Shanghai Vikings The Shanghai Vikings was established in 1995 and thus is celebrating 10 years anniversary this season. The team was founded as a Danish team and quickly adopted the natural Viking name. The first games were 5 aside - later moved to 9 aside and now (since 2001) - 11 aside. Team Sponsors: Some of the initial names of Shanghai Vikings players from 1995 were: Hans-Ole Madsen Lars Thorsen Jakob Meyer Kasper Kristensen Jens Krog Gert Borits Jakob Bergholdt Allan Appana - who was captain upto the end of 1998 where John Poulsen to over the captainship. The Shanghai Vikings has been playing in the "Shanghai International Football League" since 1995. A well organized league - with now 13 teams. We play FIFA rules, 11 aside on reasonable grass turf pitches just outside Shanghai. The Shanghai Vikings has always been a very joyful crowd, not always the winning team (we have yet to win the league) - but still has managed to perform fairly well in both the local and other tournaments. The foundation for the team as it is today started mainly around year 2000. We started to profile the team better- get funny and fluffy helmets that we are so famous for. We started to practice midweek and the team was promoting itself where we could. Despite a strict Danish spine in the team, we also have allowed for a few non Danes to enjoy and not at least contribute to this amazing "institution" as we like to call the Shanghai Vikings. We are at times considered as a drinking team with a football problem rather than the opposite. We have baptized our Carlsberg beer as "green tea" (which is also the local green leaf based favorite cup-o-tea.). There is a tough filter to get through to enter the team - a hierarchy consists to a certain extent, which is ensuring that people of the right stuff and caliber are only on the team. "Ask not what the team can do for you - but what you can do for the team" is one of Captain John Poulsens favorite lines of encouragement and requirements. Until a few years ago the practical management of the team was entirely a one-man-show, but now Jeff Hu is the designated coach and Anders S. Hansen is co-coach. The team has clearly improved skills on the pitch over the last 3 years, and we are aiming at the top spot in the league this year.