Continuing my football nostalgia blogs with an overseas theme during this current World Cup, I recall an epic trip to Bergen...
A PILGRIMAGE TO BERGEN
THE Norwegian football team called Sportsklubben Brann Bergen have always fascinated me.
Their name has stuck in my head because they were my beloved QPR’s first ever opponents in European club competitions. It was played over two legs in the UEFA Cup First Round in 1976.
Rangers won the first game at Loftus Road 4-0 with Stan Bowles scoring a hat-trick and Don Masson adding the other goal (attendance 14,698).
Bowles hit another hat-trick in the second leg over in Norway as Rangers ran out 7-0 winners on the night. Don Givens (2), Dave Thomas and David Webb were the other R’s scorers before an 11,527 crowd. Contemporary newspaper reports described a stadium located picturesquely beneath some tree-lined mountains.
I attended that home game 46 years ago against Brann Bergen, but I was too young to go to the return match in Norway. It is something that I have always regretted.
So with the Norwegian football season being played through the summer, I decided to visit Bergen in June 2013 to see the Brann team in action and gather some recollections of QPR’s visit.
In what was a Holy Grail pilgrimage for me, I found that the Brann Stadion was indeed surrounded by imposing mountains like some kind of fairy tale setting.
And I chatted to a number of interesting Norwegian people who had nothing but praise for the greatest team in the history of Queens Park Rangers...
Helge Karlsen
A defender who played for Brann between 1967 and 1979, winning 35 caps for Norway:
“I remember when the UEFA Cup draw was made and we were paired with Queens Park Rangers. There was great excitement for us Norwegians as we would be going to play a London team with all their star players. We knew simply everything about QPR as English football was televised here in Norway.
“So when we played the first leg at Loftus Road, I took my autograph book with me and I got all the QPR players to sign it. But our squad didn’t get a chance to look around London as we just played poker all the time!
“We believed that we could raise our game against Rangers and we hoped to win. But to be honest, we probably could only have beaten them one time in a hundred meetings.
“I was a full-back and I had to mark your winger Dave Thomas in the two games. It was fantastic to play against a real star like him who was better than anyone in Norwegian football so I really enjoyed it.
“I was one of the fastest players in Norway. But I remember Dave Thomas knocking the ball 10 metres forward, running after it and then waiting for me to catch up! He was the man who gave me the most trouble in my whole football career.
“Stan Bowles scored a hat-trick in both matches. Oh for me he was one of The Beatles with his long hair! He was a great guy to play against. He could do anything he wanted with the ball and it was tremendous. We had to watch Bowles all the time but there were so many outstanding players in the QPR side that it was really difficult for us. Certainly there was no disgrace for Brann in losing both legs.
“It was one of the highlights of my life to play against a top English team like Queens Park Rangers. I still have all the newspaper cuttings from those two matches which my family kept for me. And I will never forget how the Loftus Road crowd sportingly applauded my team off the pitch after the first leg in London.
“I have followed QPR’s results ever since then and I would love to watch a fixture at Loftus Road one day.”
Gorm Natlandsmyr
Head of Media and Communications at SK Brann Bergen when I visited:
“I was eight years old back in 1976 and I went to the Brann match against Queens Park Rangers with my father.
“Big teams from England didn’t come to Norway much for competitive games during the 1970’s and Brann didn’t qualify much for Europe either. So there was great excitement before the QPR tie as all the kids in my street were interested in English football.
“Everyone in Norway used to watch a live English League match on the television each Saturday afternoon during that period. Therefore we all had a favourite team in England. I am sure that a lot of people here started to support Queens Park Rangers after they played in Bergen.
“I can remember some very good players from that Rangers team – in particular, Stan Bowles, Phil Parkes in goal and Frank McLintock. It was a great night for me as a young boy even though my club lost 7-0.
“We still think of Queens Park Rangers very fondly in Bergen. Also, one of our Brann players - Petter Vaagan Moen - went to play for your club between 2011 and 2012. He didn’t really succeed in London, but when he joined QPR we all talked about the Rangers being here in Norway many years before.”
Helge Helgesen
Norwegian QPR supporter in Bergen:
“I was 15 years old in 1976 and I had already supported Queens Park Rangers for a few seasons. So when the UEFA Cup draw was made, it was like heaven for me to see our QPR coming to Norway.
“We used to watch League matches from England on Norwegian television in the 70’s. I first noticed Rangers in those TV games in December 1973 and I instantly fell in love with the team.
“The hooped kit and the name of ‘Queens Park Rangers’ were really attractive for me. There were so many good R’s players too and most of them were internationals. All of my friends at school supported ‘Super Leeds’ and Arsenal, but it was always QPR for me.
“Rangers played really well when they won 7-0 in Bergen. I remember in the second half, the ball was kicked into the crowd and I caught it. I wanted to go on a lap of honour to celebrate but R’s defender Ian Gillard called to me for the ball as he wanted to take a quick throw-in.
“Stan Bowles was the main star and scored a fabulous hat-trick. He was what I would call a real bohemian. I met Stan at Loftus Road many years later and I told him that the first time I saw him play live was at Brann Stadion in 1976. He could hardly believe it!
“I continue to support QPR and I have been over to London many times to watch matches.”
Terje Gundersen
Norwegian QPR supporter in Bergen:
“I was just 10 years old at the time of the UEFA Cup game. My dad was a QPR supporter and he took me to the match in Bergen.
“I can recall that Queens Park Rangers previously came to Norway to play against Brann in an end of season friendly in May 1975. I was at that game too. It was a very weakened R’s side and so Brann won 1-0.
“All my mates at school in Norway were teasing me afterwards and so I said ‘Wait until next time!’
“Then QPR returned to Bergen in 1976 and played Brann off the pitch to win 7-0. I loved the performances of Stan Bowles and Dave Thomas that night. Bowles scored a hat-trick and he was one of the best English players of all-time in my opinion.
“I continue to support the R’s and I fly over to London three or four times each season to watch matches.”
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 8th December 2022
