Mack -- rivalry, sponsorship ... and beer!
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:06 am
Bodø/Glimt recently signed a sponsor deal with Tromsø-based brewery and soft-drink distributor Mack. Bodø/Glimt's main rivals are Tromsø IL, and some people on either side are upset about meddling with the rival. Some TIL fans are upset that one of their own sponsors, not to forget that Mack is their local brewery, have decided to sponsor TIL's rival. Some Glimt fans are upset that the club will allow the rivals' own brewery access to their "domain". The rivalry surpasses that of only football; when it comes to beer, there were frequently discussions about which beer was better -- Mack's or Nordlandsbryggeriet's (Bodø's local brewery) beer called Nordlandspils. Nordlandsbryggeriet was purchased in a takeover by a national company called Ringnes (up until recently one of Glimt's sponsors) who subsequently cancelled production in Bodø. After that, a lot of people feel that the Nordlandspils doesn't reach it's former glory, and have given up on the brand. Yet you may still find people arguing about Mack vs. Nordlandspils, as we have seen on the forum over the last days.
The brewery issue is one part of a rather complex, although usually quite lighthearted rivalry between the two largest cities of nortern Norway.
The brewery issue is one part of a rather complex, although usually quite lighthearted rivalry between the two largest cities of nortern Norway.