Representing our home town of Bergen, in Norway, SK Brann are currently playing in the qualifying rounds for this season’s Europa Conference League. And we’re tagging along for the ride!
By Bill Biss
There’s no time to rest in the early stages of any of UEFA’s three midweek club competitions. Qualifying rounds come thick and fast throughout July and August, and everyone’s in the rush to get to the all-important group stage draw, which usually falls at the end of the month.
And with SK Brann involved, and all three of their kits this season adorned by the FotMob logo on the back of the shirts, we were first in line for a road trip.
English football photographer, Danny Last, joined us for the second round qualifier away at Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands (some photos from which feature – here), before returning with us a week later to explore the glorious surroundings of Bergen, a city flanked by not one but seven mountains. It was also a chance for us to show off Brann Stadion at its finest, packed out for the second leg where Brann completed a 2-1 aggregate victory (more photos from which feature – here).
And not a drop of rain that the city is so famous for.
Then, last Thursday, it was off to Scotland for a trip to St. Mirren, situated in the town of Paisley and just a short train ride out of central Glasgow. Here we encountered much more familiar weather, and a proud club who, like us, were enjoying the rare treat of European football.
In fact, St. Mirren were playing in continental competition for the first time since the 1987/88 season. And that fact was not lost on the home supporters, who crashed their website such was the clamour for tickets to what was the first leg of the third round of qualifying. Win this tie, triumph in the final play-off round, and then and only then is a place in the group stages confirmed!
On arrival, we linked up with the rest of the Brann supporters in a bar tucked away down a side street heavily painted with St. Mirren murals.
Refreshments were sought, stories of long journeys were shared, the local weather was lambasted, and various Brann anthems loosened the vocal chords of all in attendance, before the Police arrived to escort us through the town centre and one stop along the rail network to St. Mirren’s SMISA Stadium.
There was not a hint of trouble throughout the day but after some liveliness at the home side’s opening league game, won so convincingly against Hibernian the previous weekend, the local constabulary were probably on their guard, and there were no grumbles from those of us experiencing a new town for the first time. For once, Google Maps was not required.
Our boys Brann did us proud during the game, creating more than enough chances to win the match across the 90 minutes. Kicking away from us in the first half the boys from Bergen were making all the noise as we had the home side on the back foot and keeping the North Bank ultras group quiet, but all to no avail, with no breakthrough made in the opening 45 minutes.
The second half continued in the same manner, with St. Mirren goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe and his defence standing firm, at least, until the 75th minute when finally Brann made their dominance tell.
Felix Horn Myhre followed up a blocked effort and rifled home a fantastic finish to send us, and those around us, into raptures! For about a minute there, it was bedlam, players rushing to the fans, the fans rushing to the players over a barrier or two – and a line of underpaid and slightly surprised looking stewards.
All we had to do now was keep things tight, see out the remaining quarter of the game, and then it was all back to Norway for this week’s second leg and a real chance of getting through to the next round.
But before we could get too carried away with making the rather complicated travel plans for that play-off, which will be against either Corvinul Hunedoara, of the Romanian second division, or Astana, of Kazakhstan, St. Mirren managed to turn the tide.
And boy did the home crowd get behind their side as they sought an equaliser. The North Bank was rocking and the other two sides of the ground followed suit. A goal felt inevitable but as always, it didn’t come until the lingering hope of seeing out the contest reached its peak, with substitute Toyosi Olusanya bundling the ball in to the back of the Brann net as the clock hit 90 minutes.
1-1 then, a tie evenly poised for the return leg in Bergen on Thursday. We’ll be there, of course, come rain or shine, for what could be another famous European night at the Stadion in FotMob’s home town.
For more images from Brann’s European adventure so far, check out this link to a thread from St. Mirren, or check out the links found elsewhere in this article.
(All images courtesy of Danny Last)
You can follow every game from the Europa Conference League on FotMob. Download the free app here.