– It was stupid and undignified. I was so taken aback by the pictures with chairman Aslak Sverdrup who handed out the medals in the changing room between shampoo, towels and fogged camera lenses, says Davy Wathne to news. On Sunday, Brann took silver in this year’s elite series, while Tromsø could celebrate third place. It is celebrated by both clubs, but in slightly different ways. Davy Wathne from Bergen had hoped for a slightly more grand celebration of Brann’s silver. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix Because while the city of Tromsø will pay tribute to its bronze medalists at Kirkebakken on Monday evening, Brann was awarded his silver medals in the dressing room right after Sunday’s elite series finale at the Marienlyst stadium in Drammen. Wathne wished the team had the opportunity to celebrate the medal with the fans. – For me, football is about community and sharing a joy with others. This contradicted that. It was aloof, closed, without style, format and festivity. It was without everything I associate with a medal ceremony, says Brann enthusiast Wathne. – Only ceremony for the series winners According to Nils Fisketjønn, competition director in the Norwegian Football Association (NFF), it has been several years since the NFF decided that only the gold winner will be allowed to have a medal ceremony out on the pitch in one of the last two rounds of the series. This meant that celebrating in front of the fans at Marienlyst on Sunday was out of the question for Brann, who therefore took the award in the dressing room. – It was simple and straightforward because the players go on holiday tomorrow. Some also travel today. At the same time, it was important to hold the medal ceremony when the silver medal was fresh in the mind, people had adrenaline and had actually won something, says Christian Kalvenes, general manager of Brann, to news. Branns Guro Bergsvand receives the series gold for victory in the top league matches this year from general secretary Karl Petter Løken (from left), general manager Christian Kalvenes and football president Lise Klaveness Photo: NTB Fisketjønn of the NFF says that the rule about medal ceremonies at the stadium was made to avoid logistical challenges with many potential teams that could take gold, silver and bronze. He says they have not been consistent enough after the decision was made. That is why there are examples where medals have also been awarded for silver and bronze, even after the rule change. – The rule change does not, of course, prevent clubs that receive medals from having large and beautiful frameworks around the distribution of medals to their own players with both supporters and the media present. Because of course it is great to win a medal at the highest level, says Fisketjønn to news. The Bergen newspaper has also mentioned the medal ceremony for Brann. Competition director in the Norwegian Football Association, Nils Fisketjønn. Photo: Terje Pedersen / news Suggests celebration in Grieghallen Kalvenes is clear that Davy Wathne is free to say what he thinks, and agrees that the fans deserved better. – We have had over 15,000 spectators on average at home and fantastic support away from home. We want to share all the good experiences with our supporters. It would of course be best if we could also share this with them, says Kalvenes. Kalvenes has not spoken to the players about the distribution, but draws the following conclusion himself: – It was fine. They were happy to get silver. If we had won gold, there would probably have been a public celebration with the fans in Bergen. Now it was silver, and that’s by all means good, but that’s how we did it this time. Christian Kalvenes is the general manager of Brann, but played for the club himself for three periods. Photo: NTB Wathne reminisces about previous medal ceremonies in 1975, with the stadium full of cheering supporters, and matches he went to mainly to be there when Brann received the medals. Although he believes the most ideal thing would be if the medals were handed out in front of the away fans after the match on Sunday, Wathne would not have minded an even more pompous and memorable celebration. – They could do it at Flesland, Grieghallen or similar. We don’t have a bunch of ice skaters, cross-country runners and 800 meter runners to celebrate in Bergen. Festivities and ceremony fit our spirit. We are May 17 people, says Wathne.
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Reacts to Brann being awarded the silver medals in the dressing room – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
