Odd Grenland - History

History

IF Odd was founded in 1885, and is thus one of the older sports clubs in Norway still in existence. The name derives from Viktor Rydberg's novel Seierssverdet, where one of the main characters was a Norwegian athlete called Orvar Odd.

In the beginning, IF Odd was mainly focused on gymnastics, and also had sections for Nordic skiing and track and field. A sub-section for football named Odds BK was founded on 31 March 1894. This was the club's second effort to do so, some time after English workers at nearby Skotfoss brought the game of football to Skien, and the city decided to buy a football. Odd Grenland is counted as Norway's oldest football team still in existence.

It got its current name in 1994 in an effort to represent the district of Grenland, together with Pors Grenland. In conjunction with the name change, a public limited company named Grenland Fotball was founded.

Odds BK / Odd Grenland won the Norwegian Football Cup in 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1913, 1915, 1919, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1931 and 2000, more than any other team in Norway. In the late 20th century, the men's team struggled in the lower divisions for many years, but finally made it back to the Norwegian Premier League (Tippeligaen) in 1999 and stayed there until they were relegated in 2007. The team had survived relegation twice; first in 2005 after a dreadful start of the campaign, then in 2006 when the team only survived relegation by beating Bryne FK in the relegation playoffs. In 2007 the team was relegated to the Norwegian First Division after being beaten by FK Bodø/Glimt in the relegation playoffs. In 2008, with three games still to play, Odd secured the promotion back to the Norwegian Premier League after winning 4-0 at home against IL Hødd.

On 25 September 2011, Odd player Jone Samuelsen scored what is claimed to be the longest headed goal ever scored in a match, in a match against Tromsø IL, when he headed the ball from within his own half of the pitch into Tromsø's open goal, the goalkeeper having come forward for a late corner in the match. Norwegian Police were invited to measure the distance, and calculated the length as to be 58.13 metres.