Although Norway is not among the top football-obsessed countries, it still has a very interesting and idiosyncratic league. Most of the players are Norwegians and there are very few internationals. These are the reasons for the peculiarities of the championship. Like in the majority of Nordic countries, football in Norway is rough and untechnical and is more focused on the players’ physical strength and endurance than their skills. Nevertheless, this approach has its admirers.
Teams in the Norwegian OBOS league
The Norway first division table is headed by club Brann. It is a very well-known sports club in the country, as it was founded back in 1908. The club has been at the top of the country more than once. Under Brann they have 6 Norwegian Cups and three league championships. But through a series of failures, the club ended up in the first division. Now it has done all it can to get out of there. Brann is characterized by a flamboyant attacking game. The players are not used to sitting defensively. But the club does not concede much either, thanks to an excellent goalkeeper and well-coordinated teamwork.
If Brann Norwegians are used to seeing their team in red uniforms, their arch-rival Stabek prefers blue. This club also has a long and interesting history. It is noteworthy that, although it was founded in 1912, the team began to win serious tournaments only at the beginning of this century. Now the club has won the Norwegian championship and the Norwegian Cup.
Another OBOS league club that deserves attention is Start. One of Norway’s oldest teams was founded in 1905. The club had great performances in the national championships in the 70-90s of the last century. On account of the team 2 championships, one second place and 7 bronze medals.
Kongsvinger is a club named after the hometown of Kongsvinger. It is probably the oldest team of Norwegian old-timers. The club was founded in 1892. It has few awards, shows consistent play and rarely drops outside its division.
Sannes Ulf is an interesting and modern team, resulting from the merger of clubs Sannes and Ulf in 2004. The result is a strong mid-tier side in the first division. For a while the club even managed to break into the top division, but that period lasted all of 2 years.
Sogndal is a club with varying degrees of success in both the top and first divisions. In the top division, however, it has almost never reached the final. The only exception is 1976. The team has had ups and downs, but for the most part it has shown an even game.
Ranheim – it is widely considered to be Rosenborg’s farcical club, which has been sponsoring all its expenses of late. This is not surprising as Ranheim has an excellent sporting school, and are famous for their talented youngsters.
Mjøndalen is another strong mid-tier side in the first division. The club has an excellent reputation and a rich history. The team peaked in the 1930s. And the last time Mjøndalen made it to the top league was in 1992.
Fredrikstad is without doubt one of the most decorated teams in the first division. It has nine Norwegian championships and 11 Norwegian cups. Remarkably, there is no player under number 8 on the team at the moment. That number has been secured for Dagfinn Enerly. He was seriously injured in a match in 2005 and is permanently confined to a wheelchair.
Brünje – has been in the top division for quite some time, but has not shown any significant results there. The team has only one Norwegian Cup to its credit.
Röufoss is a pretty good team. For 10 seasons they managed to stay in the top division. Now they are in a slump but the fans are sure that this is only temporary.
Schade, a club that managed to stay in last place in the first division this year. It’s a very bad slump for him, as the team used to boast 8 Norwegian Cups and one championship. In addition, the club has a reputation as a school of talent.
These are all significant clubs from the Norwegian first division. As you can see, teams that know how and love to win have come together here. That’s why the matches are so interesting to watch.