Bodø/Glimt will build a statue of football legend Harald “Dutte” Berg. Perhaps not so strange. “Dutte” helped secure Bodø/Glimt’s cup championship in 1975. In addition, he was the first representative from a northern Norwegian team on the A national team. The planned statue will have a price tag of just over NOK 6 million. The Bodø team actually applied for the municipality to pay NOK 3 million. In the chairmanship on Thursday, it was decided that Bodø municipality will chip in with half, i.e. NOK 1.5 million. It did not go down well with everyone. Venstre Bodø was one of the parties that voted against. They don’t understand where the money is going to come from. This is how the statue is planned to go out. When it is finished, it is planned that it will stand outside Aspmyra. Photo: Bodø/Glimt Have used up the money – We think it’s a great thought and idea, and hope it will be realised, says group leader for Venstre Bodø, Ida Gudding Johnsen and continues: – But Bodø municipality regulated the budget at the latest last week, and then unfortunately we used up all the money we had. In 2022, Bodø/Glimt had a record turnover of NOK 410 million, according to TV 2. In recent years, they have sold players for hundreds of millions, with a club operation that few have seen. But Bodø municipality, on the other hand, has a slightly more pressured economy. Last year, cuts were proposed in Bodø’s school health service, outdoor contact and mental health service. In addition, they emptied the business fund to bring the municipal finances into balance. Johnsen therefore believes that the football team should foot the bill themselves: – Bodø municipality came to Glimt’s rescue when they were lying down with a broken back. Now they are in a completely different situation. Then this is a project that I hope they manage to complete themselves. Ida Gudding Johnsen is group leader for Venstre Bodø. Photo: Kåre Riibe Ramskjell Part of the Glimt project “Førr Evig” But the general manager of Bodø/Glimt, Frode Thomassen, thinks it would not be right for them to be responsible for the entire sum. He does not consider the statue a Glimt project. – It is not the club that is erecting a statue. It is society, business and the club that do it together. – The point is that this is not a Bodø/Glimt project. A community project, which business, the public sector and the club are trying to lift, says Frode Thomassen, general manager in Bodø/Glimt. Photo: Martin Steinholt Furthermore, Thomassen wishes to emphasize that discussion is good, but that the majority have expressed themselves positively towards this project. – The idea is that you raise it as a team. It symbolizes what Harald and the club have meant, and what Glimt has been and how the club thinks going forward. – The statue of Harald “Dutte” Berg is part of the Glimt project “Forever”. The statue itself consists of Harald “Dutte” Berg, followed by a boy and a girl. Here, Harald “Dutte” Berg is pictured after Bodø/Glimt won the cup final in 1975. Photo: Paul Owesen More than a good footballer The Labor Party’s mayoral candidate Ann-Kristin Moldjord also points out that Harald Berg was more than a good footballer – He is also one of the city’s great community builders. It is only natural that we as a municipality are part of that team. Moldjord adds that Bodø has a tradition of honoring important community builders and points to the bust that was erected by Shirley Bottolfsen. Not least, the statue will benefit all residents – especially children and young people. Ann-Kristin Moldjord is a mayoral candidate from the Labor Party Bodø. Photo: Ole Marius Hågensen Rørstad – There is no doubt that Harald Berg has been a good footballer, but he is most of all a community builder. She also disagrees that there is no money: – We will incorporate this into the second term in the autumn. We should probably manage to find 1.5 million to participate in that project. ALSO READ:
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Bodø/Glimt asks the municipality to give millions for a statue of Harald “Dutte” Berg – news Nordland
