MARSEILLE, Dortmund and Barcelona perhaps come more readily to mind when thinking of a footballing city break.
But after spending two days in the rainiest city in Europe, I’m convinced you should be heading to Scandinavia for your next European football fix.
Welcome to Bergen in Norway – home of SK Brann.
WHERE A CHELSEA ICON STARTED
For football fans who can’t get enough (and the Club World Cup doesn’t quite do it for them) then Norway is perfect with the football season still in full flow over the summer due to the unplayable winter conditions.
Set against a backdrop of jaw-dropping fjords and steep mountain ranges, Bergen is where SK Brann play – a club with one of the most scenic stadiums and passionate fan bases I’ve ever come across.
I was invited out by the team at FotMob, a leading Bergen-based football app, for a behind-the-scenes look at the city’s football scene.
I didn’t expect much more than a tidy stadium and a polite crowd.
What I found was a football culture bursting with pride, passion and some interesting food choices…
It was at passport control I first realised how much football meant to the people of Bergen.
What is usually a fairly intimidating process in which you explain you’re not going to outstay your welcome or harm anyone, I told the guard I was here to watch SK Brann and he burst into life telling me how much I was going to enjoy it and how he’s a huge fan and more about the team and city.
The football on the pitch is good too, the biggest name to come from SK Brann is likely Tore Andre Flo, who moved from there to Chelsea where he became a cult hero.
But they have also just produced local lad Aune Heggebo – who has signed for West Brom in the last week, and I got a glimpse of him in action on my trip.
The physicality that has seen some excited Baggies fans comparing the striker to Erling Haaland was clear to see.
A SEA OF RED
The stadiums in Norway are sublime, and really the crux of what makes it such a special country to watch football in.
The Brann Stadion is tucked away just outside the city, surrounded by colourful, traditional houses, steep hills and pine trees.
It’s those hills that see it rain 202-239 days of the year. And fans of Man Utd and Man City thought they had it bad!
The city is nothing but a damp squib on match-days with the area a sea of red scarfs, flags and knitted jumpers as the Bataljonen ultras sing non-stop throughout the game.
It’s the kind of raw, unfiltered, European football atmosphere you simply don’t get at the Emirates or Craven Cottage.
It’s not just SK Brann though, Norway is home to some of the most fascinating football stadiums in the world.
While Bergen is in the south, you can travel north to get a glimpse of more grounds that look like something fitting for a footballing fairy tale.
WHALE OF A TIME
Away from the pitch, the place is sublime – colourful wooden houses, a nightclub that looks more like a ski-chalet than the crumbling boozers you get at home, and a funicular that will give you some of the best views you’ll find in Europe, let alone Norway.
You can indulge in some rather out-there cuisine, perhaps a whale burger, reindeer hot dog or moose burger tickles your fancy?
I had the reindeer and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was when paired with some peppers and ketchup.
Although I will say the aftertaste of guilt and shame was less welcomed – sorry Rudolph…
Cheap flights, affordable tickets, talented players, stunning views, and a fan culture to rival anywhere in Europe – this place really has it all.
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