Reserve teams in Norwegian football

Reserve teams in Norwegian association football play in the ordinary league system. They are always attached to their first teams with a "2" suffix, must play in a lower league than the first team, and cannot play in the Premier League or First Division. Furthermore, if a club's first team plays in the First Division, the reserves team cannot play in the Second Division either.

Controversy

Reserve teams have in general been criticized for fielding uneven teams from week to week, with many first-team players one week and more youth players the next. They have also been criticized for keeping smaller clubs out of the Second Division, meaning a more centralized football culture. In 2009 manager Ivar Morten Normark proposed to throw the reserve teams out of the ordinary league pyramid, and other managers like Dag Eilev Fagermo agreed. In a survey, 19 of 31 responding Second Division clubs wanted the reserve teams out, as did 30 of the 49 responding Third Division clubs.

Mjøndalen IF

Mjøndalen IF is a Norwegian sports club from Mjøndalen, Buskerud, Norway. Of the different athletic endeavours that the club supports, it may be best known in Norway for its bandy national championship teams and internationally for its association football national championship teams that have competed in UEFA championships.

Football

Norwegian Cup

Mjøndalen has won the Norwegian Cup three times, 1933, 1934 and 1937.

Norwegian Premier League

After being promoted in 1971, Mjøndalen regularly played on the top-tier of Norwegian football (the Tippeligaen) in the 1970s and 1980s, and finished second in 1976 and 1986. Finishing runners-up in the Tippeligaen qualified them to represent Norway in the UEFA Cup the following season.

The last round of the 1976 season saw Mjøndalen beat SK Brann, a result which would have awarded them the league title if Lillestrøm SK had lost their game - which they did not. After Mjøndalen's silver medal in 1986, they were relegated the next season and were not promoted back to the top level until 1992. After the 1992 season, Mjøndalen had some financial challenges, and participated in the second, third and fourth tier of Norwegian football for a number of seasons.

Mjøndalen

Mjøndalen is the administrative centre of Nedre Eiker municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is situated south of the Drammenselva River opposite of Krokstadelva.

History

Mjøndalen has traditionally been a railway site most known as an industrial sawmill location. Historically Mjøndalen was known for its industry; including paper & pulp production and a substantial cellulose industry. The production of wood products and furniture are also traditional commercial activities. All the paper mills closed in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Mjøndalen has a friendly sports rivalry with the neighbouring communities of Solbergelva and Krokstadelva. The rivalry is mostly in sports such as soccer and bandy and cross-country skiing. In bandy, Mjøndalen IF have become Norwegian champions several times.

Portåsen – Wildenveys Rike

Portåsen – Wildenveys Rike is a centre honouring the life and writing of Herman Wildenvey, a prominent Norwegian poet. Herman Wildenvey lived the first three years of his life in Mjøndalen. At three years of age, he was moved to the Portåsen farm on the edge of the forest above the village.