FC Santa Claus travels to England for Halloween match against Cray Wanderers’ under-23 team

The Rovaniemi-based football team FC Santa Claus is set to play a unique match on Thursday. Competing in Finland’s men’s Fourth Division, the team, known as Santa Claus’s official squad, will travel to England to face the under-23 team of Cray Wanderers, London’s oldest football club, established in 1860. The event is named Santa’s Halloween in celebration of the holiday on Thursday.

Accompanying FC Santa Claus on this trip is Santa Claus himself. Club president Jose Hiltunen announced that the game will take place at Cray Wanderers’ new stadium, which has a capacity of around 2,500 spectators. The Halloween event is free for local schoolchildren who have the day off. “They will dress in Halloween themes, and we will select the best costume, with Santa Claus participating in choosing the winner,” Hiltunen explained.

The journey has been organized partially through volunteer efforts and sponsored support, with no profits being generated from the trip. The team is accustomed to international media attention, receiving recommendations from both sports media and the Associated Press. Representatives from the Finnish Embassy in London will also attend the match.

According to Hiltunen, the trip marks a pleasant conclusion to the season. While the club coordinated this independently, they received numerous offers to play, indicating a strong interest spread as far as Wales and Scotland. Furthermore, the club hopes to cultivate collaborative opportunities from this journey, which they believe will also benefit tourism in Lapland. “We want to show what Santa’s team is like and that Santa comes from Rovaniemi, near the Arctic Circle,” he said.

Despite the festive atmosphere, the match promises to be competitive. Striker Mikael Salmela noted, “The guys are young and likely experienced for their age; it will definitely be a challenging game.”

FC Santa Claus, formally known as FC Santa Claus Napapiiri Ry, plays in the Fourth Division and boasts a multistage history since its founding in 1993.