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Fredrikstad FK is one of Norway’s most successful clubs, but most of its success came in the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. Excluding a couple of domestic cup victories in 1984 and 2006, Fredrikstad FK has been almost perennial bridesmaids.
In the 2000s, the club enjoyed a good number of years in Norway’s top flight and even finished the 2008 campaign as league runners-up. However, they’d be relegated the season afterwards and have spent every year since outside of Norway’s top division, the Tippeligaen.
In 2017, they were relegated to the third tier of Norwegian football and managed to regain promotion back to the second tier. Last year, things looked promising, too, with Fredrikstad FK managing 4th place and qualifying for the promotion playoffs.
The Match Against KFUM Oslo
In the Norwegian First Division, the country’s second highest league, the playoffs are run as single-leg knockout matches.
In the first round, 5th and 6th play each other with the winner of this match playing 4th and the winner of that match playing 3rd. This meant that Fredrikstad FK immediately qualified for the second round and would play the winner of the first round, KFUM Oslo.
The match didn’t start well and by the end of the first half, Fredrikstad FK was losing 2-0. Half through the second half, the team had clawed back a goal and was looking for the equaliser. With two minutes left on the clock, it came and extra time was forced.
In extra time, Fredrikstad FK took the lead with less than ten minutes to go. With the score at 3-2, they looked destined to progress to the next round. Following a red card for each side, KFUM Oslo equalised in injury time and the match went to penalties.
Fredrikstad FK failed to convert the first penalty and this would turn out to be decisive as every other penalty was scored. They’d lost 4-5 and a shot at promotion would have to wait until next year.
Support from FFI
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The club was looking for back-to-back promotions and while this is ambitious for even the very biggest clubs, Fredrikstad FK has a company to help it, FFI.
FFI (Fredrikstad Fotball Invest) was established in 2018 to invest in their beloved local club. Through investment from local individuals and companies like Tor Anders Petterøe via the media company Golden Touch Media, as well as dozens of others, FFI invests in the club and looks to help it return to Norway’s top football league and start competing for the country’s top prizes.
This isn’t about owning the club. FFI leaves the club’s management to do its thing and trusts them to take the club back to where it belongs. Instead, FFI does things like investing in players, with a 30% stake in the club’s on-field talent. FFI is responsible for 30% of player fees and enjoys 30% of the money from the sales of players, too, something which has allowed the company to become profitable in just 3 years.
It’s a different way of doing things and for Fredrikstad FK, it could be the right way.
Photo by Eivind Hauger on Flickr
