Norway. Ranked 26th. 3 points for a win. The last 2 in First Division directly relegated and the 10th going to promotion/relegation play-off against the winner in the play-off between the second-placed Second Division teams. The Second Division group winners – directly promoted up and the bottom 3 teams in each group relegated to third level.
Second Division. Two groups of 12 teams each. Naturally, most names meant nothing outside Norway, like
Sandefjord BK – 6th in Group B.
Few, like
Mjondalen IF – 3rd in Group B – were somewhat familiar thanks to playing top-league football in the past.
The only important thing was promotion: Eik finished 2nd in Group B – dramatically so, for they ended 2nd only on worse goal-difference – and qualified to first promotion play-off.
Lyn clinched the top position with 45 from 14 wins, 3 ties and 5 losses. Scored 50 goals and received 23 and that gave them +27 goal-difference: 4 goals better than Eik’s and direct promotion as group champion. Top row from left: Tom Sundby, Simen Agdestein, Finn Tore Pettersen, Dag Roar
Austmo, Gisle Sørlie, Ole Dyrstad, Thomas Kristiansen. Middle row: Arnt Kortgaard, Erling Hokstad, Bernt Haugen, Lars Stamnes, Frode Thomassen,Trond Sundby, Nils Aas, Jo Lunder, Lasse Holm, Tor Halvor Viik. Front: Reidar Hartmann, Tom Fodstad, Magne Kofoed, Tor Olav Bogen, Trond
Lien, Atle Ulrichsen, Sture Fladmark, Jan Tore Amundsen.
Group A: Bryne finished 2nd with 44 points and went to promotion play-off.
Sogndal won the group with 48 points: 15 wins, 3 ties, 4 losses, 42-23. Promoted up, or rather, returning to top flight, like Lyn.
No Second Division second-placed team managed to earn promotion eventually.
First Division: Four teams had were strong and aiming at the title. At the bottom – 2 outsiders.
Moss ended last with 13 points and VIF Fotball – 11th with 16 points. Those were the relegated this season.
Lillestrom finished 10th with 25 points and went to promotion/relegation play-off – but they won it and remained in the league.
Stromgodset Drammen finished 9th with 27 points. Top row from left: Harald Ramsfjell (trener), Juro Kuvicek, Halvor Storskogen, Arne Erlandsen, Odd Johnsen, Olav Gjesteby, Jan Wendelborg, Einar Sigmundstad (trener). Middle row:Odd Kirkebø (materialforvalter), Glenn Knutsen, Frode Johannessen, Vegard Hansen, Bård Wiggen, Ole Viggo Walseth, Frank Hovland (oppmann).
Front row: Trond Nordeide, Arne Gustavsen, Ronny Hvambsal, Terje Dokken (sportslig leder), Gabor Valo, Ulf Camitz, Stefan Jambo.
Kongsvinger – 8th with 27 points, Fyllingen – 7th with 28 points,
Start – 6th with 31 points.
Viking – 5th with 35 points.
Brann – 4th with 39 points. Top row from left: Rune Enehaug (fysioterapeut), Erling Mikkelsen (Seksjon Fotball A-SFA), Tor Helmik Raaheim Olsen (SFA), Bjørn Helge Lilleskare (SFA), Steinar Aase (SFA), Kjell Jensen (SFA), John E. Reigstad (SFA), Jan-Erik Larsen (daglig leder), Jon Schjeldrerup (lege). Middle row: Trygve Larsen (keepertrener), Arne Wilhelmsen (materialforvalter), Joachim Björklund, Marek Motyka, Per Egil Ahlsen, Mons Ivar Mjelde, Ketil Elvenes, Henrik Bjørnestad, Thomas Gill, Marek Filipczak, Atle Torvanger, Roy Wassberg, Teitur Thordarson (trener). Crouching: Cato Grønnern, Per Hilmar Nybø, Tore Hadler-Olsen, Olafur Thordarson, Einar Arne Roth, Gjert Rein Berntsen, Jan Eivind Brudvik, Redouane Drici, Lars Moldestad.
Molde – 3rd with 40 points, Tromso – 2nd with 42 points, and above them:
Rosenborg – champions with 44 points from 13 wins, 5 ties, and 4 losses and 60-24 scoring record. Attack was their key to success – they outscored the all other teams by far (Viking, the 2nd highest scorers, finished with 41 goals) and that gave them the edge over the competion.
Rosenborg also reached the Cup final and there they really showed their rising supremacy: Fyllingen was not much of an opponent, but still the result was telling: 5-0 Rosenborg.
If there was ever a happy loser, that might be Fyllingen. Nothing much in the championship, perhaps mostly concerned with avoiding relegation, and utterly destroyed at the Cup final. But… they reached the Cup final and stronger teams did not and they got to play in the Cup Winners Cup.
Rosenborg triumphed with a double this season, improving their records: 6th title, 5th Cup and 3rd double. Numbers were quite modest, but this season suggested more than Norwegian success: Rosenborg was on the road to become the best known and respected Norwegian club. They opened a new chapter in the country’s football, becoming the prime movers and shakers of rapid elevation of Norwegian football from obscurity to much higher and stronger position in European football. Rosenborg was truly professional in that.