Brann 2

As the biggest club in Norway's second-largest city Bergen, Brann are historically one of the major clubs in Norway in terms of public interest, and hence there are high expectations for the club every season. Brann won their first Norwegian top flight titles in 1961–62 and 1963 Norwegian First Division, but after this Brann was only sporadically involved in the league title races. In 2007 they finally reclaimed the league title and thus ended a 44-year-long waiting period.

Despite their limited success, the club has never failed to spark considerable interest from the Norwegian media and the local population. Moreover, Brann have regularly been winners and runners-up of the Norwegian Cup. The club reached the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1996–97 season. The club has also earned a reputation for instability and drama both behind the scenes and on the pitch. Although the club has played the 2nd highest amount of seasons in the top flight, they have also been relegated from it 11 times, a feat only surpassed by Start.

Early years (1908–1959)

On 26 September 1908 Christen K. Gran gathered nine other young men to meet in a local café in Bergen. Due to dissatisfaction of the current state of the local sport clubs in Bergen, they decided to form a new football and skiing club. They called it Ski- og Fodboldklubben Brann (lit. The Ski and Football Club Fire), on the suggestion of Birger Gjestland.

Brann played their first match against Bergens Fotballklubb (at the time the biggest local team) on New Year's Day 1909, drawing 1–1. Brann recorded their first ever win in August of the same year, winning 3–2 against Stavanger IF away.

On 25 May 1919, with funding contributed by fans and investors, Brann Stadion was opened on a plot of land the club purchased in 1917. The opening match was against the Norwegian national team, losing 2–6, and the stadium also hosted the 1919 Norwegian Athletics Championships. In 1923 Brann reached the cup final for the third time, where they again faced an eastern team, this time finally winning. They beat Lyn 2–1 in the newly built Odd stadion, and secured the club's first ever national title. Two years later Brann again faced Sarpsborg in the 1925 cup final, this time winning 3–0 and securing their second national title.

Brann faced a period of stagnation during the 1930s. In 1937 Brann played in the first ever national Norwegian football league, but did not make it out of the local division. During the German occupation of Norway official sports activities were boycotted en masse after the occupying government seized control of the national sporting confederation, and club activities were thus reduced to unofficial gatherings for the duration of World War II.

Brann continued to play in the now smaller and more competitive national top division in the years after the war, until they were relegated for the first time in 1949. They were immediately promoted, and only months later they qualified for their fifth cup final after a 25-year absence, where they lost 0–3 to Fredrikstad. Brann won their division in the 1951–52 Norwegian Main League, and therefore qualified for the league championship final for the first time. They once again faced Fredrikstad and lost, this time 1–3. In the 1952–53 season Brann finished second to last in their division and were relegated from the top flight for the second time, but were once again immediately promoted the season afterwards. They were relegated for a third time in the 1955–56 season and were yet again promoted after a season's absence. The 1959–60 season saw the debut of 17-year-old future club legend Roald "Kniksen" Jensen, but Brann were nonetheless relegated for a fourth time and were as usual immediately promoted.

First league wins and long stay in the 2nd tier (1960s)

The 1960s saw two of Norway's most prolific players playing for Brann. With Roald "Kniksen" Jensen and Rolf Birger "Pesen" Pedersen on the team, Brann won their first league trophy in the so-called 1961–62 "marathon league", where all 16 top division teams played in a single league for the first time, with half being relegated. Brann defended their title in the first regular season of single-division top flight football in 1963, adding a second league trophy to their cabinet. During the 1963 season, Brann had an average attendance of 15,486, which was the league record until 2003, when Rosenborg finally beat it with an average of 15,582.

In 1964, Brann were among the favourites to win their third consecutive league championship, but due to many injured players the team only won one of the first nine league games. Brann continued to struggle with injuries throughout the season, and were soon firmly stuck in the relegation battle.

Brann would not play in the top division again until 1968, the last with club legend Oddvar Hansen at the helm.

Cup finals, title races and the "yo-yo" years (1970–1990)

After some mediocre seasons Brann once again reached the cup final after more than 20 years of absence in 1972. They faced Rosenborg and won 1–0, securing their third cup title. This led to Brann qualifying for the 1973–74 European Cup Winners' Cup, their first qualification for a European tournament. They beat Gzira United 9–0 on aggregate before being eliminated by Glentoran in the second round. In 1974 the club's athletics department was disbanded. In each of the seasons 1974–1976, Brann narrowly missed out on the league title, attracting an average attendance that was unheard of in Norway at the time. Although they missed out on the league title Brann won their fourth cup title in 1976, beating Sogndal in the final. Brann reached the final again in 1978, but lost to Lillestrøm.

With the 1980s came Brann's "yo-yo" era. Brann were relegated in 1979 and subsequently won the 2nd division in 1980, before being relegated again in 1981. The club would continue to alternate between the 1st and 2nd division every season until they finally avoided relegation in 1987. This was the world record for consecutive relegations and promotions from a top tier division until it was beaten by Aris Limassol in 2006. While in the 2nd division Brann won the cup for a fifth time in 1982, beating Molde in the final. In 1987 the skiing department disbanded, making Brann a club dedicated solely to football. Brann reached the cup final two consecutive seasons (1987 and 1988), where they lost to Bryne and Rosenborg respectively.

Brann had not had any real challenge from local rivals since the 1950s, being Bergen's only representatives in the top tier. In 1989, however, Bergen-based Fyllingen were promoted to the first tier for the first time.