British managers in Norwegian football history

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Roy Hodgson is one of many Britons who have coached in Norway. He was in charge of Viking from 2004 to 2005. Steve Perryman, George Armstrong And Chris Lawler are other legendary British footballers with a coaching life in Norwegian football. Bryan King, Brian Deane And Tommy Cavanagh are other names that stand out.

Spurs legend Perryman had a short stint as manager at Start, Kristiansand in 1995. However, he is better known for his sports travel activities. Steve Perryman Sports Travel is based in Norway and has a long-standing tradition in the trade.

In earlier days, when football was invented, Norway, like most countries, was influenced by British sailors who built foundations. Christiania Footballclub, founded in 1885 in Oslo (then Christiania), is widely recognized as the first Norwegian football club. The founder was office manager E. Salvesen and student John George Dahll, both of whom previously lived in England.

The two brought along some of their acquaintances, mostly college and high school students, and started training. The club rented Holteløkken from the Uranienborg Church for five crowns a year. The club’s membership rose to 20 in 1885, and by the following year the number had risen to 30. Christiania Football Club had Norwegian rules printed and attempted to introduce the game into the Norsk Idrætsblad, with mixed success.

The first football match in Norway was played in connection with a visit by the British Navy on October 7, 1886. In front of approximately 2,000 spectators, Christiania Football Club won 3-0 against a reduced British Navy team.

For several decades to this day, British people have been known to engage in management and coaching. We have drawn up a list. It includes current and former Britons involved in Norwegian football. They have coached at different levels.

Lillestrom are known for their great success from the 70s and 80s. They hired British to take charge. Joe Hoeley is perhaps the most popular and has great success at this football club. Bill Foulkes And David Hay are also former English footballers with a life as a manager at Lillestrom.

Rosenborg also have a pass with some British people in charge. George Curtis and Tommy Cavanagh have both had their time at Lerkendal. Curtis is successful and wins the competition. Cavanagh is fired after a few months.

Brand Bergen have hired a number of Brits over the years. Billy Aitken, George AinsleyAnd Donald Colman are former managers at this Norwegian football club. Raymond Freeman, William Cook, Bill Elliott, Tony KnappAnd The Shannons also held managerial positions here.

Viking from Stavanger have a long tradition in Norwegian football. Tony Knapp winning the double at the helm here. Knapp was Iceland coach for two spells, 1974-77 and 1984-85, and Viking coach from 1978 to 1981. He won ‘The Double’ in 1979 and silver medals in 1981. Tony was a determined coach with firm principles. He was also seen by some as uncompromising and eccentric. Roy Hodgson was mentioned earlier, who spent his time here at the beginning of this century. Bill Foulkes, Gary Goodchild And Ian Burchnall are other Brits who have coached here. Keith Blunt And Stuart Williams are others with a life as a manager at this football club.

Joe Hoeley is, as far as we know, the only British person to have been in charge of Bodo Glimt. Hooley was in charge of Aspmyra in 1981. Steinkjer is not a top club at the moment, Bill Foulkes used to be their manager. Tony Dunne was his assistant. Tony Dunne took over as manager when Bill Foulkes left the club. This was from 1981 to 1983.

Interim manager Peter Leven has further strengthened his coaching team with the appointment of Ian Burchnall as first-team coach.

Burchnall brings extensive experience, having managed Viking FK and Östersunds FK in Scandinavia, as well as in England at Notts County and… pic.twitter.com/jEfFYfRHOo

— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) February 26, 2026

Stuart Baxter is a Brit who has traveled in Scandinavia. In Norway he was in charge of Skarp from Tromsø and Lyn in Oslo. The former Finland and South Africa coach, with a past playing for Preston and Stockport, also spent long spells in Sweden, where he coached teams such as Helsingborg and Orebro.

Arsenal 1970-71 Double hero George Armstrong spent time in Norway, as a player coach at Mjolner in Narvik. Liverpool legend Chris Lawler had a spell in charge of Raufoss. Lawler also coached Grand from Bodo.

Brian Deane was in charge of Sarpsborg for a season. Deane brought along Ian Burchnall as his assistant. He held the job from 2012 to 2014, his only stint coaching league clubs to date. The Premier League’s first goalscorer has since worked at other levels of football.

Another recent recruit is Mark Dempsey. Mark came to Norway to assist Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Molde. He has also had assistant roles at Haugesund and Man Utd. His head coaching roles in Norway are at clubs such as Start Kristiansand, Haugesund, Molde and Kongsvinger. He coached in Norway from 2010 to 2018.

Another football profile with special influence is Mick Speight. The former Sheffield United and England B midfielder has lived and coached in Norway since 1985. Speight has played for a number of different clubs. He’s been up and down the leagues. Was in charge of Moss, Sunndal, Sogndal, Flekkefjord and Sprint Jeloy.

Danny McLennan is also one to mention. A man with a special coaching trajectory. He was based mainly in Africa, but also had brief stints in other parts of the world. A short period in which he was in charge of Kongsvinger. He is said to have had a huge influence on the club’s development. This influence was significant in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Even Pellerud was one of the players on his team. Later, Pellerud became a coaching phenomenon in the women’s game.

Ian Crawford And Alan Brown are two surnames from English football that have made their mark in Norway. Both had spells at Ham-Kam (Hamar Kameratene). Brown was in charge for two years, from 1973 to 1974. Crawford was in charge for four years, from 1979 to 1983.

Colin Bell is a well-known name in women’s football. The former Leicester recruit had his best years in football with German club Mainz. From 2015 to 2016 he was in charge of the women’s team of the Norwegian club Avaldsnes. Northern Ireland International, Tommy Caseywith a past at Leeds and Newcastle, was head coach of Harstad from 1977 to 1978.

Brian Green had spells in Norwegian football with Start, Egersund and Bryne. He coached Norwegian football for eleven years, from 1980 to 1991. Berwick and Alloa striker Willie Irvine had a short stint as head coach of Lillesand. Kevin Nicol is the current head coach of Mjondalen. Nicol has a history in Scottish football, having played for clubs such as Hibs, Raith Rovers and Peterhead.

Scottish International Billy McKinlay was in charge of Stabæk from 2015 to 2016. McKinlay has a history of playing for Leicester, Blackburn and Dundee United. Maurice Rosswas previously head coach of Sola and Egersund. That was from 2013 to 2015. The former Rangers, Millwall and Wolves defender is currently back in Britain as assistant manager at Fleetwood Town.

Barry Salvage, Bryan King And Ramon Hunt are other names to look up. The salvage took place in Åkra, Kopervik and Haugar from 1979 to 1983. King, a former goalkeeper for Coventry and Millwall, coached Jerv, Harstad, Tynset and Kongsberg. This was from 1978 to 1988.

Fredrikstad, who played a leading role in Norwegian football in the 1950s and 1960s, did hire Brits. Tony Knapp, Frank Soo and Bert Tan belonged to the British. They have been in charge of this football club.

The Norwegian national team recruited British nationals for the first few years in a row. James Hayes led Norway at the 2012 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. The former Man Utd player later had managerial duties at Preston and Atletico Madrid. William Kelly, James McPherson and John Wyllie are among the other coaches for Norway. Thomas Morris Mitchel, Frank Soo, Ron Lewin And George Curtis was also head coach in the past.

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