Norwegian football league champions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Norwegian football league champions (Norwegian: Seriemestere i fotball ) are the winners of the highest level league competition in Norwegian football, currently the Norwegian Premier League. Note that the winners of this league are not actually crowned "Norwegian football champions"; this title is reserved for winners of the Norwegian Football Cup. Teams in bold are those who won the double of League Championship and Norwegian Cup in that season.

Contents

[edit] History

The first football league competition in Norway involving teams from more than one local association was the unofficial "Test League" run by the Football Association of Norway during 1914-16. It was contested by Drafn, Frigg, Kvik Fredrikshald, Larvik Turn, Mercantile and Odd, and would have yielded Odd as the first League champions (they won all their games) had it not been abandoned.

The first season of the official league began in 1937 and was organized into eleven district leagues, with the winners of each league progressing to the championship playoffs. At the end of the 1937-38 season, Fredrikstad were the first club to be crowned champions after defeating Lyn in the final. By also winning the 1938 Norwegian Cup, Fredrikstad effectively became the first double-winners.

Rosenborg, with 20 titles, have been crowned champions more times than any other club, having dominated during the 1990s and the beginning of the new millennium. They are followed by Fredrikstad (9), who dominated in the early decades of the league before the best clubs were gathered in a single top division. The third most successful club are Viking (8), who won their first title in the 1957-58 season and have since won in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Their achievements put them at the top of the All-time Norwegian Premier League table when counting from 1948 onwards (Rosenborg are at the top when counting from 1963 onwards). Lillestrøm (5) achieved success mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, while Vålerenga (5), who enjoyed great success in the 1980s, have re-surfaced as a strong club in the 2000s, becoming the first team other than Rosenborg to win the championship since 1991.

Larvik Turn (1955-56), Brann (1962-63), Lillestrøm (1976-77), and Vålerenga (1983-84) have all retained the league title once, while Fredrikstad (1938-39, 1951-52 and 1960-61) have managed to do so on three occasions. Viking (1972-75) have retained the title for four consecutive seasons. Rosenborg (1992-2004) have achieved a win-streak of 13 championships in a row, second in the world only to the 14-year streak of the Latvian club Skonto Riga.

[edit] League of Norway (1937-48)

The first official league competition in Norway, known as the League of Norway (Norgesserien), was contested from 1937. Only two full seasons had been completed, however, when the league was suspended as a result of the German invasion in 1940. The league resumed in 1947 but was reorganized into the Main League after just one season.


Year Winners Runners-up
1937-38 Fredrikstad
Lyn
1938-39 Fredrikstad
Skeid
1947-48 Freidig
Sparta


[edit] Main League (1948-62)

The Main League (Hovedserien) comprised two regional groups with eight teams in each. At the end of the season, the group winners would meet in a final match to determine the champions. Bronze finals were played in 1960 and 1961; before that, no bronze medalist was decided. The 1961-62 season pitted all sixteen clubs against each other over a period of one and a half years, with the top eight clubs qualifying for the new First Division along with two clubs promoted from the level below the Main League.


Year Gold Silver Bronze Top Scorer
1948-49 Fredrikstad
Vålerenga
Not awarded Arvid Havnås (12)
1949-50 Fram Larvik
Fredrikstad
Not awarded Reidar Dørum (13)
1950-51 Fredrikstad
Odd Grenland
Not awarded Jon Sveinsson (19)
1951-52 Fredrikstad
Brann
Not awarded Jon Tangen (15)
1952-53 Larvik Turn
Skeid
Not awarded Gunnar Thoresen (15)
Per Jacobsen (15)
1953-54 Fredrikstad
Skeid
Not awarded Gunnar Thoresen (15)
1954-55 Larvik Turn
Fredrikstad
Not awarded Harald Hennum (13)
1955-56 Larvik Turn
Fredrikstad
Not awarded Willy Fossli (17)
1956-57 Fredrikstad
Odd Grenland
Not awarded Per Kristoffersen (15)
1957-58 Viking
Skeid
Not awarded Harald Hennum (17)
1958-59 Lillestrøm
Fredrikstad
Not awarded Reidar Sundby (13)
1959-60 Fredrikstad
Lillestrøm
Eik-Tønsberg
Per Kristoffersen (13)
1960-61 Fredrikstad
Eik-Tønsberg
Vålerenga
Per Kristoffersen (15)
1961-62 Brann
Steinkjer
Fredrikstad
Rolf Birger Pedersen (26)


[edit] First Division (1963-90)

The 1963 season was the first in which the ten best clubs in Norway were gathered in a single top division, the First Division (Førstedivisjon). It was also the first year in which the contestants were ranked by total number of points, and bronze medals were from now on awarded for a third place finish. Note that clubs from Northern Norway were not allowed to participate in the top division until 1972. This was also the year in which the number of teams was increased from ten to twelve.


Year Gold Silver Bronze Top Scorer
1963 Brann
Lyn
Skeid
Leif Eriksen (16)
1964 Lyn
Fredrikstad
Sarpsborg
Ole Stavrum (18)
1965 Vålerenga
Lyn
Sarpsborg
Harald Berg (19)
1966 Skeid
Fredrikstad
Lyn
Per Kristoffersen (20)
1967 Rosenborg
Skeid
Lyn
Odd Iversen (17)
1968 Lyn
Rosenborg
Viking
Odd Iversen (30)
1969 Rosenborg
Fredrikstad
Strømsgodset
Odd Iversen (26)
1970 Strømsgodset
Rosenborg
Ham-Kam
Steinar Pettersen (16)
1971 Rosenborg
Lyn
Viking
Jan Fuglset (17)
1972 Viking
Fredrikstad
Strømsgodset
Egil Solberg (16)
Johannes Vold (16)
1973 Viking
Rosenborg
Start
Stein Karlsen (17)
1974 Viking
Molde
Vålerenga
Odd Berg (13)
1975 Viking
Brann
Start
Arne Dokken (18)
1976 Lillestrøm
Mjøndalen
Brann
Jan Fuglset (17)
1977 Lillestrøm
Bodø/Glimt
Molde
Trygve Johannesen (17)
1978 Start
Lillestrøm
Viking
Tom Lund (17)
1979 Viking
Moss
Start
Odd Iversen (16)
1980 Start
Bryne
Lillestrøm
Arne Dokken (14)
1981 Vålerenga
Viking
Rosenborg
Pål Jacobsen (16)
1982 Viking
Bryne
Lillestrøm
Tor Arne Granerud (11)
Trygve Johannesen (11)
1983 Vålerenga
Lillestrøm
Start
Olav Nysæter (14)
1984 Vålerenga
Viking
Start
Sverre Brandhaug (13)
1985 Rosenborg
Lillestrøm
Vålerenga
Jørn Andersen (23)
1986 Lillestrøm
Mjøndalen
Kongsvinger
Arve Seland (12)
1987 Moss
Molde
Kongsvinger
Jahn Kristian Fjærestad (18)
1988 Rosenborg
Lillestrøm
Molde
Jan Åge Fjørtoft (14)
1989 Lillestrøm
Rosenborg
Tromsø
Jahn Ivar Jakobsen (18)
1990 Rosenborg
Tromsø
Molde
Tore André Dahlum (20)


[edit] Tippeligaen (1991-present)

In 1991, the First Division was renamed Tippeligaen ("The Betting League") as part of a sponsorship deal with the national lottery and bookmaking service, Norsk Tipping. It is also known as the Norwegian Premier League (Eliteserien). The term "First Division" is now used to denote the second highest level, which had previously been known as the Second Division. In 1995, the number of teams increased from twelve to fourteen.


Year Gold Silver Bronze Top Scorer
1991 Viking
Rosenborg
Start
Karl Petter Løken (12)
1992 Rosenborg
Kongsvinger
Start
Kjell Roar Kaasa (17)
1993 Rosenborg
Bodø/Glimt
Lillestrøm
Mons Ivar Mjelde (19)
1994 Rosenborg
Lillestrøm
Viking
Harald Martin Brattbakk (17)
1995 Rosenborg
Molde
Bodø/Glimt
Harald Martin Brattbakk (26)
1996 Rosenborg
Lillestrøm
Viking
Harald Martin Brattbakk (28)
1997 Rosenborg
Brann
Strømsgodset
Sigurd Rushfeldt (27)
1998 Rosenborg
Molde
Stabæk
Sigurd Rushfeldt (25)
1999 Rosenborg
Molde
Brann
Rune Lange (23)
2000 Rosenborg
Brann
Viking
Thorstein Helstad (18)
2001 Rosenborg
Lillestrøm
Viking
Thorstein Helstad (17)
Frode Johnsen (17)
Clayton Zane (17)
2002 Rosenborg
Molde
Lyn
Harald Martin Brattbakk (17)
2003 Rosenborg
Bodø/Glimt
Stabæk
Harald Martin Brattbakk (17)
2004 Rosenborg
Vålerenga
Brann
Frode Johnsen (19)
2005 Vålerenga
Start
Lyn
Ole Martin Årst (16)
2006 Rosenborg
Brann
Vålerenga
Daniel Nannskog (19)


[edit] Total titles won

Fourteen clubs have been champions.

Club Winners Runners-up Winning Years
Rosenborg
20
5
1967, 1969, 1971, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
Fredrikstad
9
8
1937-38, 1938-39, 1948-49, 1950-51, 1951-52, 1953-54, 1956-57, 1959-60, 1960-61
Viking
8
2
1957-58, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1982, 1991
Lillestrøm
5
8
1958-59, 1976, 1977, 1986, 1989
Vålerenga
5
2
1965, 1981, 1983, 1984, 2005
Larvik Turn
3
0
1952-53, 1954-55, 1955-56
Lyn
2
5
1964, 1968
Brann
2
5
1961-62, 1963
Start
2
1
1978, 1980
Skeid
1
5
1966
Moss
1
1
1987
Strømsgodset
1
0
1970
Fram Larvik
1
0
1949-50
Freidig
1
0
1947-48

[edit] Medalists by club name

The following clubs have won one or more league medals since 1937-38:

Club Founded Gold Silver Bronze Last merits
Bodø/Glimt 1916-09-19 - 3 1 League silver 2003; cup gold 1993, silver 2003
Brann 1908-09-26 2 5 3 League gold 1963, silver 2006; cup gold 2004
Bryne 1926-04-10 - 2 - League silver 1982; cup gold 1987, silver 2001
Eik-Tønsberg 1928-03-14 - 1 1 League silver 1960-61
Fram Larvik 1894-01-15 1 - - League gold 1949-50
Fredrikstad 1903-04-07 9 8 1 League gold 1960-61, silver 1972; cup gold 1984
Freidig 1903-10-13 1 - - League gold 1947-48
Ham-Kam 1918-08-10 - - 1 League bronze 1970
Kongsvinger 1892-01-31 - 1 2 League silver 1992
Larvik Turn 1906-10-10 3 - - League gold 1955-56; cup silver 1956
Lillestrøm 1917-04-02 5 8 3 League gold 1989, silver 2001; cup gold 1985, silver 2005
Lyn 1896-03-03 2 5 4 League gold 1968, silver 1971, bronze 2005; cup gold 1968, silver 2004
Mjøndalen 1910-08-22 - 2 - League silver 1986; cup gold 1937, silver 1968
Molde 1911-06-19 - 6 3 League silver 2002; cup gold 2005
Moss 1906-08-28 1 1 - League gold 1987; cup gold 1983
Odd Grenland 1894-03-31 - 2 - League silver 1956-57; cup gold 2000, silver 2002
Rosenborg 1917-05-19 20 5 1 League gold 2006; cup gold 2003
Sarpsborg 1903-05-08 - - 2 League bronze 1965; cup gold 1951, silver 1964
Skeid 1915-01-01 1 5 1 League gold 1966, silver 1967; cup gold 1974
Sparta Sarpsborg 1928-11-23 - 1 - League silver 1947-48; cup gold 1952
Stabæk 1912-03-16 - - 2 League bronze 2003; cup gold 1998
Start 1905-09-19 2 1 7 League gold 1980, silver 2005
Steinkjer 1910-05-29 - 1 - League silver 1961-62
Strømsgodset 1907-02-10 1 - 3 League gold 1970, bronze 1997; cup gold 1991, silver 1997
Tromsø 1920-09-15 - 1 1 League silver 1990; cup gold 1996
Viking 1899-08-10 8 2 8 League gold 1991, bronze 2001; cup gold 2001
Vålerenga 1913-07-29 5 2 3 League gold 2005; cup gold 2002


[edit] Titles by county

County Titles Winning Clubs
Sør-Trøndelag
21
Rosenborg (20), Freidig (1)
Østfold
10
Fredrikstad F.K. (9), Moss (1)
Rogaland
8
Viking (8)
Oslo
8
Vålerenga (5), Lyn (2), Skeid (1)
Akershus
5
Lillestrøm (5)
Vestfold
4
Larvik Turn (3), Fram Larvik (1)
Hordaland
2
Brann (2)
Vest-Agder
2
Start (2)
Buskerud
1
Strømsgodset (1)

[edit] Titles by city

City Titles Winning Clubs
Trondheim
21
Rosenborg (20), Freidig (1)
Fredrikstad
9
Fredrikstad (9)
Stavanger
8
Viking (8)
Oslo
8
Vålerenga (5), Lyn (2), Skeid (1)
Lillestrøm
5
Lillestrøm (5)
Larvik
4
Larvik Turn (3), Fram Larvik (1)
Bergen
2
Brann (2)
Kristiansand
2
Start (2)
Moss
1
Moss (1)
Drammen
1
Strømsgodset (1)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links