Norwegian First Division

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The First Division (Norwegian: 1. divisjon or Adeccoligaen for sponsorship reasons) is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen after its sponsor Adecco.

In 2009, the number of teams in the Norwegian Premier League will expand from fourteen to sixteen.^[1] Therefore, 2008 will be a transitional season, in which more teams will be promoted to the top flight, and less teams relegated to the Second Division, than usual. Automatic promotion will be awarded to the teams finishing in the top three places in the standings. As in previous years, there will be a two-legged promotion playoff at the end of the season, this time between the fourth-placed team in the First Division and the thirteenth-placed team in the Premier League. Only the two teams at the bottom of the standings will face relegation to the Second Division, as opposed to four in previous seasons.

As of 2009, the First Division winners and runners-up will earn automatic promotion. A new playoff system will be introduced, involving teams three, four and five in the First Division, and team fourteen in the Premier League. Teams three and four will play against each other, and face the winner of team five versus team fourteen from the Premier League. Promotion is awarded to the winning team. The four teams finishing at the bottom of the league will be relegated to the Second Division.

TV 2 in Norway broadcasts one match per week, and beginning with the 2008 season, will broadcast one match on Fridays, and one match on Saturdays.

1 Current members
2 Previous winners
3 Relegated teams
4 Top Scorers
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Current members

Club	Finishing position last season
Alta	1st in Division 2 Group 4
Bryne	6th
Haugesund	8th
Hødd	1st in Division 2 Group 2
Hønefoss	10th
Kongsvinger	4th
Løv-Ham	12th
Moss	5th
Notodden	9th
Nybergsund	1st in Division 2 Group 1
Odd Grenland	12th in Tippeligaen
Sparta Sarpsborg	13th
Sandefjord	14th in Tippeligaen
Sandnes Ulf	1st in Division 2 Group 3
Start	13th in Tippeligaen
Sogndal	7th

[edit] Previous winners

Season	Winner	Runner-Up	3rd Place (play-off)
2007	Molde	Ham-Kam	Bodø/Glimt (won)
2006	Strømsgodset	Aalesund	Bryne (lost)
2005	Stabæk	Sandefjord	Moss (lost)
2004	Start	Aalesund	Kongsvinger (lost)
2003	Ham-Kam	Fredrikstad	Sandefjord (lost)
2002	Tromsø	Aalesund	Sandefjord (lost)
2001	Vålerenga	Start	Ham-Kam (lost)
2000	Lyn	Strømsgodset	Sogndal (won)
1999	Haugesund	Bryne	Start (won)
1998	Odd Grenland	Skeid	Kjelsås (lost)
1997	Vålerenga	Moss	Eik-Tønsberg (lost)

[edit] Relegated teams

Season	Clubs
2007	Raufoss, Tromsdalen, Skeid, MK
2006	Pors Grenland, Manglerud Star, Follo, Hødd
2005	MK, Skeid, Tønsberg, Alta
2004	Raufoss, Haugesund, Vard, Tromsdalen
2003	Bærum, Oslo Øst, Ørn-Horten, Alta
2002	Åsane, Tromsdalen, Lørenskog, Tollnes
2001	MK, Kongsvinger, Kjelsås, Byåsen
2000	Strindheim, Eik Tønsberg
1999	Lofoten, Skjetten, Hødd, Clausenengen
1998	Aalesund, Strindheim, Ullern, Ham-Kam
1997	Runar, Drøbak/Frogn, Harstad, Sarpsborg

[edit] Top Scorers

Season	Top scorer, club	Goals
2007	Kenneth Kvalheim, Notodden	23
2006	Mattias Andersson, Strømsgodset	19
2005	Daniel Nannskog, Stabæk	27
2004	Paul Oyuga, Bryne	18
2003	Markus Ringberg, Fredrikstad	19
2002	Morten Gamst Pedersen, Tromsø	18
2001	Bala Garba, Haugesund	18
2001	Marino Rahmberg, Raufoss	18