Ullevaal Stadion
Encyclopedia
Ullevaal Stadion is an all-seater
football stadium
located in Oslo
, Norway
. It is the home ground of Vålerenga IF and the Norway national football team
, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final
. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK Lyn. With a capacity of 25,572, it is the largest football stadium in Norway. The national stadium
is fully owned by the Football Association of Norway
(NFF).
The stadium opened on 26 September 1926 as the home ground for Lyn and several other local teams. The first international match was played in 1927, and NFF started gradually purchasing part of the stadium company. The peak attendance dates from 1935, when 35,495 people saw Norway play Sweden
. Since 1948, Ullevaal has hosted the finals of the Norwegian Football Cup
, and in 1967 the Japp Stand was completed. A new renovation started with the completion of the single-tier West Stand in 1985, and continued with the two-tier North and East Stands in 1990 and the South Stand in 1998. Ullevaal hosted the finals of the UEFA Women's Euro in 1987
and 1997.
In conjunction with the stadium is the head office of many sports federations, a bandy field, and commercial property including a conference center, hotel and shopping mall. The stadium is located adjacent to Ullevål Stadion Station
of the Oslo Metro and the Ring 3
motorway. Plans call to replace the West Stand to increase capacity to 30,000 and perhaps add a retractable roof
and artificial turf
.
, Frogner
, Berg
and Marienlyst
. The club made an agreement with the tram operator Akersbanerne
to purchase land they had acquired as part of the construction of the Sognsvann Line. It was decided that a limited company was to be established, with a share capital of NOK 100,000. Aker Municipality agreed to purchase 30% and partially pay via access roads and utilities. All sports clubs in Aker were given the right to purchase up to 10% of the shares, while the rest was to be bought by Lyn. Any costs exceeding the capital was to be paid for through loans and donations. At the same time, Lyn acquired land to build a training field which they would own themselves and was estimated to cost NOK 20,000. Both plans were passed by the club annual meeting on 23 May 1924.
A/S Ullevaal Stadion was founded on 27 January 1925. The company was owned 73.5% by Lyn, 24% Aker Municipality and 5.1% by the clubs Ullevaal
, Tåsen, Nydalen and Heming
. The stadium was built with a running track, allowing the stadium to also be used for track and field
, and had a capacity of about 35,000 spectators. The stadium cost NOK 416,000. The grand opening was held on 26 September 1926 by Crown Prince Olav
. It was followed by a friendly match between a reinforced Lyn and Örgryte IS
of Sweden, where Lyn won 5–1. In the opening game, tickets cost NOK 3 for seats, NOK 2 for standing places and NOK 1 on the end stands. The stadium became both the home ground for Lyn and hosted track and field events. The first international match was held on 22 September 1935 and featured Norway loose 0–1 against Denmark
in front of a crowd of 35,495, which still stands as the spectator record. The stadium was served by the Oslo Metro with the opening of the Sognsvann Line in 1934. In 1938, a new East Stand (Klokkesvingen) was opened.
The Football Association bought Aker's share of the stadium during the 1930s, and in 1945 also part of Lyn's share. From 1948, the Cup Final was held at Ullevaal, and has been held there since. Other activities held during the first decades included boxing, and a revival meeting hosted by Billy Graham
in front of 40,000 people in 1955. In 1960, NFF bought more shares from Lyn and became the majority shareholder with 50.7%, while Lyn retained 44.2%. The reason was the planned expansion could not receive public grants with such a strong tie to a single club, but the state was willing to give grants to the stadium if it was controlled by the federation. In 1967, a new South Stand was opened, and the following year NFF moved into offices at the stadium.
In the early 1980s, the owner company presented plans for an upgraded stadium, which would have capacity for 40,000 spectators, of which 25,000 would be seated and 15,000 would stand. In 1984, a new pitch was installed. The first renovation was an all-new West Stand, which would be single-tier and have capacity for 8,800 spectators, of which 3,800 could be seated under a roof. Costs were estimated at NOK 56 million. The costs were covered by Sogn Næringsbygg, who built the stands and then received free ground to build 12000 square metres (14,351.9 sq yd) of commercial real estate. Because of the height, the new stand was met with protests from locals who felt the six-story structure would wreck the idyllic neighborhood. The stand was completed in 1985. On 14 June 1987, Ullevaal was the host of the final of the 1987 European Competition for Women's Football
, where Norway
beat Sweden
2–0 in front of 8,408 spectators.
Plans for a new two-tier stand to the north and east were presented next. The plans had called for 24,500 sitting places in the new and south stands, and 5,500 standing places in the west stand. However, in 1989, the plans were modified, as the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) made new rules, requiring that only seating places could be used for international qualification matches from 1992. It was thereby decided that Ullevaal would become an all-seater.
The renovations included a new turf with under-soil heating
, luxury boxes, VIP-seating, a section for the Royal Family
, new change rooms and 5000 square metres (5,980 sq yd) of restaurant and meeting area. The upgrade involved the removal of the running track, making Ullevaal a pure football stadium.
Construction of the two stands started after the cup final in November 1989, and started with the demolishing of the north stand from 1926 and the east stand from 1938. After construction was completed, Lyn played its first home game on Ullevaal for the season on 13 September 1990, after having played most of the season in the Second Division at Voldsløkka Stadion. The construction included 32000 square metres (38,271.7 sq yd) of commercial properties built beneath the stands. Total investment costs for the new stands and commercial area was NOK 350 million, of which NOK 100 million was for the stands. Plans for a NOK 40-million underground squash
court were discarded.
In November, Lyn stated that they wanted to purchases the shares in Ullevaal from NFF, who stated that they were now worth NOK 10 million. NFF also raised questions if it was actually Lyn or the newly created limited company who were actually going to buy the shares. NFF stated that they were opposed to anyone but the federation and clubs owning the national stadium and that they were opposed to private investors. The federation hoped to use the high incomes generated from the recent success of the national team, including from participation in the 1994 FIFA World Cup
, to allow the stadium company to charge high rent for the international matches and Cup Finals, thus quickly eliminating the stadium's debt. NFF felt it was unfair that they were in practice subsidizing Lyn by not having similar rent increases for the club, and that this should be reflected in the share value. In March 1994, Lyn sued NFF for the right to purchase the shares for NOK 4.4 million plus interest.
In May, it was stated that the matter would not be handled in the courts, but instead by the Football Association's Tribunal, with the possibility to appeal to the Norwegian Confederation of Sports' Tribunal. This was because FIFA's regulations forbade a club form suing their own federation. In January 1995, the tribunal decided that Lyn had the right to purchase the shares for NOK 4.4 million plus interest. By February, it became clear that Lyn did not have sufficient liquidity to purchase the shares. In December 1995, three months before the purchase option became invalid, the club bought back the shares. In 2001, it became clear that Lyn had given false information about the deal, and that the club had signed an agreement with Lyn Fotball AS which was later criticized by club members as a "raid" by the investors to secure the main asset in Lyn. The loan had a high interest rate and had clauses that made a refinancing expensive, it gave the investors a right of pre-emption for the shares, the right for the investors to terminate the load on short notice, and the right for the investors to take over the shares should the club not be able to manage the debt.
In February 1996, Lyn and NFF stated that they had agreed that Lyn would sell their shares in Ullevaal to NFF for about NOK 5 to 6 million, plus support for Lyn's new training facility at Kringsjå. The parties stated that with the plans for expanding and making new investments in Ullevaal, Lyn's lack of financial backing would become a hindrance for financing the projects and that the sale would allow Lyn to concentrate on playing football. On 25 March, NFF and Lyn stated the sale was terminated by NFF, because it was considered too lucrative for Lyn by other clubs in Norway. In 1996, the stadium featured a cross-country skiing
event with 5,500 spectators. On 12 July 1997, Ullevaal was the host of the final of the UEFA Women's Euro 1997, where Germany
beat Italy
2–0 in front of 2,221 spectators.
In 1997, NFF and Lyn agreed to renovate and expand the stadium. The plans called for new stands which would increase the capacity to 30,000 spectators. The size of the field would be reduced by 350 square metres (418.6 sq yd), from 107 by to 105 by to make the stadium more intimate. The new grass would be lowered 130 centimetres (51.2 in), allowing two more rows of chairs to be added. The South Stand (Japp) would be demolished and a new two-tier stand would be built, in the same style as the northern and eastern stands. This would give three sides two-tier height, although the western stand would remain single-tier. The South Stand received 30 luxury boxes and press quarters for 192 people. The project involved the demolishing of the four light masts and instead installing the lights along the roof. The cost of the whole project was estimated at NOK 300 million.
The project also included 44000 square metres (52,623.6 sq yd) of commercial real estate, to be located behind the south stands. Because public grants of about NOK 90 million could only be given to non-profit entities, the ownership of the stadium was split in two. The stands and other core areas of the stadium remained owned by the stadium company, while a separate company was created to own the commercial areas. NFF wanted the profits from the commercial company to go to the stadium company to pay for operating expenses, while Lyn wanted the profits to be paid as dividend to the owners so Lyn could pay interests on their debt. Construction started in January 1998, after Lyn had lost a court case regarding the dividend structure.
The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, including the federations for many smaller sports, chose to move to Ullevaal and establish their offices in conjunction with the stadium, in Dråpen located at the south side. The Norwegian Football Museum was established and received 250 square metres (299 sq yd) in the southern stand building.
During construction in 1998, Lyn and the national team played their games at Bislett Stadion
—the home venue for Vålerenga—while Ullevaal was being rebuilt. Prior to the 1999 season
, where Lyn would have to play in the First Division, Lyn applied to play all their matches at Bislett to cut rental costs at Ullevaal. However, this was rejected by the municipality, who owned Bislett, because there was not vacant capacity at Bislett.
, stated that they had also considered playing at Ullevaal, but wanted to keep the more "intimate feeling" at Voldsløkka Stadion. However, Vålerenga were forced to move some of their 1999 matches to Ullevaal because the dilapidated standards at Bislett. Prior to the 2000 season
, Vålerenga signed a three-year contract with Ullevaal, making the national stadium their home.
In 2000, Ullevaal Stadion AS bought the West Stand, including the commercial areas. In March 2001, NFF gave Lyn a loan for NOK 12.5 million, on the condition that if it was not paid back within two years, NFF would take over Lyn's ownership in the stadium. This made it possible for Lyn to pay their investment company back the debt for the loan, which had increased to this amount in five years, and to purchase the stadium and secure NFF the right of pre-emption. On 4 July 2002, Lyn and NFF announced that NFF would make a private placement of NOK 27 million in Ullevaal Stadion AS and at the same time terminate Lyn's debt. In exchange, Lyn's ownership was reduced to 15%.
In 1998, Vital Forsikring bought the real estate located between the east of the stadium, Ring 3
and the Sognsvann Line. The lot covered 30000 square metres (35,879.7 sq yd), including the commercial properties under the stands. A new zoning plan was rejected by the municipality in 2000, but in 2005 the plans were passed. In 2008, Vital started constructing a hotel and more commercial spaces at the site. The hotel had 144 rooms and would be operated by Thon Hotel; other investments included a congress hall for 800 people and a reconstruction of the sports facility Bergbanen. Total area was 24000 square metres (28,703.8 sq yd), including 1500 square metres (1,794 sq yd) for the congress center, 5000 square metres (5,980 sq yd) for the four-story hotel, and a 6300 square metres (7,534.7 sq yd) expansion of the shopping center by. The shopping center area thus became 53000 square metres (63,387.5 sq yd). The investments cost NOK 550 million and were scheduled for completion in 2009. The project also included the bandy
field Bergbanen and a new club building for Ullevål IL. Ownership of the bandy venue was transferred to the municipality.
On 23 October 2005, Vålerenga set its attendance record of 24,894 in a league match against Rosenborg BK.
On 23 March 2007, NFF bought Lyn's remaining 13.07% share of Ullevaal, securing the federation full control of the national stadium. Lyn was paid NOK 32.5 million for the transaction. Following Lyn's relegation from the Norwegian Premier League after the 2009 season
, the club decided to move its home games from Ullevaal to Bislett. This was to avoid the high costs that the club had renting Ullevaal, which cost the club NOK 150,000 per game, compared to a similar fee per season at Bislett. Lyn played its last home game at Ullevaal on 3 November, when it lost 0–5 against Fredrikstad FK. In the 2009 season of the Premier League, Vålerenga had the fourth-highest average attendance at 10,788, while Lyn had the lowest at 4,187. Lyn's least-seen game attracted 2,092 people. After it was decided that the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
was to be held at Stabæk's home venue Telenor Arena
, Stabæk was forced to rent Ullevaal to play three of its home games during April and May 2010.
The stadium is owned by AS Ullevaal Stadion, a limited company wholly owned by the Norwegian Football Association. Operations of the stadium is performed by the subsidiary Ullevaal Stadion Idrett AS, while the NFF-owned Ullevaal Business Class AS (UBC) is responsible for operating the luxury boxes, the conference center and VIP-services. The commercial area in the North and East Stands, plus that located north and east of the stadium, is owned by Vital Forsikring
.
The stadium has a capacity of 25,572 spectators, of which 1,470 are VIP seats and 28 are for wheelchair users. There are four stands: to the north the Postbanken
Stand, to the west the VG
Stand, to the south the Hafslund
Stand and to the west the Bendit
Stand. The stadium has 16 entrances with 40 counters, five VIP entrances, one ticket office with twelve booths, 40 toilets, 20 kiosks and three emergency rooms. The stadium building is 202 by long and the height of the roof is 23 metres (75.5 ft). The sound system provides 66,000 watts, and the flood lighting
has 160 lamps that give 1,400 lux. Ullevaal Business Class offers 29 boxes and 1,418 VIP seats directly accessible from the boxes. In addition, in part in conjunction with the hotel, UBC has a number of conference rooms, of which the largest can hold 800 people.
The pitch is 105 ×, and the area within the stands is 122 ×, of which grass covers 112 ×. The grass is a combination of Lolium perenne
, Poa pratensis and Poa annua
, with 3% artificial grass sown inn. The pitch features a sprinkler
system and under-soil heating
with an effect of 750 kW located 25 centimetre under the surface. The pitch has a plastic cover which can cover the full size and which, powered by a fan, hoovers 4.5 metres (14.8 ft) above the ground.
The stadium contains 39 square metres (46.6 sq yd) of press room, a television studio, 16 commentator boxes and 130 square metres (155.5 sq yd) of working space for journalists. There is a photography room, a separate section for photographers on the stand, and a press conference room with place for 96 people. All the press facilities are in the South Stand. There are similar facilities in the North Stand, allowing a television team from the opposing nation to make a double production. They can film and send with advertisements from the other side of the stadium and thus increase advertisement income.
Both NFF, the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
and many sports federations have their head offices at Ullevaal. At Ullevaal is the Norwegian Football Museum, which offers tours of the stadium. Just east of the stadium is Bergbanen, a municipal bandy field used by Ullevål IL. The field is located on top of a parking house. NFF owns 40000 square metres (47,839.6 sq yd) and Vital owns 53000 square metres (63,387.5 sq yd) of commercial property at Ullevaal, including a shopping center and office space.
The stadium is located next to the Ullevål stadion
station of the Oslo Metro, and is served by lines 3, 4 and 5 (the Sognsvann Line and the Ring Line). The stadium is also within a ten-minute walk from Rikshospitalet
station of the Oslo Tramway, located on the Ullevål Hageby Line
and served by trams 17 and 18. In addition, the motorway Ring 3
runs nearby. Parking is available at Rikshospitalet
, Domus Atletica and Sogn Upper Secondary School; these are within a five minutes walk.
, a retractable roof
and redevelopment of the West Stand to increase total capacity to 30,500 spectators. The combination of the three would allow Ullevaal to become a multi-purpose venue and allow more matches to be played, grant the teams more practice time on their home pitch, make room for sponsor events, allow more concerts and potentially allow non-football sports, such as sprint skiing, to be held.
To make it easier to attract good international teams, the management of Ullevaal considered coordinating the laying of artificial turf with Parken Stadium
in Copenhagen
and Råsunda Fotbollstadion in Stockholm
, the home of the Danish and Swedish national teams, respectively. Plans for artificial turf were rejected by both Lyn and Vålerenga, who both threatened to move elsewhere should the stadium install artificial turf. Commentators have stated that among older footballers there is opposition against artificial turf, but that long Norwegian winters cause pitches to be extremely bad during the early parts of the season. It has been argued that younger Norwegian players are used to artificial turf and that in the future they will need better pitches to play "finer" football. In 2010, seven of sixteen premiership stadiums used artificial turf; commentators have stated that if Ullevaal converted, it could be a pivoting point for other clubs to do the same.
Vålerenga has stated that they want to relocate and have conducted plans to build a new stadium at Valle Hovin
, where the club currently have their administration and training facilities. Plans exist for stadiums for 22,000 spectators, which would be expandable to 32,000. Part of the rationale for their own stadium is that Vålerenga traditionally is the east side team, while Ullevaal is located in the heart of the west side. As an alternative, Vålerenga has considered moving back to Bislett, at least as a temporary solution.
NFF has launched plans for a new national football stadium. Inspired by the new Swedbank Arena to be built in Stockholm, a new venue would have a capacity for 52,000 spectators and was part of the joint Norwegian–Swedish bid for UEFA Euro 2016
. To finance a new stadium, NFF would have to sell Ullevaal. NFF stated that expanding Ullevaal beyond 31,000 spectators would be excessively expensive and that the location poses limitations in transport infrastructure to handle so large crowds. In 2008, Ullevaal, including the 40000 square metres (47,839.6 sq yd) of commercial area owned by NFF, was valued to about NOK 1 billion, of which the commercial area was valuated at NOK 750 million. In 2006, Ullevaal Stadion AS had NOK 522 million in debt.
All-seater stadium
An all-seater stadium is a sports stadium in which every spectator has a seat. This is commonplace in football stadiums in nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Most soccer and American football stadiums in the United States and Canada are all-seaters, as are most baseball...
football stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is the home ground of Vålerenga IF and the Norway national football team
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final
Norwegian football cup
The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK Lyn. With a capacity of 25,572, it is the largest football stadium in Norway. The national stadium
National stadium
Many countries have a national football stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadium. Usually, a national stadium will be in or very...
is fully owned by the Football Association of Norway
Football Association of Norway
The Football Association of Norway is the governing body of football in Norway. Current FIFA World Champions It was formed in 1902 and organises the men's and women's national teams, as well as the Norwegian Premier League.The team are enjoying their best ever spell thanks to World Player of the...
(NFF).
The stadium opened on 26 September 1926 as the home ground for Lyn and several other local teams. The first international match was played in 1927, and NFF started gradually purchasing part of the stadium company. The peak attendance dates from 1935, when 35,495 people saw Norway play Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
. Since 1948, Ullevaal has hosted the finals of the Norwegian Football Cup
Norwegian football cup
The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
, and in 1967 the Japp Stand was completed. A new renovation started with the completion of the single-tier West Stand in 1985, and continued with the two-tier North and East Stands in 1990 and the South Stand in 1998. Ullevaal hosted the finals of the UEFA Women's Euro in 1987
1987 European Competition for Women's Football
The 1987 European Competition for Women's Football took place in Norway. It was won by the hosts in a final against defending champions Sweden. Once again, the competition began with four qualifying groups, but this time a host nation was selected for the semi-final stage onwards after the four...
and 1997.
In conjunction with the stadium is the head office of many sports federations, a bandy field, and commercial property including a conference center, hotel and shopping mall. The stadium is located adjacent to Ullevål Stadion Station
Ullevål stadion (station)
Ullevål stadion is a rapid transit station on the Sognsvann Line of the Oslo Metro. It is the last station served by lines 3, 4 and 5. North of the station, the Ring Line branches off from the Sognsvann Line...
of the Oslo Metro and the Ring 3
Ring 3 (Oslo)
Norwegian National Road 150, also known as Ring 3 and formerly Store Ringvei is a beltway limited-access road which circumnavigates Oslo, Norway. It runs from Ryen, through the Sinsen Interchange to Lysaker in Bærum.-History:...
motorway. Plans call to replace the West Stand to increase capacity to 30,000 and perhaps add a retractable roof
Retractable roof
A retractable roof is a kinetic architectural element used in many sports venues, in which a roof made of a suitable material can readily be mechanically deployed from some retracted or open position into a closed or extended position that completely covers the field of play and spectator areas...
and artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
.
Construction and early years
The first suggestions for a stadium at Ullevaal were launched by members of Lyn in 1917, but not until 1924 was a committee appointed to look into the matter. Lyn had also considered building their stadium at Holmenkollåsen, Hoff, TåsenTåsen
Tåsen is a neigboorhood of Oslo, Norway, aprox. four north of the city centre. The name origins from the norse name Tásvin. The station Tåsen serves the area.-References:*...
, Frogner
Frogner
Frogner is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. In addition to traditional Frogner, the borough incorporates Bygdøy, Uranienborg and Majorstuen....
, Berg
Berg, Oslo
Berg is a neighbourhood in the North End of Oslo. It is located in the bourough Nordre Aker, and is surrounded by the neighbourhoods Nordberg in the north, Tåsen in the east and Ullevål Hageby in the southwest. Berg is named after an abandoded farm with the same name. Berg is mainly a residential...
and Marienlyst
Marienlyst
Marienlyst is an area in the borough of St. Hanshaugen in Oslo. It is best known as the site of the national headquarters of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation , and "Marienlyst" is often used synonymously with NRK....
. The club made an agreement with the tram operator Akersbanerne
Akersbanerne
A/S Akersbanerne was a municipal owned company that operated tramways in the former Municipality of Aker in current Oslo, Norway. The company was established in 1917, and opened the suburban Østensjø Line tramway in 1926; it took over the majority ownership of Holmenkolbanen in 1933, that owned the...
to purchase land they had acquired as part of the construction of the Sognsvann Line. It was decided that a limited company was to be established, with a share capital of NOK 100,000. Aker Municipality agreed to purchase 30% and partially pay via access roads and utilities. All sports clubs in Aker were given the right to purchase up to 10% of the shares, while the rest was to be bought by Lyn. Any costs exceeding the capital was to be paid for through loans and donations. At the same time, Lyn acquired land to build a training field which they would own themselves and was estimated to cost NOK 20,000. Both plans were passed by the club annual meeting on 23 May 1924.
A/S Ullevaal Stadion was founded on 27 January 1925. The company was owned 73.5% by Lyn, 24% Aker Municipality and 5.1% by the clubs Ullevaal
Ullevål IL
Ullevål Idrettslag is a Norwegian sports club from Oslo. The club currently has sections for bandy and gymnastics.It was founded on 5 July 1920 with the name Kvik. It was founded as an association football club, and expanded with tennis, gymnastics, track and field, Nordic skiing and alpine skiing...
, Tåsen, Nydalen and Heming
IL Heming
Idrettslaget Heming is a Norwegian sports club from Slemdal, Oslo. It has sections for association football, Nordic skiing, alpine skiing, orienteering and tennis.-General history:...
. The stadium was built with a running track, allowing the stadium to also be used for track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and had a capacity of about 35,000 spectators. The stadium cost NOK 416,000. The grand opening was held on 26 September 1926 by Crown Prince Olav
Olav V of Norway
Olav V was the king of Norway from 1957 until his death. A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Olav was born in the United Kingdom as the son of King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Maud of Norway...
. It was followed by a friendly match between a reinforced Lyn and Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS, also commonly referred to as ÖIS, is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg.-History:The club was founded on 4 December 1887 and participated in the first football match in Sweden on 22 May 1892. Örgryte IS has won 12 national championship titles and one national cup title. After...
of Sweden, where Lyn won 5–1. In the opening game, tickets cost NOK 3 for seats, NOK 2 for standing places and NOK 1 on the end stands. The stadium became both the home ground for Lyn and hosted track and field events. The first international match was held on 22 September 1935 and featured Norway loose 0–1 against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in front of a crowd of 35,495, which still stands as the spectator record. The stadium was served by the Oslo Metro with the opening of the Sognsvann Line in 1934. In 1938, a new East Stand (Klokkesvingen) was opened.
The Football Association bought Aker's share of the stadium during the 1930s, and in 1945 also part of Lyn's share. From 1948, the Cup Final was held at Ullevaal, and has been held there since. Other activities held during the first decades included boxing, and a revival meeting hosted by Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
in front of 40,000 people in 1955. In 1960, NFF bought more shares from Lyn and became the majority shareholder with 50.7%, while Lyn retained 44.2%. The reason was the planned expansion could not receive public grants with such a strong tie to a single club, but the state was willing to give grants to the stadium if it was controlled by the federation. In 1967, a new South Stand was opened, and the following year NFF moved into offices at the stadium.
Two-tier upgrades
1987 European Competition for Women's Football
The 1987 European Competition for Women's Football took place in Norway. It was won by the hosts in a final against defending champions Sweden. Once again, the competition began with four qualifying groups, but this time a host nation was selected for the semi-final stage onwards after the four...
, where Norway
Norway women's national football team
The Norway women's national football team represents Norway in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, are former European, World and Olympic champions and thus one of the most successful national teams...
beat Sweden
Sweden women's national football team
Sweden women's national football team are a football team officially representing Sweden in women's football. They won the unofficial European Championships in 1984, a success the team has not managed to repeat, it has however won one World Cup-silver as well as three European Cup-silvers...
2–0 in front of 8,408 spectators.
Plans for a new two-tier stand to the north and east were presented next. The plans had called for 24,500 sitting places in the new and south stands, and 5,500 standing places in the west stand. However, in 1989, the plans were modified, as the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) made new rules, requiring that only seating places could be used for international qualification matches from 1992. It was thereby decided that Ullevaal would become an all-seater.
The renovations included a new turf with under-soil heating
Under-soil heating
Under-soil heating is a method used in various sports stadia which heats the underside of the pitch to avoid any bad weather, such as snow and ice, from building up and ultimately helps the club avoid having to postpone any matches.The first ground in England to have under-soil heating installed...
, luxury boxes, VIP-seating, a section for the Royal Family
Norwegian Royal Family
The Royal Family of Norway is the family of King Harald V of Norway. In Norway there is a distinction between the Royal House and the Royal Family. The Royal House includes only the King and his spouse, the Queen, the King's eldest son with spouse, being the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and the...
, new change rooms and 5000 square metres (5,980 sq yd) of restaurant and meeting area. The upgrade involved the removal of the running track, making Ullevaal a pure football stadium.
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
court were discarded.
NFF and Lyn dispute
In 1993, Lyn was in deep financial difficulties after having been promoted to the Premier League after the 1991 season. To create additional liquidity, the club sold its 44% share in Ullevaal to the Football Association for NOK 4.4 million in January 1993. At the same time, NFF bought the 5.1% stake owned by the other clubs, making NFF the sole owner of the stadium. In October, the limited company Lyn Fotball AS was founded to take over the elite football teams in Lyn. At the same time, the club announced that it planned to purchase back their shares in Ullevaal Stadion, by letting the club take up a loan.In November, Lyn stated that they wanted to purchases the shares in Ullevaal from NFF, who stated that they were now worth NOK 10 million. NFF also raised questions if it was actually Lyn or the newly created limited company who were actually going to buy the shares. NFF stated that they were opposed to anyone but the federation and clubs owning the national stadium and that they were opposed to private investors. The federation hoped to use the high incomes generated from the recent success of the national team, including from participation in the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, to allow the stadium company to charge high rent for the international matches and Cup Finals, thus quickly eliminating the stadium's debt. NFF felt it was unfair that they were in practice subsidizing Lyn by not having similar rent increases for the club, and that this should be reflected in the share value. In March 1994, Lyn sued NFF for the right to purchase the shares for NOK 4.4 million plus interest.
In May, it was stated that the matter would not be handled in the courts, but instead by the Football Association's Tribunal, with the possibility to appeal to the Norwegian Confederation of Sports' Tribunal. This was because FIFA's regulations forbade a club form suing their own federation. In January 1995, the tribunal decided that Lyn had the right to purchase the shares for NOK 4.4 million plus interest. By February, it became clear that Lyn did not have sufficient liquidity to purchase the shares. In December 1995, three months before the purchase option became invalid, the club bought back the shares. In 2001, it became clear that Lyn had given false information about the deal, and that the club had signed an agreement with Lyn Fotball AS which was later criticized by club members as a "raid" by the investors to secure the main asset in Lyn. The loan had a high interest rate and had clauses that made a refinancing expensive, it gave the investors a right of pre-emption for the shares, the right for the investors to terminate the load on short notice, and the right for the investors to take over the shares should the club not be able to manage the debt.
In February 1996, Lyn and NFF stated that they had agreed that Lyn would sell their shares in Ullevaal to NFF for about NOK 5 to 6 million, plus support for Lyn's new training facility at Kringsjå. The parties stated that with the plans for expanding and making new investments in Ullevaal, Lyn's lack of financial backing would become a hindrance for financing the projects and that the sale would allow Lyn to concentrate on playing football. On 25 March, NFF and Lyn stated the sale was terminated by NFF, because it was considered too lucrative for Lyn by other clubs in Norway. In 1996, the stadium featured a cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
event with 5,500 spectators. On 12 July 1997, Ullevaal was the host of the final of the UEFA Women's Euro 1997, where Germany
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
beat Italy
Italy women's national football team
The Italy women's national football team represents Italy in international women's football. The team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation .- Performances in the World Cup :...
2–0 in front of 2,221 spectators.
The project also included 44000 square metres (52,623.6 sq yd) of commercial real estate, to be located behind the south stands. Because public grants of about NOK 90 million could only be given to non-profit entities, the ownership of the stadium was split in two. The stands and other core areas of the stadium remained owned by the stadium company, while a separate company was created to own the commercial areas. NFF wanted the profits from the commercial company to go to the stadium company to pay for operating expenses, while Lyn wanted the profits to be paid as dividend to the owners so Lyn could pay interests on their debt. Construction started in January 1998, after Lyn had lost a court case regarding the dividend structure.
The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, including the federations for many smaller sports, chose to move to Ullevaal and establish their offices in conjunction with the stadium, in Dråpen located at the south side. The Norwegian Football Museum was established and received 250 square metres (299 sq yd) in the southern stand building.
Bislett stadion
Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...
—the home venue for Vålerenga—while Ullevaal was being rebuilt. Prior to the 1999 season
1999 in Norwegian football
-Round 1:April 10*Molde - Tromsø 4-0*Vålerenga - Bodø/Glimt 1-1April 11*Brann - Lillestrøm 1-3*Rosenborg - Moss 5-0*Stabæk - Skeid 5-0*Strømsgodset - Kongsvinger 2-1*Viking - Odd Grenland 1-2-Round 2:April 17*Lillestrøm - Rosenborg 3-2April 18...
, where Lyn would have to play in the First Division, Lyn applied to play all their matches at Bislett to cut rental costs at Ullevaal. However, this was rejected by the municipality, who owned Bislett, because there was not vacant capacity at Bislett.
Vålerenga enters
In late 1998, Vålerenga considered moving their matches to Ullevaal from 1999. Although they stated that they had a better economic proposal from Ullevaal, the team stayed at Bislett to have more influence on the design of the new stadium that would replace the existing structure. Oslo's other Premier League team, Skeid FotballSkeid Fotball
Skeid Fotball is a Norwegian football club and is located in the capital Oslo. Its current home field is Bislett. In past decades it has gained a reputation as a talent factory for the larger clubs in Norwegian football, and it has produced several players for the national team such as Daniel...
, stated that they had also considered playing at Ullevaal, but wanted to keep the more "intimate feeling" at Voldsløkka Stadion. However, Vålerenga were forced to move some of their 1999 matches to Ullevaal because the dilapidated standards at Bislett. Prior to the 2000 season
2000 in Norwegian football
The 2000-season is the 95. season of competitive football in Norway.*2000 Tippeligaen *2000 Norwegian First Division*2000 Norwegian Football Cup*2000 Toppserien -Men's national team: UEFA Euro 2000...
, Vålerenga signed a three-year contract with Ullevaal, making the national stadium their home.
In 2000, Ullevaal Stadion AS bought the West Stand, including the commercial areas. In March 2001, NFF gave Lyn a loan for NOK 12.5 million, on the condition that if it was not paid back within two years, NFF would take over Lyn's ownership in the stadium. This made it possible for Lyn to pay their investment company back the debt for the loan, which had increased to this amount in five years, and to purchase the stadium and secure NFF the right of pre-emption. On 4 July 2002, Lyn and NFF announced that NFF would make a private placement of NOK 27 million in Ullevaal Stadion AS and at the same time terminate Lyn's debt. In exchange, Lyn's ownership was reduced to 15%.
In 1998, Vital Forsikring bought the real estate located between the east of the stadium, Ring 3
Ring 3 (Oslo)
Norwegian National Road 150, also known as Ring 3 and formerly Store Ringvei is a beltway limited-access road which circumnavigates Oslo, Norway. It runs from Ryen, through the Sinsen Interchange to Lysaker in Bærum.-History:...
and the Sognsvann Line. The lot covered 30000 square metres (35,879.7 sq yd), including the commercial properties under the stands. A new zoning plan was rejected by the municipality in 2000, but in 2005 the plans were passed. In 2008, Vital started constructing a hotel and more commercial spaces at the site. The hotel had 144 rooms and would be operated by Thon Hotel; other investments included a congress hall for 800 people and a reconstruction of the sports facility Bergbanen. Total area was 24000 square metres (28,703.8 sq yd), including 1500 square metres (1,794 sq yd) for the congress center, 5000 square metres (5,980 sq yd) for the four-story hotel, and a 6300 square metres (7,534.7 sq yd) expansion of the shopping center by. The shopping center area thus became 53000 square metres (63,387.5 sq yd). The investments cost NOK 550 million and were scheduled for completion in 2009. The project also included the bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
field Bergbanen and a new club building for Ullevål IL. Ownership of the bandy venue was transferred to the municipality.
On 23 October 2005, Vålerenga set its attendance record of 24,894 in a league match against Rosenborg BK.
On 23 March 2007, NFF bought Lyn's remaining 13.07% share of Ullevaal, securing the federation full control of the national stadium. Lyn was paid NOK 32.5 million for the transaction. Following Lyn's relegation from the Norwegian Premier League after the 2009 season
2009 in Norwegian football
The 2009-season is the 104. season of competitive football in Norway.*2009 Tippeligaen *2009 Adeccoligaen *2009 Norwegian Football Cup*2009 Toppserien -Men's national team:...
, the club decided to move its home games from Ullevaal to Bislett. This was to avoid the high costs that the club had renting Ullevaal, which cost the club NOK 150,000 per game, compared to a similar fee per season at Bislett. Lyn played its last home game at Ullevaal on 3 November, when it lost 0–5 against Fredrikstad FK. In the 2009 season of the Premier League, Vålerenga had the fourth-highest average attendance at 10,788, while Lyn had the lowest at 4,187. Lyn's least-seen game attracted 2,092 people. After it was decided that the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
was to be held at Stabæk's home venue Telenor Arena
Telenor Arena
Telenor Arena, sometimes referred to as Fornebu Arena, is a multi-use indoor arena located at Fornebu in Bærum, outside Oslo, Norway. It serves primarily as a football stadium for Norwegian Premier League side Stabæk Fotball, but is also used as a concert venue...
, Stabæk was forced to rent Ullevaal to play three of its home games during April and May 2010.
Facilities
Vital Forsikring
Vital Forsikring ASA, branded as Vital is Norway's largest life insurance and pension insurance company, and part of the DnB NOR Group. Though Vital has roots back to 1847, it was created in its present form by a merger between Vital and Gjensidige NOR's life insurance section after the mother...
.
The stadium has a capacity of 25,572 spectators, of which 1,470 are VIP seats and 28 are for wheelchair users. There are four stands: to the north the Postbanken
Postbanken
Postbanken is a Norwegian bank that is part of the DnB NOR Group. The bank offers its services through the Norwegian post offices.-History:...
Stand, to the west the VG
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
Stand, to the south the Hafslund
Hafslund ASA
Hafslund ASA is a Norwegian power company. The company owns the power grid and district heating in Oslo as well as nine hydroelectric power plants. Hafslund is the largest owner of power grids and the largest end-user seller of electricity in Norway. Hafslund also owns 11,5% of Renewable Energy...
Stand and to the west the Bendit
Bama Gruppen
Bama-Gruppen AS is Norway's largest private distributor of fruit and vegetables. Bama- Gruppen is engaged in wholesale trading of imported and Norwegian-produced fresh produce in fruits, vegetables and flowers....
Stand. The stadium has 16 entrances with 40 counters, five VIP entrances, one ticket office with twelve booths, 40 toilets, 20 kiosks and three emergency rooms. The stadium building is 202 by long and the height of the roof is 23 metres (75.5 ft). The sound system provides 66,000 watts, and the flood lighting
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
has 160 lamps that give 1,400 lux. Ullevaal Business Class offers 29 boxes and 1,418 VIP seats directly accessible from the boxes. In addition, in part in conjunction with the hotel, UBC has a number of conference rooms, of which the largest can hold 800 people.
The pitch is 105 ×, and the area within the stands is 122 ×, of which grass covers 112 ×. The grass is a combination of Lolium perenne
Lolium perenne
Lolium perenne, common name Perennial Ryegrass, is a grass from the family Poaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, but is widely cultivated and naturalised around the world.-Description:...
, Poa pratensis and Poa annua
Poa annua
Poa annua, or annual meadow grass , is a widespread low-growing turfgrass in temperate climates. Though P. annua is commonly considered a solely annual plant due to its name, perennial bio-types do exist. 'Poa' is Greek for fodder. It is one of the sweetest grasses for green fodder, but less ...
, with 3% artificial grass sown inn. The pitch features a sprinkler
Irrigation sprinkler
Irrigation sprinklers are sprinklers used on farms, golf courses, and yards, to provide water to vegetation and plants in the event of drought. They may also be used for recreation, as a cooling system, or to keep down the amount of airborne dust....
system and under-soil heating
Under-soil heating
Under-soil heating is a method used in various sports stadia which heats the underside of the pitch to avoid any bad weather, such as snow and ice, from building up and ultimately helps the club avoid having to postpone any matches.The first ground in England to have under-soil heating installed...
with an effect of 750 kW located 25 centimetre under the surface. The pitch has a plastic cover which can cover the full size and which, powered by a fan, hoovers 4.5 metres (14.8 ft) above the ground.
Both NFF, the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports is the umbrella organization for sport in Norway. It is the largest volunteering organization in Norway, with more than 2 million members, and 12000 sports clubs, in 19 region confederatons and 56 national federations...
and many sports federations have their head offices at Ullevaal. At Ullevaal is the Norwegian Football Museum, which offers tours of the stadium. Just east of the stadium is Bergbanen, a municipal bandy field used by Ullevål IL. The field is located on top of a parking house. NFF owns 40000 square metres (47,839.6 sq yd) and Vital owns 53000 square metres (63,387.5 sq yd) of commercial property at Ullevaal, including a shopping center and office space.
Transport
Ullevål stadion (station)
Ullevål stadion is a rapid transit station on the Sognsvann Line of the Oslo Metro. It is the last station served by lines 3, 4 and 5. North of the station, the Ring Line branches off from the Sognsvann Line...
station of the Oslo Metro, and is served by lines 3, 4 and 5 (the Sognsvann Line and the Ring Line). The stadium is also within a ten-minute walk from Rikshospitalet
Rikshospitalet (station)
Rikshospitalet is a light rail tram station at the end of the Ullevål Hageby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located at Rikshospitalet, the Norwegian National Hospital, at Gaustad in Oslo, Norway....
station of the Oslo Tramway, located on the Ullevål Hageby Line
Ullevål Hageby Line
The Ullevål Hageby Line is a light rail section of the Oslo Tramway. It runs from Stortorvet in the city center of Oslo, Norway to Rikshospitalet. It passes through the areas of St. Hanshaugen, Ullevål Hageby and Blindern before reaching Gaustad...
and served by trams 17 and 18. In addition, the motorway Ring 3
Ring 3 (Oslo)
Norwegian National Road 150, also known as Ring 3 and formerly Store Ringvei is a beltway limited-access road which circumnavigates Oslo, Norway. It runs from Ryen, through the Sinsen Interchange to Lysaker in Bærum.-History:...
runs nearby. Parking is available at Rikshospitalet
Rikshospitalet
Rikshospitalet is located in Oslo, Norway. From January 1, 2009, the hospital is part of Oslo University Hospital....
, Domus Atletica and Sogn Upper Secondary School; these are within a five minutes walk.
Future
In 2005, NFF launched plans for a redevelopment of Ullevaal, including artificial turfArtificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
, a retractable roof
Retractable roof
A retractable roof is a kinetic architectural element used in many sports venues, in which a roof made of a suitable material can readily be mechanically deployed from some retracted or open position into a closed or extended position that completely covers the field of play and spectator areas...
and redevelopment of the West Stand to increase total capacity to 30,500 spectators. The combination of the three would allow Ullevaal to become a multi-purpose venue and allow more matches to be played, grant the teams more practice time on their home pitch, make room for sponsor events, allow more concerts and potentially allow non-football sports, such as sprint skiing, to be held.
To make it easier to attract good international teams, the management of Ullevaal considered coordinating the laying of artificial turf with Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium is a football stadium in the Indre Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, built from 1990–1992. It currently has a capacity of 38,065 for football games, and is the home ground of F.C. Københaven and the Danish national football team...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and Råsunda Fotbollstadion in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, the home of the Danish and Swedish national teams, respectively. Plans for artificial turf were rejected by both Lyn and Vålerenga, who both threatened to move elsewhere should the stadium install artificial turf. Commentators have stated that among older footballers there is opposition against artificial turf, but that long Norwegian winters cause pitches to be extremely bad during the early parts of the season. It has been argued that younger Norwegian players are used to artificial turf and that in the future they will need better pitches to play "finer" football. In 2010, seven of sixteen premiership stadiums used artificial turf; commentators have stated that if Ullevaal converted, it could be a pivoting point for other clubs to do the same.
Vålerenga has stated that they want to relocate and have conducted plans to build a new stadium at Valle Hovin
Valle Hovin
Valle Hovin is both a bandy and speed skating rink in cold weather, and an outdoor stadium for concerts in warm weather, in Oslo, Norway.The Bandy World Championships has been held here....
, where the club currently have their administration and training facilities. Plans exist for stadiums for 22,000 spectators, which would be expandable to 32,000. Part of the rationale for their own stadium is that Vålerenga traditionally is the east side team, while Ullevaal is located in the heart of the west side. As an alternative, Vålerenga has considered moving back to Bislett, at least as a temporary solution.
NFF has launched plans for a new national football stadium. Inspired by the new Swedbank Arena to be built in Stockholm, a new venue would have a capacity for 52,000 spectators and was part of the joint Norwegian–Swedish bid for UEFA Euro 2016
UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2016, will be the 15th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. It will be held in the summer of 2016. The host nation was announced to be France on 28 May 2010...
. To finance a new stadium, NFF would have to sell Ullevaal. NFF stated that expanding Ullevaal beyond 31,000 spectators would be excessively expensive and that the location poses limitations in transport infrastructure to handle so large crowds. In 2008, Ullevaal, including the 40000 square metres (47,839.6 sq yd) of commercial area owned by NFF, was valued to about NOK 1 billion, of which the commercial area was valuated at NOK 750 million. In 2006, Ullevaal Stadion AS had NOK 522 million in debt.