Norway opens football outpost
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
Article summary
The world's most northerly pitch has been created on the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen.
Article body
Open to all
Per Ravn Omdal, the president of the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) and a UEFA vice-president, opened the 13m x 21m facility in Longyearbyen on Monday. Speaking at the ceremony, he said: "In football, the most important rule is that everyone should be able to participate. No one shall be excluded from this playground."
Helping youngsters
The football pitch will also be used as an area for children to organise their own activities, and to learn how to relate to others. Hundreds of similar schemes have been introduced across the country, providing areas that have become an important part of the local community.
HatTrick scheme
The Norwegian project has helped inspire one element of the new UEFA HatTrick assistance programme, which is building on the success of the NFF's own scheme to create 1,000 mini-pitches across the country. The HatTrick programme's aim is to have at least one grassroots pitch in use in each of UEFA's 52 countries before the end of 2004. In addition, funds have been set aside to offer specific courses and assistance corresponding to associations' needs.
