B36 Torshavn: Meet Haverfordwest County’s Europa Conference League opponents
U21 EM-Qualifikation Österreich gegen Färöer am 29. März 2016 in Wien: Magnus Egilsson (FRO). (Featured Image: Ailura/Wikimedia Commons)
After defeating Shkendija, Haverfordwest County’s attention now turns north and to the Faroe Islands.
They will take on B36 Torshavn in the Second Qualifying Round of the Europa Conference League.
Ahead of the contest, we take a look at what the Bluebirds can expect from their Faroese rivals.
History
Hailing from the Faroese capital of Torshavn, B36 were founded in 1936.
The team were formed by a group of players who were prohibited from playing for the other team in Torshavn, HB.
Fans of the Cymru Premier may recognise HB from last season when they played Newtown. The Robins came out on top on penalties, but this time, it’s the white side of the city that will be visiting Wales.
B36 are a very successful club, having won the Faroese Premier League 11 times, with their most successful stint coming in the late 40s to the early 60s.
The last time they won the league was in 2015, the only time in their history where they managed to retain the league title.
To add to their long list of league titles, they have successfully lifted the Faroese Cup on seven occasions.
Stadium
The match on Thursday will take place at the Gundadalur Stadium.
The ground holds 5,000 fans and is the home of HB, as well as B36.
Manager
B36 are managed by Dan Brimsvik.
Having never played any professional football, Brimsvik’s first managerial role came with B36’s second team.
After a brief stint there, he headed to Denmark to head up the academies at Hvidvore and Lyngby.
But in 2021, B36 came calling for his services, this time as their permanent head coach. In his first season, they won the Faroese Cup with a victory in the final on penalties.
He has so far managed 70 games for the club: winning 36, drawn 14 and losing 20.
Players to Watch
B36 have a strong spine running through the team.
Between the sticks they have Mattias Lamhauge. Having signed from bitter rivals HB, he has established himself as a solid goalkeeper for B36. As a result of his good form, he has won three caps for the Faroe Islands. He also kept two cleans sheets in the first qualifying round.
In front of him, they possess Isak Jonsson. Standing at six foot three, he moved to B36 at the start of the season from Swedish side Trelleborg. He will be a big danger from set pieces.
Lining up in the striker position will be Valerijs Sabala. A Latvian with over 50 caps for his country, he has played for the likes of Riga and Club Brugge before arriving in the Faroese capital. He has six goals and one assist so far this season.
Season so far
We are reaching the business end of the season in the Faroe Islands and B36 currently sit in second place.
They may be second, but they do sit twelve points behind leaders Klaksvik, who defeated Ferencvaros of Hungary in the Champions League.
While the league may be slightly too far out of their reach, they crucially sit one point and one place above HB.
Embed from Getty ImagesEuropean Pedigree
B36 have a very strong history in Europe and have played some big teams.
Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Brondby have all played on the islands, and they all secured big victories over B36.
They have also twice played TNS in Europe. The first time they played, the Saints came out on top 6-2 on aggregate, but they got their revenge a few seasons later with a win on penalties.
In this year’s first qualifying round in the UECL, they defeated Estonian side Paide Linnameskond 2-0 on aggregate.
County will not fear B36, and it certainly promises to be an intriguing matchup.
