SK Brann

SK Brann (most often called Brann, sometimes (incorrectly) Brann Bergen internationally) 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. The team's official supporter club is called Bataljonen (The Battalion).

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 League 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.

Formation an 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, 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 stadion 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.

1960's and 1970's: Glory and relegation
In the 1960s Brann produced two of Norway's most profiled players. With Roald Jensen 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.

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 Molde 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.

Achievements

 * Norwegian Premier League:
 * Winners (3): 1961-62, 1963, 2007
 * Runners-up (5): 1951-52, 1975, 1997, 2000, 2006


 * Norwegian Football Cup:
 * Winners (6): 1923, 1925, 1972, 1976, 1982, 2004
 * Runners-up (9): 1917, 1918, 1950, 1978, 1987, 1988, 1995, 1999, 2011


 * UEFA Cup Winners' Cup:
 * Quarterfinals (1): 1996-97


 * UEFA Cup:
 * Round of 32 (1): 2007-08

Coaching staff

 * Head coach: Rune Skarsfjord


 * Assistant coach: Patrik Hansson


 * Goalkeeper coach: Dan Riisnes


 * Development coach: Kenneth Mikkelsen

Administrative staff

 * Chairman: Lars Moldestad


 * Managing Director: Roald Bruun-Hanssen


 * Sports director: Rolf-Magne Walstad

Player of the year

 * 2000: Roy Wassberg


 * 2001: Raymond Kvisvik


 * 2002: Tommy Knarvik


 * 2003: Raymond Kvisvik


 * 2004: Ragnvald Soma


 * 2005: Paul Scharner


 * 2006: Håkon Opdal


 * 2007: Thorstein Helstad


 * 2008: Olafur Örn Bjarnason


 * 2009: Erik Huseklepp


 * 2010: Petter Vaagan Moen


 * 2011: Rodolph Austin

Managers since 1960

 * Oddvar Hansen (1960 - 1963)
 * Pepi Stroh (1964)
 * Oddvar Hansen (1965 - 1968)
 * Karel Bucko (1969 - 1972)
 * Ray Freeman (1972 - 1973)
 * Bill Elliott (1974 - 1978)
 * Ivar Hoff (1979)
 * Egil Austbø (1979)


 * Les Shannon (1980 - 1981)
 * Arve Mokkelbost (1982 - 1983)
 * Endre Blindheim (1984 - 1985)
 * Tony Knapp (1986 - 1987)
 * Teitur Thordarson (1988 - 1990)
 * Karl Gunnar Björklund (1991 - 1992)


 * Hallvar Thoresen (1993 - 1995)
 * Kjell Tennfjord (1995 - 1998)
 * Harald Aabrekk (1998 - 1999)
 * Teitur Thordarson (2000 - 2002)
 * Mons Ivar Mjelde (2003 - 2008)
 * Steinar Nilsen (2009 - 2010)
 * Rune Skarsfjord (2010-)