The case in summary: There have been several cases of violence before, during and after football matches in the two top divisions in Norway. At the weekend, a dozen supporters from FFK and Odd fought on Værstebrua near the Fredrikstad stadium, and two people needed medical attention after the incident. The clubs spend large resources on security in connection with matches, but there are supporter groups who constantly challenge how far they can go before it is over the line. Spectator numbers in Norwegian football have skyrocketed, and more people are getting involved, which can contribute to more events. Despite the increase in violent incidents, both Espen Engebretsen in Fredrikstad FK and Jens Haugland in Norsk Toppfotball believe that it is safe to go to football matches in Norway. Ronnie Bergheim in Vålerenga says that the club works closely to follow up incidents, both in direct dialogue with the supporters and by sanctioning the individuals who do this. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – This is a trend we are now seeing, and there is a growing uneasiness about this in Football Norway. Of course, we do not want this to escalate further and get worse. Espen Engebretsen is the general manager of Fredrikstad Football Club. Photo: Thomas Andersen / NTB General manager Espen Engebretsen in Fredrikstad has a clear message after a dozen supporters from FFK and Odd barked together on the Værstebrua near the Fredrikstad stadium at the weekend. – There was an aggressive atmosphere and fighting between two large groups of supporters. It was quite chaotic when the police arrived at the scene, said task leader Anders Strømsæther in the East police district to news. Two people needed medical attention after the incident. One suffered a facial fracture after being hit, probably with an object. – Challenging how far they can go This season there have been several cases of violence and vandalism, both before, during and after football matches in the top two divisions in Norway. In April, a person was hit in the head after masked Viking supporters attacked Brann supporters on a train. Before the match between Molde and Rosenborg on 11 May, a person was kicked down in the open street. The video shows a person running towards another at full speed before kicking that person in the back. The incident happened before the match between Molde and Rosenborg on 16 May. In July, a fight broke out in the stands before the match between Start and Vålerenga, while Vålerenga supporters punched and kicked two people after the match against Moss. Engebretsen in Fredrikstad says that the club spends a lot of resources on security in connection with matches. – There are supporter groups who constantly challenge how far they can go before it is over the line. It is only regrettable that such things happen. We see the development and how far it has gone in Sweden, and we do not want those conditions here in Norway, he says. In addition to the violence in Fredrikstad at the weekend, the police in Trøndelag announced that they will respond to several “unfortunate incidents” in connection with the match between Rosenborg and Molde. Among other things, a ten-year-old boy suffered injuries to his ear and arm after being hit by a flare. Supporter riots and violence in Norwegian football Increased interest in Norwegian football news has been in contact with several people in the Norwegian football community who share the FFK leader’s concern. – I have great respect for the assessment Espen makes there. At least we can put it this way that it is a more polarized environment, says managing director Jens Haugland of Norwegian Top Football (NTF). NTF is an interest organization that consists of the 32 football clubs that play in the Eliteserien and 1st division. Several of those whom news has been in contact with point out that the number of spectators in Norwegian football has skyrocketed, and that there are now more people getting involved. Jens Haugland is the managing director of Norsk Toppfotball. – It is very positive. But then it’s about the robust and good supporter communities protecting a strong internal justice and focusing on the game on the pitch and the package around it. Fighting before and after matches does not belong in football, says Haugland. – These are demanding, heavy societal issues that must be taken seriously. Football is hugely engaging, it affects all levels of society and that is something that must be taken into account. Safe to go to battle Security manager Ronnie Bergheim in Vålerenga says that they have also seen an increase in incidents in connection with battle. – Such incidents are of course completely unacceptable and something we work closely to follow up, both in direct dialogue with the supporters and by sanctioning the individuals who do this. Bergheim says that the club is in continuous dialogue with the various supporter groups that follow Vålerenga about how they want it to be in the stands. – We find that those who organize the matches are skilled in their field and make good risk assessments. I mean quite clearly that it is safe to go to battle in Norway. Both Engebretsen and Haugland support Bergheim. – We believe and feel that it is still safe to go to a football match in Norway, whether it is in Lerkendal or Fredrikstad, says Engebretsen. – It is extremely safe to go to a football match in Norway. We have close to 40-50,000 people who have fantastic experiences at our stadiums every single series round, says Haugland. Published 02.09.2024, at 15.37
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The FFK leader reacts after several cases of football violence in Norway – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
