Football fever has taken over the Canadian towns of Gimli in Manitoba and Markerville, in Alberta. Both towns have strong connections to Iceland; Gimli is known as New Iceland and is home to the largest concentration of people of Icelandic ancestry outside of Iceland; and Markerville was home to beloved poet Stephan G. Stephanson.
A journalist at the Canadian Press visited the towns ahead of Sunday’s match against France, and interviewed some die-hard supporters of the Icelandic national team.
Read more:Watch: Iceland's supporters singing beautiful ballad before Portugal match
To them, it's like our 1972 Summit Series. They tear up when they talk about it. We went there and just kind of caught the fever. There were lots of flags, lots of partying, lots of drinking, said Shane Budvarson, who was in Iceland for two of the games, including the win against England.
Scott Carman, the owner of the Ship & Plough Gastropub, said he expected “everyone to be Icelandic on Sunday, at least in spirit”. The innkeeper plans to serve his patrons Icelandic beer and liqueur during the game.
Football fever has taken over the Canadian towns of Gimli in Manitoba and Markerville, in Alberta. Both towns have strong connections to Iceland; Gimli is known as New Iceland and is home to the largest concentration of people of Icelandic ancestry outside of Iceland; and Markerville was home to beloved poet Stephan G. Stephanson.
A journalist at the Canadian Press visited the towns ahead of Sunday’s match against France, and interviewed some die-hard supporters of the Icelandic national team.
Read more:Watch: Iceland's supporters singing beautiful ballad before Portugal match
To them, it's like our 1972 Summit Series. They tear up when they talk about it. We went there and just kind of caught the fever. There were lots of flags, lots of partying, lots of drinking, said Shane Budvarson, who was in Iceland for two of the games, including the win against England.
Scott Carman, the owner of the Ship & Plough Gastropub, said he expected “everyone to be Icelandic on Sunday, at least in spirit”. The innkeeper plans to serve his patrons Icelandic beer and liqueur during the game.