Tippeligaen

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Countries	Norway
Confederation	UEFA
Founded	1991 1963–1990 (as 1. divisjon) 1948–1962 (as Hovedserien) 1937–1948 (as Norgesserien)
Number of teams	16
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Adeccoligaen
Domestic cup(s)	Norwegian Cup
International cup(s)	Champions League Europa League
Current champions	Molde (2011)
Most championships	Rosenborg (22)
TV partners	TV2, MAX and Altibox
Website	fotball.no
2012 Norwegian Premier League

Tippeligaen (after the main sponsor Norsk Tipping) 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 (English: The Elite League), although the name has never been official. The name of Norwegian football's top league has been subject for sponsoring since 1991 and Norsk Tipping has been the main sponsor of the League since then - hence the official name of the league.

Between 1963 and 1990 the name of the league was 1. divisjon (English: 1st Division), a name that the second level league of the Norwegian football system 'inherited' in 1991. (In 2005 the second level league was officially named Adeccoligaen after its sponsor Adecco.) From the fall of 1948 to 1962 the top division of Norwegian football was called Hovedserien (English: The Main League), and between 1937 and the summer of 1948, it was called Norgesserien (English: The League of Norway).

Format[link]

Competition[link]

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Brann

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Fredrikstad

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Haugesund

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Lillestrøm

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Molde

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Odd Grenland

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Rosenborg

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Sarpsborg 08

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Sogndal

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Stabæk

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Start

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Strømsgodset

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Tromsø

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Viking

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Vålerenga

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Aalesund

As of the 2010 season there are 16 clubs in the Norwegian Premier League, half of which are placed in or near the Oslofjord area. After Bodø/Glimt's relegation last year, Tromsø is now the only team north of the Arctic Circle. During the course of a season, each club plays the others twice, home and away, for a total of 30 games for each club, and a total of 240 games in a season. The season starts in March and lasts until early November. Rounds played during the weekends are broken up into one game on Saturdays, six games on Sundays and one game on Mondays. Midweek rounds are broken up into six games on Wednesdays and one game on Thursdays. For the final two rounds, all games start simultaneously so that no club may gain an unfair advantage by knowing the results of other games in advance of kicking off their own.

The 16 May round, which is played the day before Norway's Constitution Day, 17 May, is one of the most anticipated rounds of the season. It is often referred to as the "national day of football"^[1] and since it precedes a national holiday, games usually see higher attendance than other rounds.^[2]

Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, goals scored, and then head to head records used to separate teams on equal points. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned "League Winner". The title of "Champions" is reserved for the Cup Winners. The two lowest placed teams are automatically relegated to the First Division and the top two teams from the First Division take their place. Traditionally the fourteenth placed team in the Premier League is also in danger of being relegated and must enter play-offs with teams from the First Division to stay in the top flight, but as of the 2011 league, play-offs are not being used.

European qualification[link]

As of the 2009-10 European season the winners of the previous calendar year's Norwegian Premier League enter the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, while the second and third placed teams enter respectively, the third and second qualifying rounds of the Europa League.^[3] The fourth placed team may also qualify, depending on what happens in the Norwegian Cup. Normally the winners of the Cup receive the final spot (entering the Europa League in the third qualifying round). If the winners have already qualified for Europe, the spot is transferred to the fourth placed team. Incidentally, the cup competition is called The Championship, while the winners of the League are merely that - League Winners.

The Norwegian Premier League is nineteenth in the UEFA rankings of European leagues based on their performances in European competitions over a five year period.^[4]

History[link]

The league has enjoyed tremendous popularity in Norway. Viking of Stavanger won the first year the league bore the name Tippeligaen, followed by Rosenborg of Trondheim, claiming 13 consecutive titles (1992–2004). During the first years Rosenborg won with a substantial margin, only partly challenged by Bodø/Glimt (1993), Molde, Lillestrøm and Brann. However, this was streadily narrowing down towards a dramatic finish in 2004, where the Trondheim team tied with Vålerenga of Oslo in game points, but finished ahead on goals scored. However, in 2005 the winning streak came to an end as Vålerenga clinched the title, one point ahead of Start of Kristiansand. Rosenborg was never in contention that season and would finish only 7th. In 2006, Rosenborg returned to the top of the league, coming back from 10 points behind Brann at the halfway point to clinch the title with a match to spare. Brann won the league in 2007, and Stabæk won their first-ever title in 2008. Rosenborg then returned for a two-year winning streak in 2009 and 2010.

The league has been professional since 1992.^[5]

UEFA Rankings[link]

UEFA association coefficient as of the end of the 2010–11 season, for league participation in 2011–12 European football season (Previous year rank in italics)

• 24 (26) Poland
• 25 (23) Slovakia
• 26 (22) Norway
• 27 (25) Serbia
• 28 (24) Sweden

Current members[link]

 id:Rosenborg  value:black
 id:Vålerenga  value:blue
 id:Viking     value:darkblue
 id:Brann      value:red
 id:Stabæk     value:darkblue
 id:Molde      value:blue

 bar:Leaders width:25 mark:(line,white) align:left fontsize:S 

from:start till:1992 shift:(20,-6) text:"Viking"               color:Viking 
from:1992  till:2005 shift:(20,-6) text:"Rosenborg"         color:Rosenborg
from:2005  till:2006 shift:(20,-6) text:"Vålerenga" color:Vålerenga
from:2006  till:2007 shift:(20,-6) text:"Rosenborg"         color:Rosenborg
from:2007  till:2008 shift:(20,-6) text:"Brann"                 color:Brann
from:2008  till:2009 shift:(20,-6) text:"Stabæk"          color:Stabæk
from:2009  till:2010 shift:(20,-6) text:"Rosenborg"         color:Rosenborg
from:2010  till:end  shift:(20,-6) text:"Molde"                 color:Molde

The following sixteen clubs will compete in the Norwegian Premier League during the 2012 season.

Top flight champions[link]

The following clubs have won the top division in Norwegian football since 1938. Note that clubs from Northern Norway were not allowed to take part in the league system before 1972.

• 22 wins: Rosenborg
• 9 wins: Fredrikstad
• 8 wins: Viking
• 5 wins: Lillestrøm, Vålerenga
• 3 wins: Brann, Larvik Turn
• 2 wins: Lyn, Start
• 1 win: Fram Larvik, Freidig, Moss, Skeid, Strømsgodset, Stabæk, Molde

League Winners[link]

Below is a list of the gold, silver and bronze medalists in the Norwegian Premier League for men since its beginning in 1937/38. (The Norwegian football cup has been played since 1902, and is regarded as the Championship of Norway, presented with "The King`s Cup".) During 1937-1948 the name of the league was Norgesserien ("The League of Norway"), 1948-1962 Hovedserien ("The Main League"), 1963-1990 1. divisjon ("1st Division"), and from 1991 Tippeligaen (sponsored name) or Eliteserien ("The Elite League", a generic name).

Before 1961, the league was divided into two sections, and decided by a final match. Since then it has been a roundrobin decided through a league table. Bronze finals were played in 1960 and 1961, before that no bronze medals were awarded. Note that clubs from Northern Norway (including Bodø/Glimt and Tromsø) were not allowed in the top division until 1972, but a separate Northern Norwegian Cup was played. The league did not play during the period 1940-1946 because of the 2nd World War.

See below for a list of medalists by club name.

Medalists by year[link]

The following medals have been awarded:

Medalists by club name[link]

The following clubs have won one or more Premier League medals since 1937/38:

Attendance[link]

Up to 1994 the league consisted of 12 teams (132 matches a year). The number was raised to 14 teams (182 matches a year) in 1995 and to 16 teams (240 matches a year) in 2009. Attendances reached peaks in 1977 and 2007, and were at their lowest in 1986.^[7]

Individual all-time records[link]

Most matches played[link] Player Time Matches Roar Strand 1989–2010 437 Daniel Berg Hestad 1993–present 379 Morten Berre 1996–present 359 Christer Basma 1993–2008 348 Ola By Rise 1977–1995 346 Runar Berg 1990–2010 345 Erik Hoftun 1992–2005 336 Bjørn "Bummen" Johansen 1987–2005 334 Espen Hoff 1999–present 334 Freddy dos Santos 1996–2011 332 Svein "Matta" Mathisen 1973–1989 327 Tommy Svindal Larsen 1991–2011 326 Arild Sundgot 1995–present 322 Jan-Derek Sørensen 1992–2009 317 Fredrik Kjølner 1994–2007 316 Arne Vidar Moen 1991–2005 310 Tom "Bukken" Gulbrandsen 1983–1997 307 Torgeir Bjarmann 1988–2003 306 Ørjan Berg 1988–2006 305 Charles Berstad 1983–1998 303 Tom Henning Hovi 1992–2006 296 Sigurd Rushfeldt 1992–2011 296 Martin Andresen 1996–2009 294 Petter Belsvik 1989–2003 292 Last updated: 29 February 2012. Source: adressa.no.

Most goals scored[link] Player Time Goals Matches Average Sigurd Rushfeldt 1992–2011 172 296 0.58 Harald Martin Brattbakk 1990–2005 166 255 0.65 Petter Belsvik 1989–2003 159 292 0.54 Odd "Ivers" Iversen 1967–1982 158 225 0.70 Per Kristoffersen 1957–1968 146 194 0.75 Arne Pedersen 1951–1966 120 217 0.55 Bengt Sæternes 1998–present 116 272 0.43 Jostein Flo 1987–2001 112 213 0.53 Arild Sundgot 1995–present 111 332 0.34 Jan Fuglset 1967–1982 109 209 0.52 Thorstein Helstad 1995–2008 108 199 0.54 Svein "Matta" Mathisen 1973–1989 106 327 0.32 Frode Johnsen 1999–present 99 203 0.49 Jahn Ivar "Mini" Jakobsen 1988–2000 98 194 0.51 Ole Martin Årst 1995–present 97 226 0.43 Henry Johannessen 1946–1961 96 139 0.69 Harald Hennum 1949–1963 94 121 0.78 Steffen Iversen 1995–present 92 204 0.45 Gunnar Thoresen 1947–1962 91 116 0.78 Gøran Sørloth 1984–1995 89 228 0.39 Tore André "Totto" Dahlum 1989–1999 89 220 0.40 Willy "Vinga" Olsen 1949–1961 89 151 0.59 Roar Strand 1990–2010 89 425 0.20 Last updated: 29 February 2012. Source: adressa.no.

Foreign players[link]

See also[link]

• Toppserien (Women's Premier League)
• Norwegian football top scorers
• List of football clubs in Norway
• List of Premier League Champions from 1938 to present time

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

• Football Association of Norway
• All-time Premier League table from 1963 to 2004
• Tippeligaen Stats, Fixtures, Results and Team Profiles