The day before the Nations League match between Wales and Norway in Cardiff, Y Wal Goch supporters’ club put on a showing of ‘Alt for Norge‘, an excellent documentary film about Egil “Drillo” Olsen, a revolutionary and successful manager of the Norwegian national team in the 1990s.
On behalf of the Norwegian (and Norwegian-supporting) community in Wales, we were able to welcome Karl-Petter Løken, the General Secretary of the Norwegian Football Association, Norges Fotballforbund, his team and colleagues, to Cardiff.
Fun fact: Drillo Olsen was in his second term as manager of the Norwegian national team when Norway last visited Wales in 2011. They played then, as now, at Cardiff City Stadium. Craig Bellamy, now the Wales coach, played that day and scored one of the 4 winning goals. So Olsen might have laid the foundations for Norway’s football success today – but he equally may well have inspired a young Craig Bellamy and taught him a thing or two about managing a national team!
