IK Start in the period 1995 -2004

Televerket changed its name to Telenor, and the Bosman ruling is passed in the EU Court of Justice.
Rolf Løvland from Kristiansand wins European Song Contest (ESC)  with the song “Nocturne”, performed by Secret Garden.

1995
The Tippeligaen expands from 12 to 14 teams, and Erik Ruthford Pedersen takes over after Brede Skistad had to throw in the towel before the start of the 1995 season. Steve Perryman comes in and coaches the last half of the season.
Brede Skistad passed away from leukemia on 25 August 1995, at the age of 47.

Start was dangerous in front of goal with Petter Belsvik, Tore André Dahlum, and Andreas Lund leading the attack. But it was only enough for eighth place.

The top scorer for Start was Petter Belsvik with 22 goals in 26 league matches.

1996
The 1996 season was turbulent. Some players changed clubs before the season started, and coach Perryman left the country before the season began. Teddy Moen took over but resigned halfway through. Karsten Johannesen then stepped in once again, but he could not save the team from relegation to the 1st Division.
And thus, even more players left.

"The path into the professional football world was painful for Start, and most things had to be built from scratch," we commented.

The top scorer for Start was Lee Robertson with 8 goals in 26 league matches.

1997
Here is the team Trond Pedersen took over as coach for in the 1997 season. It can safely be said it was almost a junior team.
The top scorer for Start in the 1997 season was Krister Isaksen with 9 goals in 26 league matches.
The top scorer for Start in the 1998 season was Krister Isaksen with 8 goals in 26 league matches.

But the “juniors” knew how to fight back. They almost managed to qualify for the Tippeligaen in the first two seasons. In the third season, that is 1999, Jan Halvor Halvorsen had taken over as coach, and there was a qualification match against Strømsgodset, which ended in promotion at Marienlyst:.
The moment of truth!

After 87 minutes played, substitute Terje Leonardsen went for a ball that inexplicably went past the Godset goalkeeper. And keeper Espen Johnsen played half of the second half with a broken finger and secured the win by keeping a clean sheet," we commented.

The top scorer for Start in the 1999 season was Trond Nordseth with 13 goals in 26 league matches.

But it was too little in terms of goals and points to keep the team in the Tippeligaen for the 2000 season. Thus, they were relegated again.

The 2000 Cup was its own chapter. Start won against Molde in the quarterfinals when Martin Andresen was subbed in for Molde without being listed on the referee’s sheet.
In the semifinal against Viking, Start lost 4-0 in Stavanger.

The top scorer for Start in the 2000 season was Andreas Ottosson with 11 goals in 26 league matches.

The First Division season of 2001 was a smooth ride; Start finished 2nd and were promoted along with Vålerenga. But in the following season, 2002, they were relegated again. Jan Halvor Halvorsen only managed half of the 2002 season before being replaced by Gudjon Thordarsson, without much improvement.

The top scorer for Start in the 2001 season was Andreas Ottosson with 13 goals in 30 league matches.
The top scorer for Start in the 2002 season was Morten Knudsen with 4 goals in 26 league matches.

The next coach in was Bård Wiggen. The former RBK defender had this team to work with in the 2003 season:

A group of training-hungry youngsters who wanted to do better. And better. And better…
If you look closely, you can later spot national team players, international professionals, and even a future web editor 🙂
Startweben got to join them on their trips and captured this photo of “Mom” Aud Holberg in the middle of the boys on a trip at Klækken Hotel.
A fantastic supporter right at the heart of it all.

Socially, things looked good, but on the football side, it was not so great. Start lost to Mandalskameratene several times and ended up in ninth place in the First Division. In November, Tom Nordlie was announced as the new coach, with Bård Wiggen as assistant coach.

Tom Nordlie was best known as a coach for his outgoing personality, his engaged coaching staff, and his ability to get clubs in crisis to perform beyond expectations. His well-known playing style was aggressive, focused on winning the ball back, and featured high pressing.

As usual, a few new players joined: Atle Roar Håland (MK) took the captain’s role. Alex Valencia (Brann), Bala Garba (Sundsvall). Kai Risholt and Glenn Andersen came down from Ørn-Horten, Tommy Runar (Jerv). And the Icelander Johannes Hardarsson was brought up from Dutch Groningen.

This team won promotion in the 2004 season.
Promotion was secured 5 rounds before the end, and the 1st Division championship in 2004 was confirmed when second-placed Aalesund FK was defeated away 3 rounds before the end.
The season ended with an impressive 74 points after 30 league rounds: 24 wins, 2 draws, and only 4 losses. Goal difference 71–28.

The top scorer for Start was Ben Wright with 15 goals in 30 league matches.

"It was fun to follow the team again," we commented.

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The chairman elected in 1995 was Odd Skuggen (1995, 1996, 2003, 2004), followed by Kjell Aarikstad (1997, 1998), Svein B. Sødal (2000), and Ole Petter Mortensen (2001, 2002).

In 1996, IK Start was one of the first Norwegian football clubs to comment on and summarize their own matches on their official website. Www.ikstart.no

Internationally in 2004: Norway’s largest and most brutal robbery, the “NOKAS robbery,” was carried out in Stavanger. Greece won the European Football Championship by defeating Portugal 1–0 in the final, and Andreas Thorkildsen won Olympic gold in javelin throw in Athens.

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Here is an overview of the final results and standings during this period. Home matches were played at Kristiansand Stadion:

• 1995 – 8th in Tippeligaen – reached the quarterfinals (round 5) of the cup
• 1996 – 14th in Tippeligaen – reached the 4th round of the cup
• 1997 – 4th in 1st Division – reached the 4th round of the cup
• 1998 – 5th in 1st Division – reached the 4th round of the cup
• 1999 – 3rd in 1st Division – reached the 3rd round of the cup
• 2000 – 13th in Tippeligaen – reached the semifinals (round 6) of the cup
• 2001 – 2nd in 1st Division – reached the quarterfinals (round 4) of the cup
• 2002 – 14th in Tippeligaen – reached the 4th round of the cup
• 2003 – 9th in 1st Division – reached the 3rd round of the cup
• 2004 – 3rd in 1st Division – reached the 3rd round of the cup

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Sources: Start i hundre, Alt om Start in Fædrelandsvennen, nifs.no, Soccerway.com, IK Start annual reports, personal notes, and articles summarizing match results throughout the season