On Sunday afternoon there was supposed to be a football party at Klemetsrud syd in Oslo. Quarter-final match in the Oslo men’s football championship. Klemetsrud was to receive Holmlia. It didn’t turn out that way. On Thursday, the clubs received a message from NFF Oslo. The match was moved out of town, to Strømmen, for safety reasons. – I was shocked when the circuit chose to move the match to Strømmen stadium, says Aram Meradi in Holmlia sports club. The police have received information NFF Oslo’s decision to move the match came on the recommendation of the Oslo police. – We were contacted by the police with a strong request to move the match to a neutral arena. It is not normal for the police to ask us for it, on the contrary, says general manager of NFF Oslo Tore Jarle Bråteng. It is usual for the police and the teams to make preparations together so that the matches can be carried out as planned, according to Bråteng. But in this case the request from the police was so strong that the NFF chose to move the match. John Roger Lund of Unit East in the Oslo police says that it is of course embarrassing to make such a recommendation. John Roger Lund is head of Unit East in the Oslo police. Photo: news – We have recommended the NFF to move the match to another arena because we believe there is a risk of conflicts and incidents of violence in connection with the event, he tells news. The Oslo police believe that carrying out the match at another arena will reduce the risk of unwanted incidents. – This is based on information the police have received ahead of the match, as well as history and previous conflicts between the environment and individuals linked to Holmlia and Mortensrud/Klemetsrud, says Lund. Very sad Aram Meradi in Holmlia Sports Club says he understands the decision. But at the same time, he thinks it is very sad that they should stop an event that is more beneficial to the local community. Aram Meradi is administrative manager at Holmlia sports club. Photo: Private – The fact that some people have bad blood with each other should not be enough to stop us from making a folk festival there, and possibly forge stronger ties to each other as neighbours. Meradi believes that the police should rather be visibly present at the match to prevent unwanted situations. – I think that would have been more than enough for everything to have gone into a safe framework. John Roger Lund of the Oslo police understands that the teams are disappointed. He clarifies that the information is not linked to the players themselves or the coaches on the teams. Meradi is happy to hear this, but believes that it is the clubs that will suffer. – I think they do more damage to the clubs than the possible criminals who would come up with some misdeeds. Holmlia won on a “walkover” Before the match was to be played at Strømmen on Sunday, it was clear that it would come to nothing. Klemetsrud did not have enough players to field a team. – For understandable reasons, this has caused great irritation in both teams’ player groups. It is a shame that such a big game in a local perspective is destroyed, says Klemetsrud’s assistant sporting director, Håvard Lunde to Dagbladet. The result was that Holmlia was awarded a 3-0 victory in the match. The club thus advances to the semi-finals of the Oslo Football Championship. The NFF will look into the matter on Monday. Aram Meradi in Holmlia Sports Club has the following plea to the NFF Oslo: – I think we should be given the opportunity to have a rematch and let’s show society that it is actually possible to have a folk festival here without it being some stigmatization and that it should automatically signal that there are misdeeds during football matches. Tore Jarle Bråteng in NFF Oslo says that he cannot answer whether there will be a rematch until the case has been considered. – Now we are in a situation where the match has not been played, and it will be dealt with at the circuit office on Monday, says Bråteng to news.
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Football match between Klemetsrud and Holmlia was moved due to fear of conflicts and violence – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
