Mjøndalen
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In 1987, 11 guys from Mjøndalen ran out onto the pitch at the Wezer stadium in Bremen. Across the pitch they faced the German champions Werder Bremen who were at the time captained by the Norwegian defender Rune Bratseth. It was literally David versus Goliath – the small town of Mjøndalen versus the world’s best footballers. And David won! Little old Mjøndalen slayed Werder Bremen! Around the town they still talk about the heroes from 87, but they are just as obsessed about following the “brown jerseys” as the team are referred to in relation to the colour of their kit, in the Norwegian premiership today. Mjøndalen has grown along with the town of Krokstadelva on the other side of the river and collectively today they have about 10 000 inhabitants and are a part of Drammen municipality. There have been settlements in the area since the 1300s and the Drammen River and its contributory rivers and streams were a valuable resource. Wood and corn production were at the heart of this development and mills and sawmills sprang up wherever there was running water, it is estimated that there could have been over 100 mills in the area. This is also reflected in the name Mjøndalen which originates from the Norse name “Mylnudalr” mylna means mill. There was a great mood in the area right up until 1756 when the King decreed that all corn must be used in food production and not for liquor!