fourth place4th410388
2023Group stage7th4301126
Total1 title12/16562272799107

North Atlantic Cup[8]

Note: 2 points for a win era.

Milne Cup[9]

Including Kirkwall vs. Lerwick

Mitchell and Sutherland Shields[10]

Mitchell Shield

Sutherland Shield

Selected International opponents

Last update: 26 July 2009

Honours

References

  1. News: Shetland Shock to End: The 2005 Island Games ended with the biggest shock in island games football history . 16 July 2005. 14 September 2011. BBC Sport.
  2. News: Football and hockey teams get ready to entertain Orkney rivals. 29 July 2011. 14 September 2011. The Shetland Times.
  3. News: Shields . Tom . Island Fling: Tom Shields investigates the very special rivalry between Orkney and Shetland . . Glasgow . . 22 July 2007 .
  4. Web site: Shetland Squad : Shetland Football. www.shetlandfootball.co.uk. 2016-08-24.
  5. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12427607.When_Shetland_met_Faroe_and_the_real_romance_of_the_cup_The_rivalry_between_islanders_began_way_back_in_1929__reports_Graham_Spiers/ When Shetland met Faroe and the real romance of the cup
  6. Web site: Milne Cup 2023. www.shetlandtimes.co.uk .
  7. Web site: Bray in US university hall of fame. shetlandtimes.co.uk.
  8. Web site: North Atlantic Cup 1968-1973. 2021-07-04. RSSSF.
  9. Web site: Milne Cup. 2021-07-04. RSSSF.
  10. Web site: Mitchell and Sutherland Shields. 2021-07-04. RSSSF.

External links