Sweden’s fan culture at the World Youth Hockey Championships was something that should also be seen in Finland, writes Urheilu’s editor Simo Arkko.
Simo Arkkourheilhu reporter
GOTHENBURG.
Sweden! Sweden!
Fanikatsomo started and the rest of the hall responded. The atmosphere in Scandinavium was deafening when Sweden played the final of the World Junior Championships against the United States.
Sweden’s Fanikatsomo took care of the commotion. That started a scream, which the whole hall joined. At one point, most of the audience even stood up.
The loudest spectators in the entire hall stood in the Swedish fan stand. There were only a few hundred of them, but they still managed to ignite the entire hall into life with the match.
Wild celebrations after the goals. A painful cry, when the Swedish top player failed in his place of a thousand dollars.
Singing, shouting, bouncing. Great emotions from side to side.
I was not used to this in the home matches of the Finnish national team. At the World Cup in Tampere, we got used to seeing a lot of spectators who had come to the matches with company tickets in the lower stands.
There were loud fans in the upper stand, but they couldn’t get the whole hall involved in the atmosphere. In Gothenburg, the entire hall was also alive during the first season matches thanks to the fan stand.
The Swedish fan end was even so interesting that it momentarily took my attention during the match. I admit: I didn’t see Sweden’s first goal.
Instead, I saw thousands of Swedes jumping into the air and euphoric cheering.
To the chagrin of the Swedes, the United States decided to spoil their celebration. The biggest champion favorite held his ground and won the gold medals with a score of 6–2.
I really hope that there were Finnish puck-keepers either there in Gothenburg or watching TV. Even though we sometimes look at what Sweden is doing to extremes, we have to copy this to Finland as well.
It doesn’t even take much. Only cheap tickets to the main stand for a few hundred enthusiasts.
May implement.