THE football matches which are played across Norway this weekend will, like so many games in Europe, see a number of the fans in attendance set off flares and smoke bombs in an attempt to enhance the atmosphere.
Unlike in other countries across the continent, though, there will be no frantic attempts made by the police or security staff present inside the ground to apprehend those responsible and extinguish the devices.
Nor will there be any concerns about the physical wellbeing of the spectators in the surrounding vicinity or fears about a fire being inadvertently started.
The Scandinavian nation has taken a liberal approach to the use of pyrotechnics by supporters at matches since 2011; they fight fire with fire by allowing them to be used in designated areas by specific individuals at certain times if permission is sought and received beforehand.
Pal Bjerketvedt, the secretary general of the Norwegian Football Association (NFF), outlined how and why his organisation had devised their radical strategy at the time.
"We have, together with the supporters, drawn up a set of rules,” he said. “We agree that pyro use is a mood-maker in the stadium within a safe and secure framework. The NFF wants to facilitate that. But the use of pyrotechnics must be approved.”
Those who have campaigned for “legal pyro” believe the bold experiment works well.
“We have a very low accident rate,” said Espen Viken, a member of Rosenborg fan group Kjernen as well as the deputy chairman of the Norwegian Supporter Alliance. “Even when our stand looks like a fire, we maybe only have one small burn on the palm of a hand afterwards.
“We believe the right way to go about dealing with pyrotechnics at football is to make them legal and to have them controlled. We are able to use them without any major damages or accidents.”
The situation surrounding “safe pyro” in Norway has changed in recent years and is complicated. In fact, it is about as clear as the air at Parkhead after the Green Brigade have let off multiple smoke bombs or at Ibrox following a flare display by the Union Bears. It is no longer condoned by the authorities. But a blind eye is turned in certain circumstances. It also varies across the country.
Viken explains how it works at Rosenborg. “Basically, they can be used when play is not going on, before kick-off, at half-time and at the end of the match,” he said. “We would like to get to a stage where we can use spontaneous pyrotechnics, like when an important goal is scored, but we haven’t got that far yet.
“We tape off an area in the stand for the use of pyrotechnics. The people who come to the game are told it will be happening. Everyone knows the situation. We have iron buckets filled with sand nearby. They are our only safety measure. There are no fire trucks or anything because they aren’t necessary. We have a concrete stand.”
The smoke generated by pyrotechnics can cause serious breathing difficulties for those who suffer from respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. Are they not in danger during the displays? Apparently not.
“We have a few fans with problems,” said Viken. “But to them we say: ‘Go to the pub for a few minutes’. Sometimes they want to stay and watch, but they are always told to move somewhere else.”
There is a growing number of Scottish football supporters who believe passionately that the use of pyrotechnics at football matches – something which originated among ultra groups in mainland Europe and has increasingly crept into our game in the past decade - should be allowed at games here as well.
A survey by the Scottish Football Supporters’ Association last year showed that 69 per cent of those polled felt they improved the match day experience and 74 per cent favoured them being used in a controlled environment.
Viken revealed that constructive discussions between fans, clubs, the police, the fire service and the national association resulted in pyrotechnics becoming an accepted and much-loved part of the match day experience at many, but not all, Eliteserien outfits.
“There are a lot of different situations throughout the country,” he said. “A club in Oslo, say, might not allow pyrotechnics in their stadium at all because the club officials do not have good relations with their fans.
“There are variations in what happens. Lillestrom are the worst example. They like to have pyro anywhere and at any time. They are all in for free pyrotechnics whenever and wherever. Bodo/Glimt, meanwhile, tend to have a display around the field, not in the stands.
“When I started working with the fans group at Rosenborg there was not a lot of trust between the club and their supporters. But after four years of dialogue, we are now allowed to use up to 80 units for a pyrotechnic show before a match.
“Rosenborg supporters have adopted their culture from South America – we have colours, tifos, songs during the match. For us, the pyrotechnic is kind of the cherry on top of the cake. It is an important part of our identity. It means a lot to people.”
There have been some horrific accidents involving pyrotechnics in South America in the past.
An Athletico Paranaense fan had his hand blown off when he lit a flare as his team arrived at the airport to fly to the Copa do Brazil final in 2019. A 14-year-old boy was killed after being struck in the eye by a flare that was thrown by a Corinthians supporter in a Copa Liberadores match against San Jose in Bolivia in 2013.
But so far “safe pyro” in Norway has not resulted in any serious injuries never mind fatalities.
Opponents of having areas of stadiums set aside for pyrotechnics shows at matches argue they legitimise them, result in an increase in the number of fans who set them off in the stands and jeopardise supporters’ health and safety.
Viken concedes the Norwegian solution has not extinguished illegal use by the hardcore element who attend games completely. However, he remains adamant it is preferable to banning flares and smoke bombs inside grounds outright.
“What we have been able to establish with the police and with the club is that doing this is a way of limiting the pyrotechnics offences that people commit when they are a little drunk or a bit exuberant,” he said.
“We have made that point very clearly. The alternative to legalised pyrotechnics which people can use in a controlled way is the illegal use of pyrotechnics which you see all over Europe. That development is not wanted in Norway and if we can avoid that it will be very good.”
UEFA have a zero tolerance approach to pyrotechnics in their club competitions; Celtic, Hearts and Rangers have all been fined by European football’s governing body for their supporters setting off fireworks in Champions League and Conference League matches this season.
Viken argues they are motivated as much by greed as concern for crowd safety. “Look at how many million euros UEFA collect in fines for pyrotechnics every season,” he said. “It is a huge amount. It clear that UEFA will never allow pyrotechnics. It must finance a lot of their operations.”
Nils Fisketjonn, the competition director at the NFF, conceded that allowing controlled pyrotechnics in stadiums had achieved its objective and cut down on the number of fans setting off devices in crowded areas and endangering their fellow supporters.
“We had a regulation saying that supporters could apply for permission to use certain pyrotechnics in the front row of the stand or in front of the stand before a match as long as they took care and there was a proper distance between the people using them and the other supporters,” he said.
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“If it was approved by the police and the fire department it was okay for us. We had that for many years and it worked fine. The reason for it was that it stopped the illegal use of pyrotechnics in the stands. It is an issue here, as it is in most countries in Europe. By having that system, we reduced the number of illegal cases a lot.”
He added: “The government in Norway allowed the supporters to use them. But that is not the case today. At some clubs, fans still can apply to their local police and fire department and get approval locally for pyrotechnic use in the first row or in front of the stand. If the club gets a local permission, it is not an issue for the FA.
“If the clubs have permission it is up to them. But it doesn’t happen in the big cities. The professional fire departments don’t approve it because it is against government regulations. We will see what happens in future.
“The supporters keep pushing on this. They like to take it into the stand and use it when they like. Unfortunately, we have seen an increase of that in my country.”
Viken recalled how football in Norway became “very fiery” in the stands when there was a clamp down back in 2020 and how the authorities were forced to backtrack. He is convinced that pyrotechnics will remain an integral part of the game in his homeland. “We will see what happens,” he said. “We are hopeful. But whatever happens we are not going to give up.”
