Football Forza Tromsø | When a football match is not for everyone

Football Forza Tromsø |  When a football match is not for everyone

Chronicle This is a story written by an outside contributor. The facts express the writer's positions.

May 16, Football Day. A family of four optimistic, but also realistic, TIL supporters on a trip to Bodo to watch our team play a match in Aspmyra. Myself, my wife, and my son and daughter, ages 12 and 10 respectively. We live in Meloy, in the center of the Glimt region. At least since the wave of acceptance has swept through the entire regions of Salten, Helgeland and Nordland in recent years. There weren't many yellow porch flags to be seen 5 and 10 years ago. But back to the actual experience I want to share. Tickets were purchased well in advance as there was a risk of away fans' tickets being sold out. More than an hour before the match, there was already a queue at the entrance to the away stadium. This was a loud and atmospheric time, as confirmed by the time leading up to kick-off. Cheers and drums echoed throughout the stadium, even more so than at similar matches in previous years.

Entry, trend chart Forza was scheduled to be implemented in Tromsø. The black plastic bags were supposed to be hung (for some reason, but fair enough). But then the fun ended. Smoke lit up around us in the stands. For me, it's nothing but bad air to breathe and poor visibility, but my 10-year-old daughter was scared. Very afraid. Because the smoke did not burn in just one place, but in several places around the field. Expectations turned to tears, and footballing joy turned to disappointment (unfortunately, I must admit, aggression), before a single ball had been kicked. Or maybe it was, and we didn't get it. For the fans we were supposed to support and stand with, the start of the match turned into a horrific experience.

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Fortunately, we were saved By a guard he offered us to come to the adjacent field. There we were able to watch the game without my daughter worrying about more flames and smoke. Fortunately, we didn't…and as we approached round two, things picked up again. But this time we sat at a safe distance.

On the field it worked As we feared. The distance between the two teams was as great as expected.

If you can Of course I ask if I should look better than taking the kids on the field to the away fans. I'm happy to criticize it, but I was actually expecting that there would be a place for families who support the away team, among the away fans. That future supporters (read children) can stand side by side with today's adult supporters. That you can watch the match with the songs, the shouts, the flags and the banners, without feeling like there is something missing for a good match atmosphere. As was my experience from previous years. But now I realize that I may be wrong. Fair enough, I'm happy to admit mistakes. Glimt's supporters at Stadium J also smoked during the match. Is this area intended for children? I don't know, but as a fan of the home team, you have a very large part of the stadium at your disposal if you want to sit with like-minded people.

My message is Based on my daughter's reaction. If I had gone to the game with my 84-year-old father, I'm not sure he would have had as good of an experience at the game on the field. Have we reached the point where children and the elderly can't experience away matches among their own supporters? Is this how it should be? Should we, who are not members of supporting clubs, be excluded from following our team in away matches? I have no answers, just questions after the first attempt this year to see a football match at its best, live on the field.

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My heart is full in Tromsø. But Forza is not for me and my interests.

Najuma Ojukwu

Najuma Ojukwu

"Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner."

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