A high-risk match in the first match in the Swedish Premier League.
Brynäs Bura was forced to become an AIK supporter.
– To enable more remote fans and at the same time meet the Hockey League’s security requirements, this was the only option, says Brinas club director Hakan Svedman.
The first match in Allsvenskan between Brynäs and AIK is hot. Nearly 8,000 tickets have been sold for some time now, and huge crowds are expected from the stands tomorrow.
Sportbladet previously reported that there was discussion about how many tickets should be allocated to AIK and then sold to their fans.
The debate was resolved by awarding AIK 500 tickets, 350 of which were allocated seating and surrounded the away team’s standing section.
– We sold 500 tickets in ten minutes, so it was fun, says Anton Johnson, responsible for the private market at AIK.
This means that a large entourage of AIK will come to Gävle.
But it also means other safety requirements for Briñas as organizer, as the match is classified as a high-stakes match, a so-called Category 3 match on a four-point scale.
– We are confident that the solution we offer lives up to the stated requirements, says Håkan Svedman.
He built a cage for the Stockholm team in the 1990s
Brynä’s solution was to place a temporary metal fence around the seating section where tickets were allocated to AIK. Gefle Dagblad was the first to report something.
1/2Photo: Hans Abrahamsson
– We wanted to give more away fans the opportunity to watch the match on the field. To make this possible while still meeting Hockey League safety requirements, the only option was to build a seating section with standing space, says Svedman.
On AIK’s part, they have full confidence and respect for the security work carried out by Brenas:
-It is a safety evaluation conducted by Brenas and I have no opinion on it. Anton Johnson says they believe this is the solution they were able to come up with in a short time and it is also a mobile solution as they plan to remove it
Have you had any feedback from AIK supporters?
– No, I haven’t received anything directly, and then you read things on social media and there are definitely divided opinions.
In the 1990s, after much hubbub in the stands during a visit to Stockholm Lo, Brynas controversially built a cage in an existing section where both the walls and roof were equipped with bars.
The current metal fence will be removed after the first show and will only be put up again for high-stakes matches such as the next meeting with AIK and the two home matches against Djurgården.
1/2Photo: Hans Abrahamsson