Soccer-Eggs, milk and tractors: Norway's Bryne embrace 'farmer's league' tag
(Reuters) -Bryne FK are back in the Norwegian top flight after 22 years and they are gaining even more popularity for sticking to their agricultural roots - be it tractors acting as stands or awarding milk and eggs to the player of the match.
Best known as the home of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland's first club, Bryne has a population of around 13,000 people, surrounded by farmland and situated 30 minutes away from Stavanger, Norway's third-largest city.
With a stadium that holds barely 5,000 fans, the club are fully embracing their heritage.
"Our goal is to forge a farmers' identity and instil pride in both the club and the region," Bryne Marketing Manager Bjorn Hagerup Roeken told Reuters.
"Our supporters' union has always celebrated our agricultural roots in their chants, so honouring our heritage holds deep significance for us."
VIP tickets include a plush sofa hoisted up by tractors and grain silos, used to store winter feed for livestock, which have been rebuilt with platforms for VAR cameras.
One side of the stadium is a large open square where supporters can drive in and park their tractors to watch the game.
While most leagues hand the player of the match a small trophy, goalkeeper Jan De Boer received four trays of locally sourced eggs during their first home match of the season.
Bryne also gave eggs to their opponents, Kristiansund BK, in their first away match.
De Boer used his prize to cook a Dutch omelette for his Norwegian teammates and, in the spirit of the old-school barter system, the remaining eggs were given to a teammate who had lent him his car to pick up his girlfriend from the airport.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sarina Wiegman: The England manager is football's ultimate tournament specialist
On Sunday in Basel, England manager Sarina Wiegman will attempt to win her third straight Women's European Championship. Having triumphed on home soil with the Netherlands in 2017, she took England to glory in 2022. And on both occasions, she followed up European success with a run to the World Cup final, where her Dutch side were defeated by the United States in 2019, and England lost to Spain two years ago. This means Wiegman has now reached five finals from five tournaments as an international manager, an unprecedented record in the men's or women's game. It's all the more impressive when you look at those two sides' performances without Wiegman during the same period: no finals at all. And she's partly responsible for that: Wiegman's Netherlands eliminated England with a 3-0 semi-final win in 2017, and the 55-year-old's England were effectively responsible for knocking out her home country with a 4-0 group stage win in this European Championship. Five in a row is a remarkable, unlikely achievement — particularly given England's struggles throughout this tournament. England were soundly defeated 2-1 by France in their opening game, were 2-0 down to Sweden before coming back and winning on a penalty shootout, and trailed 1-0 to outsiders Italy for an hour of their semi-final before scoring a stoppage time equaliser, then a winner two minutes from the end of extra time. Wiegman's team selections have been questioned; her apparently tardy use of the substitutes bench was cited as the problem in journalists' hastily deleted early drafts of match reports from the Sweden and Italy games. But by the final, Wiegman is always there. No one in world football guarantees tournament progression like her. There isn't anyone quite like Wiegman in the men's game, where club football is considered the highest form of the sport, and where managerial salaries are generally higher than in international football. But in the women's game, international football has retained its superiority in terms of prestige — and salaries. Wiegman has worked in international football as a scout, assistant coach, interim coach and now an outright coach. There is no suggestion that she must test herself in the club game, and she has become football's ultimate tournament specialist. And international football is very different from the club game. It is generally more relaxed, then suddenly more intense. Last year, Thomas Tuchel was appointed the England men's manager, his first job in the international game. Considering the men's side's struggles with foreign coaches, it's not unreasonable to think Wiegman's success has convinced the FA that it is a workable solution. Tuchel has succeeded in club football, leading Chelsea to European Cup success in 2021, but he's frustrated by how little time on the training ground he has with his players, and may not be able to implement the tactical details that have made him successful in other jobs. Wiegman is accustomed to all this and knows the limitations of international management. She sometimes doesn't see her players for months, then every two years has to select a squad that lives together for six weeks. This can be tricky, especially at a time when the profile of certain England players has taken off. It's why international managers focus so much on harmony; they often talk about 'the group' as much as 'the squad', a subtle difference but one that conveys the importance of off-the-field togetherness. The decision of Mary Earps and Millie Bright, who had fallen out of Wiegman's first XI, to withdraw from the squad shortly before the tournament could have been considered a major blow. Instead, it got any lingering personnel issues out of the way. 'It's a really, really difficult job when you're in a tournament,' said midfielder Keira Walsh of Wiegman's management. 'Obviously people want to play, people aren't, but she really, really cares about the human side.' A constant theme emerges from Wiegman's international tournaments. Players speak about how the strength of the squad is that everyone knows their role: whether it's a key first-teamer, a regular substitute, or a backup unlikely to see any action. If you don't like that, don't come — as with Earps and Bright. When introducing players late on, Wiegman speaks about ensuring there is clarity on their tactical responsibility. Even when throwing on multiple attackers to salvage matches late on, Wiegman has always had a clear system. Despite ending up with a top-heavy side for an all-or-nothing late spell of pressure, Wiegman has been confident enough to persevere with the system during extra time. Wiegman speaks about the importance of preparing for every scenario, but she's also adept at thinking on her feet. She comes up with innovative ways to solve problems. In the quarter-final, Sweden were pressing in such a way that put centre-back Jess Carter under serious pressure in possession. Wiegman's solution was to switch her two centre-backs, Leah Williamson to the left, and Carter to the right. This worked perfectly. England started building up play from the back more effectively and grew into the game. It's difficult to recall any other instances of a team switching their centre-backs midway through a match in this manner, but it made perfect sense. Similarly, when England were trailing Spain at half-time in the World Cup final two years ago, Wiegman elected to substitute both her main striker, Alessia Russo, and the player who had just finished as top goalscorer in the Women's Super League, Rachel Daly. Needing a goal, Wiegman took off her main two goalscorers — because she thought what England needed was more pressing energy high up the pitch from Lauren James and Chloe Kelly. On this occasion, it wasn't effective, and England lost 1-0. But few managers think outside the box like Wiegman. The funny thing about the most successful managers is that, in a desperation for critics to find faults, they are often attacked for polar opposite things. In the men's game, Pep Guardiola made Barcelona into the most celebrated side of the modern era, while being criticised for 'not having a Plan B' and 'over-thinking' his tactics. Which was it? In reality, neither. Wiegman was questioned for her squad management when Earps and Bright fell out of favour, but at times has been criticised for 'sticking with the same old players'. Which is true? Again, neither. There's a reason Wiegman chose to move on from Earps and Bright — and from long-serving captain Steph Houghton before Euro 2022 — and a reason she has her favourites in this squad. And, at times, she has placed enormous faith in previous outsiders: Williamson hadn't been a regular before Wiegman's reign, yet was named captain at the age of 25, ahead of more experienced players, before Wiegman had even worked out whether she would play in defence or midfield. Other managers wouldn't have selected 19-year-old striker Michelle Agyemang for the squad, considering she's only ever started three WSL games. But she's twice scored crucial goals to keep England in the tournament. The group that won Euro 2022 was, by the standard of tournament winners, very young. None of the side in Switzerland can reasonably be considered past their best. In terms of age, the only player who comes into consideration here is right-back Lucy Bronze, now 33, but she had an excellent season for WSL title-winners Chelsea. Wiegman generally hates talking about individual players, but goes out of her way to praise Bronze's competitive spirit. Her place has never been in doubt and she scored the crucial first goal in the comeback against Sweden. England are underdogs for the final on Sunday. Put together a combined best XI from the two sides, and they can only compete at centre-back, centre-forward, and in goal. They don't have the luxury of so many footballers playing together for club level — nine of Spain's probable starting XI represent Barcelona, or did so until recently. That level of understanding is almost impossible to recreate. But England clearly have the better manager. Regardless of what happens in Basel, five successive European and World Cup finals is an achievement that may never be matched. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. England, Netherlands, Premier League, Soccer, International Football, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
Helmut Marko Reveals Details On Christian Horner Sacking: Who Made The Decision And Why
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Red Bull Racing senior advisor Helmut Marko opened up on former team principal Christian Horner's ousting after the British Grand Prix, revealing who made the decision and the likely reason behind the major announcement. Red Bull parted ways with Horner after a partnership of 20 years that celebrated eight drivers' championships and six team titles. The sudden nature of his exit has raised questions about the reason for Horner's departure. Horner was replaced by former Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies. The team has not revealed the reason for his ousting, but now, Marko has opened up, revealing that the managing director of Red Bull GmbH, Oliver Mintzlaff, took the call to part ways with Horner. Speaking to Sky Deutschland, the 82-year-old advisor said: "The decision was made by Oliver Mintzlaff. We informed Christian Horner of this on Tuesday in London after the Silverstone race, at the same time officially thanking him for these 20 years and for these eight World Championship titles." Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 27, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 27, 2025 in Spielberg, added that performance was one of the concerns that led to the decision. He said: "This was the result of various factors, but above all, the performance wasn't quite as good as it could have been. "Fortunately, we were able to bring Laurent Mekies into the family. His responsibilities will be significantly reduced, with the main focus being on racing." Newsweek Sports also reported Max Verstappen's comments ahead of the race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. The Dutch driver stated that he was told about the decision a day before the announcement by Red Bull and hinted that the reason would be made public. He said: "I have a good relationship with them, you know, so I think it's quite normal that they inform some people in the team before it goes out. I think it's a standard practice. "I gave them my opinion. And I keep that to myself. And if they want to say more about it, they will do. And you will hear about it." The four-time world champion added that Horner's exit does not influence his future with Red Bull. He said: "I don't think it will matter at all for my decision in the future. And yet, the only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can make it, really. And like I said, the last one and a half years have not been what we want to be. Now we try and be more competitive this year a little bit, but for sure also with the new regulations." He added: "Sitting here, you look back at those 20 years of Red Bull, I think we've had a lot of great years, great results. There are also years where it's not going that well. And I think the last one and a half years have not gone how we would have liked. "Management decided they wanted to steer the ship in a different direction probably. Everyone else of course has to anyway agree to that and look forward. And I am looking forward. But at the same time, we do appreciate, of course, those 20 years and especially from my side the 10, 11 years that I've been part of Red Bull. "Those things will always be remembered. And the relationship between myself and Christian, for example, that doesn't change. Of course, he's not here now during a race weekend. But it's still like a second family to me."
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
How to watch final stages of 2025 Tour de France: Live stream, standings
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. The 2025 Tour de France is coming to an end. Over the next two days, riders will embark on the final two stages of the 21-day, 2,052-mile cycling race across France, but even though it's winding down, stakes are high as ever and you can watch every moment. Riders are coming off of a shorted Stage 19, where nearly 30 kilometers were cut from the race course around the Col de Saisies mountain pass due to a herd of diseased cattle that needed to be culled. Dutch rider Thyman Arensman won Stage 19, passing leaders Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard on the final climb up the French Alps. It marks Arensman's second stage win in one week. Vingegaard finished in second, with Pogačar right behind him in third place. Stage 20 will take racers from Nantua to Pontarlier (114.5 miles on hilly terrain), while Stage 21 begins in Mantes-la-Ville and ends 82.2 miles later on the Champs-Élysées. In the final two stages, Pogačar will look to become a back-to-back champion. Tour de France 2025 TV and streaming schedule: Stage 20: 6 a.m. ET (Peacock); 8 a.m. ET (NBC) 6 a.m. ET (Peacock); 8 a.m. ET (NBC) Stage 21: 9:30 a.m. ET (Peacock) How to watch the 2025 Tour de France: You can watch the remaining stages of the 2025 Tour de France on Peacock. Peacock currently offers two subscription types with live sports: Premium with ads and Premium Plus ad-free. Peacock Premium costs $10.99/month, while Premium Plus costs $16.99/month. You can save a bit by subscribing to one of Peacock's annual plans, which give you 12 months for the price of 10. These cost either $109.99 with ads or $169.99 without ads. If you just want to tune in to the NBC portions, you can do so with a DIRECTV free trial. 2025 Tour de France standings: Below, find the overall standings in the Tour de France as of the conclusion of Stage 19. Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia: 69 hours, 41 minutes, 46 seconds Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark: 69:46.10 (4 minutes, 24 seconds behind) Florian Lipowitz, Germany: 69:52.55 (11 minutes, 9 seconds behind) Oscar Onley, Great Britain: 69:53.58 (12 minutes, 12 seconds behind) Felix Gall, Austria: 69:58.58 (17 minutes, 12 seconds behind) Tobias Johannessen, Norway: 70:02.00 (20 minutes, 14 seconds behind) Kevin Vauquelin, France: 70:04.21 (22 minutes, 35 seconds behind) Primoz Roglic, Slovenia: 70:07.16 (25 minutes, 30 seconds behind) Ben Healy, Ireland: 70:09.48 (28 minutes, 2 seconds behind) Ben O'Connor, Australia: 70:16.20 (34 minutes, 34 seconds behind) Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and New York Post's streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she's also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews
