Request: Leave the inflatable pool toys at home

The tradition of bringing inflatable pool toys to Parken has gradually become a regular part of the end of the season for many F.C. Copenhagen fans. It’s a tradition that many look forward to, and over the years it has developed into one of the more unusual sights in the Danish stands.

However, there has also been some confusion over time about where the tradition actually comes from. Several media outlets have linked it to the purchase of Lalandia, for example, but that is far from the real story. The idea behind the pool toys originally started as a symbol that, already in the 13th minute of the final match of the season, the players could be sent off on summer vacation after a dominant season.

Back in 2018, Brølet published an interview with the people behind the idea, where they explained the background of the very first appearance of pool toys in Parken in 2006. An excerpt can be read here.

We know that traditions can change over time, and we fully understand why many associate the pool toys with summer vacation and the end of a long spring season where emotions have often been running high. Nevertheless, we would still like to encourage people to leave the pool toys at home on Sunday against Randers.

This is because the season has been far from a level where there is anything worth celebrating, but also because, after yesterday’s defeat in the cup final, we are now facing an important European playoff match against the team that finishes fourth in the championship playoff round. Therefore, it simply does not feel like the right time to send either the players or the fans on summer vacation yet, since the season obviously does not end on Sunday — even though many of us probably feel that this season could soon use an ending.

So while it is of course up to each individual whether they bring pool toys or not, we encourage everyone to save them for next summer. Hopefully for a season finale where there is much more to celebrate than there is this year.