name	Molde
idnumber	1502
county	Møre og Romsdal
capital	Molde
district	Romsdal
demonym	Moldenser
language	Neutral
coatofarms	Molde komm.png
munwebpage	www.molde.kommune.no
mayor	Jan Petter Hammerø
mayor party	H
mayor as of	2003
area rank	254
area total km2	363.12
area land km2	355.93
area water km2	7.19
population as of	2010
population rank	35
population total	24795
population density km2	69.7
population increase	4.6
utm zone	32V | utm_northing 6959692 | utm_easting 0410053 | geo_cat adm2nd }}

is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord. The city is located on the northern shore of the Romsdalsfjord on the Romsdal Peninsula.

The city of Molde is the administrative center of Møre og Romsdal county, the administrative center of the municipality of Molde, the commercial hub of Romsdal, and the headquarters of the Diocese of Møre. Other main population centers in the municipality include Hjelset, Kleive, and Nesjestranda.

Molde has a maritime, temperate climate, with cool-to-warm summers, and relatively mild winters.

It is an old settlement which emerged as a trading post in the late Middle Ages. Formal trading rights were introduced in 1614, and the city was incorporated through a royal charter in 1742. Molde was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt)

The city continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming a center for Norwegian textile and garment industry, as well as the administrative center for the region, and a major tourist destination.

After World War II, Molde experienced accelerated growth, merging with Bolsøy and parts of Veøy on 1 January 1964, and has become a center for not only administrative and public services, but also academic resources and industrial output.

History

The medieval township on Veøya, an island outside present day Molde, was first mentioned by the historian Snorri Sturluson as the location of the ''Battle of Sekken'' in 1162, where king Håkon the Broad-shouldered was killed fighting the aristocrat Erling Skakke, during the Norwegian civil wars.

However, settlement in the area can be traced much further back in time—evidence given by two rock slabs carved with petroglyphs found at Bjørset, west of the city centre.

At the eve of the 15th century, Veøy had lost most of its influence, and the island was eventually deserted. However, commercial life in the region was not dead, and originating from the two settlements at Reknes and Molde (later ''Moldegård''), a minor port called ''Molde Fjære'' (''Molde Landing'') emerged, based on trade with timber and herring to foreign merchants.thumb|left|Molde's main street and commercial center. Molde Cathedral (orange roof on far right) with its freestanding bell tower replaces the church that was destroyed during World War II The town gained formal trading rights in 1614. During the Swedish occupation of Middle Norway, 1658–1660, after Denmark-Norway's devastating defeat in the Northern Wars, the town became a hub of resistance to the Swedes. After the rebellion and liberation in 1660, Molde became the administrative headquarter of Romsdalen Amt and was incorporated through a royal charter in 1742. Molde continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, becoming a center for Norwegian textile and garment industry. Tourism became a major industry: Molde saw notabilities such as the German emperor Wilhelm II of Germany and the Prince of Wales as regular summer visitors. Molde consisted of luxurious hotels surrounding an idyllic township with quaint, wooden houses, lush gardens and parks, esplanades and pavilions, earning it the nickname ''the Town of Roses''. This was interrupted when one third of the city was destroyed in a fire on 21 January 1916. However, Molde recovered and continued to grow in the economically difficult interbellum period.

A second fire, or series of fires, struck from the German air-raids in April and May 1940, and destroyed about two thirds of the town. Molde was the capital of Norway for a week after King Haakon, Crown Prince Olav, and members of the government and parliament arrived at Molde on April 23, after a dramatic flight from Oslo. They were put up at Glomstua, at the western outskirt of the town. The Norwegian gold reserve was also conveyed to Molde, and was hidden in a clothing factory.

However, German intelligence was well aware of what was going on, and on April 25 the Luftwaffe started a series of intense attacks. For a week the air-raid siren on the chimney of the dairy building announced the repeated attacks. April 29 turned out to be the worst day in the history of Molde, as the remainder of the town was transformed into a sea of flames by incendiary bombs. Until then the church had escaped undamaged, but in the final sortie a firebomb got stuck high up in the tower, and beautiful wooden church was obliterated by fire.

After World War II, Molde experienced tremendous growth. As the modernization of the Norwegian society accelerated in the post-reconstruction years, Molde became a center for not only administrative and public services, but also academic resources and industrial output. After the consolidation of the town itself and its adjacent communities in 1964, Molde became a modern city, encompassing most branches of employment, from farming and fisheries, through industrial production, to banking, higher education, tourism, commerce, health care, and civil administration.

Municipality

The city of Molde was established as a urban municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was surrounded by the rural municipality of Bolsøy. On 1 July 1915, a part of Bolsøy (population: 183) was transferred to Molde. On 1 January 1952, another part of Bolsøy (population: 1,913) was transferred to Molde. On 1 January 1964, the urban municipality of Molde (population: 8,289) was merged together with the Sekken, Veøya, and Nesjestranda part of Veøy (population: 756), all of Bolsøy municipality (population: 7,996), and the Mordal area of Nord-Aukra (population: 77) to form a new, larger Molde municipality.

Name

The city is named after the original settlement on the farmstead of Molde (Old Norse: ''Moldar''). The name is either the plural form of ''mold'' which means "fertile soil" or ''moldr'' which means "skull" or "mold" (thus in reference to the rounded peaks in Moldemarka).

Pronunciation varies between the standard ''Molde'' and the rural ''Molle''. A person from Molde will refer to him/herself as a ''Moldenser''.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms was granted on 27 June 1742. The arms show a whale chasing herring into a barrel, symbolizing the founding industries of the city: the export of fish and timber. Molde was never a whaling port; the whale is merely an echo of the ancient belief that whales were a good omen, chasing (and not following) the schools of fish into the fjords at certain times of the year. Although the fjord outside Molde has schools of both pilot whales and orca, the whale depicted is in fact a baleen whale, which is not found in the area.

Geography

Molde proper consists of a long and wide strip of urban land running east-west along the north shore of the Moldefjord, an arm of the Romsdalsfjord, on the Romsdal peninsula. The town is sheltered by Bolsøya and the Molde archipelago, a chain of low-lying islands and islets, and the wood-clad hills to the south. The town center is located just west of the river Moldeelva, which runs into the town from the north, originating in the Moldevatnet lake, through the valley Moldedalen. Despite the river being minor and seasonal, it supported several sawmills in the 16th and 17th centuries. This gave rise to the town itself through a combination of a good harbor, proximity to the sea routes, vast timber resources, and a river capable of supporting mills. In 1909, the river housed the first hydro electric power plant capable of providing sufficient electricity for the town. The upper reaches of the river still provides drinking water for most of the city.

The panoramic view of some 222 partly snow-clad peaks, often called the Molde panorama, is famous, having been one of the attractions drawing tourists to the town in the 19th century. Molde is nicknamed the ''Town of Roses'', a name which originated during Molde's era as a tourist destination of international fame in the late 19th century.

Neighboring municipalities are Aukra, Gjemnes, Nesset, Eide, Averøy, and Midsund, and neighboring towns and townships are Åndalsnes in Rauma, Elnesvågen in Fræna, and Vestnes.

Climate

Molde has a maritime, temperate climate, with cool-to-warm summers, and relatively mild winters. The annual precipitation is medium high, with an average of per year. The warmest season is late summer. Molde holds the national high for the month of October, with (on 11 October 2005). The driest season is May–June. Due to its geographic location, Molde experiences frequent snowfalls in winter, but this snow is usually wet as the winters are usually mild.

A natural phenomenon occurring in Molde and the adjacent district, are frequent winter days with temperatures above , sometimes even above . This is due to foehn wind from south and south-east. Combined with a steady influx of warm, moist south-westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean, warmed by the Gulf stream, it gives Molde a climate much warmer than its latitude would indicate. The sheltered location of the city, facing south with hills to the north, mountains to the east and mountainous islands to the west, contributes to Molde's climate and unusually rich plant life, especially among species naturally growing on far lower latitudes, like maple, chestnut, oak, tilia (''lime'' or ''linden''), beech, yew, and others.

Points of interest

Salmon, sea trout and sea char are found in the rivers of the area, especially the Rauma, Driva, and Eira, already legendary among the British gentry in the mid-19th century. Trout is abundant in most lakes. Cod, pollock, saithe, mackerel and other species of saltwater fish are commonly caught in the Romsdalsfjord, both from land and from boat. Skiing is a popular activity among the inhabitants of Molde in the winter, on groomed tracks, in resorts or by own trail. There are several popular rock climbing, ice climbing, bouldering, glacier and basejumping areas in the immediate surroundings of Molde.

The ''Atlantic road'' was voted the Norwegian Construction of the Century in 2005. It is built on bridges and landfills across small islands and skerries, and spans from the small communities of Vikan and Vevang to Averøy, an island with several historic landmarks, such as the Bremsnes cave with Mesolithic findings from the Fosna culture, the medieval Kvernes stave church, and Langøysund, now a remote fishing community, but once a bustling port along the main coastal route. Langøysund was the site of the compromise between King Magnus I and the farmers along the coast in 1040. The compromise is regarded as Norway's Magna Carta, and is commemorated though the ''Pilespisser'' () monument.

''Trollkirka'' (English: lit. ''Troll Church'') is a marble grotto leading up to an underground waterfall. The grotto is situated 30 minutes outside Molde, followed by a 1 hour hike up a steep trail. ''Trollveggen'' is Europe’s tallest vertical, overhanging mountain face, with several very difficult climbing routes. ''Trollstigen'' is the most visited tourist road in Norway. The road twists and turns its way up an almost vertical mountainside through 11 hairpin bends to an altitude of . ''Mardalsfossen'' is the highest waterfall in Northern Europe and the fourth highest waterfall in the world, cascading 297 metres down into the valley. The total height of the waterfall is .

Bud is a fishing village on the very tip of the Romsdal peninsula. It gained importance during the Middle Ages as a trading post, and hosted the last free Privy Council of Norway in 1533, a desperate attempt to save the country's independence and stave off the Protestant Reformation, led by Olav Engelbrektsson, archbishop of Nidaros (today ''Trondheim''). The massive Ergan coastal defences, a restored German coastal fort from World War II, and a part of the Atlantic Wall, is situated in Bud. The fishing communities of Ona, Bjørnsund and Håholmen are located on remote islands off the coast, only accessible by boat or ferry.

Moldemarka

Moldemarka, the hilly woodland area north of the city, is public land. The area has a network of paths, walking trails and skiing tracks. Forest roads enter the area from several directions. There are bulletin boards with maps and information about local plants and wildlife, as well as signposts along the trails. Marked trails lead to a number of peaks, sites and fishing lakes and rivers. A fishing permit is required to fish in the lakes.

Varden, above sea level is a viewpoint directly above Molde, with a good view of the city, the fjord with the Molde archipelago and the Molde panorama.

Transportation

Hurtigruta visits Molde every day, on its journey between Bergen and Kirkenes. The closest railway station is Åndalsnes, the terminus for Raumabanen.

The city's airport at Årø has several daily flights to Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim, as well as weekly flights to other domestic and international destinations.

Culture

Three of the ''four great'' Norwegian authors spent time, stayed or lived in Molde. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson spent his childhood years at Nesset outside Molde, and attended school in the city. Henrik Ibsen frequently spent his vacations at the mansion ''Moldegård'', visiting the family Møller, and Alexander Kielland resided in the city as the governor of Romsdals amt. Ibsen's play ''Rosmersholm'' is inspired by the life at Moldegård, and ''The Lady from the Sea'' is also set in the city of Molde, although never being mentioned by name. Other authors from or with ties to Molde include Edvard Hoem, Jo Nesbø, Knut Ødegård, and Nini Roll Anker, a friend of Sigrid Undset.

The Romsdal Museum, one of Norway's largest folk museums, was established in 1912. Old buildings originating from all over the region have been moved here to form a typical cluster of farm buildings including "open hearth" houses, sheds, outhouses, smokehouses and a small chapel. The "town street" with Mali's Café shows typical Molde town houses from the pre-World War I period. The Museum of the Fisheries is an open air museum located on the island of Hjertøya, 10 minutes from the center of Molde. A small fishing village with authentic buildings, boats and fishing equipment, the museum shows local coastal culture from 1850 onwards.

The local newspaper is Romsdals Budstikke.

Churches

The Church of Norway has five parishes within the municipality of Molde. It is part of the Diocese of Møre and the Molde domprosti (Deanery).

''Molde domkirke'' ''Røbekk kirke'' ''Kleive kirke'' ''Røvik kirke'' ''Sekken kyrkje''

+ style="font-size:medium"	''Churches in Molde''	!Parish(Sokn)!!Church Name!!Year Built!!Locationof the Church
	|	1957	Molde
rowspan="3"	Bolsøy	|	1898	Røbekk
''Nordbyen kirke''	2006
''Bergmo kirke''	1982
Kleive	|	1858	Kleive, Møre og Romsdal>Kleive
rowspan="3"	Røvik og Veøy	|	1905	Røvika
''Veøy kirke''	1907
''Veøy gamle kirke''	circa>c. 1200
Sekken	|	1908	Sekken

Festivals

The Moldejazz jazz festival is held in Molde every July. Moldejazz is the largest and oldest jazz festival in Europe, and one of the most important. An estimated 40,000 tickets are sold for the more than a hundred events during the festival. Between 80,000 and 100,000 visitors visit the city during the one-week long festival.

Every August, Molde and Nesset are hosts to the Bjørnson Festival, an international literature festival. Established by the poet Knut Ødegård in connection with the 250-year anniversary of Molde, the festival is named in honour of the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832–1910). It is the oldest and the most internationally acclaimed literature festival in Norway.

In addition to the two major events, a number of minor festivals are held annually. Byfest, the city's celebration of itself, is an arrangement by local artists, coinciding with the anniversary of the royal charter of 29 June 1742.

Education

Molde University College offers a wide range of academic opportunities, from nursing and health related studies, to economics and administrative courses. The school is one of Norway's leading colleges in research and academic programs in information technology, logistics and transport economics, with degrees up to and including PhD.

Molde University College is also one of the country's leading institutions in international student exchange and programs conducted in English.

Sports

Molde hosts a variety of sports teams, most notably the football team, Molde FK, which is playing in the Norwegian Premier League. Home matches are played at Aker stadion, inaugurated in 1998, which holds a record attendance of 13,308. The team is holder of two Norwegian Cups (1994 and 2005), six times runner-up in the League, and has numerous appearances in European tournaments, including the UEFA Champions League. The club was founded in 1911, during Molde's period of great British and Continental influx, and was first named "International", since it predominantly played teams made up from crews of foreign vessels visiting the city. Ole Gunnar Solskjær became the manager on the 9th of November 2010.

In addition to a number of international players, the city has also produced several ski jumpers, cross-country and alpine skiers of international merit.

Other sports include the accomplished team handball clubs (SK Træff, SK Rival), athletics teams (IL Molde-Olymp), skiing clubs, basketball and volleyball teams.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Molde has five sister cities. They are: Vejle, Denmark Borås, Sweden Mikkeli, Finland Česká Lípa, Czech Republic Bardejov, Slovakia

Notable residents

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, writer, Nobel Prize laureate (1832–1910)

Kjell Magne Bondevik, politician, former Prime Minister (1947-)

Ane Brun, singer-songwriter

Bjørn Rune Gjelsten, businessman (1956-)

Bjørn Trygve Grydeland, President of ESA, EU Ambassador (1949-)

Ann-Helen Moen, soprano

Arild Monsen, cross-country skier (1962-)

Jo Nesbø, writer (1960-)

Ole Anton Qvam former Prime Minister, (1834–1904)

Kjetil Rekdal, football player and manager (1968-)

Kjell Inge Røkke, businessman (1958-)

Jacob Tanner (1865–1964), Norwegian American Lutheran educator and religious author

Knut Ødegård, poet (1945-)

Nini Roll Anker (1873–1942), writer

Mali Furunes, (1888–1968), actor, dancer, folklorist

Birger Hatlebakk, (1912–1997), industrialist

Edvard Hoem, writer

Ingeborg Hungnes, singer

Ola Kvernberg, musician

Arne Nøst, artist

Terje Rypdal, composer and musician

Kurt Schwitters, German artist (1887–1948)

Arne Solli, former Commander-in-Chief

Terje Venaas, musician

Maurycy Gottlieb, artist

Magne Strømmen, amateur comedian

International footballers/soccer players

Jan Fuglset

Daniel Berg Hestad

Harry Hestad

Petter Rudi

Kjetil Rekdal

Athletes

Andrine Flemmen, Olympic skier

Henriette Birkeland Kitel, European Champion boxer

Mette Solli, World Champion kickboxer

Arild Monsen, World Champion Cross-country skiing, 1985

Ingolf Mork, ski jumper, winner of Four Hills Tournament 1971/72

Otto Berg, long jumper

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway

Tourist information

Molde University college

Molde International Jazz Festival

Romsdals Budstikke

Molde F.K.

VS Molde Futsal

Molde and the Molde Panorama

Images from Molde and Romsdal by Armin Burkhart

Category:Municipalities of Møre og Romsdal Category:Cities and towns in Norway

ar:مولده be:Горад Моле be-x-old:Мольдэ bg:Молде cs:Molde da:Molde de:Molde et:Molde es:Molde (Noruega) eo:Molde fr:Molde ko:몰데 hr:Molde bpy:মোলডে id:Molde os:Молде is:Molde it:Molde lb:Molde lt:Moldė hu:Molde nl:Molde ja:モルデ no:Molde nn:Molde kommune pnb:مولڈے nds:Kommun Molde pl:Molde pt:Molde ro:Molde ru:Молде se:Molde sk:Molde sl:Molde sr:Молде fi:Molde sv:Molde uk:Молде vi:Molde war:Molde zh:莫尔德

playername	Josh Gatt
fullname	Joshua Gatt
dateofbirth	August 29, 1991
cityofbirth	Plymouth, Michigan
countryofbirth	United States
height
position	Winger / Fullback
currentclub	Molde FK
clubnumber	22
years1	2010 | clubs1 SC Rheindorf Altach | caps1 15 | goals1 5
years2	2011- | clubs2 Molde FK | caps2 18 | goals2 3
nationalyears1	2008 | nationalteam1 United States U-18 | nationalcaps1 | nationalgoals1
nationalyears2	2010- | nationalteam2 United States U-20 | nationalcaps2 4 | nationalgoals2 3
pcupdate	August 1, 2011
ntupdate	January 4, 2011 }}

Joshua "Josh" Gatt (born 29 August 1991 in Plymouth, Michigan) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Molde in the Norwegian Tippeligaen.

Career

High School

Played Varsity for four years at Catholic Central High School. He also played with a local select team, The Michigan Wolves.

Professional

A Michigan-area youth player, Gatt first attracted attention when his club competed in a tournament against European academy teams in Switzerland. Through the SuperElite system, the winger was offered trials at 1. FSV Mainz 05 and at SCR Altach and eventually received an offer from the latter club.

Gatt proceeded to sign with SC Rheindorf Altach, leaving behind an opportunity to play at Indiana University. Upon his arrival in Austria in the summer of 2010, he immediately joined the first team. On January 12, 2011, it was announced that Gatt had joined Norwegian side Molde. He made his debut against Sarpsborg 08 on March 18. He scored his first goal on July 30 against Vålerenga IF Fotball. Josh scored his second goal in as many games on August 4 against Start.

References

External links

Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Molde FK players Category:Soccer players from Michigan

Category:American soccer players it:Joshua Gatt no:Joshua Gatt

name	Vegard Forren
birth date	February 16, 1988
birth place	Kyrksæterøra, Norway
currentclub	Molde FK
clubnumber	5
position	Central defender
youthclubs1	KIL/Hemne
years1	2007–
clubs1	Molde FK
caps1	104
goals1	3
nationalyears1	2008–
nationalteam1	Norway U21
nationalcaps1	10
nationalgoals1	2
pcupdate	17 July 2011
ntupdate	27 March 2009 }}

Vegard Forren (born February 16, 1988) is a Norwegian footballer playing currently for Molde FK. He plays central defender.

Forren was discovered by Molde FK when they met KIL/Hemne in the first round of the Norwegian football cup. KIL/Hemne surprisingly won the match 3-1, with Forren and two other young players impressing highly. They were afterwards invited to trial for Molde in a junior tournament. Shortly after Forren signed a 5 year deal with Molde. He took Tippeligaen with storm and European clubs as A.C. Milan, Newcastle, Liverpool and Hoffenheim, have watched him playing for Molde FK. But Forren said that he will stay in Molde FK for a while, even though his dream is to play in a bigger European league one time. He said that he was still young and have a long career in front of him.

He is currently linked with Lazio and F.C. Copenhagen.

Career statistics

0 0 3 0 0

Season	Club	Division	League	Cup	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
2007 in Norwegian football	2007	rowspan="5" valign="center"	Adeccoligaen	7	|	1	0	8	0
2008 in Norwegian football	2008	Tippeligaen	25	|	5	1	30	1
2009 in Norwegian football	2009	Tippeligaen	27	|	7	1	34	4
2010 in Norwegian football	2010	Tippeligaen	28	|	3	0	31	0
2011 in Norwegian football	2011	Tippeligaen	17	|	1	0	18	0
Career Total	!104!!3!!17!!2!!121!!5

References

External links

Player profile on official club website National Caps From working at REMA to playing for the national team

Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Norwegian footballers Category:Molde FK players Category:People from Hemne

it:Vegard Forren no:Vegard Forren

name	José Alberto
background	solo_singer
birth name	José Alberto Justiniano
alias	El Canario
born	December 22, 1958Villa Consuelo, Santo Domingo
instrument	Singing
genre	salsa
occupation	singer-songwriter,
years active	1983–present
label	Pina Records
website	}}

José Alberto (born on December 22, 1958 in Villa Consuelo district, Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, as José Alberto Justiniano) is a Dominican salsa singer. José Alberto moved to Puerto Rico with his family at the age of 7, and inspired by Latin music went on to polish his singing at Las Antillas Military Academy. He relocated to New York in the early 1970s and sang with several orchestras. He received international attention as the bandleader of Tipica 73 in October 1977.

José Alberto started his own band in 1983, and became a major Latin star after the release of his 1984 debut ''Noches Calientes'' . His 1991 album Dance With Me, which established a new style of salsa called ''salsa romántica''. He has sung hit songs such as "Sueño Contigo" His voice was widely adored by his fans, and his exceptional whistling abilities (being able to improvise as if he was playing a traverse flute) led them to give him the nickname El Canario (''The Canary'').

El Canario has enjoyed success in the United States and Europe, but especially throughout Latin America, including in his native Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Peru, Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador.

On 24 May 2008, José Alberto celebrated 30 years in the music industry at the United Palace Theater in New York City. Among the several special guests were Oscar D'León, Ismael Miranda, Raulín Rosendo, Joe Arroyo, and Latin music mogul Ralph Mercado.

References

*Descarga *[ AMG]

Category:Dominican Republic male singers Category:Dominican Republic people Category:Salsa musicians Category:1958 births Category:Living people

de:José Alberto es:José Alberto "El Canario" fr:José Alberto gl:José Alberto "El Canario"

playername	Ole Gunnar Solskjær
fullname	Ole Gunnar Solskjær
dateofbirth	February 26, 1973
cityofbirth	Kristiansund
countryofbirth	Norway
height
position	ForwardWinger
currentclub	Molde (manager)
youthyears1	1989–1990 |youthclubs1 Clausenengen
years1	1990–1994 |clubs1 Clausenengen |caps1 109 |goals1 115
years2	1994–1996 |clubs2 Molde |caps2 42 |goals2 31
years3	1996–2007 |clubs3 Manchester United |caps3 235 |goals3 91
totalcaps	386 |totalgoals 237
nationalyears1	1995–2007 |nationalteam1 Norway |nationalcaps1 67 |nationalgoals1 23
manageryears1	2008–2011 |managerclubs1 Manchester United Reserves
manageryears2	2011– |managerclubs2 Molde }}

Ole Gunnar Solskjær (born 26 February 1973 in Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal) is a Norwegian football manager and former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. In January 2011, he became the manager of his former club Molde. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very successful period for the club. He was recognised as a "super sub" for his knack of coming off the bench to score late goals. Solskjær's defining moment in football came in injury time of the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final where he scored the winning last-minute goal against Bayern Munich, completing a remarkable comeback and winning The Treble for United.

Before he moved to England, Solskjær completed a year's national service in the Norwegian Army, and played part time for Third Division Norwegian Clausenengen FK, later moving to Norwegian Premier League Molde FK in 1994. He joined United in 1996, for a transfer fee of £1.5 million. He is a patron of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (formerly ''Shareholders United'').

In 2007, Solskjær announced his retirement from football after failing to recover from a serious knee injury. However, Solskjær remained at Old Trafford in a coaching role, as well as in an ambassadorial capacity. In 2008, Solskjær became Manchester United's first full-time reserve team manager since 2006, taking over from Brian McClair and Jimmy Ryan, who had filled the role in a caretaker capacity. He also supervises a training academy for young footballers in his home town of Kristiansund.

Playing career

Club career

Early career

Solskjær first played for Clausenengen and impressed in the Otta Cup as a 17-year-old with seventeen goals in six matches. He then joined Molde in 1995 and scored twenty goals in his first season in the Norwegian Premier League.

Early Manchester United years

Solskjær scored 31 goals in 38 matches for Molde in the Norwegian Premier League, leading to interest from Hamburger SV of Germany and Italian club Cagliari, and his then-manager Åge Hareide made Solskjær available to both Everton and his old club Manchester City for £1.2 million. However, neither Everton nor City were willing to take a risk on Solskjær, and the interest from Hamburg and Cagliari fell through after Manchester United submitted a bid of £1.5 million during Euro 1996.

He joined United on 29 July 1996, and was something of a surprise acquisition as he was almost unknown outside his homeland and at the time United were still in the hunt for Blackburn Rovers and England striker Alan Shearer, who then joined Newcastle United for a world record £15 million. As the only striker to arrive at Old Trafford that year, it was widely expected that his first season would be spent as a backup to Eric Cantona and Andy Cole with only occasional first team opportunities. But within weeks of his arrival it was clear that he would be a key part of the first team sooner than had been anticipated, and would also prove himself to be one of the biggest Premier League bargains of the season.

He was issued with the number 20 shirt, a squad number he would retain for the rest of his Manchester United career. He scored six minutes into his debut as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers. Solskjær scored 18 Premier League goals for United in his first season, helping United win the title in the last weeks of the season. The British media nicknamed him the "Baby-Faced Assassin" because of his youthful looks and his deadly finishing. He will perhaps be best remembered as a "super-sub", having earned wide acclaim for a remarkable habit of coming into matches late on as a substitute and scoring goals. Alex Ferguson remarked that Solskjær has a knack of sitting on the bench and studying the game without taking his eye off the action. One of his most impressive feats was coming off the bench to score four goals in the last 12 minutes of United's 8–1 thrashing of Nottingham Forest. He scored another four goals in a match a season later against Everton in a 5–1 victory.

Solskjær stayed at Old Trafford even though other clubs showed interest in the player in 1998. He even refused an offer from Tottenham Hotspur, after Manchester United had accepted a bid for him. The Norwegian went on to score the winning goal in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, helping the team secure the Treble and cementing his own place in the United folklore. Another defining moment in his career, was in the end of the league match against Newcastle in 1998. The match was tied at 1–1, and Manchester United needed at least a draw to keep up with Arsenal in the race for the league title. Near the end of the game, Newcastle's Robert Lee had a clear goalscoring opportunity, running unopposed towards United's goal, but Solskjær had run across the entire field to commit a professional foul against him, thus denying Newcastle a winning goal. Solskjær did this knowing he would be sent off, and suspended for the coming matches. Supporters regarded this as a perfect example of how Solskjær put the club above purely personal interest.

These feats made him a favourite among the United supporters, inspiring songs such as "Who Put the Ball in the Germans' Net?" and "You Are My Solskjær". Even when he had been absent on the pitch for a long time due to injury, United fans would still fill matches with chants sung in Solskjær's honour.

After a few years of coming on as the super-sub, Solskjær got a chance as a starter in the 2001–02 season, paired up with Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. He took the opportunity with characteristic incisiveness, forcing Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke onto the bench.

By 2002–03, after both Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke had left Old Trafford, Solskjær had only Diego Forlán and Van Nistelrooy to compete with for a place in the starting line-up. Still, Ferguson's persistence in playing Van Nistelrooy up front with Paul Scholes, or as a lone striker, meant that opportunities were limited.

Solskjær was subsequently given his time again when David Beckham picked up an injury and Ferguson played the Norwegian on the right wing. While proving himself to be an able crosser of the ball, Solskjær also popped up with goals, scoring a total of 16 goals in the season. He was selected to play on the right in important matches, such as in the league game against Arsenal and the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, while Beckham was left on the bench. He also captained the team in a number of matches.

Solskjær played for Norway in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the Euro 2000. He collected a total of 67 international caps.

Injury-plagued seasons

At the start of 2003–04, Solskjær found himself as United's first-choice right winger. However, a knee injury suffered against Panathinaikos on 16 September 2003 put Solskjær out of action until February 2004. Solskjær returned from the injury for the season run-in and was man of the match in the FA Cup Semi Final victory over Arsenal. He also played in the 2004 FA Cup final, which the club won. Solskjær was forced to undergo intensive knee surgery in August 2004 and had to miss the 2004–05 season entirely. While he eventually recovered his fitness, it was difficult for the 32-year-old to carve his niche again among the heavy-weight attack of Manchester United. The Old Trafford faithful, however, displayed almost fanatical loyalty in their desire to see Solskjær in action again.

To show their continuing support, fans added a banner to the collection that lines the Stretford End reading "20 LEGEND" (Solskjær wore number 20 for United). Solskjær further solidified his status amongst United fans when he became a patron of the supporters action group, Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), previously Shareholders United.

Back from injury

Solskjær made his long-awaited return to action on 5 December 2005, playing for United's reserves against Liverpool. Spectators numbering 2,738 showed up to witness the comeback of the popular Norwegian – an above-average turn-out for a reserve team match. He made his first-team return as a substitute in the match against Birmingham City on 28 December. He then finally made his first start more than a year later in the FA Cup match against Burton Albion, before playing a full game as a captain in the replay. His return to full fitness slowly continued with regular appearances in the reserves, until on 8 March 2006 when, during a game against Middlesbrough, he was accidentally caught by Ugo Ehiogu, breaking his cheekbone. While facing the possibility of missing the rest of the season, he nevertheless appeared as a substitute against Sunderland on Good Friday.

Solskjær had a very successful pre season tour in the summer of 2006 gaining Ferguson's praise who also said he would reconsider his plan to buy a new striker. He returned to Premier League action on 23 August 2006 when he scored in an away match against Charlton Athletic, his first Premier League goal since April 2003. Ferguson commented after the match that "it was a great moment for Ole, United fans everywhere, the players and the staff" and that "Ole has been through a torrid time with injuries for the last two years, but he's persevered and never lost faith and has got his repayment tonight. Everyone is over the moon for him." He continued his come-back by putting in the winning goal in the Champions League clash with Celtic on 13 September, fulfilling his post-injury ambition to score another goal at Old Trafford. Solskjær's first Premier League goal at Old Trafford since his return came on 1 October when he netted both goals in the 2–0 win against Newcastle United. His goalscoring form continued with when he started the away match against Wigan Athletic and struck a sublime finish to round off a 3–1 victory, and again against Crewe Alexandra on 25 October 2006, scoring the first of a 2–1 victory. After a further injury sustained in Copenhagen, Solskjær again returned on form scoring the third goal in the 3–1 win over Wigan on Boxing Day. Solskjær continued his form by scoring United's opening goal in their 3–2 win over Reading on the 30 December. Additionally, he came on as a substitute to score an injury-time winner in the 2–1 victory over Aston Villa in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup on 7 January 2007.

After a match against Reading, Solskjær had further surgery on his knee. However, it was not as serious as his previous operations, and he was put out of action for only a month. He was predicted to be available for the 31 March game against Blackburn Rovers. United boss Alex Ferguson said: ''"It was good timing with the international break coming up. It gave us the opportunity to get the thing done."'' Solskjær did make his comeback from injury against Blackburn Rovers as a late substitute, and even scored in the 89th minute to seal Manchester United's 4–1 win. His last match was the FA Cup Final against Chelsea which did not provide him with a fairy tale ending as an extra-time goal from Didier Drogba gave Chelsea the victory.

On 5 June 2007, it was announced that Solskjær had undergone minor surgery after he reported discomfort in his knee while training with Norway. The surgery was a success, but Solskjær failed to fully recover and announced his retirement from professional football on 27 August 2007. Finally, on 4 September at the home game against Sunderland, his retirement was officially announced over the Old Trafford tannoy, with Solskjær walking onto the pitch to a standing ovation. As of his retirement, Solskjær holds the record for the most goals scored for Manchester United as a substitute, scoring 28 goals off the bench.

Testimonial

On 2 August 2008, a testimonial was played in honour of Solskjær at Old Trafford against Espanyol. Over 68,000 fans were present as United eventually got the winner from substitute Fraizer Campbell. Solskjær appeared in the 68th minute, replacing Carlos Tévez. He hit the target three times and was credited for his role in influencing the young Campbell's play. At the end of the game, he addressed the fans with a speech, thanking the staff, players, fans and his family.

International career

Solskjær made his international debut in a friendly game against Jamaica on 26 November 1995, just a few months before he joined Manchester United. The game finished in a 1–1 draw with Ole Gunnar scoring the only goal for Norway. He continued his great goal scoring start by scoring three goals during his first competitive appearances for the national team during the 1998 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Solskjær played in both the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 for Norway. He formed a feared partnership with international team mate and ex Chelsea striker Tore Andre Flo which was seen as one of the best striking partnerships in Norway's history.

Following his lengthy layout to injuries Solskjær made his full game comeback on 2 September 2006, when he scored the first and last goals in a 4–1 win against Hungary in a Euro 2008 qualifying match. They would be his last goals for the national team taking his tally up to 23 goals.

He made what proved to be his final appearance for Norway against Croatia in February 2007, finishing with a record of 67 appearances.

International goals

Kingston, Jamaica 27 March 1996 rowspan=2 30 April 1997 25 March 1998 rowspan=2 rowspan=2 28 April 1999 8 September 1999 9 October 1999 27 May 2000 24 March 2001 28 March 2001 15 August 2001 14 May 2002 22 May 2002 2 April 2003 11 June 2003 rowspan=2

+ Ole Gunnar Solskjær: International Goals	# !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1	26 November 1995	Kingston ||		1–1	Draw	Friendly
2	|	Windsor Park, Belfast		2–0	Win	Friendly
3	2 June 1996 ||	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo		5–0	Win	rowspan=2
4
5	|	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo		1–1	Draw	1998 FIFA World Cup qual.
6	|	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels		2–2	Draw	Friendly
7	27 May 1998 ||	Molde stadion, Molde		6–0	Win	Friendly
8
9	27 March 1999 ||	Olympic Stadium (Athens)		2–0	Win	rowspan=2
10
11	|	Tblisi		4–1	Win	UEFA Euro 2000 qual.
12	|	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo		4–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2000 qual.
13	|	Daugava Stadium, Riga		2–1	Win	UEFA Euro 2000 qual.
14	|	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo		2–0	Win	Friendly
15	|	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo		2–3	Defeat	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification>2002 FIFA World Cup qual.
16	|	Minsk		1–2	Defeat	2002 FIFA World Cup qual.
17	|	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo		1–1	Draw	Friendly
18	|	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo		3–0	Win	Friendly
19	|	Aspmyra stadium, Bodø		1–1	Draw	Friendly
20	|	Luxembourg City		2–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying>UEFA Euro 2004 qual.
21	|	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo		1–1	Draw	UEFA Euro 2004 qual.
22	2 September 2006 ||	Budapest		4–1	Win	rowspan=2
23

Managerial career

First step into coaching

Solskjær signed his last player contract with Manchester United on 31 March 2006, with a provision to allow him to develop his coaching awards. He also acted in an ambassadorial role for the club, when he travelled to Hong Kong in 2006 and played with students at the Manchester United Soccer School in Hong Kong. When interviewed by Setanta Sports in August 2007, Solskjær confirmed he would train to be a coach after retiring from professional football, and would start to earn the required badges after his last season with Manchester United. Following his retirement, Solskjær worked for Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, coaching the strikers on the first team for the remainder of the 2007–08 season.

As announced on 20 May 2008, he took over the Manchester United Reserves during the summer of 2008. He won the 2007–08 Lancashire Senior Cup by defeating the Liverpool Reserves 3–2 in the final. On 12 May 2010, Solskjær won his first Manchester Senior Cup by defeating Bolton 1–0 at the Reebok Stadium.

Shortly after the resignation of Åge Hareide from the position, Solskjær was offered the opportunity to coach the Norwegian national team; he declined, saying that it was not yet the right time for him to become the Norway coach. Solskjær's final game as Manchester United Reserves manager was a 5–1 victory over Newcastle United on 16 December 2010.

Molde

On 9 November 2010, Solskjær signed a four-year contract with the Norwegian side Molde FK to take over as manager, where he played prior to moving to Manchester United. Solskjær continued as Manchester United Reserves manager until January 2011, when he took over at Molde for the start of the new season.

Molde played their first league game under Solskjær on the 18 March 2011 and suffered an embarrassing 3–0 defeat to newly promoted Sarpsborg 08. They played their first home game of the season on 3 April, where despite coming from 1–0 down to lead 2–1 they were held to a 2–2 draw by league leaders Tromsø. Molde's first goal under Solskjær was scored in this game, by Senegalese striker Pape Paté Diouf. On 17 April 2011, Solskær won his first Tippeligaen game at Molde with the 3–2 home win over Stabæk. On Molde's 100 years anniversary the 19th of June 2011, Solskjær lead the team to a 2–0 victory over Sogndal and the top of the Norwegian Elite League.

Personal life

Solskjær lived in Bramhall with his wife, Silje, and their three children, Noah, Karna and Elijah while their time in England. Today Solskjær lives in his hometown Kristiansund in Norway with his family, because of his new job as manager for Molde FK. He has admitted that he is not his son Noah's favourite player — his former United teammate Wayne Rooney is.

In 2008, Solskjær was awarded with the First Class Knighthood of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav by King Harald V of Norway. He was presented with the award in a ceremony on 25 October 2008 in his hometown of Kristiansund. Solskjær is the youngest ever recipient of the knighthood, usually bestowed upon notable members of society in their later years.

In 2009, the Norwegian parliament bestowed upon Solskjær its annual Peer Gynt Prize for his work as worthy ambassador of sport and for his "great social commitment," in a ceremony at Vinstra Hall. The ex-footballer laughingly admitted in the subsequent press conference that he had neither read nor seen the Ibsen play, yet, but now intends to.

In 2010, the Sunday Times Sport Rich List estimated his personal wealth to be around £10 million, making him one of the richest coaches in British football. After he purchased a house in his home town Kristiansund, speculations arose around whether he would succeed Uwe Rösler as manager for Solskjær's former club Molde FK, an hour away from Kristiansund by car.

Career statistics

Club

31 !47!!31! 11 !38!!31! 3 6 12 12 10 17 9 0 0 0 7 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	League Cup	!colspan="2"	Other	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
rowspan="6"	Clausenengen			|			–
1991 in Norwegian football	1991		|			–
1992 in Norwegian football	1992		|			–
1993 in Norwegian football	1993		|			–
1994 in Norwegian football	1994	47	|			–
!Total	!! !!colspan=2	–!! !! !! !! !! !!
rowspan="3"	Molde		26	20	|		–		4	2
1996 Norwegian Premier League	1996	12	|			–
!Total	!! !!colspan=2	–!! !! !! !! !! !!
rowspan="13"	Manchester United		33	18	|	0	0	0	10	1	0	0	46	19
1997–98 FA Premier League	1997–98	22	|	2	2	0	0	6	1	0	0	30	9
1998–99 FA Premier League	1998–99	19	|	8	1	3	3	6	2	1	0	37	18
1999–2000 FA Premier League	1999–2000	28	|	–		1	0	11	3	6	0	46	15
2000–01 FA Premier League	2000–01	31	|	2	1	2	2	11	0	1	0	47	13
2001–02 FA Premier League	2001–02	30	|	2	1	0	0	15	7	0	0	47	25
2002–03 FA Premier League	2002–03	37	|	2	1	4	1	14	4	0	0	57	15
2003–04 FA Premier League	2003–04	13	|	3	0	0	0	2	1	1	0	19	1
2004–05 FA Premier League	2004–05	0	|	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2005–06 FA Premier League	2005–06	3	|	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
2006–07 FA Premier League	2006–07	19	|	6	2	1	1	6	1	0	0	32	11
2007–08 Premier League	2007–08	0	|	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
!Total	!235!!91!!30!!8!!11!!7!!81!!20!!9!!0!!366!!126
Career total	!320!!153!!30!!8!!11!!7!!81!!20!!9!!0!!451!!188

International

|- |1995||2||1 |- |1996||6||3 |- |1997||2||1 |- |1998||9||3 |- |1999||8||5 |- |2000||10||1 |- |2001||7||3 |- |2002||9||2 |- |2003||7||2 |- |2004||2||0 |- |2005||0||0 |- |2006||4||2 |- |2007||1||0 |- !Total||67||23 |}

Managerial

''As of 28 August 2011''

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
!G !! W !! D !! L !! GF !! GA !! Win %
align=left
Total

Honours

Player

;Manchester United

Premier League (6): 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07

FA Cup (2): 1998–99, 2003–04

FA Community Shield (3): 1996, 1997, 2003

UEFA Champions League (1): 1998–99

Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999

Manager

;Manchester United Reserves

Premier Reserve League (1): 2009–10

Premier Reserve League North (1): 2009–10

Lancashire Senior Cup (1): 2008–09

Manchester Senior Cup (1): 2009

Individual

Knight of the Order of St. Olav, First Class

Kniksen's honour award in 2007

Peer Gynt Prize in 2009, for his efforts for football and philanthropy.

Notes

References

External links

Biography at ManUtd.com

Profile at BBC Sport

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Norwegian footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:Association football forwards Category:Norway international footballers Category:Norwegian Premier League players Category:Molde FK players Category:Premier League players Category:Manchester United F.C. players Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players Category:Kniksen award winners Category:People from Kristiansund Category:Norwegian expatriate footballers Category:Knights First Class of the Order of St. Olav Category:Molde FK managers Category:Manchester United F.C. non-playing staff Category:Norwegian football managers

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