From Valhalla To Paradise

Hoops supporter, John Nicolson, ensured there was a special Celtic theme to this year’s Viking festival in Shetland

- Tony Connelly

CELTIC’S green and white Hoops make for one of the most iconic jerseys in football, but rarely do the Hoops look as spectacular as they did when one man chose to adorn a Viking ship in the colours to celebrate one of Europe’s biggest fire festivals.

The Up Helly Aa is Shetland’s world-famous Viking festival held each year in Lerwick to remember the Norse seafarers who ruled the islands more than 1,000 years ago.

The celebrations attract audiences from around the globe, but this year’s festivities garnered slightly more attention than the usual.

That was because of John Nicolson, a 48-year-old native of the islands and lifelong Celtic fan, who was appointed this year’s Guizer Jarl – the head of the festival.

One of the most anticipated, and secretive, aspects of the festival is the colours and design the Guizer Jarl chooses for his squad and the galley.

When John attained the title, everyone who knew him suspected he would take the opportunity to pay homage to one of his great loves.

Speaking to the Celtic View, John explained: “I’ve spent 13-and-a-half-years on a committee waiting to be the Guizer Jarl so it’s a long commitment to get to that point. You only get to do it once, so it really is a once-in-a-lifetime honour.

“My father and two brothers have done it before. There’s four of us in the family, and all four of us have been Guizer Jarl, which has never been done before and I imagine it’ll be a long time before it’s done again.

“My father was Jarl in 1979, so that was 40 years ago this year. That made it very special to be Guizer Jarl on the anniversary of my father doing it.