Fostervold Interview

By: Jostein Jensen
Date: 09/02/2001

Knut Anders Fostervold has been speaking about his time in Grimsby to The Fishy's own Norwegian reporter, Jostein Jensen. Knut Anders departed from Blundell Park last week after having spent the previous six weeks on loan from Norwegian club Molde FK.

JJ: Was the stay in Grimsby as you expected?

KAF: "It was mainly as I had expected. I was very well received by the players and the people around the club. I must admit that I felt it was hard to slide straight into the English way of playing the game in the first division; there were big differences between the way I'm used to playing and thinking football. This gave me a bit of trouble. But I think that I could have managed to convert better into the style with time. But there wasn't that much time to adapt!

I think the supporter's demands were a bit unrealistic and too high of the new players. You have to remember that it takes time to get different football cultures and players into an established team! But supporters have of course a short time to wait for the good results, and soon scream for "a head on a plate" when things take time. But it's like that everywhere and I understand that.

JJ: David Nielsen wasn't popular among the fans for his high wage demands, was there any bad feeling between the players and David?

KAF: None of the players expressed anger of any kind to David Nielsen in the end contrary to what the press wrote, so where the media have got that from I just wonder

JJ: You got knocks on your knees, ribs and nose but you were not injured a lot in Norway- Was it the English football that was so hard, or was it the body that giving you signals about your long season?

KAF: That I was hit by a lot of injuries was probably a coincidence, but football game is a bit tougher over there, as a result of the extreme tempo and effort that is put into it everyday. I am impressed by the players' attitude in the matches. I have been playing football every weekend since 20. January 2000, so my body felt the wear around Christmas time, I admit that. I wasn't as light as I was after that.

JJ: Fans call Grimsby a backyard club, do you agree?

KAF: Grimsby isn't the navel of the world, but a typical representative of the English football culture where sweat and blood is more typical than champagne and nice cars. I think Molde FK is a better football team if you understand what I mean, but still I think that a Norwegian top flight team would have trouble with Grimsby on a cold winter day on a poor pitch with the effort teams like Grimsby have in their matches.

JJ: Did you felt that you were treated fairly during your stay?

KAF: Grimsby didn't want to pay the full price as negotiated in the loan deal. I understood that straight after I arrived. I understand both sides. For Grimsby it is too expensive to use several hundred-thousand-pounds on a defender that would soon be 30-years-old. But MFK were only interested in the sale if they got at least the £300K price tag. The fact that MFK wouldn't let me go is after all a signal that they want me as a part of their future team plans, so I'm glad for that. Lennie also gave me good credit when I left, so I don't feel that I have any reasons to go with a bowed head! Good luck to all Grimsby fans!!"

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