Gotland to Gibraltar and now Guernsey – Shetland supporters set to cheer team to medal glory

The Shetland supporters club in Gibraltar in 2019. Olive MacLeod and Sheila Manson are holding the flag in the centre. Photo: Kevin Jones

Shetland’s die-hard supporters club are ready to roar and cheer the blues to the podium in Guernsey after a four-year wait for the action to resume.

Olive MacLeod and Sheila Manson form the beating heart of the supporters group, going to every games – bar Bermuda – since Shetland hosted in 2005, and raising a racket for the team everywhere from Gotland to Gibraltar.

The pair decided to start their own supporters club after seeing the enthusiastic Åland faithful at the 2005 games.

“It kinda started off as a fun,” Manson said.

“Åland have their supporters group, and after we hosted we said ‘wouldn’t it be fun to have wir own supporters group?’

“We started to think about it more seriously, and that’s how it came about.”

MacLeod said they put an advert in the paper and found there was a lot of interest in following Shetland around at more island games.

“It’s amazing how many folk have been to every single games, just because they want to support Shetland,” she said.

“They love us being there too and cheering them on,” Manson added.

Around 40-50 supporters are going to Guernsey that the pair know of, with a mixture of regulars and families of the athletes heading south.

The two said they were most looking forward to watching the swimming – a sport Manson called “my first love” – but are just hopeful they will see the team pick up some medals over the week.

“We love it when we win a medal because we get to sing the Up-Helly-A’ song,” MacLeod added.

Hopefully they will have plenty of reason to practice their singing in Guernsey.

Full story in today’s (Friday, 7th July) free island games preview pull-out, which features interviews with the Shetland teams heading to Guernsey.