| Full name | Íþróttafélagið Fylkir | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Fylkismenn | ||
| Founded | May 28, 1967 as KSÁ | ||
| Ground | Fylkisvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland (Capacity: 4,000 (1,000 seated)) |
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| Club Chairman | Björn Gíslason | ||
| Football Chairman | Þórður Gíslason | ||
| Manager | Ásmundur Arnarsson | ||
| League | Pepsi deildin | ||
| 2010 | 9th | ||
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Fylkir FC is an athletic club in Árbær, in the eastern part of Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland.
Former players include Helgi Valur Daníelsson, who now plays for AIK, and Ólafur Ingi Skúlason, formerly of Arsenal and currently plays for Zulte Waregem in Belgium. Ragnar Sigurðsson who plays with Danish giants F.C. Copenhagen, he left Fylkir in 2006. Eyjólfur Héðinsson also plays in the Danish top division with SønderjyskE Haukur Ingi Guðnason who played for Liverpool and Guðlaugur Victor Pálsson who also played for Liverpool but currently plays with Scottish side Hibernian.
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The Fylkir FC official home kit is combined of an orange jersey, black shorts and orange socks. The away kit is combined of a blue jersey and shorts and white socks. The original kit is combined of a white and blue shirt, white shorts and white socks (alternatively blue socks).
Fylkir FC was founded in 1967 on May 28 in a newly established suburb of Reykjavik, Árbær, by young and enthusiastic footballers who wanted to train and play football in their own neighbourhood. From the start, the club has emphasized the importance of youth development and for the first years Fylkir FC did not a field a senior team. The original name of the club was KSÁ (Knattspyrnufélag Seláss og Árbæjar), the name was considered inconvenient and thus after a member vote, it was changed to Fylkir.
The senior team took first part in a national competition in 1972 and became that year second in their heat in the Icelandic 3. division. That was not enough to for Fylkir to gain promotion and for five successive years the team played in Division Three. All these years Fylkir was on the edge of promotion but it was not until 1977 that the dream came true. Fylkir earned a promotion to the 2. division after a historical Third Division Final in which Fylkir had to field its B-team because the majority of the normally starting eleven had gone to Spain on a long before pre-paid holiday!
The next six years, Fylkir FC played in Division Two, only once being close to gaining promotion. From 1984 to 1988, Fylkir roller-coasted between the Second and the Third Division and it was not until 1989 that Fylkir played its first season in Division One – the top league in Iceland at that time. The season was no success, Fylkir became ninth and was relegated, but the season is nevertheless an interesting one as three players - Kristinn Tómasson, Þórhallur Dan Jóhannsson and Finnur Kolbeinsson - who are now legends at the club, played their first season at a top level.
The next time Fylkir FC earned a promotion to Division One was in 1993, but just as in 1989 the team became ninth and was relegated. In 1996, history reapeted itself for the third successive time, Fylkir occupied the club's seemingly beloved ninth place and was once again relegated to Division Two.
In the year 1999, Fylkir FC was promoted to the top league – now called the Premier League - for the fourth time. The following year of 2000 Fylkir was only two points from winning the league, in its first year after promotion. The second place earned the club its first games in a European competition. In 2001, Fylkir FC won the Icelandic Cup for the first time, but finished fifth in the Premier League after leading the competition for the first two thirds of it. In the UEFA cup, Fylkir won Pogoń Szczecin from Poland 2:1 in the club's first European game. In Poland, Fylkir FC equalized in the last minute of the game to the euphoria of its 200 dedicated supporters who had travelled to Poland to support their team. 3:2 in aggression and Fylkir FC were through to the second Qualifying Round. The opponents, Roda Kerkrade from Holland, proved to be stronger than the Poles. Roda won the first game in Holland, 3:0, a game in which football almost played a side role as it took place September 11. In Iceland, Fylkir FC scored the first goal, but the Dutch side the next three, ending the European adventure for Fylkir FC.
The Cup victory in 2001 earned Fylkir a spot in the UEFA cup for the second successive year, the opponents this time being Royal Excelsior Mouscron from Belgium. The teams drew 1:1 in Iceland and Mouscron won the game in Belgium 3:1. In the Icelandic Premier League 2002, Fylkir FC became second after a last minute battle with KR Reykjavik. Fylkir FC repeated the Cup success and won the competition for the second year in a row.
Forty years after its establishment, Fylkir FC is still a club with strong roots in its neighbourhood and the majority of its players and staff are born and bread in Arbaer. The club is now one of the bigger clubs in Iceland and the senior side has established itself as a prominent Premier League team after years of constant travelling between divisions.
In the season of 2006, Fylkir was not a big success. They finished 8th, staying in the Premier League by only two points. In stead, Grindavík got relegated after getting a 1-1 draw against the Icelandic Champions, Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar, when they needed to win.
2007 proved to be a good year for Fylkir, after sitting firmly at the middle of the table all season, Fylkir FC ended up in 4th place, earning a spot in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2008. Fylkir also reached the VISA-Cup semi-final but a shocking loss to 1st Division Fjölnir ended their hopes for a third Cup win during the decade.
2007 was also a good year for Fylkir FC U20 team as they won the Icelandic division for U20 teams for the first time in clubs history.
2008 proved to be a rather difficult season for Fylkir FC. They started the season with two defeats, but then followed three victories and things were starting to look good. But then the troubles really begun, a terrible run of games sent Fylkir into the relegation zone. On 28 August 2008 Fylkir sacked manager Leifur Garðarsson and Sverrir Sverrisson stepped in as caretaker manager for the rest of the season. Fylkir managed to stay out of relegation and ended up in 9th place with 22 points. The 2008 season in Iceland was the first one with 12 teams. Fylkir FC reached the VISA-Cup semi-final but lost to Fjölnir second time in a row. They lost 3-4 after a thrilling match which was very hard for the supporters to take.
In the first round of the 2008 Intertoto Cup, Fylkir FC managed a 2-1 first leg victory in Latvia against FK Rīga. However, the visiting club won the return leg 2-0, taking the tie 3-2 on aggregate.
At the start of October 2008 Fylkir announced Ólafur Þórðarson as their new manager. Ólafur has worked for the club before, he was a player/manager for two seasons 1998 and 1999.
Besides football (soccer) Fylkir participates in volleyball, handball, gymnastics, and karate.
The Fylkir FC stadium if called Fylkisvöllur meaning simply "Fylkir Stadium." Up until Fylkir's promotion to Premier League in 1999, Fylkir had no stadium but a comfortable grass hill was sufficient to the thousands of dedicated supporters who followed the team. After the promotion, concrete stands were put in, merely to make it a legal stadium for the Premier League. Since then the Icelandic Football Association has changed the rules, leaving Fylkir with a stadium that meets no requirements. Fylkir is currently exempt from the requirements until 2012. Fylkir and Reykjavik City Council are currently holding talks regarding the reconstruction of the stadium. Taking the seated capacity from 550 to around 2000.
Fylkir's official supporters club is called Kiddi Tomm, named after a former Fylkir player, Kristinn Tomasson, who was a leading striker for Fylkir FC all his career except playing for Fram one season. The club was formed before the 2007 season, following several previous supporters clubs of Fylkir. The club voted defender Kristjan Valdimarsson as their player of the year for the 2007 season. Their website is fylkismenn.is[1]
The local pub is called Blásteinn (e. Blue Stone). Fylkir supporters gather at Blásteinn before and after matches, sometimes being joined by Fylkir FC players and coaches.
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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