S.K. Brann
Encyclopedia
SK Brann is a Norwegian
football
club, founded September 26, 1908, from Bergen
. Brann has been in the Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen
since 1987 and play their home matches at Brann Stadion
where they had a record-breaking 17,310 in average attendance in the 2007 season
. In October 2007, Brann won their first championship since the 1963 season.
titles in 1961/62 and 1963, but after this Brann was involved in the race for the league title only in seasons 1974-76, 1990 and 2006. In 2007, they reclaimed the league title and thus ended an 44 year long waiting period.
Despite the limited success, the club has never failed to spark considerable interest from the Norwegian media and keeping an epidemics of football hysteria continuously running in Bergen
. Moreover, Brann have regularly been winners and runners-up of the Norwegian Cup
. The club reached the Quarter Finals of the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1996/97 season.
Brann played their first match against a local Bergen team on New Year's Day 1909, drawing 1-1. During the first years Brann struggled with poor results. Then in 1917,considered the breakthrough year for Brann, they managed to qualify for the Cup final. Brann lost the match 1-4 against Sarpsborg
, but was now among the top teams of Norway. In 1917 the club bought an area south of Bergen City. Two years later on 25 May,with funding contributed from fans and investors, Brann stadium was opened. The opening match was against the Norwegian national team, losing 2-6. In 1923 Brann won their first title when they defeated Lyn
2-1 in the Cup final. Two years later Brann claimed their second title this time defeating Sarpsborg
3-0 in the cup final!
The following years Brann entered a recession. Brann had to wait until 1947 before again qualifying for the top league that was now called Norgesligaen (Norwegian league). In 1950 Brann once again managed to qualify for the Cup final, losing 0-3 to Fredrikstad
.
and Rolf Birger Pedersen
on the team, Brann won their first League Championship
in 1961/1962 and in the consecutive season in 1963. During the 1963 season, Brann had an average attendance at 15 486, which was the league record until 2003, when Rosenborg did better. The following year, due to many injured players, the same team surprisingly was relegated from the top league. With Roald Jensen departing to the Scottish team Hearts
, Brann didn't manage to keep up the good play. They were promoted back into the top league in 1967.
In the 1970s, Brann won the Cup Championship two times. Once in 1972 defeating Rosenborg 1-0. And again in 1976 defeating Sogndal IL
2-1. In each of the seasons 1974-1976, Brann narrowly missed out on the league title, attracting an average attendance that was unheard of in Norway at the time.
3-2. Neil MacLeod scored the winning goal in the 57th minute.
Brann hadn't had any real challenge from local rivals at least since the 1950s. In 1989, however, the Bergen based Fyllingen IL were promoted to the Norwegian Premier League
for the first time.
In 1991, after a shock resignation of manager Teitur Thordarson, Brann once again struggled, and needed a win in their last game against Strømsgodset
in order save play-off against two first division teams. Losing the game would send Brann down, while securing play-off for equally struggling local rivals Fyllingen IL. Also, there were fears that a relegation would spawn another long-term "elevator era". A panic-stricken crowd saw Brann win the game 2-0. In the play-offs, though beating Strindheim IL at home, Brann still needed to beat Bryne F.K.
away in a deciding match. A goal by Sten Glenn Håberg
gave Brann a 1-0 win over Bryne, however, in a dramatic match where former Brann manager Mons Ivar Mjelde
, then at the opposition side, hit the post.
Fyllingen IL were promoted back into the Norwegian Premier League in 1992. In 1993 Brann got their two first-ever wins against their local rivals. A 6-1 thrashing in the penultimate league round sent Fyllingen down, while securing continued Premier League status for Brann. After the season, Brann purchased Fyllingen's key player Per-Ove Ludvigsen, and this put an end to Fyllingen and the derby matches. Fyllingen are now a mediocre second division side without top flight ambitions.
Brann were notorious for lacking a regular goal scorer ever since the 1970s, but this ended with Trond Egil Soltvedt
's many goals in 1993 and 1994. His extremely dedicated style, his innocent and somewhat naïve personality and the fact that many of his goals were scored as a midfielder made him immensely popular. Just before the start of the 1995 season, however, he was sacked by Brann's board for "illoyality", the board refusing to elaborate on this. Disciplinary action was also taken against stars Frank Strandli
, Inge Ludvigsen
and Claus Lundekvam
. This caused a public outcry, the issue was all over the national media, there were demonstrations in the centre of Bergen, and the fans were split in their support to Soltvedt or to the board and manager Hallvar Thoresen
. Attendances and the atmosphere on Brann Stadion
initially plummeted as a result of this. The team spirit amongst players also seemed broken, and the first game against Molde F.K.
was lost 6-0 at home, resulting in the entire crowd yelling for the board to resign. With Brann at bottom position halfway through the league season, Hallvar Thoresen
was sacked and Kjell Tennfjord
, the manager behind Fyllingen IL's success, was appointed. He saved Brann into an eventual mid-table position and led them to the Norwegian Cup finals, again sparking immense optimism around the club.
In 1996, as in 1990, Brann were denied bronze medals in injury time of the last game, after a terrible blunder by keeper Birkir Kristinsson
. Only days later, however, Brann beat PSV Eindhoven of Holland to advance to the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, ironically thanks to world-class goalkeeping by the same Birkir Kristinsson
. This was the second time a Norwegian team had qualified for the last eight in Europe. In the quarter-finals, Brann first drew 1-1 at home against Liverpool FC, before losing the away match 3-0 and thus being knocked out.
In 1997, Brann finally won league silver medals after a solitary last-match again from former manager Mons Ivar Mjelde
. Later, Brann have also won league medals after finishing second in the 2000 season and third in 1999 and 2004.
In 1998, as in 1995, Brann found themselves at the bottom of the table halfway through the season. The manager Kjell Tennfjord was replaced by Harald Aabrekk
, and a host of quality players were purchased. This saved Brann from relegation, but combined with the construction of a new stand on Brann Stadion
it gave them grave financial problems that only recently were resolved.
became the top goal scorer in the league in 2000 and 2001.
The 2002 season was the worst season for Brann in twelve seasons. Brann finished third from the bottom and had to play play-off to stay in the top league. Fortunately for Brann (equally unfortunately for Sandefjord
, their opponent) the matches ended 0-0 (away), 2-1 (home), and Brann narrowly avoided relegation after a Sandefjord
shot went less than a foot wide in injury time.
Ending third in 2004 season
of the league
qualified Brann for the Scandinavian Royal League
.
In their impatient but unfruitful struggle to reclaim the glory of the 1960s, Brann over the years gained a reputation for inept leadership, unfounded enthusiasm or optimism and almost continuous internal unrest, deservedly or not. Since Mons Ivar Mjelde
took over as manager in 2003, however, this image has changed, as the leadership has embraced continuity and extremely down-to-earth principles. Brann were now considered one of the best-run and harmonic clubs in the Norwegian Premier League
.
Being one of the biggest clubs in Norway in terms of public interest, it is generally agreed that Brann have underperformed compared to their potential at least since the mid-1970s. However, on 7 November 2004, Brann won their first title in 22 years defeating F.C. Lyn Oslo 4-1 in the Norwegian Cup. Bengt Sæternes
was man of the match scoring three goals within the first 35 minutes.
For most of the 2006 season Brann were top of the league and by many considered to be favourites to win the title. However, a poor run of form after the summer break, coupled with a correspondingly good run of form from archrivals Rosenborg meant that the Brann hopefuls were disappointed once again.
Brann won the league in 2007. In the end they finished 6 points ahead of its nearest rival, Stabæk. The team did cause a small sensation, and bitter disappointment among tens of thousands of Brann-supporters who had gathered in Bergen to watch the game live, on 20 October by losing to Ålesund 1-2 in the 24th of 26 rounds, a match where a draw would have set aside all doubt about Brann's league win. However two days later, Viking defeated Brann's last rival to the gold medals Stabæk with a 2-1 result, thereby securing Brann the first league championship since 1963 anyway. The same season Brann also qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Cup
, and advanced from the group with a win and a draw. Brann faced a tough test against Everton F.C.
with the aggregated score an 8-1 loss after two games.
The 2008 season was a major disappointment for all the fans hoping to repeat the success of the 2007 season. In the league
Brann finished 8th (of 14 teams) and in the national cup
they reached the final 16 but was eliminated after a 8-0 loss away to Molde FK). Brann also participated in the UEFA Champions League
qualifer, but was elimnated from the contest in the third qualifying round after losing both matches (home 0-1, away 1-2) against Olympique de Marseille
from France
. After this they played against the Spanish team Deportivo de La Coruña
in the first round of the 2008-2009 edition
of UEFA Cup
but was eliminated on penalties after an aggregate result of 2-2. On October 7, 2008 Brann and their head coach Mons Ivar Mjelde
announced that he would resign from the club at the end of the season.
Steinar Nilsen
took over the team, and Brann finished fifth in the 2009 league.
. In the 2010 league
, Brann finished in 13th place, thus securing the last spot that avoided relegation or relegation play-offs.
Expectations for Brann were low ahead of the 2011 season, with VG
predicting that Brann would be relegated. Nonetheless, Brann opened the season strongly with victories over reigning league champion Rosenborg and Lillestrøm in the first and second rounds. Although the season did not continue as strongly as that, Brann remained a contender for a top three position in the league and the team also qualified to the 2011 Norwegian Football Cup Final
by defeating Fredrikstad in the semi-final. Hopes for a medal were dashed however, when Brann first lost the cup final 1-2 against Aalesund, and then the last match of the league, also against Aalesund. Finally, Brann finished in fourth place.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club, founded September 26, 1908, from Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. Brann has been in the Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
since 1987 and play their home matches at Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion is a football stadium in Bergen, Norway. It was constructed in 1919, and has been the home of the football club Brann ever since. The stadium lies south of the centre of the city, at the foot of Mount Ulriken....
where they had a record-breaking 17,310 in average attendance in the 2007 season
Norwegian Premier League 2007
The 2007 season of the Norwegian Premier League began on 9 April 2007. Originally scheduled to end on 4 November, the last round was moved to Saturday 3 November 2007, due to Rosenborg’s Champions League participation....
. In October 2007, Brann won their first championship since the 1963 season.
Overview
Brann is historically one of the major clubs in Norway in terms of public interest, and hence there are high expectations for the club every season. Brann won their first Norwegian Premier LeagueNorwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
titles in 1961/62 and 1963, but after this Brann was involved in the race for the league title only in seasons 1974-76, 1990 and 2006. In 2007, they reclaimed the league title and thus ended an 44 year long waiting period.
Despite the limited success, the club has never failed to spark considerable interest from the Norwegian media and keeping an epidemics of football hysteria continuously running in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. Moreover, Brann have regularly been winners and runners-up of the Norwegian Cup
Norwegian football cup
The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
. The club reached the Quarter Finals of the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1996/97 season.
Formation and early years
On 26 September 1908 Christen K. Gran and Birger Gjestland together with eight other men, met in a local cafe in Bergen. Due to dissatisfaction of the current state of the local football clubs in Bergen, they decided to form a new football club. They called the it Ski- og Fodboldklubben Brann (Ski and Football Club Brann). This was later changed to Sportsklubben Brann (Sport Club Brann).Brann played their first match against a local Bergen team on New Year's Day 1909, drawing 1-1. During the first years Brann struggled with poor results. Then in 1917,considered the breakthrough year for Brann, they managed to qualify for the Cup final. Brann lost the match 1-4 against Sarpsborg
Sarpsborg
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neighbouring Fredrikstad...
, but was now among the top teams of Norway. In 1917 the club bought an area south of Bergen City. Two years later on 25 May,with funding contributed from fans and investors, Brann stadium was opened. The opening match was against the Norwegian national team, losing 2-6. In 1923 Brann won their first title when they defeated Lyn
F. C. Lyn Oslo
Fotballklubben Lyn is a Norwegian professional association football club and a department of the sports club Ski- og Fotballklubben Lyn, whose members also participate in Nordic skiing and orienteering...
2-1 in the Cup final. Two years later Brann claimed their second title this time defeating Sarpsborg
Sarpsborg
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neighbouring Fredrikstad...
3-0 in the cup final!
The following years Brann entered a recession. Brann had to wait until 1947 before again qualifying for the top league that was now called Norgesligaen (Norwegian league). In 1950 Brann once again managed to qualify for the Cup final, losing 0-3 to Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad F.K.
Fredrikstad footballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the town of Fredrikstad. With nine league championships and eleven Norwegian Cup wins, FFK is one of the most successful clubs in Norwegian football...
.
1960's and 1970s: Glory and relegation
In the 1960s Brann produced two of Norway's most profiled players. With Roald JensenRoald Jensen
Roald Jensen , nicknamed "Kniksen", of Bergen, Norway was one of that country's most celebrated association football players. He played for SK Brann and Heart of Midlothian F.C. . Knicksen is a local Bergen word meaning "juggler".Jensen was born in Bergen. From an early age, he was interested in...
and Rolf Birger Pedersen
Rolf Birger Pedersen
Rolf Birger "Pesen" Pedersen was a Norwegian footballer and football coach. He grew up near Brann Stadion, and later became one of Brann's most legendary players...
on the team, Brann won their first League Championship
Norwegian Soccer League Champions (Men)
The Norwegian football league champions are the winners of the highest-level football league in Norway. The League of Norway was competed three times with eleven conferences and play-offs from 1937–38 to 1947–48. It was then replaced by the two-conference Main League, which was replaced by the...
in 1961/1962 and in the consecutive season in 1963. During the 1963 season, Brann had an average attendance at 15 486, which was the league record until 2003, when Rosenborg did better. The following year, due to many injured players, the same team surprisingly was relegated from the top league. With Roald Jensen departing to the Scottish team Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
, Brann didn't manage to keep up the good play. They were promoted back into the top league in 1967.
In the 1970s, Brann won the Cup Championship two times. Once in 1972 defeating Rosenborg 1-0. And again in 1976 defeating Sogndal IL
Sogndal IL
Sogndal Idrettslag is a Norwegian alliance sports club from Sogndalsfjøra, Sogn og Fjordane. It has departments for association football, team handball, volleyball, track and field, orienteering, taekwondo, human swimming, powerlifting, speed skating, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing and...
2-1. In each of the seasons 1974-1976, Brann narrowly missed out on the league title, attracting an average attendance that was unheard of in Norway at the time.
1980's: The "yo-yo" years
With the 1980s came Brann's "yo-yo" era. Brann were relegated in 1979 and won the 2nd division in 1980, and the team continued to alternate between the 1st and 2nd division until they finally avoided relegation in 1987. This is the world record for consecutive relegations-promotions. Brann have remained in the top flight ever since. In 1982, Brann again won the Cup Championship, beating MoldeMolde F.K.
Molde Fotballklubb is a football club from Molde, Norway. It was founded on 19 June 1911.They currently play in Tippeligaen, the Norwegian top division. Molde's home matches are played at Aker Stadion , which holds a record attendance of 13,308 . Aker Stadion's maximum capacity now is 11,800...
3-2. Neil MacLeod scored the winning goal in the 57th minute.
Brann hadn't had any real challenge from local rivals at least since the 1950s. In 1989, however, the Bergen based Fyllingen IL were promoted to the Norwegian Premier League
Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
for the first time.
1990's: Derbies, medals and brief European success
Unlike for example the English Premier League, the top three teams of the Norwegian Premier League are awarded medals. Silver and bronze medals are sometimes received with a shrug, but Brann's dismal league history made them top priority for the club in the 1990s. In 1990, Brann were involved in a decisive last match where they had the chance of clinching the league title, but lost and ended fourth. They lost out on their first medals since 1976 as local rivals Fyllingen IL conceded two vital goals against Molde FK in stoppage time. Only weeks prior to this, Fyllingen IL had beaten Brann in the Cup semi finals, and their outspoken ambitions to take over the football hegemony in Bergen by now had become a major annoyance for Brann.In 1991, after a shock resignation of manager Teitur Thordarson, Brann once again struggled, and needed a win in their last game against Strømsgodset
Strømsgodset
Strømsgodset is a former municipality in Vestfold county , Norway, today a part of the city of Drammen.-History:Strømsgodset was originally a small rural annex to the city parish of Bragernes...
in order save play-off against two first division teams. Losing the game would send Brann down, while securing play-off for equally struggling local rivals Fyllingen IL. Also, there were fears that a relegation would spawn another long-term "elevator era". A panic-stricken crowd saw Brann win the game 2-0. In the play-offs, though beating Strindheim IL at home, Brann still needed to beat Bryne F.K.
Bryne F.K.
Bryne Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the town of Bryne. Founded in 1926, they currently play in Norwegian football's second highest division, Adeccoligaen.- Stadium :...
away in a deciding match. A goal by Sten Glenn Håberg
Sten Glenn Håberg
Sten Glenn Håberg is a former Norwegian football player who played for Lillestrøm, Start and Brann. He played a total of 208 games in the Norwegian Premier League between 1981 and 1993, and scored 60 goals...
gave Brann a 1-0 win over Bryne, however, in a dramatic match where former Brann manager Mons Ivar Mjelde
Mons Ivar Mjelde
Mons Ivar Mjelde is a former footballer and is currently head coach for the Norwegian Tippeliga club Start.- Player :...
, then at the opposition side, hit the post.
Fyllingen IL were promoted back into the Norwegian Premier League in 1992. In 1993 Brann got their two first-ever wins against their local rivals. A 6-1 thrashing in the penultimate league round sent Fyllingen down, while securing continued Premier League status for Brann. After the season, Brann purchased Fyllingen's key player Per-Ove Ludvigsen, and this put an end to Fyllingen and the derby matches. Fyllingen are now a mediocre second division side without top flight ambitions.
Brann were notorious for lacking a regular goal scorer ever since the 1970s, but this ended with Trond Egil Soltvedt
Trond Egil Soltvedt
Trond Egil Soltvedt is a former footballer from Norway. He played in England with Coventry, Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday before returning to Norway. Soltvedt played twice for his country.-Norway:...
's many goals in 1993 and 1994. His extremely dedicated style, his innocent and somewhat naïve personality and the fact that many of his goals were scored as a midfielder made him immensely popular. Just before the start of the 1995 season, however, he was sacked by Brann's board for "illoyality", the board refusing to elaborate on this. Disciplinary action was also taken against stars Frank Strandli
Frank Strandli
Frank Strandli is a Norwegian former professional footballer.He signed for league champions Leeds in 1993 and scored on his debut, coming off the bench against Middlesbrough. His Leeds career never really got any better than this and he failed to live up to the expectations this 'dream start'...
, Inge Ludvigsen
Inge Ludvigsen
Inge Ludvigsen, born 10 March 1965, is a retired Norwegian footballer from Bergen that played most of his career in Fyllingen Fotball. He also played for IK Start and SK Brann....
and Claus Lundekvam
Claus Lundekvam
Claus Lundekvam is a former Norwegian footballer, who spent most of his career at English side Southampton. He played for Southampton in the 2003 FA Cup Final against Arsenal .-Playing career:...
. This caused a public outcry, the issue was all over the national media, there were demonstrations in the centre of Bergen, and the fans were split in their support to Soltvedt or to the board and manager Hallvar Thoresen
Hallvar Thoresen
Hallvar Thoresen is a former Norwegian footballer. The son of former Norwegian international Gunnar Thoresen, Hallvar Thoresen was central in 1980s Norwegian football....
. Attendances and the atmosphere on Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion is a football stadium in Bergen, Norway. It was constructed in 1919, and has been the home of the football club Brann ever since. The stadium lies south of the centre of the city, at the foot of Mount Ulriken....
initially plummeted as a result of this. The team spirit amongst players also seemed broken, and the first game against Molde F.K.
Molde F.K.
Molde Fotballklubb is a football club from Molde, Norway. It was founded on 19 June 1911.They currently play in Tippeligaen, the Norwegian top division. Molde's home matches are played at Aker Stadion , which holds a record attendance of 13,308 . Aker Stadion's maximum capacity now is 11,800...
was lost 6-0 at home, resulting in the entire crowd yelling for the board to resign. With Brann at bottom position halfway through the league season, Hallvar Thoresen
Hallvar Thoresen
Hallvar Thoresen is a former Norwegian footballer. The son of former Norwegian international Gunnar Thoresen, Hallvar Thoresen was central in 1980s Norwegian football....
was sacked and Kjell Tennfjord
Kjell Tennfjord
Kjell Tennfjord is a Norwegian siviløkonom and entrepreneur, but is best known as a football manager.He managed Fyllingen Fotball to a cup final , Bryne FK , and SK Brann ....
, the manager behind Fyllingen IL's success, was appointed. He saved Brann into an eventual mid-table position and led them to the Norwegian Cup finals, again sparking immense optimism around the club.
In 1996, as in 1990, Brann were denied bronze medals in injury time of the last game, after a terrible blunder by keeper Birkir Kristinsson
Birkir Kristinsson
-Club career:He started his career with Vestmannaeyjar team ÍBV, and also played with Einherji from Vopnafjordur, KA from Akureyri, ÍA and Fram in the Icelandic league before moving to SK Brann in 1996, where he is still considered as a hero, after his efforts in the cup winner's cup in 1997, where...
. Only days later, however, Brann beat PSV Eindhoven of Holland to advance to the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, ironically thanks to world-class goalkeeping by the same Birkir Kristinsson
Birkir Kristinsson
-Club career:He started his career with Vestmannaeyjar team ÍBV, and also played with Einherji from Vopnafjordur, KA from Akureyri, ÍA and Fram in the Icelandic league before moving to SK Brann in 1996, where he is still considered as a hero, after his efforts in the cup winner's cup in 1997, where...
. This was the second time a Norwegian team had qualified for the last eight in Europe. In the quarter-finals, Brann first drew 1-1 at home against Liverpool FC, before losing the away match 3-0 and thus being knocked out.
In 1997, Brann finally won league silver medals after a solitary last-match again from former manager Mons Ivar Mjelde
Mons Ivar Mjelde
Mons Ivar Mjelde is a former footballer and is currently head coach for the Norwegian Tippeliga club Start.- Player :...
. Later, Brann have also won league medals after finishing second in the 2000 season and third in 1999 and 2004.
In 1998, as in 1995, Brann found themselves at the bottom of the table halfway through the season. The manager Kjell Tennfjord was replaced by Harald Aabrekk
Harald Aabrekk
Harald Olav Aabrekk is the head coach of the Norwegian Premiership club Sogndal. He is a former head coach for Tromsø, Brann, Haugesund and Vålerenga and he was the assistant coach for the Norwegian national football team from 1998-2003...
, and a host of quality players were purchased. This saved Brann from relegation, but combined with the construction of a new stand on Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion is a football stadium in Bergen, Norway. It was constructed in 1919, and has been the home of the football club Brann ever since. The stadium lies south of the centre of the city, at the foot of Mount Ulriken....
it gave them grave financial problems that only recently were resolved.
2000's: First title in decades
Teitur Thordarson was named new manager in 2000, when Harald Aabrekk left the job. For the second time in four seasons Brann won silver medals, secured after defeating Molde 4-0 in the last game of the season. Thorstein HelstadThorstein Helstad
Thorstein Helstad is a Norwegian footballer who plays as a striker for French Ligue 2 club Monaco and the Norwegian national team.- Career :...
became the top goal scorer in the league in 2000 and 2001.
The 2002 season was the worst season for Brann in twelve seasons. Brann finished third from the bottom and had to play play-off to stay in the top league. Fortunately for Brann (equally unfortunately for Sandefjord
Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball is a Norwegian professional football club, founded on September 10, 1998. The club plays in the Adeccoligaen. Their home ground is the Komplett.no Arena, located in Sandefjord, Vestfold....
, their opponent) the matches ended 0-0 (away), 2-1 (home), and Brann narrowly avoided relegation after a Sandefjord
Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball is a Norwegian professional football club, founded on September 10, 1998. The club plays in the Adeccoligaen. Their home ground is the Komplett.no Arena, located in Sandefjord, Vestfold....
shot went less than a foot wide in injury time.
Ending third in 2004 season
Norwegian Premier League 2004
The 2004 season of the Norwegian Premier League began on April 12, 2004 and ended on 30 October 2004.26 games are played with 3 points given for wins and 1 for draws...
of the league
Norwegian Soccer League Champions (Men)
The Norwegian football league champions are the winners of the highest-level football league in Norway. The League of Norway was competed three times with eleven conferences and play-offs from 1937–38 to 1947–48. It was then replaced by the two-conference Main League, which was replaced by the...
qualified Brann for the Scandinavian Royal League
Royal League
The Royal League was an annual Scandinavian football tournament held three times between teams from the three Scandinavian monarchies , starting after the end of the regular domestic seasons of Norway and Sweden. Denmark, however, are in mid-season when the tournament starts...
.
In their impatient but unfruitful struggle to reclaim the glory of the 1960s, Brann over the years gained a reputation for inept leadership, unfounded enthusiasm or optimism and almost continuous internal unrest, deservedly or not. Since Mons Ivar Mjelde
Mons Ivar Mjelde
Mons Ivar Mjelde is a former footballer and is currently head coach for the Norwegian Tippeliga club Start.- Player :...
took over as manager in 2003, however, this image has changed, as the leadership has embraced continuity and extremely down-to-earth principles. Brann were now considered one of the best-run and harmonic clubs in the Norwegian Premier League
Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
.
Being one of the biggest clubs in Norway in terms of public interest, it is generally agreed that Brann have underperformed compared to their potential at least since the mid-1970s. However, on 7 November 2004, Brann won their first title in 22 years defeating F.C. Lyn Oslo 4-1 in the Norwegian Cup. Bengt Sæternes
Bengt Sæternes
Bengt Sæternes is a football player from Egersund, Norway. He plays in the striker position for Viking FK. His former clubs are Egersund IK, IL Eiger, Viking FK, Odd Grenland, FK Bodø/Glimt, Club Brugge, SK Brann, OB, and Vålerenga.-Career:Bengt Sæterners had short stints in boths Viking and Odd...
was man of the match scoring three goals within the first 35 minutes.
For most of the 2006 season Brann were top of the league and by many considered to be favourites to win the title. However, a poor run of form after the summer break, coupled with a correspondingly good run of form from archrivals Rosenborg meant that the Brann hopefuls were disappointed once again.
Brann won the league in 2007. In the end they finished 6 points ahead of its nearest rival, Stabæk. The team did cause a small sensation, and bitter disappointment among tens of thousands of Brann-supporters who had gathered in Bergen to watch the game live, on 20 October by losing to Ålesund 1-2 in the 24th of 26 rounds, a match where a draw would have set aside all doubt about Brann's league win. However two days later, Viking defeated Brann's last rival to the gold medals Stabæk with a 2-1 result, thereby securing Brann the first league championship since 1963 anyway. The same season Brann also qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, and advanced from the group with a win and a draw. Brann faced a tough test against Everton F.C.
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
with the aggregated score an 8-1 loss after two games.
The 2008 season was a major disappointment for all the fans hoping to repeat the success of the 2007 season. In the league
Norwegian Premier League 2008
The 2008 Norwegian Premier League season began 29 March and ended 2 November. Brann were the defending champions, having won their third League Championship in 2007...
Brann finished 8th (of 14 teams) and in the national cup
Norwegian Football Cup 2008
The Norwegian Football Cup 2008 was the 103rd season of Norwegian annual knockout football tournament. The competition started on 10 May 2008 with the first round games and ended on 9 November 2008 with the final...
they reached the final 16 but was eliminated after a 8-0 loss away to Molde FK). Brann also participated in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifer, but was elimnated from the contest in the third qualifying round after losing both matches (home 0-1, away 1-2) against Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After this they played against the Spanish team Deportivo de La Coruña
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...
in the first round of the 2008-2009 edition
UEFA Cup 2008–09
The UEFA Cup 2008–09 was the 38th edition of the UEFA Cup football tournament. The final was played at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, home ground of Fenerbahçe, in Istanbul, Turkey, on 20 May 2009. This season was the final one to use the UEFA Cup format; starting in 2009, the event is known as the...
of UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
but was eliminated on penalties after an aggregate result of 2-2. On October 7, 2008 Brann and their head coach Mons Ivar Mjelde
Mons Ivar Mjelde
Mons Ivar Mjelde is a former footballer and is currently head coach for the Norwegian Tippeliga club Start.- Player :...
announced that he would resign from the club at the end of the season.
Steinar Nilsen
Steinar Nilsen is a Norwegian football manager. He also had a long active playing career behind him, mainly as a defender, before he retired in 2004.-Career:Nilsen played for Tromsø IL between 1989 and 1997, before he was sold to AC Milan...
took over the team, and Brann finished fifth in the 2009 league.
2010's: Rebuilding the team
The 2010 season was a poor season for Brann. On May 19, the team surprisingly was knocked out of the cup after losing 0-1 to the 3rd division (4th tier) team Fyllingen. The head coach Steinar Nilsen resigned two days later, and was replaced by Rune SkarsfjordRune Skarsfjord
Rune Skarsfjord is a Norwegian football coach currently employed as head coach of SK Brann. He was promoted to head coach after Steinar Nilsen was dismissed. Before signing for Brann, Skarsfjord worked as head coach for FK Haugesund and as an assistant coach for Rosenborg BK. He is also a former...
. In the 2010 league
2010 Norwegian Premier League
The 2010 Norwegian Premier League season is the sixty-sixth season of top-tier football in Norway. The competition, which is also named Tippeligaen for sponsorship reasons, began on 14 March and is scheduled to end on 7 November...
, Brann finished in 13th place, thus securing the last spot that avoided relegation or relegation play-offs.
Expectations for Brann were low ahead of the 2011 season, with VG
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
predicting that Brann would be relegated. Nonetheless, Brann opened the season strongly with victories over reigning league champion Rosenborg and Lillestrøm in the first and second rounds. Although the season did not continue as strongly as that, Brann remained a contender for a top three position in the league and the team also qualified to the 2011 Norwegian Football Cup Final
2011 Norwegian Football Cup Final
-See also:*2011 Norwegian Football Cup*2011 Norwegian Premier League*2011 in Norwegian football...
by defeating Fredrikstad in the semi-final. Hopes for a medal were dashed however, when Brann first lost the cup final 1-2 against Aalesund, and then the last match of the league, also against Aalesund. Finally, Brann finished in fourth place.
Achievements
- Norwegian Premier LeagueNorwegian Premier LeagueTippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
:- Winners (3): 1961-62, 1963, 2007Norwegian Premier League 2007The 2007 season of the Norwegian Premier League began on 9 April 2007. Originally scheduled to end on 4 November, the last round was moved to Saturday 3 November 2007, due to Rosenborg’s Champions League participation....
- Runners-up (5): 1951-52, 1975, 1997Norwegian Premier League 1997The Tippeligaen 1997 is the highest Football league in Norway. 26 games are played with 3 points given for wins and 1 for draws. Number thirteen and fourteen are relegated, number twelve has to play two qualification matches against number three in the first division for the last spot.- Final...
, 2000Norwegian Premier League 2000The final table from the Norwegian Premier League 2000 . 26 games are played with 3 points given for wins and 1 for draws...
, 2006Norwegian Premier League 2006The 2006 season of the Norwegian Premier League began on April 9, 2006 and ended on November 5, 2006. Rosenborg became champions on October 29, with one round to go, by defeating Viking at home...
- Winners (3): 1961-62, 1963, 2007
- Norwegian Football CupNorwegian football cupThe Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
:- Winners (6): 1923, 1925, 1972, 1976, 1982, 2004Norwegian men's football cup 2004The Norwegian men's football cup 2004 started on May 5. It was contested by 128 teams, going through 7 rounds before a winner could be declared. The final match was played on November 7....
- Runners-up (9): 1917, 1918, 1950, 1978, 1987, 1988, 1995, 1999, 2011
- Winners (6): 1923, 1925, 1972, 1976, 1982, 2004
- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
:- Quarterfinals (1): 1996-97
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
:- Round of 32 (1): 2007-08
Recent history
| Season | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Cup | Europe | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | ES | 6 | 26 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 44 | 39 | 35 | semi-final | UC | |1st round | |
| 1999 | ES | 3 | 26 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 45 | 40 | 49 | final | | | ||
| 2000 | ES | 2 | 26 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 53 | 40 | 47 | last 16 | UC UEFA Cup 2000-01 In perhaps the most bizarre European final ever, the 2000–01 UEFA Cup was won by Liverpool in a dramatic golden goal final against Deportivo Alavés for their third title in the competition. It completed a unique cup treble for the club, as they also won the FA Cup and the League Cup that season... |
|1st round | |
| 2001 | ES | 7 | 26 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 63 | 48 | 41 | quarter-final | CL UEFA Champions League 2001-02 The 2001–02 UEFA Champions League was the tenth season of UEFA's premier club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding from the European Cup in 1992. The tournament was won by Real Madrid, who beat Bayer Leverkusen in the final to claim their ninth European Cup title... |
|2nd qual. round | |
| 2002 | ES | 12 | 26 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 35 | 52 | 27 | last 16 | UC | |Qual. round | Fair play UEFA Fair Play ranking The UEFA Fair Play ranking has been used by UEFA since 1995 to grant three berths for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.-Current club qualification system:... . Avoided relegation through playoffs. |
| 2003 | ES | 6 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 45 | 47 | 37 | last 16 | | | ||
| 2004 | ES | 3 | 26 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 46 | 40 | 40 | winner | | | ||
| 2005 | ES | 6 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 43 | 32 | 37 | quarter-final | UC UEFA Cup 2005-06 The UEFA Cup 2005–06 season was won by Sevilla FC, beating Middlesbrough FC in the final. It was the first victory for Sevilla in a European competition, and the first appearance by Middlesbrough in a European final. The final took place at Philips Stadion, in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The match was... |
|1st round | |
| 2006 | ES | 2 | 26 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 39 | 36 | 46 | last 16 | UC UEFA Cup 2006-07 The 2006–07 UEFA Cup was the 36th UEFA Cup, Europe's second tier club football tournament. On 16 May 2007, at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Sevilla won their second consecutive UEFA Cup, defeating Espanyol 3–1 on penalties after the match finished 2–2 after extra time... |
|2nd qual. round | Fair play UEFA Fair Play ranking The UEFA Fair Play ranking has been used by UEFA since 1995 to grant three berths for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.-Current club qualification system:... |
| 2007 | ES | 1 | 26 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 59 | 39 | 54 | last 16 | UC | |Last 32 | |
| 2008 | ES | 8 | 26 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 36 | 36 | 33 | last 16 | |CL UC |
3rd qual. round 1st round |
|
| 2009 | ES | 5 | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 51 | 49 | 44 | quarter-final | |||
| 2010 | ES | 13 | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 48 | 50 | 34 | 2nd round | |||
| 2011 | ES | 4 | 30 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 51 | 49 | 48 | final | |||
- ES: Eliteserien (1st level)
- CL: UEFA Champion's League
- UC: UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
European record
| Season | Competition | Round | Eliminated | Eliminated by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-74 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 2. round |  Malta Gzira United (7-0, 2-0) |
 Northern Ireland GlentoranGlentoran F.C. Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield... (1-1, 1-3) |
| 1976–77 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1. round |  Kingdom of England Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years... (0-7, 0-4) |
|
| 1977-78 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 2. round |  Iceland AkranesÍþróttabandalag Akraness Íþróttabandalag Akraness is an Icelandic sports club founded in 1946 and based in the town of Akranes, west Iceland. Among the main sports its members can practice are basketball, football, golf, horsemanship, gymnastics, volleyball, bowling, karate, badminton, swimming and powerlifting... (1-0, 4-0) |
 Netherlands TwenteFC Twente FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys... (1-2, 0-2) |
| 1983-84 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 1. round | Netherlands NEC (0-1, 1-1) |
|
| 1989-90 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 1. round |  Italy SampdoriaU.C. Sampdoria Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria... (0-2, 0-1) |
|
| 1996-97 | European Cup Winners' Cup | Quarter-Finals |  Republic of Ireland ShelbourneShelbourne F.C. Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division.... (2-1, 3-1);  Belgium Cercle BruggeCercle Brugge K.S.V. Cercle Brugge Koninklijke Sportvereniging is a Belgian football team from Bruges. Cercle have played in the Belgian Pro League since the 2003-04 season, having previously spent several years in the Belgian Second Division following relegation in 1997. Their matricule is the n°12. The club play... (4-0, 2-3); Netherlands PSV (2-1, 2-2) |
Kingdom of England Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... (1-1, 0-3) |
| 1997–98 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
2. qualifying round |  Kingdom of Bulgaria Naftex BurgasPFC Naftex Burgas PFC Naftex Burgas is a former football club from Burgas, Bulgaria.-History:The club was created in 1962 by a group of workers, laying the foundations of the future Petroleum Refinery Neftochim, which had not yet been named. The team startеd in A regional group under the name of Stroitel. The... (2-1, 2-3) |
 Switzerland Grasshopper (2-0, 0-3) |
| 1998-99 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1. round |  Lithuania Žalgiris VilniusFK Žalgiris Vilnius VMFD Žalgiris is a Lithuanian football club, playing in the capital, Vilnius. They have won the Lithuanian Championship three times: 1991, 1992, and 1999. The team's colours are green and white... (1-0, 0-0) |
 Germany Werder BremenSV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize... (2-0, 0-3) |
| 2000-01 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1. round |  Latvia Liepājas Metalurgs (1-0, 1-1) |
Switzerland Basel FC Basel Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the... (4-4, 2-3) |
| 2001-02 | UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
2. qualifying round | Kingdom of Bulgaria Levski Sofia PFC Levski Sofia "Levski Sofia" redirects here. For the sports club, see Levski Sofia .PFC Levski Sofia, otherwise simply known as Levski or Levski Sofia, is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria... (1-1, 0-0) |
|
| 2002-03 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
Qualifying round | Lithuania FK Sūduva (2-3, 2-3) |
|
| 2006-07 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
2. qualifying round | Northern IrelandGlentoran Glentoran F.C. Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield... (1-0, 1-0) |
 Sweden ÅtvidabergÅtvidabergs FF Åtvidabergs FF is a Swedish football club located in Åtvidaberg. The club, formed 1 July 1907 as Åtvidabergs IF, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. The club changed to the present name before the 1935–1936 season. The club is affiliated to Östergötlands Fotbollförbund... (3-3, 1-1) |
| 2007-08 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
Round of 32 |  WalesCarmarthen Town (6-3, 8-0); Lithuania FK Sūduva (2-1, 4-3); Belgium Club Brugge (0-1, 2-1);Third place in group stage (1. Germany HamburgHamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... , 2. Switzerland BaselFC Basel Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the... , 4.  Independent State of Croatia Dinamo Zagreb, 5.  Early Modern France Rennes) |
Kingdom of England Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... (0-2, 1-6) |
| 2008-09 | UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
3. qualifying round | Latvia Ventspils FK Ventspils FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament.... (1-0, 1-2) |
Early Modern France Marseille Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In... (0-1, 1-2) |
Records
- Greatest home victory: 11-0 vs. Vard Haugesund, (25 June 1997)
- Greatest away victory: 9-0 vs. Åkra I.L., (5 May 2004)
- Greatest home loss: 0-7 vs. F.C. Lyn Oslo, (8 August 1964)
- Greatest away loss: 0-10 vs. Rosenborg BK, (5 May 1996)
- Highest attendance, Brann StadionBrann StadionBrann Stadion is a football stadium in Bergen, Norway. It was constructed in 1919, and has been the home of the football club Brann ever since. The stadium lies south of the centre of the city, at the foot of Mount Ulriken....
: 24,800 vs. Fredrikstad F.K.Fredrikstad F.K.Fredrikstad footballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the town of Fredrikstad. With nine league championships and eleven Norwegian Cup wins, FFK is one of the most successful clubs in Norwegian football...
, (1 October 1961) - Highest average attendance, season: 17,228, (2007)
- Most appearances, total: 398, Tore NordtvedtTore NordtvedtTore Nordtvedt is a retired Norwegian football player. Nordtvedt played his entire 16 year long carrier at SK Brann.He debuted against Lyn Oslo in the championship season of 1963 when he was 18 years old. He played at the club from 1963 to 1979.Nordtvedt played a total of 557 games for Brann,...
(1963–1979) - Most appearances, league: 305, Tore Nordtvedt (1963–1979)
- Most goals scored, total: 139, Rolf Birger PedersenRolf Birger PedersenRolf Birger "Pesen" Pedersen was a Norwegian footballer and football coach. He grew up near Brann Stadion, and later became one of Brann's most legendary players...
(1957–1972) - Most goals scored, league: 89, Thorstein HelstadThorstein HelstadThorstein Helstad is a Norwegian footballer who plays as a striker for French Ligue 2 club Monaco and the Norwegian national team.- Career :...
Current squad
As of August 2, 2011Reserve squad
As of August, 2011, according to official Brann website.Coaching staff
| Manager | |
| Coach | Rune Skarsfjord Rune Skarsfjord Rune Skarsfjord is a Norwegian football coach currently employed as head coach of SK Brann. He was promoted to head coach after Steinar Nilsen was dismissed. Before signing for Brann, Skarsfjord worked as head coach for FK Haugesund and as an assistant coach for Rosenborg BK. He is also a former... |
| Assistant coach | Patrik Hansson |
| Goalkeeper coach | Dan Riisnes |
| Development coach | Kenneth Mikkelsen |
Administrative staff
| Chairman | Lars Moldestad |
| Managing director | Roald Brun-Hanssen |
| Sports director | |
Player of the year
- 2000:
Roy WassbergRoy WassbergRoy Wassberg . is a big, strong centre back, most known for his two runs in SK Brann.Wassberg first played for Brann between 1989 and 1993, before he transferred to the "other team" from Bergen, Fyllingen. Later that season his dream of playing football in Europe came true when he left his home... - 2001: Raymond KvisvikRaymond KvisvikRaymond Kvisvik is a Norwegian football player. With background from teams in hometown Sarpsborg, he currently plays for Kvik-Halden, as a midfielder. He moved there from Fredrikstad. He has also played in Austria for Austria Wien. Kvisvik is notorious for his precise shots, assists and long balls...
- 2002: Tommy KnarvikTommy KnarvikTommy Knarvik is a Norwegian football player who currently plays for Viking FK.He most known for his period in SK Brann. In his early years, Knarvik was a junior player at Leeds United, where he won the FA Youth Cup in 1997...
- 2003: Raymond KvisvikRaymond KvisvikRaymond Kvisvik is a Norwegian football player. With background from teams in hometown Sarpsborg, he currently plays for Kvik-Halden, as a midfielder. He moved there from Fredrikstad. He has also played in Austria for Austria Wien. Kvisvik is notorious for his precise shots, assists and long balls...
- 2004: Ragnvald SomaRagnvald SomaRagnvald Soma is a Norwegian football player currently playing for Rapid Vienna.- Position :He is primarily a central defender, although he has been both a left back and a defensive midfielder earlier in his career.-Early career:...
- 2005:
Paul ScharnerPaul ScharnerPaul Josef Herbert Scharner is an Austrian footballer who plays for West Bromwich Albion of the Premier League. He usually plays as a central defender or midfielder...
- 2006: Håkon OpdalHåkon OpdalHåkon Eikemo Opdal is a Norwegian football goalkeeper, currently playing for SK Brann in the Norwegian Premier League.After being reserve to Ivar Rønningen for a couple of seasons, he became regular in the starting lineup when Rønningen was sold in the middle of the 2004 season, leaving Opdal with...
- 2007: Thorstein HelstadThorstein HelstadThorstein Helstad is a Norwegian footballer who plays as a striker for French Ligue 2 club Monaco and the Norwegian national team.- Career :...
- 2008: Olafur Örn BjarnasonÓlafur Örn BjarnasonÓlafur Örn Bjarnason is an Icelandic football defender, currently playing for Grindavík.-Club career:He started his career in Grindavík, and returned there after two years in Swedish club Malmö FF. In 2004, he moved from Grindavík to SK Brann in Bergen, Norway. His first season was successful, and...
- 2009: Erik HusekleppErik HusekleppErik André Huseklepp is a Norwegian footballer forward who plays for Portsmouth and the Norwegian national team.-Early career:At the age of 18 he played youth football for Fyllingen...
- 2010: Petter Vaagan MoenPetter Vaagan MoenPetter Vaagan Moen is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays for Queens Park Rangers. Most of the time he plays as a left winger. He was transferred to SK Brann from Ham-Kam on 1 November 2005, costing Brann approximately 10.000.000 NOK...
Managers since 1980
External links
- http://www.brann.no SK Brann official club pages