It will be expensive and looting for the two teams from Eastern Finnmark who meet on Saturday to qualify for the NM in football. Ideally, IL Norild from Vadsø would like to make the trip around the fjord and meet Kirkenes IF in Barentshallen. The court in the hall was big enough the last time they met – six years ago. But this time there is no mercy from the Football Association. Thus the match must be played in Alta, where Finnmarkshallen is good enough according to the regulations. The teams must drive across Finnmark – 445 and 520 kilometers each way, respectively. Like sending Lillestrøm to play football in Trondheim, in other words. The chairman of Norild, Stein Mathisen, is disappointed that the Football Association stands so strongly on its principles when the two teams agree that the Barentshallen is good enough. This track is good enough, both Norild and Kirkenes IF believe – but not the Football Association. Photo: Kristin Humstad / news – We are not afraid to travel, because in the series finale there will be a lot of travel anyway. But when the football association puts the qualifiers in March, when there is snow, ice and minus 15 degrees, then they have to adapt the regulations to the conditions. Mathisen says it is perfectly possible to play 11-a-side football on the pitch. – The quality of sports should not be impaired in any way. However, it will be when you have to drive a whole day to play a match. Mathisen calls for a little more understanding of the situation in the districts. – The Football Association must be a little more flexible when it comes to the geography of Norway and the development of grassroots football. We have no indoor halls available and the outdoor courts are full of snow and frost. The football community has long wanted a large hall in Eastern Finnmark. Until it is in place, it should be possible to get disp, Mathisen believes. Can be adapted Tore Fredrik Nilsen in Kirkenes IF is completely in line with Mathisen in Norild. He refers to the provision in the rules of the game that the rules can be adapted if the spirit and principles of the game are maintained. – They think the size of the pitch is a bit too small. But Barentshallen just meets the minimum goals, Nilsen believes. – Both teams have approved the pitch, and have no problems playing on it. Barentshallen in Kirkenes has a court of 45 by 90 metres. Photo: Kristin Humstad / news Has not stuttered Rune Pedersen is section leader in the competition department of the Football Association. He is adamant that it was right to refuse the teams the use of the Barentshallen. The Swedish Football Association has accepted several matches at non-standard arenas – but: – Normally the minimum goals must be 100 by 60 metres. Then we can deviate from it; We have done that in some cases. But with a runway width of 45, we believe that there is too great a deviation. Pedersen rejects that the regulations have been tightened, as the teams have got the impression. He does not know what the assessment has been if Barentshallen has been used previously. Pedersen emphasizes that the association tries to enforce the rules equally for everyone. He points out that teams in other places, such as in Western Norway, also have to travel three and four hours to matches of this type. At the same time, teams in Oslo have also been refused to play in halls – also on pitches that are bigger than the one in Barentshallen, he says. – We believe that it is possible to exercise discretion, considering distances, traffic safety and sustainability, says Stein Mathisen. Photo: Knut-Sverre Horn / news Support from the west county For Norild, it will probably cost around NOK 25,000 in transport, hotel and track hire to have the match held far from home. The bright spot in the situation: Tverrelvdalen IL stands up and takes the job of running the event. – It is a solidarity that we value very much, says Mathisen.
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Kirkenes IF and Norild IL must travel 100 miles to play a home game in the football NM – news Troms and Finnmark
