Nú eru tað týskarar, sum vitja hjá okkum. Fyri hálvum ári síðani var støðan hin øvuta, og tá vóru tað mong, sum tóku sær nær, hvussu hóvligir og ikki minst stuttligir teir føroysku áskoðararnir vóru.
Úrslitið var eisini okkum til miklan sóma, tí hóast týskarar fingu tey trý stigini, sum teir høvdu fyri neyðini, so vóru tað føroyingarnir, sum fingu størstu klappini, tá dysturin var liðugur.
Tað ferðina fingu vit nakrar tøkkir sendandi, sum helst vóru ætlaðar øllum teimum, sum onkursvegna høvdu funnið fram til dystin, og niðanfyri prenta vit, hvat formaðurin í Deutsch-Färöischer Freundeskreis, Detlef Wildtraut, skrivaði um dystin:
Rós til føroyingar
Gott lag, men eingin ófriður, søgdu týskarar um atburðin hjá føroyingum í Hannover tann minniliga 16. oktober.
Ein mikudag í oktober mánaði í fjør var eg í Hannover saman við átta øðrum limum okkara felag. Vit sótu mitt í føroyingarblokkinum og høvdu eitt tríggjar metrar langt band við tekstinum: Deutsch-Färöischer Freundeskreis e.V. og niðriundir: Týskt-Føroyskt Vinafelag. Nú eri eg eingin fótbóltsfagnari og til stóra sorg hjá soni mínum havi eg enn ongan fótbóltskamp sæð til enda. Men hetta var eitt stórt upplivilsi. Eg hevði tað stóra føroyska skipsflaggið, sum eg keypti í Havn í september, og eg veittraði so dúgliga við tí, at hini mundu halda, at eg var ein ektaður føroyskur fosturlandsvinur. Sjálvt um hýrurin var óførur, var alt friðaligt bæði fyri og eftir dystin. Har var einki rok ella stríð, sum so ofte tá fótbóltur er. Teir føroysku spælararnir hava eisini vunnið sær nógva vælvild millum týsk fótbóltsfólk. Tá ið tað føroyska liðið fór av vøllinum, tá ið dysturin var av, fekk tað nógv klapp frá týskum áskoðarum, meðan klappini vóru fá til teir týsku spælararnar. Fólk mintust jú, at summir týskir fótbóltsaktivistar høvdu tikið munnin so fullan, at teir søgdu, at kampurin fór at vera ein reinur spadseritúrur við 6 ? 8 týskum málum?
Eftir úrslitið í Hannover er áhugin fyri føroyum vaksin nógv í Týsklandi. Tann týska innrásin í Føroyum, sum til alla lukki ikki kom í 1940, fer at koma í døgunum um tann 11. juni 2003 ? og hon verður friðarlig. Eg hopi, at teir týsku hooligans fara at halda seg við hús. Og fyri teir týsku áskoðararnar, sum koma, hopi eg, at teir fara at varnast, at tað er nógv annað áhugavert í Føroyum enn fótbóltur.
Ein annar føroyavinur. Enski Louis Wilson, sum býr í London, men sum hetta kvøldið var staddur í Hannover, hevði hesa fatan av dystinum:
MEMORIES OF AN AUTUMN NIGHT IN HANNOVER
Tonight at Torsvøll one must hope that the Landsli_ can carry on exactly where they left off last October in Hannover. They left the field in triumph as the whole stadium rose as one to applaud their heroic efforts. In the last few minutes of the match Hjalgrim Elttør found himself one on one with Oliver Kahn after sharply latching a headed flick from John Petersen. He slotted the ball wide of the giant goalkeeper only to agonisingly see it hit the post. The shock of this incident silenced the German fans as well as their Oompah Band while the Faroese fans gave voice to their feelings with a rendition of ?Tú Alfagra Land Mítt? that resounded through a now otherwise silent stadium.
This was the climax of an unforgettable night of drama, spectacle and emotion. Here were the tiny Faroe Islands taking on mighty Germany for many years a dominant power in International football and runners-up in the recent World Cup finals. Moreover Germany were playing in there own backyard with 35,000 supporters expecting them to provide a goal feast. And this is exactly what one feared when they scored from a penalty awarded in the first minute after some desperate defending by Oli Johannesen. But this is when the Faroese team showed their strength of character. There was no panic or lack of confidence. They remained well organized and started to settle into a rhythm and launch some attacks of their own. They were urged on by their supporters whose chants of ?Føroyar ? Føroyar? became more insistent as the match wore on. A whole forest of Faroese flags were being waved and the effect of this was magnified when the spectacle was shown on the giant screen in the opposite corner of the stadium.
We had the equalizer before half time and then Klose putting Germany ahead again. This seemed to stir the Faroese into being even more attack minded. Instead of the sort of damage limitation they would have resorted to in previous years they had the confidence to attack and go for an equalizer. This was the same spirit shown when they pressed for a winning goal against Scotland the previous month. Germany remained dangerous throughout but they were prevented from scoring by an inspired shot stopping performance by Jákup Mikkelsen which had the German papers unanimous in acclaiming him as man of the match the following morning.
So here we had the Landsli_ taking on the might of Germany in a game of open football and coming within a few millimeters of a draw. This enhanced the growing respect for the Faroe Islands in the Football World. They are no longer seen as a pushover or a novelty team to be patronised but serious opponents who are capable of giving any other national team a difficult time. If they draw on the qualities they showed in Hannover and maintain their concentration and discipline there is every reason to hope that they can further add to that reputation tonight especially against a German team seemingly short of confidence after their 1-1 draw with Scotland.
