Dramatic championship in Iceland – 5 teams had a chance to win the title. No such battle in the relegation zone or in the second division. Down in second level two clubs dominated from start to end:
FH Hafnarfjördur finished second with 24 points, getting promotion. Fylkyr (Reykjavik) were not in the race – they were 3rd with 20 points. The champions of the Second Division never had a worry, finishing 5 points ahead of FH.
If there is anything to say about the winners, it must be their name – they are often written UB Kopavogur or UBK, especially in older sources. Apparently the club used the abbreviation of their name when playing in Europe, emphasizing the name of their home town – Kopavogur. One of the youngest Icelandic clubs – founded in 1950 – trying to establish itself among the best.
The promoted clubs were to take the places of the last two in First Division. There the outsiders were clear almost from the first round.
Haukar (Hafnarfjördur), the newcomers this season were not up to the task. They lost 14 matches, tied 3, and won just a single one. 5 points anchored them to the bottom, perhaps to the joy of their city rivals HF – the previous year they were last and Haukar won promotion, now the roles were reversed.
KA Akureyri finished 9th with 12 points. They were 4 points short from safety, but it was hardly a surprise – at that time KA were not a force in Icelandic football. Much stronger than Haukar, but not a match to any other team.
Up the table was much more interesting – 5 clubs were separated by 2 points at the end. Silver and bronze medals were decided in a play-off – goal-difference was not a factor, so ÍA Akranes and Valur Reykjavík met again. Twice, actually – the first match ended in a scoreless tie, but in the second the champions of 1977 prevailed 3-1. The play-off was not just for silver and bronze: it was about playing in Europe – Iceland had a single spot in the UEFA Cup and IA Akranes grabbed it.
The race for the title was one by a single point and, most interestingly, by a club so far never winning a title.
ÍB Vestmannæyjar or Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja, as the full name is – a mouthful of a name, difficult to pronounce in any language. One of the oldest Icelandic clubs, founded in 1903, yet never winning anything so far. After 1970 the club was on the rise, even playing in the UEFA Cup – an easy opponent on the continent, apart from the headache of writing and pronouncing the name. Perhaps nobody learned it, for IB never lasted longer than the first round, like any other Icelandic club. But they were getting better at home and finally won the championship. Their strength was really the defense, allowing only 13 goals. The rest was perhaps good luck, but it was well done – at home the wording surely was ‘excellent’: a first title is something special.
Standing from left: Einar Hallgrímsson, fararstjóri, Jóhann Ólafsson, knattspyrnuráðsmaður, Árni Johnsen, blaðamaður (gestur), Viktor Helgason, þjálfari hins sigursæla liðs, Ómar Jóhannsson, Gústaf Baldvinsson, Friðfinnur Finnbogason, Valþór Sigurþórsson, Páll Pálmason, Snorri Rútsson, Kjartan Másson, aðstoðarþjálfari og Guðmundur Þ.B. Ólafsson, knattspyrnuráðsmaður.
First row: Tómas Pálsson, Viðar Elíasson, Jóhann Georgsson, Ársæll Sveinsson, markvörður liðsins, Sveinn Sveinsson, Þórður Hallgrímsson, fyrirliði, Guðmundur Erlingsson, Óskar Valtýsson, Örn Óskarsson , Kári Þorleifsson
Dressed to kill champions. Nothing to say about this squad, except that football players were certainly brave in Iceland – looks like too cold even for formal suits. Parkas are best… how was it to play in shorts and skinny shirts?
The Cup final was a derby – Fram (Reykjavík) vs Valur (Reykjavík). Of course, much was at stake – Fram had miserable season, finishing 6th and Valur lost the coveted spot in the UEFA Cup in the play-off. Winning was a must and Fram extracted the victory with a single goal – 1-0.
Valur finished empty-handed and sulking.
Fram triumphed with their 4th Cup. They also saved grace and restored the pride of Reykjavik, which had 5 clubs in First Division – since half the league was located in the capital, it was reasonable they to be the best, but the title went to provincial town. The Cup at least stayed in the capital.
There is really almost nothing to say of the Icelandic football – except this: scoring was getting lower on the continent. High scoring happened mostly in the small divisions by the end of the 1970s – 254 goals were scored in the Icelandic first division this year – 2.822 goals per match.