– That’s stupid and undignified. I was then blown away by photos of chairman Aslak Sverdrup handing out medals in the dressing room between shampoo, towel and foggy camera lens, Davy Wathne told NRK.

On Sunday, Brann took silver in this year’s elite series, while Tromsø could celebrate third place.

This celebration is celebrated by both clubs, but in slightly different ways.

Because while the city of Tromsø will pay tribute to the bronze medalists in Kirkebakken on Monday evening, Brann gets shared their silver medals in the dressing room just after Sunday’s elite series final at the Marienlyst stadium in Drammen.

Wathne hopes the team will get the opportunity to celebrate the medal with fans.

– For me, football is about community and sharing joy with others. This is contrary to that. It is aloof, closed, without styles, formats and parties. Without all the things I associate with medal ceremonies, said Wathne, a Brann enthusiast.

– The only ceremony for the series winner

According to Nils Fisketjønn, director of competitions at the Norwegian Football Association (NFF), it has been several years since the NFF decided that only gold medalists would be allowed to hold medal ceremonies on the pitch at either of the final two rounds of the World Cup. series.

This meant that celebrating in front of the fans at Marienlyst on Sunday was out of the question for Brann, who later accepted the award in the dressing room.

– It’s simple and straightforward because the players go on holiday tomorrow. Some are also traveling today. At the same time, it is important to hold the medal ceremony when the silver medal is still fresh in the mind, people have adrenaline and have actually won something, Christian Kalvenes, Brann’s general manager, told NRK.

Fisketjønn from the NFF said the rules for medal ceremonies in stadiums were made to avoid logistical obstacles with so many potential teams that could win gold, silver and bronze.

He said they haven’t been consistent enough after the decision was made. That is why there are instances where medals are also awarded for silver and bronze, even after the rules were changed.

– The rule change, of course, does not prevent medal recipient clubs from having a big and beautiful framework around distributing medals to their own players with supporters and media present. “Because of course it’s very nice to win a medal at the highest level,” Fisketjønn told NRK.

Bergen newspaper also mentions a medal ceremony for Brann.

Suggested a celebration in Grieghallen

Calf aware that Davy Wathne is free to speak his mind, and agrees that the fans deserve better.

– We average over 15,000 fans at home and incredible support on the road. We want to share all the good experiences with our supporters. Of course it would be better if we could also share this with them, said Kalvenes.

Kalvenes has not spoken to the players about the distribution, but he himself has drawn the following conclusions:

– It doesn’t matter. They love getting silver. If we win gold, there will probably be a public celebration with the fans in Bergen. Now it’s silver, and that’s of course nice, but that’s what we did this time.

Wathne recalled the previous medal ceremony at 1975, with stadiums full of cheering fans, and games he went to especially to be there when Brann got his medal.

While he believes the ideal would be for the medals to be handed out in front of the away fans after the match on Sunday, Wathne would not mind a grander and more memorable celebration.

– They could do it in Flesland, Grieghallen or something similar. We don’t have many ice skaters, cross country runners and 800 meter runners to celebrate in Bergen. Celebrations and ceremonies are in keeping with our spirit. “We are the May 17 people,” Wathne said.