Lillestrøm Sportsklubb is a
Norwegian professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club based in the city of
Lillestrøm, just outside of the capital
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
. Lillestrøm SK is a Norwegian football club based in Lillestrøm, playing in Eliteserien. The club was founded in 1917, after the merger of two local football clubs. Their home ground is
Åråsen Stadion, which has a capacity of 12,250 people, while the principal training ground is
Lillestrøm stadion, or the indoor arena,
LSK-Hallen. The club holds the Norwegian record for the most consecutive years without being relegated, having played 45 seasons from 1975 until 2019. Over the years the club has had around 40 players who have represented the
Norwegian national team. There has also been a number of foreigners who have represented the national teams of
the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
,
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
,
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
,
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
,
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
,
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
,
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
, and
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
.
History
Lillestrøm SK was founded on 2 April 1917. It has been
Norwegian League champions five times, most recently in 1989, and also in 1986, 1977, 1976 and 1959. Additionally, they have won the
Norwegian Cup
The Norwegian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament ...
in 1985, 1981, 1978, 1977, 2007 and 2017.
When
Arne Erlandsen
Arne Erlandsen (born 20 December 1959) is a Norwegian association football, football manager (association football), manager and former player. He is currently the manager for Skeid Fotball, Skeid. During his own playing career he had relative s ...
left for Sweden and
IFK Göteborg
Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna Göteborg (officially IFK Göteborg Fotboll), commonly known as IFK Göteborg, IFK (especially locally) or Blåvitt, is a Swedish professional Football team, football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, it ...
after the
2004 season, former LSK player and
German international Uwe Rösler took over as head coach of the team. His first season in charge became a successful one, with Lillestrøm finishing fourth in the league. This position secured LSK a place in the
Royal League
The Royal League was an annual Scandinavian football tournament held three times in the 2000s between teams from the three Scandinavian monarchies (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway), starting after the end of the regular domestic seasons of Norway and ...
. The team also made it to the
2005 Norwegian Cup final, but lost 4–2 to
Molde
Molde () is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town and the seat of Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Pen ...
in front of a crowd of 25,000 at
Ullevaal Stadion
Ullevaal Stadion () is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of ...
.
In the
2006 season, Lillestrøm were among the top favourites to win the league. Following a disappointing 4th place, it was announced on 13 November 2006 that Uwe Rösler had been fired from his position as head coach of Lillestrøm. Only a few days later
Tom Nordlie signed a three-year contract.

A key signing ahead of the
2007 season included
Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Østfold Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipal ...
's
Simen Brenne, an attacking midfielder with a knack for scoring important goals. LSK under Nordlie played a 4–3–3 system, which invites rapid transitional play between defence and attack, Lillestrøm finished fourth in the league and won the
2007 Norwegian cup, beating
Haugesund
Haugesund () is a municipalities of Norway, municipality and List of towns and cities in Norway, town on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway. As of December 2023, the municipality of Haugesund has a population of 37,855. The vast majority of ...
2–0 in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
at Ullevaal Stadion.
On 29 May 2008,
Tom Nordlie resigned from his position as head coach after a disappointing start of the
2008 season. Statements from Nordlie suggested that fundamental disagreements with club director
Jan Åge Fjørtoft
Jan Åge Fjørtoft (born 10 January 1967) is a Norwegian former professional footballer. A powerful centre forward with goalscoring ability, he played professionally in Norway, Austria, England and Germany. In total, he scored 308 goals in 614 ga ...
also contributed to his resignation. It later emerged that the conflict between the controversial coach and the players was another big contributor behind Nordlie's departure, his punishing training regime in the run-up to the 2008 season being cited as the main complaint. Nordlie, no stranger to controversy during his career, had reportedly "lost the dressing room" as early as autumn 2007.
Erland Johnsen and
Frode Grodås stepped in as caretakers until a new head coach was hired. On 19 August 2008, the club announced that
Henning Berg would take over as head coach on 1 January 2009, after leaving his post at
Lyn. Berg's first task would be to rescue the team from relegation, a feat he accomplished in his very first match as head coach. LSK beat
Rosenborg 4–2 in a classic encounter to secure their place in the Tippeligaen.
The
2009 season was one of great upheaval. In an increasingly tight economic position, LSK sold or released 11 players before and during the season, with Berg also restructuring the squad and bringing in new talent. Enormous injury problems also made the start to the season a difficult one for Berg's charges. After 9 games, LSK had won none and drawn four and seemed destined for relegation. An impressive comeback saw Lillestrøm deliver a strong second half to the season, eventually finishing 11th. Newcomer
Nosa Igiebor had an especially impressive first season in the Lillestrøm jersey.
The team continued to impress over the course of the winter and start of the
2010 season. LSK were in early June fifth in the Tippeligaen, undefeated in 14 league matches. They saw, however, a dramatic drop in form over the summer which saw them briefly flirt with relegation, before a late surge of form late in the season salvaged 10th place.
In
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, LSK made an exciting start to the new season, scoring an incredible 18 goals from their first five league matches, including a 7–0 drubbing of Stabæk in their first league match of the season – away from home. Early season form was good enough for the team to flirt with the top three until the end of July. Early in August, however, stars
Anthony Ujah and Nosa Igiebor were sold to stave off the dire economic straits of the club. Also, in-form Icelandic midfielder
Stefán GÃslason was out of contract and left the club. In mid-August, prodigy striker
Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson was injured for the rest of the season, and the club failed to win any of their last 11 league games, a new record for Lillestrøm.
Coach Henning Berg was sacked three matches before the end of the season as investor
Per Berg promised fresh funds for acquiring quality players after the season. The club again flirted with the prospect of relegation; however, the incessant poor form of
Start
Start can refer to multiple topics:
* Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air
* Starting lineup in sports
* Track and field#Starts use in race, Starts use in sport race
* S ...
and
Sarpsborg
Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Østfold Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.
Sarpsbor ...
meant Lillestrøm again saved themselves. This despite an abject 34 points gathered over 30 league matches, which normally would mean relegation.
Former
Elfsborg coach
Magnus Haglund was appointed coach after the season. Lillestrøm was quite active in the transfer window ahead of the 2012 season, and bought 11 new players. The change of coach and flurry of transfers did the club no good, however, as they again flirted with relegation until just a few weeks before the end of the season, hovering between 12th and 14th place before a strong finish to the season propelled them into 9th. On the whole the season was deemed a big disappointment, however, and Haglund's position has been subject to debate throughout the winter pre-season.
Ahead of the 2013 season, the club again has reined in spending and started the season with a first team squad of just 18 full senior players and additional backup players from the youth academy. LSK under Haglund have performed well away from home (2nd best away record in 2012), but often struggled on their own turf.
Achievements
*
Eliteserien
Eliteserien () is a professional association football league in Norway and the highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division ...
:
**Winners (5):
1958–59,
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
,
1977
Events January
* January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
,
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
** Spain and Portugal en ...
,
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
**Runners-up (8):
1959–60,
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
,
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
,
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
,
1988,
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
,
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
*
Norwegian Cup
The Norwegian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament ...
:
**Winners (6):
1977
Events January
* January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
,
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
,
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
,
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
,
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
,
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
**Runners-up (8):
1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
,
1955,
1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...
,
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
,
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
** Spain and Portugal en ...
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
,
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
*
Royal League
The Royal League was an annual Scandinavian football tournament held three times in the 2000s between teams from the three Scandinavian monarchies (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway), starting after the end of the regular domestic seasons of Norway and ...
:
**Runners-up (1):
2005–06
*
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was dis ...
:
**Runners-up (1):
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
Recent history
:
European record
Summary
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against. Defunct competitions indicated in italics.
List of matches
Records
*Greatest home victory: 10–0 vs.
Geithus, 4 October 1953
*Greatest away victory: 7–0 vs.
Stabæk, 20 March 2011
*Heaviest home loss: 1–7 vs.
Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Østfold Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipal ...
, 15 August 1954
*Heaviest away loss: 1–7 vs.
Odd, 7 June 1953
*Highest attendance,
Åråsen Stadion: 13,652 vs.
VÃ¥lerenga, 16 May 2002
*Highest average attendance, season: 9,018 in 2007
*Most appearances, total: 720,
Frode Kippe
Frode Kippe (born 17 January 1978) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a central defender, mostly for Lillestrøm in the Eliteserien. He made eight appearances for the Norway national team. With 441 top division appearan ...
1997–1998, 2002–2019
*Most appearances, league: 441,
Frode Kippe
Frode Kippe (born 17 January 1978) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a central defender, mostly for Lillestrøm in the Eliteserien. He made eight appearances for the Norway national team. With 441 top division appearan ...
1997–1998, 2002–2019
*Most goals scored, total: 319,
Tom Lund 1967–82
*Most goals scored, league: 154,
Tom Lund 1967–82
*Most goals scored, season: 26,
Tom Lund 1973
Current squad
''For season transfers, see
transfers winter 2023–24.''
Out on loan
Coaching staff
Academy
Administrative staff
Coaches
*
Alf Martinsen (1947–50; 1952–53)
*
Karl Guðmundsson (1958; 1960)
*
Ragnar Larsen (1962)
* Walther Svendsen (1963)
* Henry Mathiesen (1964–1965)
* Rolf Wahl (1966)
* Ivar Christiansen (1967)
* Rolf Wahl (1968)
*
Svein Bergersen/ Rolf Wahl (1971)
* Oddvar Richardsen (1972)
*
Joar Hoff (1973)
* Ronny Mathiesen (1974)
*
Joar Hoff (1975–1976)
*
Joe Hooley (1977–1980)
*
Kjell Schou-Andreassen (1980–1982)
*
Joar Hoff (1982)
*
Bill Foulkes
William Anthony Foulkes ( or ; 5 January 1932 – 25 November 2013) was an English footballer who played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre-half. For Manchester ...
(1984)
*
Tom Lund (1985–1988)
*
David Hay (1989–1990)
* Tom Lund (1 July 1990 – 30 June 1991)
* Ivar Hoff (1991–1993)
*
Teitur Þórðarson (1994– Sept 9, 1995)
*
Arne Erlandsen
Arne Erlandsen (born 20 December 1959) is a Norwegian association football, football manager (association football), manager and former player. He is currently the manager for Skeid Fotball, Skeid. During his own playing career he had relative s ...
/
Kjetil Osvold (Sept 10, 1995–1996)
*
Per Brogeland (1996– 1 June 1997)
*
Even Pellerud (1997)
* Arne Erlandsen (1998–2005)
*
Uwe Rösler (2005–2007)
*
Tom Nordlie (2007 – 29 May 2008)
*
Erland Johnsen ''(caretaker)'' (29 May 2008 – 16 June 2008)
* Erland Johnsen (16 June 2008 – 21 Oct 2008)
*
Henning Berg (21 Oct 2008 – 26 Oct 2011)
*
Petter Belsvik/
Magnus Powell ''(caretakers)'' (26 Oct 2011–2012)
*
Magnus Haglund (2012–2015)
*
Rúnar Kristinsson (2015– 18 Sep 2016)
* Arne Erlandsen (20 Sep 2016 – 26 June 2018)
*
Arild Sundgot ''(caretaker)'' (26 June 2018 – 13 July 2018)
*
Jörgen Lennartsson (13 July 2018 – 2 December 2019)
*
Tom Nordlie ''(caretaker)'' (3 December 2019 – 11 December 2019)
*
Geir Bakke (31 December 2019 – 12 July 2023)
*
Simon Mesfin/
Frode Kippe
Frode Kippe (born 17 January 1978) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a central defender, mostly for Lillestrøm in the Eliteserien. He made eight appearances for the Norway national team. With 441 top division appearan ...
''(caretakers)'' (12 July 2023 – 20 August 2023)
*
Eirik Bakke ''(caretaker)'' (20 August 2023 – 21 December 2023)
*
Andreas Georgson (21 December 2023 – 26 July 2024)
*
Robin Asterhed ''(caretaker)'' (9 August 2024 – 23 August 2024)
*
David Nielsen ''(caretaker)'' (23 August 2024 – 30 September 2024)
*
Dag Eilev Fagermo (30 September 2024 – 10 December 2024)
*
Hans Erik Ødegaard (10 December 2024 –)
Supporters
Lillestrøm is one of the most supported clubs in Norway, and has the second biggest fan-club in Norway, as the official fan-club, Kanarifansen has more than 5,000 members. Kanarifansen was founded on 3 December 1992 and publishes its own magazines and has its own collection of clothing.
Rivalries
Lillestrøm's biggest rival is
VÃ¥lerenga Fotball
VÃ¥lerenga Fotball () is a Norwegian professional association football, football club from Oslo, and a part of the multi-sport club VÃ¥lerengens IF. The club currently competes in the Eliteserien after being promoted from the Norwegian First ...
. The club also has a rivalry with
Rosenborg. Their traditional local rival dated back to the clubs foundation is
Strømmen IF
Strømmen Idrettsforening is a Norwegian sports club from Strømmen. It has sections for association football, football, sport of athletics, athletics and Artistic gymnastics, gymnastics, and formerly had sections for bandy, orienteering, skiing, ...
.
References
External links
*
"Kanari-Fansen", the Lillestrøm SK Supporters ClubStats, history and facts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lillestrom Sk
Football clubs in Norway
Association football clubs established in 1917
Bandy clubs established in 1917
1917 establishments in Norway
Eliteserien clubs
Sport in Lillestrøm