Sports lose the battle for money

In 2012, the Oslo Studentens Sports Club (OSI), received 1 255 000 NOK from the Student Welfare Organisation in Oslo (SiO). Now the flow of money has dried up.

– SiO kills student sports by impeding our work in several areas, says CEO Marlene Persson in OSI.

SiO has in few years cut the financial support for OSI, leaving the sports club with substantial deficits both in 2013 and 2014. OSI now has to apply for financial support from the Welfare Council (VT), and this year they were awarded NOK 320 000. VT hands out funds to student welfare, on behalf of SiO.

– We understand that it is more tidy to move the funding from SiO to VT but it makes our financial situation less predictable, says Persson.

In addition to changing the way the organisation is financed, SiO is now open to the idea of competing with the sports club, and also wishes to build homes on the football field at Domus Atletica.

This fact emerged as OSI and SiO were negotiating a new agreement among themselves.

– Rather than cooperate, SiO is establishing competing offers and removes our financial support. When they also want to build homes on the football field we use, they make it very difficult for us. In terms of both economy and space, says Persson in OSI.

In previous agreements it has been explicitly stated that no organization can start competing business with each other. But in the latest proposal from SiO they open for them to compete with the sports club, but not vice versa.

No football field

The arena at Domus Athletica, which will be closed down to make room for new housing, is used today by OSI Football and numerous other organisations. SiO now wants to build new homes, but has no plans to build any new field. The case is now due at the city council, where OSI and, amongst others, OSI and Nordre Aker have submitted protests.

Shameful treatment

The track is also used by several sports teams from educational institutions like BI and Oslo and Akershus University College (HiOA). The consequences of the housing plans may be that their sports clubs will have to close down.

Askild Sweeney, head of OSI Football, calls SiO’s behaviour shameful.

– Our problem with the plan is not the houses, but that they don’t make new areas available, he says.

There are, amongst others, five football teams governed by OSI that might be forced to throw in the towel if SIO builds new housing.

– Unfortunately, we and all other affiliated clubs suffer unreasonably hard as SiO don’t seem to have any intention of replacing the field, says Sweeney.

Has broken negotiations

SiO’s suggestions about the new agreement which involves competition between SiO and OSI, no football field and unclear financial support, has led OSI to break negotiations.

– We believe that a partnership where we stay within our respective area while working together to run the different activities that can be said to fall under the both parties' operations will be much more beneficial for activities offered to students in Oslo, says Persson on the negotiation failure.

Good dialogue?

Chairman Tone Standal Vesterhus at SiO had the following comment about the collaboration with OSI.

– We had an agreement that has now expired. We feel that we have a good dialogue which we want to maintain. OSI is one of our biggest users, and the board's policy is to treat all our partners alike.

Vesterhus would not comment Persson’s assertion that SiO is going to kill the student sport. Universitas has not been able to get in contact with the CEO of SiO, Lisbeth Dyrberg.