Mass 'Viking row', uprooted plants and dented trains as Norway World Cup fans celebrate

OSLO, July 1 : Thousands of Norwegian fans joined in a huge "Viking row" celebration through Oslo on Tuesday, after their team advanced to the World Cup last 16, in a night of wild rejoicing that left a trail of damage to metro trains and city streets.

A vast crowd clad in red, blue and white stretched from the Royal Palace hundreds of metres along Karl Johans gate, the city's main street, performing the synchronised rowing action which has become Norwegian fans' trademark at their team's World Cup matches in the United States.

Norway beat Ivory Coast 2-1 on Tuesday in their first knockout-round win at a World Cup, sending tens of thousands of fans out into Oslo's streets to celebrate.

Near the Royal Palace, over-enthusiastic revellers uprooted plants and tore down fence posts.

"I daren't think what will happen if we make it all the way to the final," Royal Gardener Ole Johan Hildre told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Transit authorities had to take metro carriages out of service for repairs after fans tore down advertisements and dented carriage ceilings during the post-match revelry.

"It is unfortunate that people get so carried away that it affects our equipment," Gina Scholz, communications manager for transit operator Sporveien, told local media, though she then added: "It has been a fantastic evening."

More than two million of Norway's approximately 5.5-million population watched the match, according to estimates from TV2, the commercial broadcaster which shares the rights to the tournament.