Euro 2016 was Iceland’s first ever major tournament, and the Nordic nation undoubtedly made an impression.
As well as their impressive, more-than-the-sum-of-their-parts football – capped by a surprise victory over England – they have captured attention with their trademark thunder clap.
Anyone who has been in a French stadium for an Iceland game will tell you it’s like nothing they’ve encountered before, with the coordinated noise rising to a crescendo.
The Iceland thunder-clap before kick-off at the Stade de France pic.twitter.com/CC1uG3XCsf
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) July 3, 2016
But, as with ‘Will Grigg’s on Fire’ and ‘We’ve got Payet’, once an element of football fandom gets popular it will invariably be appropriated by another set of supporters. And another. And another.
Perhaps France will feel that their victory over Iceland in the quarter-finals gives them licence to take ownership of the clap, like some kind of weird torch-passing ritual.
I guess France are allowed to steal the Nordic slow-clap under Viking rules, since they defeated Iceland on the field of battle
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 7, 2016
Of course, no one can stop them doing it. But people can get angry on the internet, which is almost the same thing.
France eliminated from Euro 2016 for appalling rendition of Iceland clap thing.
— TBN Sport (@TBNSport) July 7, 2016
France players now standing in front of the stand doing the thunder clap. Lads, give up, you'll never be Iceland.
— Jonathan Wilson (@jonawils) July 7, 2016
Stop doing #isl thunder clap. It's cringey as fuck. No need. Just do your own thing.
— Andrew 🦄🏴 (@thegibshow_) July 7, 2016
And now it’s emerged that it might not even have been Iceland’s to begin with.
Love the way the whole world is now doing the Motherwell 'clap' thinking it's some ancient Viking ritual
— Alastair Milburn (@AMilburn) July 7, 2016
So maybe we shouldn’t get to disappointed when it inevitably makes its way to the Premier League for the 2016/17 season.
https://twitter.com/ed_son/status/751158681488809984
Fans of both sides doing the Iceland clap … coming to a Selhurst Park nowhere near you.
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) July 7, 2016
I saw Bradford Bulls fans do that clap on Sunday so it could be worse.
— Chris Mayer (@chrismayerV1) July 7, 2016
