Baltic: Football in the Åland Islands. IFK Mariehamn vs Ilves.

Words: Max Andersson

Images: Max Andersson

Pre-season is long and dark in Finland but just as the ice lost its grip on the shallow bay on the Åland Islands, the Veikkausliiga (Finland’s top division) was back.

IFK Mariehamn is the small side representing a town of 11,000 inhabitants remotely placed in the middle of the Baltic Sea.

Baltic it was too on the eve of IFK Mariehamn vs Ilves for the first fixture of the season.

Mariehamn is the capital of the Åland Islands, a Swedish speaking autonomy within Finland, bang in the middle of the waterway between Stockholm and Helsinki.

During the Middle Ages, Åland was in the heart of Sweden, between the fairway from East to West.

©Max Andersson/ Terrace Edition. IFK Mariehamn.

Thereafter, Åland became the Russian Empire’s Westernmost outpost. Following peace negotiations after the Crimean War, the Åland Islands were declared a demilitarised zone.

Last year marked a hundred years since the beginning of Åland autonomy. A century of wilfulness as proclaimed by the locals themselves.

The language situation in Finland is a complex and sensitive topic. Swedish has traditionally been seen as the language of the Finnish elite, as it was the language of the ruling class during Finland's centuries-long association with Sweden.

As a result, Finnish-speaking Finns have often viewed Swedish with suspicion, seeing it as a symbol of a privileged and exclusive social order. On the other hand, Swedish-speaking Finns have sometimes felt marginalized and discriminated against, as Finnish has become increasingly dominant in the country's public life.

The relationship between Swedish and Finnish remains a sensitive subject in Finland, and debates about language policy can be emotionally charged. Nevertheless, many Finns take pride in the country's bilingualism, seeing it as a unique and valuable aspect of Finnish identity.

In contrast to the small, secluded and Swedish speaking society of Åland, Ilves come from Tampere; Finland’s most populous city after greater Helsinki and located in the primarily Finnish speaking inland.

Despite the size difference of the two societies, this wasn't a battle between a David and a Goliath but rather two evenly matched, honest and fighting sides that clashed on the snow ridden pitch.

A beautiful chip from new striker Tuco gave IFK Mariehamn the lead just before half time.

The lead did not last for long, however as Ilves equalized from a penalty in the second half to the dismay of the sodden home crowd.

Led by playmaker Jamie Hopcutt, former star in Graham Potters’ Östersund side, IFK tried in vain.

Shared points turned out to be a final result neither side could be too disappointed with.