BI Athletics - Ekeberg 2

BI Athletics

Ekeberg 2

Ekebergvn 101

1178 Oslo

Norway

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Ground Number: 1434
Saturday 7th June 2025

BI Athletics 2-2 Dynamo Mjosa
OBOS Cup

BI ATHLETICS - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 2012 and is the BI Norwegian School of Business student football team. The organisation is based in Nydalen, and for the first five years of their history, they were known as SBIO Athletics.  They play in the 8 div Menn avd 01, which is a regional league that sits in the ninth tier of Norwegian Football. They play at Ekeberg, a multi-pitch complex on the outskirts of Oslo. More specifically, they are allocated pitch 2, which is home to several local teams, including Lokomotiv Oslo, Gamle Oslo, Christianssands FF, Wam-Kam FK, Oslo internasjonale, Kunstgressbataljonen IL, Bislett FK, Sportsklubben Forward, Hvit-Rød Oslo & Fortuna Oslo.

MY VISIT

I was originally going to KFUM Oslo 2 v Gamle Oslo for game one of the day. The game was ideally located near the centre of Oslo and also close to my second game of the day at Valerenga. The kickoff was well-scheduled at 14:00, and it worked out for getting between the games. However, upon confirming around ten days before the game, it was switched to a 15:30 kickoff. This made getting between games too tight for my liking, and so I sought an alternative. I entered all the game options from Futbology and the Norwegian FA website onto a Google My Map and worked out what would be the best option. None were ideal, so I took the best option available. I wanted Saturday to be a look around Oslo, so I selected something as close as possible to the centre. That turned out to be an OBOS Cup game between BI Athletics and Dynamo Mjosa.

From my game at Bislett yesterday, it was a rainy walk back to the bus stop. It was £9.69 for 24 hours of bus travel in the Oslo area. I just missed a bus once I worked out where the stop was but it was less than ten minutes until the next one. The journey was only a few minutes, and then another five-minute walk to the supermarket. I couldn't get any ciders as the draconian law prevented sales after 8 PM and then only limited strength. I was glad to live in the UK with more freedom, but for now, some rolls, ham, a chocolate bar and grapes for £9.11 would have to suffice. It was ten minutes to my hotel through the rain, and I was glad to be able to check in quickly. The room cost £290 for three nights and was very nice. On the negative side, though, were noisy air conditioning and patchy WiFi. Otherwise, the Radisson Blu Park Hotel was excellent, and I could have got it cheaper had I been willing to pay up front and have no cancellation options. I'd probably rate IBIS above it, but would be happy to use this chain again.

 

I typed my blog whilst watching Norway thump Italy 3-0. Internet issues slowed my progress, but I was finished by 11, after which I watched TV in bed. I soon got used to the air conditioning and was asleep around midnight. I got my usual six hours of sleep in, waking at 6 am. I had a light breakfast of nibbles that I'd purchased at supermarkets yesterday as I was planning an early lunch. My shoes were still soaked through, but a few minutes with the hairdryer sorted that out. I caught up with everything online, the WiFi was working well with everything but my laptop. To remedy that, I just used my phone's hotspot and everything worked. I left my room just after 9.30. When searching for a budget-friendly place to stay, I had to compromise on location to get a nice room, but it was nice and easy to get into the city on the 24-hour bus (number 31). I get there just after 10.

After waiting for a while for a couple of coaches to move out of the way, I got a couple of nice pictures of the old town. It's then up to the huge Akershus Fortress for some more pictures and a pleasant stroll. It was then 25 minutes walk to Damstredet, a small cobbled street with wooden houses. It had been recommended on the Norwegian tourist site, but was just a brief distraction. I decided to cut out the second street and head straight to Nodre Foss Waterfall, which was OK. The fortress was the standout area, though. From there, it was a short walk to an excellent food hall and probably my only sit-down meal of the trip. Helt Vilt had been recommended to me by my fellow hopper Daniel. It had an interesting-looking menu, I went for the Arctic Moose Burger, which had Norwegian brown cheese along with some Rosemary Fries and a bottle of Crowmoor Extra Dry cider. It was £33.81 including tip, but I didn't mind the expense as I might not have another sit-down meal this weekend. Most importantly, it was delicious and filling. I then headed to a bar in the same market. I opted for a local wine-sized bottle that came in at 9% and was more than my meal. In honesty, it was my error, and I meant to get a cheaper one, but it was a nice drop. They also threw in some free crisps, a decent-sized bag of posh ones too.  The cost pinched less as I got down the bottle, and I was in a great mood. It was nowhere as good as my favourite Ross On Wye, but it was in the past now.

 

It was 7 minutes walk to the bus stop and another 7 minutes wait for the bus. It's the most popular bus so far, lots getting on to a packed bus, but as long as I'm moving, it's irrelevant. We get to Ekeberg Camping stop in the middle of nowhere, and I'm slightly concerned. However, a short walk later, I see players in the distance warming up, and it's game on. After five minutes, Mjosa took the lead, a keeper's punch was not good enough, and the ball was headed home. The #2 Hakon Kendlie, self-styled in the form of Norwegian legend Erling Haaland, looked like a great player. It was all square though, 18 minutes in when BI Athletics equalised from a free kick, their first real chance of the game. The rest of the half saw Mjosa as the better team, but we moved two pitches down at half time due to cricket starting. There must have been a keeper injury too, as 'Haaland' dropped back into goal for Mjosa. On 70 minutes, the visitors' #13 chased down a clearance to give his side the lead. They had another goal disallowed before BI Athletics went down the other end and equalised from close range on 75 minutes. That was how it ended, and it went to penalties. Mjosa were the better team, but as often happens in these situations, BI held their nerve and triumphed on spot kicks. It had been a great game to watch, but it was time to head to game two.

Enjoyable game at Ekeberg. Finished BI Athletics 2-2 Dynamo Mjosa in the OBOS Cup before BI 🔵 won on penalties. pic.twitter.com/nK87lIX3vp

— ⚽Russell Cox💙 (@RussWWFC) June 7, 2025

THE GROUND 

EKEBERG is a basic set of pitches with a campsite attached. Not much else is nearby, but it is very pleasant and well-kept. There's lots of parking and bus 34 takes around 30 minutes from the Oslo centre.