Jan Bartram
Encyclopedia
Jan Lewis Bartram known simply as Jan Bartram, is a Danish
former professional association football player in the midfielder position. He played for Scottish
team Rangers F.C.
and Bayer 05 Uerdingen
in Germany
, as well as Danish teams AGF
and Brøndby IF
. He earned 32 caps
and scored five goals for the Denmark national football team
and was in the Danish squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup
.
(AGF) in 1982. He got his national breakthrough with AGF in the top-flight Danish 1st Division
championship as a left-sided attacking midfielder, and helped the club win the 1986 1st Division
championship. After the 1987 1st Division
season, he moved to play abroad.
He signed for multiple Scottish Premier League
champions Rangers F.C.
, but his stay would be a short one. He was assured by Rangers manager Graeme Souness
that he would fit into the Rangers tactics, but found himself deployed as a strictly defensive full back
. He gained some notoriety for having his thoughts on then-Rangers manager Graeme Souness
published in an interview with Danish paper Ekstra Bladet
, allegedly calling Souness a beast or hooligan. He and Souness denounced the interview together, but Bartram repeated some of the accusations in his 1998 autobiography. He left Rangers after six months in the summer 1988.
He moved back to Denmark, and signed for defending Danish champions Brøndby IF
. He stayed there for less than half a year, playing a total 23 games for the club. Bartram was soon sold on to Bayer 05 Uerdingen
in the German Bundesliga by Brøndby CEO Per Bjerregaard
, in a deal which yielded a DKK
3.5 million surplus for Brøndby. He made his Uerdingen debut in November 1988, and played 74 games in his three seasons at the club, playing alongside fellow Danish international and former Brøndby player Brian Laudrup
. Bartram did not take to the strict discipline of new coach Timo Konietzka and played his last Uerdingen game in March 1991, before he was fired for arriving late at a training session.
He moved back to AGF in the Danish top-flight, now known as the Danish Superliga
, and made his Superliga debut for AGF in April 1991. He played 14 Superliga games until June 1991, when he took a sabbatical year away from football, and travelled around the world. He returned to AGF's Superliga team in August 1992, and played a further 35 games for the club until April 1996. From May 1994 to June 1996 he was also AGF's sports director.
in January 1985. Having played three internationals, he was included in the Danish team for the 1986 FIFA World Cup
, though he did not play any games at the tournament. He was a mainstay in the Danish national team during his many club changes. Following three games in the qualification campaign for Euro 1992, Bartram decided to quit the national team in November 1990 alongside Brian Laudrup
and Michael Laudrup
, but he returned to the team for a game in April 1991. He played his last national team game in May 1991, having participated in 32 national team games and scored five international goals.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
former professional association football player in the midfielder position. He played for Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
team Rangers F.C.
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Bayer 05 Uerdingen
KFC Uerdingen 05
KFC Uerdingen 05 is a German association football club in the Uerdingen district of the city of Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The one time Bundesliga side enjoyed its greatest successes in the 1980s, but most recently has been part of fifth and sixth tier competition.-History:The club was...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, as well as Danish teams AGF
Aarhus Gymnastik Forening
Aarhus Gymnastikforening is one of the oldest sport clubs in Denmark. AGF participates in a variety of activities in both individual and team sports. AGF is best known for its football team which has the longest streak in the Danish top division and also holds the record for most number of cup wins...
and Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
. He earned 32 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
and scored five goals for the Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
and was in the Danish squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
.
Club career
Bartram signed his first contract with Aarhus Gymnastik ForeningAarhus Gymnastik Forening
Aarhus Gymnastikforening is one of the oldest sport clubs in Denmark. AGF participates in a variety of activities in both individual and team sports. AGF is best known for its football team which has the longest streak in the Danish top division and also holds the record for most number of cup wins...
(AGF) in 1982. He got his national breakthrough with AGF in the top-flight Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
championship as a left-sided attacking midfielder, and helped the club win the 1986 1st Division
Danish 1st Division 1986
The 1986 Danish 1st Division season was the 41st season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
championship. After the 1987 1st Division
Danish 1st Division 1987
The 1987 Danish 1st Division season was the 42nd season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
season, he moved to play abroad.
He signed for multiple Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
champions Rangers F.C.
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, but his stay would be a short one. He was assured by Rangers manager Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
that he would fit into the Rangers tactics, but found himself deployed as a strictly defensive full back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He gained some notoriety for having his thoughts on then-Rangers manager Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
published in an interview with Danish paper Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet is a Danish tabloid newspaper focusing on sensationalist stories. It gets a share of its income from sex ads. Since 1979 it has always had a partly or completely naked woman on page nine which is referred to as Side 9 Pigen , a Danish equivalent of the English Page Three girl...
, allegedly calling Souness a beast or hooligan. He and Souness denounced the interview together, but Bartram repeated some of the accusations in his 1998 autobiography. He left Rangers after six months in the summer 1988.
He moved back to Denmark, and signed for defending Danish champions Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
. He stayed there for less than half a year, playing a total 23 games for the club. Bartram was soon sold on to Bayer 05 Uerdingen
KFC Uerdingen 05
KFC Uerdingen 05 is a German association football club in the Uerdingen district of the city of Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The one time Bundesliga side enjoyed its greatest successes in the 1980s, but most recently has been part of fifth and sixth tier competition.-History:The club was...
in the German Bundesliga by Brøndby CEO Per Bjerregaard
Per Bjerregaard
Per Anders Bjerregaard is a Danish educated medical doctor and executive director and chairman of the board of Danish football club Brøndby IF. He also functions as the club's team doctor....
, in a deal which yielded a DKK
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
3.5 million surplus for Brøndby. He made his Uerdingen debut in November 1988, and played 74 games in his three seasons at the club, playing alongside fellow Danish international and former Brøndby player Brian Laudrup
Brian Laudrup
Brian Laudrup is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth...
. Bartram did not take to the strict discipline of new coach Timo Konietzka and played his last Uerdingen game in March 1991, before he was fired for arriving late at a training session.
He moved back to AGF in the Danish top-flight, now known as the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
, and made his Superliga debut for AGF in April 1991. He played 14 Superliga games until June 1991, when he took a sabbatical year away from football, and travelled around the world. He returned to AGF's Superliga team in August 1992, and played a further 35 games for the club until April 1996. From May 1994 to June 1996 he was also AGF's sports director.
International career
Bartram made his international debuted for the Denmark national football teamDenmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in January 1985. Having played three internationals, he was included in the Danish team for the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
, though he did not play any games at the tournament. He was a mainstay in the Danish national team during his many club changes. Following three games in the qualification campaign for Euro 1992, Bartram decided to quit the national team in November 1990 alongside Brian Laudrup
Brian Laudrup
Brian Laudrup is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth...
and Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
, but he returned to the team for a game in April 1991. He played his last national team game in May 1991, having participated in 32 national team games and scored five international goals.