Paper short abstract:

Iceland took to the stage in the finals of the european football championship last summer and the nation subsequently went crazy for all things football. This presentation will focus on the fans of the team, what distinguishes them from other fans and what they have in common with them.

Paper long abstract:

When Styrmir Gíslason, the founder of Tólfan, the fan group of the Icelandic national football team, was met with judgemental looks from other people over his cheering in the stands, at the home of the team in Reykjavík, he knew he needed to do something about that issue. He thought that it was not normal to be judged for cheering at a football game and that Icelandic football fans were only spectators rather then supporters, like they were in a classical concert or a play.

A group of close friends of Styrmir grew rapidly to a massive fanbase of people dressed in blue, cheering for the team with songs and flags, throwing away there everyday habitus and replacing it with a habitus they can only experience within the liminality of the ninty minute gameplay and the communitas they all share. But the communitas does not stop in the stands like Heimir Hallgrímsson, the Icelandic man´s national football team coach, explaines. "Where in the world could the national teammates paint the town red with there hardcore fans, you know, and just have fun with them until the bars are closed and everyone is swept out of the bars? Where else then in Iceland could that happen?"