Sven Otto Birkeland (EN)

Sven Otto Birkeland must undoubtedly be considered one of the most prominent figures in IK Start’s history.

He famously scored the winning goal in the final league match on Sunday, October 15, 1978, when IK Start defeated Bodø/Glimt 1–0 at Kristiansand Stadium – securing the club’s first-ever Norwegian league title.

Born in February 1948 in Kristiansand, Sven Otto trained as a teacher and began his football journey in the youth ranks of FK Vigør. It was a natural starting point, as his father, Omar Birkeland, had been a key player on FK Vigør’s first team for many years – including as a central defender in the club’s remarkable run to the Norwegian Cup semifinal in 1938.

During these early years, Sven Otto picked up the nickname "Borkis" – a name he carried throughout his entire football career. In 1967, he played a central role for the Norwegian U19 national team, which surprisingly won the “Halmstad Tournament” in Sweden. At 19, Sven Otto began gaining national attention for his excellent technique and dribbling skills.

Between 1969 and 1973, he studied and played for Lyn in Oslo. But in the summer of 1973, "Borkis" returned to Kristiansand – this time to join IK Start. From 1973 to 1978, IK Start was among Norway’s top clubs, winning bronze in the league in 1973 and 1975, before capturing league titles in 1978 and 1980. Sven Otto was arguably Norway’s best midfielder between 1973 and 1978 – a technically and tactically gifted player with stamina, goal-scoring instincts, and leadership skills few could rival. He played a total of 223 official matches for IK Start.

After the 1978 season, he moved to FK Vigør in the second division as a player-manager, staying until 1983. Having made his debut for Vigør in 1963, "Borkis" ended up playing 288 matches for the club across all competitions.

From 1984 to 1986, he played three seasons with Jerv in Grimstad, also in the second division, before returning to FK Vigør in 1987 – now 38 years old – for one final stint.

In the years that followed, he took on various roles: general manager of FK Vigør, and coaching positions with FK Vigør, FK Grim, and FK Donn.

Sven Otto earned 9 caps (12 goals) for Norway U19, 5 caps for the U21 national team, and just 5 caps (1 goal) for Norway’s senior national team. The low number of senior caps remains something of a mystery, considering how central he was to a very strong IK Start side during his tenure – the true engine in midfield.

Today, at 76, Sven Otto enjoys life as a sheep farmer in Bortelid. But knowing him, he’s surely still keeping an eye on his old clubs – especially IK Start and FK Vigør.