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ABSTRACT
A limited, but growing body of sport policy and management research is dedicated to studies investigating challenges and opportunities for small and micro nations. Likewise, global aspects of football are regularly investigated; yet the daily organisation of club football at the geographical margins is often neglected. The overall purpose of this study is to investigate the development of elite football clubs on the Faroe Islands. In particular, through qualitative interviews the study explores how board chairmen (n = 15) perceive and assess the current situation of football clubs on the Islands by examining the interplay between commercial and local interests and institutionalised world society regulations. Drawing on a world society approach formulated by John W. Meyer and by applying the quadrant model developed by Guilianotti and Robertson we identify and discuss three areas of importance to contemporary Faroese club management: the benefits from becoming part of the UEFA and FIFA umbrella; organising club football through multiple tensions; and the significance of being anchored in municipalities. These insights are used to outline potential future policy and research implications.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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Notes
1. Home stadium of the Faroese National Football Team.
2. National Parliament .
3. Prime Minister.
4. Has since increased to 16 for the 2019 season .
5. Faroese society is bi-lingual (Faroese/Danish).
6. Due to the current chairman’s work-related absence.
7. The two traditional clubs from the capital region, Tórshavn.
8. 4 full-time coaches, 11 part-time coaches.
9. Following the completion of the 2018 season at least four chairmen stepped down or were replaced.
10. Before the opening of the tunnel the trip takes approximately one hour.
11. Prior to the 2019 season the FSF hosted a workshop for all clubs particularly aimed at teaching the clubs administrational skills and providing various tools towards lessening their administrational burden.
12. Tórsvøllur & Gundadalur, Tórshavn and Svangaskarð, Toftir.
13. Following the interviews conducted in this study, improvements have been begun to improve a further stadium to international standards: Djúpamýra, Klaksvík.