S.K.Brann

SK Brann is a Norwegian football club from the city of Bergen. It was founded on September 26, 1908. They play their home matches at Brann Stadion. Average attendance in the 2005 season was 14,701.

Brann is maybe the biggest club in Norway in terms of public interest, and hence there are high expectations for the club every season, expectations that notoriously have been let down. Brann won their first Norwegian Premier League titles in 1961-62 and 1963, but after this Brann has been involved in the race for the league title only in seasons 1974-76 and 1990. Relevant comparisons may be the England national team, Newcastle United F.C. and Hearts

Despite this, the club has never failed to spark considerable interest from the Norwegian media and keeping an epidemic of football hysteria continuously running in Bergen. Moreover, the team has regularly been winners and runners-up of the Norwegian Cup. The club also reached the Quarter Finals of the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1996/97 season.

The early years

On September 26, 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).

The recent years:

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 Helstad 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 are 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, or perhaps even the biggest, it is generally agreed that Brann have underperformed compared to their potential at least since the mid-1970s. However, on November 7, 2004, Brann won their first title in 22 years defeating F.C. Lyn Oslo 4-1 in the Cup. Bengt Sæternes was man of the match scoring three goals within the first 35 minutes. And so far, the 2006 season holds some promise to end a run of presently 42 seasons without a league title.

Honors

Norwegian League:

Winner 1961-1962, 1963

Second Place: 1951-1952, 1975, 1997, 2000

Third Place: 1976, 1999, 2004

Norwegian Cup:

Winner: 1923, 1925, 1972, 1976, 1982, 2004

Runner up: 1917, 1918, 1950, 1978, 1987, 1988, 1995, 1999

European Cups:

Quarter Final in UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup 1996-1997

Current Squad

Goalkeepers: Johan Thorbjørnsen, Håkon Opdal, Steffen Haraldsen

Defenders: Janez Zavrl, Bjørn Dahl, Cato Guntveit, Erlend Hantsveit, Ólafur Örn Bjarnason, Kristján Örn Sigurðsson, Ármann Björnsson

Midfielders: Martin Knudsen, Helge Haugen, Martin Andresen, Petter Vaagan Moen, Erik Huseklepp, Ardian Gashi, Charlie Miller, Eirik Bakke, Nicolay Misje, Trond Fredrik Ludvigsen, Arnaud Monkam

Forwards: Robbie Winters, Thorstein Helstad, Bengt Sæternes, Kristian Ystaas, Migen Memelli

The facts

Full name: Sportsklubben Brann

Nickname: Bergens stothet (Pride of Bergen)

Founded: September 26, 1908

Ground: Brann Stadion, Bergen

Capacity: 18,500

Chairman: Magne Reveheim

Manager: Mons Ivar Mjelde

League: Norwegian Premier League

2005: Premier League, 6^th

Brann Stadion is a football stadium in Bergen, Norway. It was constructed in 1919, and has been the home of the football club S.K. Brann ever since. The stadium lies 3km south of the centre of the city, at the foot of Mount Ulriken.

The record attendance dates from 1961, when Brann hosted Fredrikstad in front of 24,800 spectators. Currently, Brann Stadion has a capacity of about 18,500, of which 14,211 are seated. A redevelopment project is underway, aimed at increasing the capacity to over 20,000.

Brann Stadion is owned jointly by S.K. Brann (49%) and Stor-Bergen Boligbyggelag (51%).