EVERYONE LOVES A good underdog story.
Amateur outfit Langholmen FC take on two-time UEFA Cup winners IFK Gotheburg in the Swedish Cup tonight and, at enormous odds of 28/1, haven’t been given much of a hope to record an historic home win.
On the surface, the tie doesn’t look like anything out of the ordinary. But in reality, Langholmen is a club with a difference.
Based on a former prison island in central Stockholm, it formed back in 2002 by Irish and British ex-pats who shared a love for the game and wished to play competititively.
Ten promotions saw them climb from obscurity to Division Three of the national football league but in 2011 they were relegation back to Division Four, where they currently sit.
Langholmen, which these days consists of eight men’s and women’s teams, earned a spot in the domestic cup thanks to their final appearance in their regional competition and the luck of the draw has seen them paired with the country’s most successful side.
Gotheburg have 18 titles to their name, the most recent of which was won in 2007, and are five-time cup winners.
Speaking to RTE Radio’s Morning Ireland this morning, Ciaran McCormack, from Howth in Dublin said:
“It was just a group of lads playing a bit of ball on a Saturday or Sunday morning and it grew from there. It was mainly Irish and English lads who put a team together.
“We attracted a few decent players and have gone up the leagues from the eighth to the third but got relegated a couple of years ago.
It’s the classic David v Goliath. They are a massive club who played against Manchester United in the Champions League group stages in the ’90s and all the lads would know them. You just can’t believe you’re playing against them tonight.”
On a normal match day, Langholmen are glad to attract welcome 50 fans to their home ground. Tonight, however, the attendance is expected to reach around 1,000 as supporters turn out for the glamour tie.
The club is a hub for the international community in the Swedish capital and boasts players from 29 different countries in its ranks. Likely to be in the thick of the action this evening are midfielders Paul Sullivan from Ringsend in Dublin and Cork native Robbie Graham. Striker Colm Kenny, originally from Swords, misses out unfortunately.
Whatever the result, post-match drinks will almost certainly be had in nearby Irish pub Southside, which is the club’s main sponsor and regular haunt.
