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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 19, 2007 16:47:54 GMT
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/Aalesund.gif) I've decided to document my alter-ego Aleksander Briansson's fortunes managing Alesunds FK, a team in the Norwegian Premier League. I realise it's not particularly grass roots, but the standard of players certainly is. If anyone objects to me doing this, though, here I'll stop! So... Alesund is a town on the west coast of Norway, with a population of about 45,000 people. ![](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m283/pompey1978/norwaymap.jpg) ![](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m283/pompey1978/alesundpanorama.jpg) The town's football team, Alesunds Fotballklubb to give it it's full name, play at the 10,656 capacity Color Line Stadium. ![](http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/norway/aalesund_color1.jpg) This recently built ground was the first stadium in Norway to take a sponsorship name, and the first to have an artificial pitch (which will be my excuse for losing!). For some reason best known probably to some colour-blind Norwegian, Alesunds FK play in what can only be described as tangerine and blue... mainly because that's what it is: ![](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m283/pompey1978/kits.jpg) Nice, eh? Alesunds FK are part of the 14-team Premier League, or the Tippeligaen as it's known to it's friends: ![](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m283/pompey1978/seasonstart.jpg) There we are, sitting proudly on top of the league! It's a very short season, each team playing the other twice, meaning only 26 games (go me, I can do maths!!). Ok, that's enough scene setting... onto the football stuff!
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Post by coffers on Oct 19, 2007 16:51:08 GMT
Pretty pictures and a odd kit is good enough for me.
26 Games, it will be like the days I played in Greece and Iceland.
You haven't lost yet so KUTGW! :thumb:
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 19, 2007 16:54:08 GMT
By the way, I should admit that my choice of team was influenced by the fact that I've been to Alesund, and it's a gorgeous place!
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 19, 2007 17:04:51 GMT
Randy Sweetcakes approves of tangerines.
Get on with it!
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Post by Moo on Oct 19, 2007 18:17:19 GMT
I'm worried about your current form. Winning only zero isn't going to get you anywhere.
:thumb:
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 20, 2007 8:34:05 GMT
Well I'm not getting relegated on current form anyway, so that's a bonus!
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Post by Stewpot on Oct 20, 2007 8:55:09 GMT
I'm worried about your current form. Winning only zero isn't going to get you anywhere. ![](http://www.geocities.com/jacquesdebohun/smilies/thumb.gif) You need some strikers as you have not scored anything, But good Keeper though ;D ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png)
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Post by Stewpot on Oct 20, 2007 8:56:44 GMT
Is Voss (I think thats how you spell it) anywhere near there, as thats the only place I've been to in Norway
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 20, 2007 9:04:39 GMT
Not that far on the scale of things... it's nearer to Bergen I think.
I love Norway, I could quite happily live in Bergen I think!
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 20, 2007 12:09:26 GMT
Bit more information - I'm currently playing my Portsmouth game on the laptop while watching the Merseyside derby, so Alesund are currently resting.
BUT, I can tell you that I'm running all divisions in:
Norway Sweden Finland Iceland & Denmark
for that Scandinavian feel.
I've sent my scouts out to scour the place for young boys (Mr Sweetcakes will be jealous) to add to my squad.
As you'll know, the Norwegian season runs through the summer months cos it gets a bit nippy in the winter, so my game started in March (I think!). Have played 2 friendlies, one against a local rival which I won 2-1 which was a good way to get in the fans' good books, and one home against the mighty (by comparison) IFK Gothenberg, an exciting match which I won 4-3. Screenshots later...
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Post by elth on Oct 20, 2007 12:09:55 GMT
The whole Grass Roots thing on this particular board is more of a loose inspiration than any strict requirement.
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 20, 2007 12:34:44 GMT
The whole Grass Roots thing on this particular board is more of a loose inspiration than any strict requirement. Job's a good 'un!
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Post by Sonic on Oct 20, 2007 15:21:11 GMT
Boo, no Faroe Islands or Greenland. I'm also surprised you left out Germany too. Still, looks a promising start, though you might want to hire a new attacking coach as the one you got currently is a boring sod :thumb:
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 20, 2007 16:04:28 GMT
Boo, no Faroe Islands or Greenland. I'm also surprised you left out Germany too. Still, looks a promising start, though you might want to hire a new attacking coach as the one you got currently is a boring sod ![](http://www.geocities.com/jacquesdebohun/smilies/thumb.gif) Can you play the Faroes or Greenland? Didn't notice. If you're winding me up then fair enough ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) Didn't think of adding Germany, d'oh!
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steve
Pantfish
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Posts: 269
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Post by steve on Oct 20, 2007 16:49:39 GMT
I demand you join forces with Fredrickstad. Or is it Fredrick Stad?
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 20, 2007 17:16:27 GMT
Or Fredrick's Dad? Confusing...
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 21, 2007 10:39:11 GMT
Well, today I will mostly be being Norwegian.
One thing that's concerning me about Norway (apart from the ridiculous number of good looking women) is the fact that there doesn't seem to be a reserve league, much like in France where I had a reasonable level of success with Reims. I have quite a large squad, and I think I need to really cut it by 6 or 7 players, otherwise I'm going to have quite a lot of bored footballers roaming the streets of Alesund, and probably getting up to all kinds of nefarious shenanigans with the aforementioned good-looking women.
There are a couple of obvious candidates, but the rest I'll have to judge on their performances pre-season...
The team which heroically beat IFK Gothenberg subsequently managed to get a 1-1 draw with 2nd tier side Lov-Ham - not sure if there's an "e" missing and they're all big fans of cured pork, but that's by the by. It's clear I have some work to do...
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Post by Moo on Oct 21, 2007 11:00:45 GMT
Work is for losers. It's very over-rated
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 21, 2007 11:01:12 GMT
Hmm, that's more like it. A professional 2-0 away win over lower-league opposition Follo, 14 chances created, although only 4 on target. Restricted the part-timers to one off-target shot.
And I made more substitutions than everyone's favourite Swedish man-whore...
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 21, 2007 11:01:43 GMT
Work is for losers. It's very over-rated I shall remind you of that in the morning ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png)
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 21, 2007 11:21:32 GMT
![](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m283/pompey1978/cluelessbookies.jpg) Meh, what do they know anyway?
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 21, 2007 12:48:23 GMT
![](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m283/pompey1978/pre-season.jpg) Well, my forwards seem to have found their shooting boots, albeit against less than illustrious opponents. Next up, my first competitive fixture, and a pretty tough baptism of fire, away at 22 times league winners Rosenborg. Those 22 times including winning it 13 times consecutively between 1992 and 2004. The Norwegian Rangers, if you will...
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 21, 2007 14:38:59 GMT
Rosenborg away in your first game? I hope you can get Vaseline in Norway.
Nice work against Goteborg and the pre-season in general... let's get it on! Or something.
:thumb:
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Post by Ed Winchester on Oct 21, 2007 14:45:22 GMT
How often do you hear the maxim "pre-season counts for nothing"?
It's becoming very apparent over in Norway.
Away at Rosenborg, 2-0 down at half time. Made the team attack more in the 2nd half as I felt I was playing perhaps too defensively. This masterstroke at least kept the score to 2-0; which was roughly what I expected.
Next game, home against Lyn Oslo. Not sure who she is, but I felt confident that my 11 men could beat 1 woman.
Unfortunately, my chief scout pointed out that there were in fact 11 men playing with/for Lyn (popular girl!)... and despite getting the better of the match, disappointingly went on to lose 1-0.
Off to the pub now for a couple of hours!
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Post by coffers on Oct 21, 2007 18:00:59 GMT
Friendlies don't count, you should know that by now.
As for your reserves and no league, just do what I do in Spain arrange a friendly every week against some low level opponent, not only does it keep the lesser players fit, it also adds a bit of cash to the coffers, if yo arrange them all at home.
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