Oh the perils of being an expat football fan.

When your team makes a Wembley final, do you go, or not?

Like there was ever any doubt!

Being a Northampton Town fan, you soon learn to savour the big occasions, as they don’t come along that often. In the club’s 116-year history this was just the third time they would walk out at the national stadium. Despite the huge cost (thousands of kroner for flights back to England) at a time when I’m slashing spending to kick-off my freelance career, it was a no-brainer. I would be at the League Two Play-Off Final!

The build-up was different to the previous Wembley games, for me at least. It was more about the novelty of international travel to see a football match, an unexpected family reunion, and a weekend away in London. It was only when I read Alan Carr’s tweet (his Dad used to be Northampton Town manager) that I began to remember there was a football match on – and I was nervous as hell!

Those nerves doubled – but so did the excitement – when leaving Wembley Park tube station. To any football fan, young or old, the sight of Wembley as you emerge from the station is indescribable. Whatever your age, you become a little kid again – for that split-second!

Walking along Wembley Way remains one of those things that only fellow football fans can appreciate – it just has to be done. The sights, the sounds, the friendly banter with the opposition fans, the sheer anticipation is wonderful.

Random Bradford fan, my brother, and me!

The excitement didn’t last long, as we conceded three goals within the first 28 minutes. Game over. Bradford City dominated the game from start to finish and thoroughly deserved the win – and promotion. No complaints from me.

I stayed behind to applaud the team, after all, it’s not like I’m good enough to ever play at Wembley. It was the culmination of a remarkable season, considering last year we were battling to stay in the Football League. Having lived in Norway for the past two years I haven’t seen a Cobblers game for ages – so my applause was for the season.

Sure I was gutted about the result, but I couldn’t be too upset. I haven’t seen a game in years, and I enjoyed the weekend in London regardless. My thanks to Chris, Ben and Alex for putting me up for the weekend – and cheering me up after the game. Most importantly of all, I got to catch up with family – my dad, two brothers, one brother’s girlfriend, an uncle and a cousin – and some old friends from my home village who I haven’t seen in years.

Despite the money and the greed – football still has the power to bring people together

My Facebook status after the game sums up my feelings:

“It took two flights to get here and hundreds of pounds, all to watch a gutless performance on the big stage. But you know what, I’d do it all again tomorrow. Because this is why we love football. UTC. FTP.”

It’s been over a week since I packed my bags and left Oslo, so how am I settling into life in Trondheim?

Pretty well, thanks!

It’s not like Trondheim has been a massive surprise as I made six or seven trips here over the past two years. Despite having a good feel for the city, I’m well aware living somewhere is very different from visiting regularly, so I’ve made a real effort over the past week to get to know my new home.

First things first, the location. Trondheim is the most northerly of the “big four” Norwegian cities – Oslo, Bergen, and Stavanger being the others. It’s by no means a northerly city though, in fact, it’s considered by most to be the capital of Central Norway. It’s 63.25 degrees north – that’s the same latitude as St. Lawrence Island in Alaska, and a whopping 500km drive north from Oslo. Last but definitely not least, Trondheim is in northern lights territory, although weather conditions mean the tricky lady is still hard to spot.

View Larger Map

It vies with Stavanger for the title of Norway’s third city. With 170,000 inhabitations, the city of Trondheim is considerably bigger than the city of Stavanger (125,000), but the urban region surrounding Stavanger is bigger than Trondheim.

Trondheim is the epitome of an English market town. The greenery, the market square, the cobbled shopping streets, the churches, the list goes on. So from now I’ll be referring to Trondheim as a town, because, despite the awesome cathedral, I feel ridiculous calling the place a city!

I can’t write about the town for long without touching on academia. Trondheim is dominated by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), St Olav’s University Hospital, and the SINTEF research group. NTNU alone has over 22,000 students and 5,000 staff.

Weather-wise Trondheim does have a summer but it’s not as warm as Oslo – this is all relative of course!

The real difference is the winter, which starts earlier, ends later and is generally colder with more snow and ice. Although not exposed to the Atlantic, the town still suffers from the tail-end of the storms that batter Norway’s west coast throughout the year. I was here for one of the worst in 2011, so I know what to expect. In case I was in any doubt, here’s what greeted me last week:

New boots and a rain-jacket are on the shopping list!

I’ll be writing lots more about Trondheim and the surrounding area over the coming months as I get to know my new home, so stay tuned.

Wow, thanks so much for all the kind comments, tweets, and personal emails after I announced that I quit my job and left Oslo. It means a lot

As the comments flooded in, I began to reflect on my two years in the capital. So many memories! Many captured on camera.

Here are just some of them:

And of course, some not so good.

Today marks an important anniversary for me.

Two years ago I left the UK to start a new adventure. I wanted to experience living and working abroad, so I accepted a contract in Oslo from a few opportunities. During the first year I enjoyed living in Norway so much that I took a permanent job.

But for the last six months I’ve faced an internal struggle. Despite the excellent pay and conditions, I grew sick of the work. So many pointless tasks just to fill time, the corporate bullshit, some awful colleagues (important – some fantastic ones too!). As time went on the feelings grew stronger, to the point where I’d had enough.

It was time to accept the job I’ve done for most of the past ten years was just not right for me.

I’ve really enjoyed living in Oslo. It’s enabled me to travel and meet people from different cultures. Through this blog I’ve been able to express those thoughts and feelings and rediscover my love of writing, publishing and sharing my observations with the world.

Shortly after arriving here I met a special someone. We dated and grew close to the point where it’s pretty serious now, but he lives in Trondheim.

So, how did I resolve the situation of a job I disliked, a partner in a different city and the need to earn money quickly to sustain a life in Norway?

I went into hiding for six months, frantically saving every krone I could! My only real outlet over the winter was this blog, it kept me sane! I also joined MESH to meet creative people and explore options for freelancing in Norway. A by-product of this was getting to know the Norwegian startup community.

At the end of March I finally said goodbye to the corporate world. I genuinely felt the weight of the world had lifted from my shoulders. People say that a lot, but I really did feel it that day.

I’m now a freelance writer.

Does this mean I’m staring at my cat all day trying to write the next Booker prize winner, or becoming the new big name in Scandinavian crime? Of course not.

I don’t have a cat!

It means I write training courses, web copy, sales literature, technical documentation, business blogs and other communications. My business background, knowledge of the world and native English ability combine to give Norwegian technology companies an offer that, well, they seem to be interested in!

Alongside this, I’m a regular writer for the awesome Arctic Startup blog, where I expose the Norwegian entrepreneurial scene to a global audience.

I’m also working on my own projects, including the Expat Weekly newsletter and some awesome eBooks about Norway, coming soon to this very blog!

Over the past six months I’ve met some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever known. You know who you are. Without all of you, I wouldn’t have ever had the confidence to take the leap. So thank you.

I don’t know where this path will lead, but I do know I’m going to have the time of my life finding out.

The first stop on this journey is…

Trondheim

My new home, as of a few hours ago!

Yep, I’ve moved in with Gerry.

I’m not afraid to say publicly I’m nervous about the prospect of so much change at once, but I feel ready for this step. It makes sense personally, professionally, financially – and most important of all – for my own well-being.

Trondheim is a beautiful town, but it will be quite a change for me. I’m moving from a capital city (albeit a small one) to a small town, reminiscent in style and ambience to an English market town. I know only a couple of people here, so my social life will take a hit, albeit temporarily.

I’m a little nervous about my business prospects here too, however there’s no reason to be. Trondheim is the hi-tech capital of Norway, a centre of academic and scientific research second to none. There’s a burgeoning startup scene that I’ll be throwing myself right into by joining the new CWRK co-working space.

Working freelance gives me the flexibly to travel more while I work – so that means more articles, photos and tales of my adventures in Norway and beyond

Finally, I’d like to say a massive thank you to all my loyal readers over the past two years. I’m not the best writer in the world, but through your comments and encouragement I’ve learned to enjoy what I do, even though I still make the odd misteak.

See what I did there

Are you with me?

Those new to Norway will notice some bizarre sights between now and 17th May:

• Teenagers lounging around the place wearing coloured (usually red) overalls
• Party buses cruising the roads playing bass-heavy music
• Fountains full of washing-up liquid

It’s all part of Norway’s annual celebration for high school graduates – Russefeiring.

Rather than me as an outsider try to explain russ, I’ve asked the real thing! This is Alex, an 18-year old graphic designer from Konsvinger:

“We have our graduation party the second last friday of april, to May 17 (The Norwegian Independence Day). High school graduates get “baptised” where we all round up at some predetermined location, and the city fire department dispatch a truck to hose us down with water. Then we put on the graduation costume. The graduation costume differs by your education.”

“The entire period between the graduation party and May 17 usually consists of mostly continuous partying, playing pranks on our old teachers, junior students, and parents, as well as driving around in vans in our designated colours with obscene markings written on them with spray cans and playing really loud music. It is also customary to take junior students hostage and dip them in water ”

Russ are easily identified by the distinctive coloured overalls, usually red, but sometimes black, blue, white or green depending on the graduate’s area of study. For me one of the nicer traditions is the russekort (russ cards), collected by kids brave enough to ask for them. Last year I was enjoying a beer outside the Ullevaal Stadion when two kids came rushing up to me, eyes lit up, shouting “er du russ??” only to be disappointed when I had no cards to offer them.

It’s all organised out in the open on Facebook and sites like Russ.no and Russen.no. As time ticks on, the parties get more raucous, the dares more daring, and the parents, well, they turn a blind eye and even fund the majority of it! (it takes a lot of kroner to pimp a russ buss, even by Norwegian standards…)

I guess parents do this because russ is seen as an essential rite of passage for any young Norwegian – a chance to let off some steam after years of compulsory schooling before entering the “real world”. The celebrations culminate with the russ parade on the National Day, 17th May. That’s if they can cope with their huge hangovers after the big final party on the night of the 16th!

Last but not least, the most irritating hallmark of russ… REALLY CRAP MUSIC:

As regular readers will have noticed, I recently spent some time in the Grong region of central Norway. It’s a region famous for its salmon rivers but largely ignored by travellers. I spent a night in a mountain cabin on the spectacular Geitfjellet mountains, my first experience of mountain life in rural Norway.

In these hectic times with iPhones, tweets, reminders and the constant search for reliable wi-fi, it’s easy to forget the simple pleasures in life.

As the night drew in, the log fire burned, and the cognac poured – I rediscovered the lost art of conversation.

Almost from the first moment I arrived at Grong station, I asked my guide Kristian about life in the area, what it was like growing up, what the area has to offer young adults and the elderly. I grew up in a small English village so I was fascinated to learn of the similarities and differences. I had so many questions and he had so many stories, it was logical to turn all this into the next Life in Norway interview.

Grong is a small town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag, a three-hour train journey north of Trondheim, but still 250km south of the Arctic Circle. It’s home to less than 2,500 people, not even a dot on the map to those travellers here to “do the fjords”.

What’s it like for a young person growing up here?
It depends on your interests, but for the kids there are a lot of activities, especially sports. The Red Cross have an active youth section here too. As well as the standard school system there is a private school offering education in hunting, free-ride skiing and horseback riding. There are around 500 teenagers here which is vital for a small village like Grong.

When someone reaches 18, what happens?
Most move out to the cities. Most of the boys join the military for a year’s service and then either come back to work on farms or at the ski centre, but most go to Oslo or Trondheim for education, because there aren’t those opportunities here in Grong. I have spoken to some and they say that when they have an education and a family they would love to move back.

We have a small industrial park nearby but there’s not a constant supply of jobs like in major industry.

Despite the pull of the cities, Grong is doing well. How?

The reason is for several years we’ve worked well with getting people to move back, especially the youth who moved away to the cities. Local politicians including the mayor have arranged meetings in the cities, and some of them are coming back.

We also have a mottakssenter for refugees. Grong has said yes to having up to 170 people, some of whom then want to settle here.

What facilities are there in Grong?

We have most of the facilities here – shops, theatre, cinema, library, some evening entertainment, but of course the quality is not the same. We are planning a new cultural centre though, and the cinema has a new manager who is keen to improve things. If there’s a Norwegian film premiere it’s often available to us.

Grong is well known for badminton, in fact Norway’s London Olympic entrant is from Grong. We have volleyball here, and of course a big heritage in skiing and ski-jumping.

Is there anyone in Grong who doesn’t ski?

Yes, most of them I think! But with all the possibilities of downhill and cross-country nearby and guaranteed snow for at least five months, it’s one of the main reasons people move back.

When we returned from the mountains, I spent some time wandering around and understood a lot of what Kristian told me. Outside the main supermarket was a pinboard advertising “what’s on” and sure enough, there was a film, a play, and a “disco”. If you’re young and not a fan of the outdoor life I can imagine living here being hard going. But with the great outdoors on your doorstep, what a wonderful place it must be to raise a family.

My sincere thanks to Kristian and everyone at Grong Fritid for opening my eyes to a very different way of life in Norway!

Okay so the title is a little white lie, I wasn’t literally lost in the mountains. It refers to the feeling of isolation on my recent trip to Rundtjønnhytta, the tiny cabin in the middle of the Geitfjellet mountain range.

I talked about the cosiness of staying in a mountain cabin, but this can only be fully appreciated when you understand the context.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the context:

It’s quite a sight, in every direction around the cabin.

Skitur

Having learned the very basics of cross-country skiing just a few weeks ago, I was apprehensive to say the least about attempting to ski around terrain like this.

Turns out, I was right

The conditions varied hugely. In some parts, the snow had compacted right down in the sunshine with icy tracks to speed along. Just a few metres away was deep powder, plunging my leg down 20cm into the snow. I spent more time on my bum that on my feet, but it was all good fun.

Until…

As I was practising the sideways step technique of climbing a hill in skis, the bugger snapped! No more skiing for me.

Thankfully, my guide Kristian, sensing a likely issue, had brought along some snowshoes, so it wasn’t the end of the adventure! Actually it was just the beginning, as the next day we headed out on a 4km tur. Now 4km doesn’t sound like much, but in variable conditions like these with steep hills and snowshoes my only means of transportation, it was the toughest 4km of my life!

But oh so worth it:

I’m finding it really hard to put into words just how I felt sitting there looking across the valley. I was exhausted, cold and thirsty, but full of warm feelings of achievement and wonder. I could have stayed there all day, were it not for the chilling wind

Mother nature is in charge

I quickly understood the three dangers of being out on the mountains. Firstly, the weather. During our ski trip, the sky changed within minutes from a bright blue to dull grey, it started to snow, and suddenly I became disoriented. The points of reference just disappeared.

Around the same time I discovered snow blindness. When the sky turns white and the only contrast you can see in any direction is one person twenty yards in front of you, your eyesight can be in real danger. Luckily the conditions only lasted a few minutes, otherwise we would have been forced to return to the cabin pretty quickly. Take a look, there’s no fancy effects in these pictures:

The third danger is avalanches. It probably wasn’t the best timing, but I chose the moment I was walking on crunchy snow “with a little give” half-way up a steep hill to ask Kristian if there are avalanches in the area.

“Yes, there’s often small ones on slopes just like this”

That soon shut me up, I don’t think I made a sound for the next hour…

But in all seriousness, there are extreme dangers of being unprepared in these mountains. Even experienced skiers and hikers get into serious trouble up here, so if you’re going to experience the Norwegian mountains – and I highly recommend you do – then please do so with a highly experienced guide and appropriate equipment.

The nomadic Sami life

Although Grong is north of Trondheim, it’s still a 1,000km drive to Tromsø, the “capital” of Arctic Norway. As such, I hadn’t expected the Sami way of life to be so integral to the area around Grong. But the Sami have a base in the nearby town of Snåsa, where Southern Sami is an official language.

It’s incredibly quiet on Geitfjellet and at one point we heard a distant snowmobile motor. It was a Sami herder, meaning a herd of wild reindeer were close by. No sighting – but we did catch a glimpse of the snowmobile on the horizon for just a few seconds, before he descended into the valley on the other side of the mountain. It was a beautiful moment, catching a glimpse of a traditional way of life, still alive after all these years.

My time on Geitfjellet has to rank up there with Flåm and the fjords as my best Norwegian experience to date.

There’s only one way to finish this post – more pictures

This visit was made possible by Trøndelag Reiseliv and Grong Fritid.

“I’ve read your blog and you write about the cities really well, but you’re about to see real Norwegian life”

So said my guide Kristian, as we jumped on a snowmobile for an 8km tour of Geitfjellet, the mountains that tower over Grong in Nord-Trøndelag.

I say tour, but it was more of a one-way trip. Our driver dropped us off here – Rundtjønnhytta.

Yes, I know!

For the first time in my life, I was high up in the mountains, entirely reliant on others. The map below shows our location. Just zoom out to appreciate the vast mountain range:

View Rundtjønna in a larger map

Hytta life

This was my first visit to a mountain cabin (hytta) in Norway.

They vary hugely in size and amenities. Some privately owned cabins are basically second homes for the summer. Many companies own cabins available for their employees to use for summer vacations or ski trips. Others, such as many administered by Den Norske Turistforening, are simply designed to provide basic shelter for hunters, skiers and hikers.

Rundtjønnhytta on Geitfjellet is at the basic end of the scale. There’s no electricity or running water, although there is a small gas-powered stove.

The folks at Grong Fritid keep it accessible and maintained, but on arrival there are still jobs to be done: melting snow for water, lighting the wood-burner for heat, and candles for light.

Although the facilities are basic, the cabin is so very cosy! The small wood burner keeps the whole place nicely heated.

Little touches show how “mountain men” make the most of these small shelters. For example, a rack suspended above the wood-burner allows you to dry your clothes after a long day skiing. Simple and effective!

Food and drink can be a challenge in mountain cabins. Not only is the kitchen equipment basic, you are also limited by what you can physically carry in a backpack (or your catch from fishing/hunting!)

So certain dishes become popular in these parts, none more so than reindeer stew. Sweet and delicious, it’s been an essential part of the mountain diet for years. Dieters may scream at the ingredients – reindeer meat, mushrooms, onion and full-fat cream – but the energy this gives you is essential.

Relaxation

Of course, when you take away the distractions of modern life (TV, internet, telephones), you suddenly remember how to relax. And boy is it good!

With just a small battery-operated radio for company, Kristian and I chatted for hours about life in the mountains. Out of habit I asked “what time is it?”, his response was simple – “does it matter?”

You never know what the weather will do up in the mountains. One minute the skies could be clear, the next you could be in the middle of a blizzard. Lucky for us, the weather was just perfect to enjoy a beer outside!

Sleeping in a mountain cabin

The cabin can sleep up to 6 in three bunk beds. The prospect of spending the night in the cabin was not thrilling me with joy. It was warm and cosy with the wood burner on, but the bedroom was at the other end of the cabin and with just a sleeping bag for warmth I wondered if I’d get any sleep at all. I needn’t have worried.

Once inside the sleeping bag I remained surprisingly warm, even when the wood burner inevitably ran out of fuel. With no sound or light from outside, there are no distractions preventing a great night’s sleep.

Leaving my mark

Before we left the cabin, I was given one final job, the most important of all. In most cabins across Norway, there is a guestbook for you to sign. Some people leave their name, others talk of weather conditions or wildlife they saw. As I flicked through the Rundtjønnhytta book it really hit home how remote it was – there were very few entries, perhaps just 10-15 per year.

It seemed I was the first Englishman to write in the book. Want to know what I wrote? Ski your way to Rundtjønnahytta and find out for yourself

I thoroughly enjoyed my first stay at a mountain cabin. It was a real eye-opener, and a reminder that slowing down once in a while is remarkably good for my health. Next up, I’ll talk about my first – hilarious – attempt at skiing in the Norwegian mountains!

This visit was made possible by Trøndelag Reiseliv and Grong Fritid.

It covers 16,000 square miles of central Norway, but Trøndelag is a region many tourists miss. This despite hosting an award-winning World Heritage town, one of Norway’s best ski resorts, and the country’s capital during the Viking age. That’s Røros, Oppdal and Trondheim, if you were wondering

But the area has a growing reputation for niche tourism, not least in the field of salmon fishing. It’s not hard to see why. When I travelled by train from Trondheim to Røros last year, I spotted countless fishermen up to waist-deep in the rivers that literally cover the region:

Imagine a beautiful summer’s day, a gentle breeze and a peaceful river in Trøndelag. Suddenly you catch sight of something shimmering, and you let the fly touch the surface of the water a couple of times before lowering it down perfectly a little way in front of the salmon. You feel a tug, “Yes!”, your face lights up, and the struggle begins (Trondelag.com)

I’ve never gone fishing. The closest I came was a dismal attempt at crabbing when I was young! Nevertheless, fishing is a popular activity back in my home country of England, and this partly explains its popularity in Norway today.

Back in the 19th Century, English lords travelled to the rivers of Trøndelag, bringing with them the fly-fishing techniques of their homeland. It caught on, and soon wealthy people from across the world were drawn to Norway by tales of massive hauls of salmon.

This history is captured today in the Namsen Salmon Aquarium, near Grong in Nord-Trøndelag. It’s a popular stop for many heading north on the E6. The museum is only open from June to August, but as I was in the area I managed to get a sneak peak

The centre hosts a small aquarium and museum, along with a restaurant, serving salmon of course! The museum documents the development of fishing in the region with an impressive collection of memorabilia. There’s also information about the hydropower stations which dot the region’s rivers, providing much of Nord-Trøndelag’s energy requirements.

Even if you have little interest in fishing it’s worth a stop here for the spectacular scenery. It’s situated above the Fiskumfoss waterfall, where one million litres of water falls every second! You can also see one of Europe’s longest salmon ladders.

If you’re driving north this summer (perhaps to Tromsø or Nordkapp for the midnight sun), consider the Namsen Salmon Aquarium for a great short stop.

This post was made possible by Trøndelag Reiseliv and Grong Fritid. Photo credit: Trondheim Byarkiv

As a six year-old, I sat on the barrier at the front of the Hotel End, watching a 23-year-old Trevor Morley captain Northampton Town FC to the 4th division title with a stonking 99 points. It’s one of my earliest memories in football. He went on to have a successful career with Manchester City, West Ham and Reading.

26 years later, we’re in  the kitchen of a shelter for recovering drug addicts in Bergen, proudly run by Morley, chatting about football, life in Norway and his motivation for the shelter. It’s the last thing I expected a former pro footballer to be doing, and makes a refreshing change from the media portrayal of today’s footballers.

Most Brits you meet in Norway are here for oil money or love, and it’s clear to see the latter applies to Morley. He’s been happily married to a Norwegian for 12 years and has an obvious passion for his work with the shelter.

“It all started because one of my friends had problems with drugs. He now works with me. We set it up, there were loads of these places when we started and there’s now just three, so we’ve done really well to survive. I really like looking after these people, because society looks down on them, but they’re mostly really nice people with big hearts.

“We don’t cure them as that’s something very different, but we do point them in the right direction. We give them a clean place to stay with heating, TV, washing facilities. I’m pretty much a glorified cleaner, we look after the place and most days I’m here cleaning and sorting stuff out.”

Unsurprisingly it was football that first brought Morley to Norway. He had three loan spells at Brann while he was at West Ham.

“I was travelling here in the summer. Brann found out and that led to a loan spell, although West Ham were initially reluctant. When I came back to England I was in great shape and West Ham saw that, because in those days English players had 10-12 weeks free and noone did anything.

“So the next summer West Ham were less reluctant and the deal with Brann was easier. Coming over here improved my game, with a different way of training and a different way of playing. I’m surprised it’s not used more often.”

Many footballers go into management or coaching after their playing career comes to an end, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear of Morley’s successful social business. But that hasn’t stopped him regretting his decision not to pursue a management role.

“I was coaching over here, it was only the 5th division but I took them to the third and then I stopped. It’s a big regret because my dream’s always been to be a coach or a manager. I’m annoyed with myself that I let it go after doing my UEFA B license. I see my old mate Phil Parkinson from Reading walking out at Wembley for a Cup Final, Martin Allen managing Gillingham, and I envy that involvement in football.”

But Morley is still involved to a certain extent. In addition to running his shelter, he is a regular pundit on Norwegian TV station TV2 Sport.

“On and off I’ve been doing it for seven years, but in the last two years they’ve had the Premier League. My boss now was a sports reporter and a huge Man City fan and he interviewed me a few times back in England. Living here, I met him a few times and he invited me on. I love it, but I was nervous as hell when I first went on! No-one teaches you, there’s no media training, you just get put on.

“I relate the feeling to football, it’s the same buzz and the same feeling afterwards if I’ve messed something up. As well as the buzz, I really enjoy staying involved with football. I like to be a bit controversial and say things my way, but yeah I really enjoy it.”

Until I saw Morley on TV2 Sport I had no idea a former Cobblers legend was living here in Norway. I mentioned it when I blogged about the Norwegian obsession with English football, one of the most popular articles on this blog. I asked him for his thoughts on this, in particular on the standard of football in Norway and what could be done to get more attention on the domestic game.

Brann Stadion – home of Bergen’s football club

“There is so much interest in the English game, but they are the big clubs and this is a small country in terms of population. But don’t underestimate the Norwegian league. It’s a good competitive league. The Premier League is like a circus now, it’s been fantastic what’s happened but you can’t really compare the leagues. The Norwegian league is more popular than people realise, here in Brann the attendances can get up to 18,000 people when things are going well, which considering the population and the weather, is pretty good.”

“It needs to be blinged up a bit and I think it will be. There are a lot of smaller teams in the Premier League so perhaps a smaller league playing each other four times as they do in Scotland is one idea.

Returning back to the days under the Hotel End, I couldn’t resist asking for his memories of the 1986/87 championship winning season.

“It was brilliant. To captain that championship side at 23 is one of my fondest memories in football.”

“I owe so much to Graham Carr. I was 23 years old, I’d been playing at Nuneaton for four years and no-one wanted me. He took me to Northampton and if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have had the career I did. Making me captain at 23 was something special. I was a centre-forward with long hair, not your normal captain. He trusted me and the second season there I will always remember because we were so good, we just blew everyone away. The lads were all so down to earth, most of them coming from the non-league. Nobody got a chip on their shoulder, we trained hard, we worked hard and played for each other. It was an amazing season.”

“Of course, I won’t deny we had fun. We used to have a drink after some away games, having a party all the way home. Eddie McGoldrick got on the microphone doing his bingo or whatever, people shouting jokes and dancing at the back. By the time we got back to the County Ground we were merry, but it worked. Richard Hill and Clive Walker used to get up to all sorts at home games too. They were comical times really, but it worked!”

The County Ground, Northampton Town’s old ground

Finally, this being a blog about life in Norway, I had to ask for Morley’s thoughts on his adopted home.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been back in England, but I do miss it and especially miss the people.”

“But over here is a very safe place. Norwegians are lucky in that they don’t see a lot of poverty, it’s clean and there’s not much trouble. A lot of the trouble in British cities now you just don’t see over here.”

I couldn’t agree more.

It was a pleasure meeting Trevor Morley, a Cobblers legend yes, but also a thoroughly nice guy who’s doing something really positive for Norwegian society.