History of Molde FK facts for kids
Molde Fotballklubb is a football club from Molde, Norway. It was started in 1911 as International by a group of friends led by Klaus Daae Andersen. The club later changed its name to Molde FK and joined the league system in 1928. They played in regional leagues for many years. Since 1930, the team has played in the Norwegian Football Cup. In 1939, the club joined the top division, the League of Norway. However, World War II stopped all organized sports, so this season was never finished.
In 1947–48, Molde played their first full season in the top division. They finished third in their group but were moved to the second tier because of changes to the league system. Molde then played nine seasons in the second tier before getting promoted to the top division in 1957–58 Hovedserien. Molde won only one game that season and was sent back down to the second division.
The club's first trophy was won in 1994. Molde beat Lyn 3–2 in the 1994 Norwegian Cup final. Molde won their second Norwegian Cup in 2005. In 2011, during the club's 100th anniversary, Molde won their first league title. They won the title again in 2012. In 2013, Molde won their third Norwegian Cup by beating their main rivals Rosenborg 4–2. Molde won their first double (both league and cup) in 2014. The club had limited success in UEFA tournaments until they reached the round of 32 in the Europa League in the 2015–16 season. Much of Molde's success in the 2010s is thanks to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. He managed the club from 2011–2013 and 2015–2018 before becoming manager of Manchester United.
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Early Years of Molde FK
The club was founded by Klaus Daae Andersen and his friends on June 19, 1911. They met at Utstillingsplassen in Molde. On that day, 32 men became members. J. Ferdinand Dahl was chosen as the club's first chairman. On April 24, 1912, the club decided to name itself International. This name might have been chosen because their opponents were often visitors from cruise ships or trading boats. Or it could have been to welcome the many Danes working at the Gideon engine factory.
On August 5, 1912, the club played its first official match. It was an away game against Kristiansund, and the score was 2–2. Molde's first home game was on September 22, 1912, again against Kristiansund. Tickets for the game cost NOK 0.25. The club even organized a dance party after the game! International was one of six clubs that started the Romsdals Football District on June 28, 1914. Because football was becoming popular in nearby towns, the club changed its name to Molde Fotballklubb in 1915.
Name Change and Challenges
At the club's yearly meeting in 1915, the name was officially changed to Molde Fotballklubb. During World War I, Molde played very few games. This was due to a lack of money, problems with their football pitch, and eight players being called up for military duty. The club's financial situation improved after a successful market event held in 1919. In 1920, Molde got new blue kits with white cuffs. They also decided to create a club crest.
Molde played in the Norwegian Cup for the first time in 1921. They lost their first match 1–2 against Rollon in a qualifying round of the 1921 Norwegian Cup.
Molde played its first season in the top division in 1939–40. However, the season was stopped because of the German occupation and was never finished. Molde's first full season in the top league was after the war, in 1947–48. They finished third in their group but were moved down to the second tier. This happened because the league system was changed. Molde then played nine seasons in the second tier before getting promoted to the top division in 1957–58 Hovedserien.
Until 1955, Molde FK played their games at Rivalbanen. In 1955, Molde moved to their new stadium, Molde Stadion. It opened on August 28, 1955, with a second-tier league match between Molde FK and Kristiansund FK. Arne Hemnes scored the only goal, giving Molde a 1–0 win. About 2,500 fans watched the opening game.
Molde won only one of their fourteen games in their top division comeback in 1957–58. They were relegated after finishing seventh out of eight teams in their group. The club then played four seasons in the second tier before being moved down even further to the third division in 1963.
The Breakthrough Years (1964–1977)
On August 2, 1964, Molde surprised Fredrikstad. Fredrikstad had won the Norwegian Cup nine times and the league nine times. But Molde beat them 3–2 at home in the 1964 Norwegian Cup. Famous players like Jan Fuglset, Torkild Brakstad, Odd Berg, and Harry Hestad played for Molde during this time.
In 1970, Molde was promoted to the second tier. They played there for three seasons. Then, on September 16, 1973, they were promoted to the top flight. They won 5–1 away against Sogndal to secure their promotion.
In 1974, Molde returned to the top division. Many talented young players joined the team. Also, top players like Fuglset, Brakstad, and Hestad returned. Molde surprised everyone in their first season back in the 1. divisjon. They were at the top of the league for 9 out of 22 matchdays. Before the last game, Molde could win the league if they beat Sarpsborg and Viking lost. Both Molde and Viking won their last games. This meant Molde won the silver medal, finishing just one point behind champions Viking. Odd Berg scored 13 goals and became Molde's first top scorer in the top division.
Because they finished second in the league in 1974, Molde qualified for the 1975–76 UEFA Cup. The club's first game in a UEFA competition was on September 17, 1975. Molde won the first leg 1–0 at home against Swedish team Öster. Kjell Westerdahl scored the goal at Molde Idrettspark. Molde lost the second game 0–6. This was their biggest defeat in UEFA competitions. They were knocked out of the UEFA Cup with a 1–6 total score.
Ups and Downs (1978–1993)
Between 1978 and 1984, Molde kept going up and down between divisions. They were relegated from the top division in every even-numbered year. Then, they were promoted back to the top tier in every odd-numbered year. This happened three times in a row!
In 1982, Molde played in their first cup final. This happened even though they were relegated from the top division that year. They lost the final at Ullevaal Stadion 3–2 against Brann.
The 1987 season was the closest Molde came to winning the league before 2011. A draw at home against Moss in the final game would have given them the title. Molde had many chances to score, but Moss won the match 2–0 at Molde stadium. Moss won the league, and Molde got their second silver medal. The attendance of 14,615 set a record at the old Molde stadium.
Molde played their second cup final in 1989. The first match against Viking ended in a 2–2 draw. Viking won the replay 2–1.
When Molde was relegated from the top flight again in 1993, the club had big money problems. This was due to several projects, especially expanding the main stand at Molde stadium. Local businessmen Kjell Inge Røkke and Bjørn Rune Gjelsten started to invest in the club. Since 1993, they have invested about 500 million kr to pay old debts, buy new players, and build the new stadium.
The Silver Generation (1994–2000)
First Trophy Win
Åge Hareide was Molde's head coach in the 1994 season. The team finished second in their 1. divisjon group and was promoted back to the top league. Molde also met their main rivals Rosenborg in the semi-final of the 1994 Norwegian Cup. Molde won 2–1 at home and drew 2–2 in Trondheim. With a 4–3 total win, Molde reached their third cup final. Molde won their first title by beating Lyn 3–2 in the final at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo. Tarje Nordstrand Jacobsen, Ole Bjørn Sundgot, and Arild Stavrum scored Molde's goals in the final.
The Three S's
During the 1995 season, Molde became famous for their three strikers. They were known as the three S's because their last names started with 'S': Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Arild Stavrum, and Ole Bjørn Sundgot. In their first league match, Molde won 6–0 against Brann in Bergen. Solskjær scored two goals, and Stavrum and Sundgot also scored. This was one of Brann's biggest home losses ever. With six wins in a row, Molde stayed in the top two spots of the league all season. But they finished second, 15 points behind Rosenborg.
Solskjær scored 31 goals in 42 matches for Molde. He was sold to Manchester United on July 29, 1996. Molde finished eighth that season. In 1997, Molde finished fourth in the league. Erik Brakstad became the new head coach before the 1998 season.
New Stadium and Near Miss
In the 1998 season, Molde moved to the new Molde Stadion. The first game was on April 18 against Lillestrøm, which Molde won 4–0. Molde played their first 21 matches without losing. This was a Norwegian record until 2009. In the 22nd game, Molde lost to Vålerenga. Rosenborg won their game and took the top spot. On September 26, 1998, Rosenborg beat Molde 2–0 in the 23rd game and won the championship. Molde finished second. Molde scored a club record 70 goals in the 1998 Tippeligaen. The highest attendance ever at Aker Stadion was 13,308 fans. This was for the 1998 rivalry game against Rosenborg.
UEFA Champions League Adventure
In the 1999 season, Molde had a great year. They finished second in the league and reached the semi-final of the 1999 Norwegian Cup. Molde also played in the UEFA Champions League. They played against CSKA Moscow in the second qualifying round. In the first match in Moscow, Molde lost 2–0. In the second game, 19-year-old Magne Hoseth scored two goals. Molde won 4–0, sending them to the third qualifying round.
There, they met Mallorca. The first game at home ended 0–0. Away in Mallorca, Molde was losing for a long time. But Andreas Lund became a hero when he scored a penalty in the 84th minute. With a 1–1 total score, Molde qualified for the group stage because of the away goals rule. Molde became the team from the smallest city to reach the Champions League group stage. In the group stage, Molde played against Real Madrid, Porto, and Olympiacos. They won one game 3–2 at home against Olympiacos and lost five. Molde finished last in their group. In 2011, for Molde's 100-year anniversary, readers of the local newspaper Romsdals Budstikke voted 1999 as the best year in the club's history.
Cup Success and Relegation (2001–2006)
In 2002, Gunder Bengtsson led Molde to second place in the league. However, fans were not very excited about the club's sixth silver medal. This was because of the team's defensive tactics and few local players.
In 2005, Bo Johansson became Molde's head coach. On June 15, 2005, Molde won 3–2 against Nybergsund to reach the fourth round of the Norwegian Cup. Molde finished 12th in the league. They had to play in a relegation playoff against Moss, which Molde won 5–2 overall. Molde won their second Norwegian Cup title on November 6, 2005. They beat Lillestrøm 4–2 after extra time in the final. Bo Johansson left Molde after only one season. On Christmas Eve, Arild Stavrum was announced as the new head coach.
As Norwegian Cup champions, Molde played in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup. On August 25, 2006, they were drawn to play Scottish team Rangers. They were knocked out 2–0 overall after a 0–0 draw at the Aker Stadion. The same year, Molde was relegated. They had been in the relegation zone for the last four seasons. The relegation was confirmed after losing 8–0 against Stabæk in the second-to-last game of the season. Arild Stavrum was fired at the end of the season.
A New Era: Solskjær and Trophies (2007–Present)
In December 2006, Kjell Jonevret became head coach after Stavrum was fired. With Jonevret as coach, Molde won the 2007 1. divisjon and was promoted back to the top division after one season away.
After promotion, Molde had a 5–1 win against Vålerenga in 2008. They also beat Brann 8–0 at home in the cup four days later. Despite these strong results, Molde finished ninth in their first season back in the top league.
Molde was the second-best team in Norway in 2009, behind champions Rosenborg. Molde stopped Rosenborg from winning both the league and cup. They beat Rosenborg 5–0 at Aker Stadion in the quarter-final of the 2009 Norwegian Cup. In the final, Molde played their local rivals Aalesunds FK. The game ended 2–2 after extra time, but Aalesund won the cup after a penalty shootout.
After only 20 points in the first 22 matches of the 2010 Tippeligaen, Kjell Jonevret was fired. Uwe Rösler replaced him. Under Rösler, Molde earned 20 points in the last eight matches and avoided relegation. Baye Djiby Fall, on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow, became the first Molde player since Jan Fuglset in 1976 to be the top goalscorer in Eliteserien.
Solskjær's First Time as Manager
Before the club's 100-year anniversary in 2011, former Molde and Manchester United player Ole Gunnar Solskjær returned to Molde to manage the club. In his first game, Molde lost 3–0 away against newly promoted Sarpsborg 08. On June 19, 2011, Molde celebrated their 100th anniversary with a 2–0 win against Sogndal. This win put them at the top of the league table. Molde kept their lead and eventually won their first championship. On October 30, 2011, Molde could have won the league at home against Strømsgodset. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. However, Molde won the league later that evening. Rosenborg, the only team that could still catch them, lost 6–3 at home to Brann.
Molde successfully defended their title in 2012. They beat Hønefoss 1–0 on November 11, with one game left in the season.
In 2013, Molde finished sixth in the league. But they defeated Rosenborg 4–2 in the 2013 Norwegian Cup final on November 24. This was their third Norwegian Cup win.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær left the club to manage Premier League team Cardiff City on January 2, 2014.
Winning the League and Cup Double
In the 2014 season, Molde won their first ever league and cup double. This happened under new manager Tor Ole Skullerud. Molde was unbeaten for 24 league games from April 13 to October 4. This was a club record. On October 4, they won the league title with four games to spare. They beat Viking 2–1 away. Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson scored the winning goal in the 78th minute. The team finished the season with 71 points, a league record. They were 11 points ahead of Rosenborg. The double was secured on November 23 when Odd was defeated 2–0 in the Norwegian Cup final. Fredrik Gulbrandsen and Mohamed Elyounoussi scored the goals. Despite this success, Skullerud was fired in August 2015 due to a series of average results.
Solskjær's Second Time as Manager
Solskjær, whose time at Cardiff lasted only nine months, returned to Molde on October 21, 2015. Molde advanced from their group in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League. They finished first in Group A, ahead of Fenerbahçe, Ajax, and Celtic. They lost 3–1 overall to Sevilla. They lost 3–0 away and won 1–0 at home. The home game was Daniel Berg Hestad's 666th and final game for the club. Molde finished second in Eliteserien in both 2017 and 2018. On December 19, 2018, Solskjær left the club to join Manchester United as a temporary manager. His second time as Molde manager officially ended on March 28, 2019, when he became Manchester United's full-time manager.
Molde's Recent Success
Erling Moe is the current manager of the club. He took over as a temporary manager on December 19, 2018, when Ole Gunnar Solskjær left for Manchester United. On April 29, 2019, it was announced that Moe signed a contract to be the permanent head coach until the end of the 2020 season. Under Moe's leadership, Molde brought in several key players for the 2019 season. These included Martin Bjørnbak, Ohi Omoijuanfo, Kristoffer Haraldseid, and Erling Knudtzon. On November 10, 2019, the club won its fourth league title. They secured it with a 4–0 home win against Strømsgodset in the 28th game of the season.
