- Tippeligaen
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"Eliteserien" redirects here. For other leagues named Elitserien, see Elitserien (disambiguation).
Tippeligaen 
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 LeagueCurrent champions Molde
(2011)Most championships Rosenborg (22) TV partners TV2, MAX and Altibox Website fotball.no 
2011 Norwegian Premier LeagueTippeligaen (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).
Contents
Format
Competition
●●●●●●●●Sarpsborg 08●●●●●●●Vålerenga●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.[citation needed]
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
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.[2] 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.[3]
History
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.[4]
UEFA Rankings
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)
Current members
Tippeligaen title holders
The following sixteen clubs will compete in the Norwegian Premier League during the 2011 season.
Club Finishing position
in 2010First season in
top division[5]First season of
current spell in
top divisionAalesund 4th 2003 2007 Brann 13th 1963 1987 Fredrikstad 3rd Adeccoligaen 1938 2011 Haugesund 6th 1997 2010 Lillestrøm 10th 1975 1975 Molde 11th 1974 2008 Odd Grenland 5th 1965 2009 Rosenborg 1st 1967 1979 Sarpsborg 08 2nd Adeccoligaen 2011 2011 Sogndal 1st Adeccoligaen 1982 2011 Stabæk 12th 1995 2006 Start 8th 1969 2009 Strømsgodset 7th 1967 2007 Tromsø 3rd 1986 2003 Viking 9th 1963 1989 Vålerenga 2nd 1963 2002 Top flight champions
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. The league system caused considerable bitterness in the north in the 50's, 60's and 70's (see also: Bodø/Glimt and List of Premier League Champions from 1938 to present time).[citation needed]
- 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
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
The following medals have been awarded:
Season Gold Silver Bronze Name of league 1937/38 Fredrikstad Lyn - Norgesserien (League of Norway) 1938/39 Fredrikstad Skeid - Norgesserien (League of Norway) 1947/48 Freidig Sparta Sarpsborg - Norgesserien (League of Norway) 1948/49 Fredrikstad Vålerenga - New name: Hovedserien (Main League) 1949/50 Fram Larvik Fredrikstad - Hovedserien (Main League) 1950/51 Fredrikstad Odd Grenland - Hovedserien (Main League) 1951/52 Fredrikstad Brann - Hovedserien (Main League) 1952/53 Larvik Turn Skeid - Hovedserien (Main League) 1953/54 Fredrikstad Skeid - Hovedserien (Main League) 1954/55 Larvik Turn Fredrikstad - Hovedserien (Main League) 1955/56 Larvik Turn Fredrikstad - Hovedserien (Main League) 1956/57 Fredrikstad Odd Grenland - Hovedserien (Main League) 1957/58 Viking Skeid - Hovedserien (Main League) 1958/59 Lillestrøm Fredrikstad - Hovedserien (Main League) 1959/60 Fredrikstad Lillestrøm Eik-Tønsberg Hovedserien (Main League) 1960/61 Fredrikstad Eik-Tønsberg Vålerenga Hovedserien (Main League) 1961/62 Brann Steinkjer Fredrikstad Hovedserien (Main League) 1963 Brann Lyn Skeid New name: 1. divisjon (1st division) 1964 Lyn Fredrikstad Sarpsborg 1. divisjon (1st division) 1965 Vålerenga Lyn Sarpsborg 1. divisjon (1st division) 1966 Skeid Fredrikstad Lyn 1. divisjon (1st division) 1967 Rosenborg Skeid Lyn 1. divisjon (1st division) 1968 Lyn Rosenborg Viking 1. divisjon (1st division) 1969 Rosenborg Fredrikstad Strømsgodset 1. divisjon (1st division) 1970 Strømsgodset Rosenborg Ham-Kam 1. divisjon (1st division) 1971 Rosenborg Lyn Viking 1. divisjon (1st division) 1972 Viking Fredrikstad Strømsgodset 1. divisjon (1st division) 1973 Viking Rosenborg Start 1. divisjon (1st division) 1974 Viking Molde Vålerenga 1. divisjon (1st division) 1975 Viking Brann Start 1. divisjon (1st division) 1976 Lillestrøm Mjøndalen Brann 1. divisjon (1st division) 1977 Lillestrøm Bodø/Glimt Molde 1. divisjon (1st division) 1978 Start Lillestrøm Viking 1. divisjon (1st division) 1979 Viking Moss Start 1. divisjon (1st division) 1980 Start Bryne Lillestrøm 1. divisjon (1st division) 1981 Vålerenga Viking Rosenborg 1. divisjon (1st division) 1982 Viking Bryne Lillestrøm 1. divisjon (1st division) 1983 Vålerenga Lillestrøm Start 1. divisjon (1st division) 1984 Vålerenga Viking Start 1. divisjon (1st division) 1985 Rosenborg Lillestrøm Vålerenga 1. divisjon (1st division) 1986 Lillestrøm Mjøndalen Kongsvinger 1. divisjon (1st division) 1987 Moss Molde Kongsvinger 1. divisjon (1st division) 1988 Rosenborg Lillestrøm Molde 1. divisjon (1st division) 1989 Lillestrøm Rosenborg Tromsø 1. divisjon (1st division) 1990 Rosenborg Tromsø Molde 1. divisjon (1st division) 1991 Viking Rosenborg Start New name: Tippeligaen 1992 Rosenborg Kongsvinger Start Tippeligaen 1993 Rosenborg Bodø/Glimt Lillestrøm Tippeligaen 1994 Rosenborg Lillestrøm Viking Tippeligaen 1995 Rosenborg Molde Bodø/Glimt Tippeligaen 1996 Rosenborg Lillestrøm Viking Tippeligaen 1997 Rosenborg Brann Strømsgodset Tippeligaen 1998 Rosenborg Molde Stabæk Tippeligaen 1999 Rosenborg Molde Brann Tippeligaen 2000 Rosenborg Brann Viking Tippeligaen 2001 Rosenborg Lillestrøm Viking Tippeligaen 2002 Rosenborg Molde Lyn Tippeligaen 2003 Rosenborg Bodø/Glimt Stabæk Tippeligaen 2004 Rosenborg Vålerenga Brann Tippeligaen 2005 Vålerenga Start Lyn Tippeligaen 2006 Rosenborg Brann Vålerenga Tippeligaen 2007 Brann Stabæk Viking Tippeligaen 2008 Stabæk Fredrikstad Tromsø Tippeligaen 2009 Rosenborg Molde Stabæk Tippeligaen 2010 Rosenborg Vålerenga Tromsø Tippeligaen 2011 Molde Tippeligaen Medalists by club name
The following clubs have won one or more Premier League medals since 1937/38:
Club Founded Gold Silver Bronze Last merits Rosenborg 1917-05-19 22 5 1 League gold 2010 Fredrikstad 1903-04-07 9 8 1 League gold 1960/61, silver 2008 Viking 1899-08-10 8 2 9 League gold 1991, bronze 2007 Lillestrøm 1917-04-02 5 8 3 League gold 1989, silver 2001 Vålerenga 1913-07-29 5 2 3 League gold 2005 Brann 1908-09-26 3 5 3 League gold 2007 Larvik Turn 1906 3 - - League gold 1955/56 Lyn 1896-03-03 2 5 4 League gold 1968, silver 1971, bronze 2005 Start 1905-09-19 2 1 7 League gold 1980, silver 2005 Molde 1911-06-19 1 7 3 League gold 2011 Skeid 1915 1 5 1 League gold 1966, silver 1967 Stabæk 1912-03-16 1 1 3 League gold 2008 Moss 1906-08-28 1 1 - League gold 1987 Strømsgodset 1907 1 - 3 League gold 1970, bronze 1997 Fram Larvik 1894 1 - - League gold 1949/50 Freidig 1903 1 - - League gold 1947/48 Bodø/Glimt 1916 - 3 1 League silver 2003 Bryne 1926 - 2 - League silver 1982 Mjøndalen 1910 - 2 - League silver 1986 Odd Grenland 1894-03-31 - 2 - League silver 1956/57 Tromsø 1920 - 1 3 League bronze 2010 Kongsvinger 1892-01-31 - 1 2 League silver 1992 Eik-Tønsberg 1928-03-14 - 1 1 League silver 1960/61 Sparta Sarpsborg 1928-11-23 - 1 - League silver 1947/48 Steinkjer 1910-05-29 - 1 - League silver 1961/62 Sarpsborg 1903-05-08 - - 2 League bronze 1965 Ham-Kam 1918-08-10 - - 1 League bronze 1970 Attendance
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.
Year Total Average 1985 581 177 4 403 1986 426 349 3 229 1987 469 030 3 553 1988 576 257 4 365 1989 624 679 4 732 1990 647 489 4 905 1991 706 508 5 352 1992 671 903 5 083 1993 731 565 5 542 1994 688 589 5 216 1995 841 717 4 624 1996 841 368 4 622 1997 772 197 4 242 1998 959 317 5 270 1999 983 630 5 404 2000 1 024 722 5 639 2001 1 013 264 5 567 2002 1 092 359 6 002 2003 1 198 798 6 587 2004 1 458 258 8 012 2005 1 727 101 9 489 2006 1 655 572 9 097 2007 1 914 907 10 521 2008 1 785 815 9 812 Individual all-time records
Still active players are highlightedMost matches played
Player Time Matches 
Roar Strand1989–2010 437 Daniel Berg Hestad1993–present 377 Morten Berre1996–present 356 Christer Basma1993–2008 348 Ola By Rise1977–1995 346 Runar Berg1990–2010 345 Erik Hoftun1992–2005 336 Bjørn "Bummen" Johansen1987–2005 334 Espen Hoff1999–present 331 Freddy dos Santos1996–present 330 Svein "Matta" Mathisen1973–1989 327 Tommy Svindal Larsen1991–present 325 Arild Sundgot1995–present 322 Jan-Derek Sørensen1992–2009 317 Bjørn Dahl1972–2009 317 Fredrik Kjølner1994–2007 316 Arne Vidar Moen1991–2005 310 Tom "Bukken" Gulbrandsen1983–1997 307 Torgeir Bjarmann1988–2003 306 Ørjan Berg1988–2006 305 Charles Berstad1983–1998 303 Tom Henning Hovi1992–2006 296 Sigurd Rushfeldt1992–present 294 Martin Andresen1996–2009 294 Petter Belsvik1989–2003 292 Last updated: 31 October 2011. Source: adressa.no.
Most goals scored
Player Time Goals Matches Average Sigurd Rushfeldt1992–present 172 286 0.60 Harald Martin Brattbakk1990–2005 166 255 0.65 Petter Belsvik1989–2003 159 292 0.54 Odd "Ivers" Iversen1967–1982 158 225 0.70 Per Kristoffersen1957–1968 146 194 0.75 Arne Pedersen1951–1966 120 217 0.55 Jostein Flo1987–2001 112 213 0.53 Bengt Sæternes1998–present 112 259 0.43 Arild Sundgot1995–present 110 319 0.34 Jan Fuglset1967–1982 109 209 0.52 Thorstein Helstad1995–2008 108 199 0.54 Svein "Matta" Mathisen1973–1989 106 327 0.32 Jahn Ivar "Mini" Jakobsen1988–2000 98 194 0.51 Frode Johnsen1999–2006 98 189 0.52 Henry Johannessen1946–1961 96 139 0.69 Harald Hennum1949–1963 94 121 0.78 Steffen Iversen1995–present 92 204 0.45 Gunnar Thoresen1947–1962 91 116 0.78 Gøran Sørloth1984–1995 89 228 0.39 Tore André "Totto" Dahlum1989–1999 89 220 0.40 Willy "Vinga" Olsen1949–1961 89 151 0.59 Ole Martin Årst1995–present 88 205 0.43 Roar Strand1990–2010 89 425 0.20 Last updated: 1 June 2011. Source: adressa.no.
Foreign players
Main article: List of foreign Norwegian Premier League playersSee also
- 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
- ^ In Norwegian "fotballens nasjonaldag", see e.g. [1] (norskefans.no)
- ^ Access list for European Cup Football 2009/2012
- ^ "UEFA Country Ranking 2009". http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method3/crank2009.html. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ^ Sæther, Esten O. (7 August 2009). "Alle heiet underveis" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet. http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/08/07/sport/fotball/tippeligaen/europacup/7548836/. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
- ^ Counting from 1963, the first season with a single top division.
External links
- Football Association of Norway
- All-time Premier League table from 1963 to 2004
- Tippeligaen Stats, Fixtures, Results and Team Profiles
Tippeligaen 2011 Brann · Fredrikstad · Haugesund · Lillestrøm · Molde · Odd Grenland · Rosenborg · Sarpsborg 08 · Sogndal · Stabæk · Start · Strømsgodset · Tromsø · Viking · Vålerenga · AalesundTop division football seasons in Norway Norgesserien 1937–38 · 1938–39 · 1939–40 · 1947–48Hovedserien 1. divisjon Tippeligaen Football in Norway League competitions Tippeligaen · Adeccoligaen (D1) · Fair Play ligaen (D2) · 3. divisjon (D3) · Toppserien (W) · 1. divisjon (W, D1)Cup competitions Playoff competitions To the First Division (1996–2000) · To the Second Division (2001–2010) · To the First Division (women)National teams Lists and categories Top level football leagues of Europe (UEFA) Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · England · Estonia · Faroe Islands · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Israel · Italy · Kazakhstan · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Montenegro · Netherlands · Northern Ireland · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Republic of Ireland · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Scotland · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · Ukraine · WalesCategories:- Norwegian Premier League
- Football competitions in Norway
- National association football premier leagues
- Summer association football leagues
- Professional sports leagues
- 1937 establishments in Norway
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