CUP === Final: Stabæk - Rosenborg 3-1 aet Semifinals: Brann - Rosenborg 2-3 Moss - Stabæk 0-0 aet, 1-3 on pen. Quarterfinals: Brann - Molde 4-0 Moss - Bodø/Glimt 2-1 Rosenborg - Bryne 5-0 Stabæk - Skeid 3-1 LEAGUE ====== PREMIER DIVISION For the seventh time in succession Rosenborg are champions, but this season was tougher than usual. Molde lead the league for 2/3 of the season, and deservedly take the silver medals. Stabæk win the cup final and finish in third, whereas Viking grab the final UEFA Cup place after their fourth place. At the bottom, Sogndal go down, as they are simply not good enough. They are joined by Haugesund, when they fail to win their last game against Kongsvinger. The latter have to go through the playoff, but keep their place. Of the other teams, both newcomers, Vålerenga and Moss, eventually finish in safe position, but not without flirting with relegation for long spells. Bodø/Glimt and especially Lillestrøm have a good season and finish higher than expected, whereas Brann, Strømsgodset and Tromsø are the negative surprises this year. Rosenborg 26 20 3 3 79-23 63 Champions Cup Molde 26 16 6 4 70-34 54 UEFA Cup Stabæk 26 16 5 5 63-29 53 (Cup Winners Cup) Viking 26 14 4 8 66-44 46 UEFA Cup Bodø/Glimt 26 9 9 8 47-47 36 Brann 26 9 8 9 44-39 35 Vålerenga 26 10 3 13 44-48 33 Lillestrøm 26 9 6 11 41-49 33 Moss 26 10 2 14 36-55 32 Strømsgodset 26 9 5 12 40-61 32 Tromsø 26 7 7 12 39-48 28 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kongsvinger 26 7 5 14 35-59 26 Play-off ----------------------------------------- Haugesund 26 6 5 15 41-55 23 Relegated Sogndal 26 4 4 18 26-80 16 Relegated Top scorers: ============ 27 goals: Sigurd Rushfeldt, Rosenborg 20 goals: Rune Lange, Tromsø 19 goals: Petter Belsvik, Stabæk Jostein Flo, Strømsgodset 16 goals: Andreas Lund, Molde 15 goals: Rikhardur Dadason, Viking 14 goals: Mini Jakobsen, Rosenborg 12 goals: Kjetil Løvvik, Brann Raymond Kvisvik, Brann (Moss) Roar Strand, Rosenborg 11 goals: Odd Inge Olsen, Molde Christian Flindt Bjerg, Viking Attendance: =========== Club Average Rosenborg 13 164 Brann 8 976 Molde 8 516 Vålerenga 7 865 Viking 5 692 Strømsgodset 4 363 Haugesund 3 950 Lillestrøm 3 871 Bodø/Glimt 3 491 Stabæk 3 397 Tromsø 3 394 Moss 2 884 Kongsvinger 2 505 Sogndal 1 482 ------ Total average 5 254 (total 956 151) FIRST DIVISION Odd Grenland are back in the top flight for the first time since 1967. This traditional club are still the Norwegian team with most cup wins. During the season, they first looked to be joined by Byåsen, which have a tremendous start, then by Bryne, which promptly lose their last 6 matches, and then by surprise team Kjelsås, which manage to lose to the bottom club on the final day, but in the end it's Skeid which go straight back up after only one season in the first division. The battle against relegation is equally close, with Aalesund and Strindheim being the unlucky ones on the final day, to join the already relegated Ullern and Hamarkameratene. As in 1997, there is really little to decide between most teams and only 12 points separate the 2rd and 12th team in the division. Odd Grenland 26 16 7 3 55-18 55 Promoted Skeid 26 13 5 8 40-37 44 Promoted ----------------------------------------- Kjelsås 26 11 8 7 43-34 41 Play-off - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Byåsen 26 12 4 10 38-30 40 Start 26 11 6 9 37-29 39 Bryne 26 12 3 11 46-42 39 Hødd 26 12 2 12 40-45 38 Raufoss 26 11 4 11 35-43 37 Lyn 26 9 9 8 44-26 36 Eik-Tønsberg 26 9 8 9 39-35 35 ----------------------------------------- Aalesund 26 10 4 12 26-41 34 Relegated Strindheim 26 8 8 10 37-37 32 Relegated Ullern 26 6 3 17 26-55 21 Relegated Hamarkameratene 26 6 1 19 30-64 19 Relegated SECOND DIVISION With 8 groups and only 4 promotion places, a series of playoff matches decide which teams go up. In the end, the promoted teams are Liv/Fossekallen from Hønefoss, Skjetten from just outside Lillestrøm, Lofoten from Svolvær/Kabelvåg in Northern Norway and Clausenengen from Kristiansund. The first three will all make their debut at the second highest level in 1999, whereas Clausenengen last played in the old second division in 1989. Group 1: ======== Liv/Fossekallen 22 16 4 2 51-14 52 Play-off - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Årvoll 22 12 4 6 60-39 40 Lyn 2 22 11 4 7 47-35 37 Faaberg 22 11 3 8 46-37 36 Lillestrøm 2 22 10 5 7 46-35 35 Sprint/Jeløy 22 10 5 7 46-42 35 Drøbak/Frogn 22 10 1 11 38-40 31 Jevnaker 22 7 7 8 31-35 28 Gjøvik/Lyn 22 7 7 8 36-41 28 ----------------------------------------- Strømmen 22 6 3 13 34-52 21 Relegated Jotun 22 5 3 14 30-61 18 Relegated Bjerke 22 1 6 15 24-58 9 Relegated Group 2: ======== Skjetten 22 16 2 4 58-20 50 Play-off - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sarpsborg 22 16 2 4 57-26 50 Stabæk 2 22 13 1 8 52-43 40 Grei 22 10 4 8 33-32 34 Bærum 22 11 0 11 57-49 33 Lørenskog 22 10 3 9 35-35 33 Abildsø 22 10 1 11 43-52 31 Elverum 22 9 2 11 43-46 29 Nybergsund 22 8 4 10 33-31 28 ----------------------------------------- Fossum (Bærum) 22 7 4 11 39-41 25 Relegated Rakkestad 22 7 4 11 39-49 25 Relegated Hamarkameratene 2 22 1 1 20 15-80 4 Relegated Group 3: ======== Ørn-Horten 22 14 5 3 67-34 47 Play-off - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fredrikstad 22 14 5 3 47-17 47 Sandefjord 22 11 7 4 41-29 40 Runar 22 8 10 4 45-29 34 Vålerenga 2 22 9 6 7 58-46 33 Ski 22 9 6 7 39-37 33 Råde 22 10 2 10 47-50 32 Drafn 22 6 8 8 42-56 26 Østsiden 22 7 4 11 41-47 25 ----------------------------------------- Mjøndalen 22 6 6 10 38-42 24 Relegated Larvik Turn 22 3 4 15 26-56 13 Relegated Åssiden 22 1 5 16 25-73 8 Relegated Group 4: ======== Vidar 22 13 7 2 65-30 46 Play-off - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pors Grenland 22 11 4 7 48-30 37 Mandalskameratene 22 9 9 4 41-26 36 Haugesund 2 22 10 4 8 59-48 34 Sandnes 22 8 8 6 31-29 32 Sola 22 9 5 8 30-39 32 Ålgård 22 8 7 7 35-44 31 Flekkefjord 22 6 11 5 38-33 29 Randaberg 22 7 8 7 45-41 29 ----------------------------------------- Eiger 22 6 5 11 22-42 23 Relegated Jerv 22 5 6 11 34-47 21 Relegated Klepp 22 1 4 17 31-70 7 Relegated Group 5: ======== Fyllingen 22 17 4 1 69-23 55 Play-off - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Åsane 22 17 2 3 59-27 53 Stord 22 10 5 7 46-35 35 Fana 22 10 4 8 42-33 34 Brann 2 22 9 5 8 40-36 32 Vard 22 9 4 9 42-41 31 Os 22 8 5 9 44-49 29 Førde 22 9 2 11 36-41 29 Sogndal 2 22 7 2 13 33-61 23 ----------------------------------------- Stryn 22 6 3 13 34-47 21 Relegated Nest-Sotra 22 4 5 13 29-52 17 Relegated Vedavåg 22 4 3 15 39-68 15 Relegated Group 6: ======== Clausenengen 22 15 5 2 69-20 50 Play-off - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Molde 2 22 12 2 8 58-31 38 Skarbøvik 22 10 7 5 39-29 37 Verdal 22 11 3 8 49-41 36 Steinkjer 22 9 5 8 40-39 32 Averøykameratene 22 8 8 6 34-40 32 Orkdal/Orkanger 22 7 7 8 33-42 28 Volda 22 8 2 12 41-47 26 Træff 22 7 4 11 28-45 25 ----------------------------------------- Kristiansund 22 7 2 13 30-44 23 Relegated Åndalsnes 22 6 5 11 30-50 23 Relegated Aalesund 2 22 3 8 11 26-49 17 Relegated Group 7: ======== Rosenborg 2 22 15 4 3 71-24 49 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mo 22 15 3 4 47-33 48 Play-off Narvik FK 22 12 6 4 38-23 42 Kolstad 22 12 2 8 54-47 38 Bodø/Glimt 2 22 11 4 7 48-39 37 Ranheim 22 9 7 6 52-42 34 Nardo 22 9 3 10 39-40 30 Gevir Bodø 22 5 9 8 45-48 24 Mosjøen 22 6 5 11 35-46 23 ----------------------------------------- Bangsund 22 5 4 13 22-47 19 Relegated National 22 3 5 14 37-63 14 Relegated Stjørdals/Blink 22 4 0 18 36-72 12 Relegated Group 8: ======== Lofoten 22 19 2 1 82-36 59 Play-off - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tromsdalen 22 15 3 4 60-24 48 Harstad 22 14 5 3 63-24 47 Alta 22 13 3 6 92-40 42 Hammerfest 22 9 6 7 53-53 33 Skjervøy 22 10 2 10 52-52 32 Finnsnes 22 9 3 10 40-39 30 Lyngen/Karnes 22 7 5 10 45-65 26 SOIL Fotball 22 6 1 15 41-65 19 ----------------------------------------- Ulfstind 22 5 3 14 35-64 18 Relegated Morild 22 4 5 13 30-64 17 Relegated Polarstjernen 22 1 2 19 28-95 5 Relegated THIRD DIVISION The winners of group 1 to 19, and thereby promoted: Manglerud/Star (1), Ullensaker/Kisa (2), Trøgstad/Båstad (3), Eidsvold Turn (4), Asker (5), Skarphedin (6), Tollnes (7), Viking 2 (8), Ny-Krohnborg (9), Radøy (10), Florø (11), Ørsta (12), Sunndal (13), Tynset (14), Namsos (15), Stålkameratene (16), Sortland (17), Skarp (18), Kirkenes (19). The five best second placed teams were also promoted: Kvik (Halden) (1), Grim/Start 2 (7), Tornado (11), Brønnøysund (16), Nordreisa (18). 1999 ==== Next season's group division of the teams in the second division has been decided as follows: PREMIER DIVISION (14) Bodø/Glimt, Brann, Kongsvinger, Lillestrøm, Molde, Moss, Odd Grenland, Rosenborg, Skeid, Stabæk, Strømsgodset, Tromsø, Viking, Vålerenga. FIRST DIVISION (14) Bryne, Byåsen, Clausenengen, Eik-Tønsberg, Haugesund, Hødd, Kjelsås, Liv/Fossekallen, Lofoten, Lyn, Raufoss, Skjetten, Sogndal, Start. SECOND DIVISION (8x12) Group 1: Elverum, Eidsvold Turn, Faaberg, Grei, Hamarkameratene, Lillestrøm 2, Lyn 2, Nybergsund, Ski, Trøgstad/Båstad, Tynset, Årvoll. Group 2: Abildsø, Asker, Drøbak/Frogn, Fredrikstad, Gjøvik/Lyn, Kvik (Halden), Lørenskog, Runar, Sarpsborg, Vålerenga 2, Ørn, Østsiden. Group 3: Bærum, Drafn, Jevnaker, Manglerud/Star, Pors Grenland, Råde, Sandefjord, Skarphedin, Sprint/Jeløy, Stabæk 2, Tollnes, Ullern. Group 4: Flekkefjord, Haugesund 2, Mandalskameratene, Randaberg, Sandnes, Sola, Start 2, Ullensaker/Kisa, Vard Haugesund, Vidar, Viking 2, Ålgård. Group 5: Brann 2, Fana, Florø, Fyllingen, Førde, Ny-Krohnborg, Os, Radøy, Sogndal 2, Stord, Tornado, Åsane. Group 6: Averøykameratene, Kolstad, Molde 2, Nardo, OIL/OIF, Ranheim, Skarbøvik, Sunndal, Træff, Volda, Ørsta, Aalesund. Group 7: Bodø/Glimt 2, Brønnøysund, Gevir Bodø, Mo, Mosjøen, Namsos, Narvik, Rosenborg 2, Steinkjer, Strindheim, Stålkameratene, Verdal. Group 8: Alta, Finnsnes, Hammerfest, Harstad, Kirkenes, Lyngen/Karnes, Nordreisa, Silsand, Skarp, Skjervøy, Sortland, Tromsdalen.