Roald Jensen
Encyclopedia
Roald Jensen nicknamed "Kniksen", of Bergen
, Norway
was one of that country's most celebrated association football players. He played for SK Brann and Heart of Midlothian F.C.
("Hearts"). Knicksen is a local Bergen word meaning "juggler".
Jensen was born in Bergen. From an early age, he was interested in football. He made his Brann senior-team debut in 1960, while still only 17. He made his debut on the national team the same year. Brann, with Jensen, won the league in 1961-62 and in 1963. After Brann's relegation in 1964, Jensen transferred to professional football in Scotland as Heart of Midlothian's first non-British player. While he was in Scotland, Jensen was unable to play for Norway, as the national team did not allow professional players at that time.
In 1971 Jensen returned to Brann and won the Norwegian championship (cup) with the club in 1972. Jensen retired from football after the 1973 season, when he was 30 years old. Jensen died in 1987 while playing football for Brann's old-boys team. The Kniksen award
, a prize that acclaims the best players in Norwegian football, is named after Jensen. In 1995 a statue of Jensen was erected outside Brann Stadion
in Bergen.
His brother Kjell Jensen
was also a footballer.
As a child, Jensen played in the garden with a football for hours on end. In his autobiography, Gje meg en B - !, Boka om Brann, he describes a situation when he lost a small ball he got when he four years old as the most unhappy time of his life. When he was ten years old, he was a founding member of a football club called Dynamo. In a game Dynamo won 22–0, Jensen scored 15 goals. Jensen was also a member of the buekorps
("Archery Brigade") Nordnæs Bataillon
.
Jensen joined Brann at age 13, and dominated on the club's youth teams. Even as a youth player, he was noticed for his extreme technical skills. In 1959, SK Brann's junior team won the National Championship. The final at Brann Stadion
was attended by 16,000 people.
Jensen finished high school and attended Bergen Technical School for two years, before he decided to concentrate on football.
, scoring two goals. Despite Roald Jensen's early success, Brann was relegated to the regional league Landsdelserien ("Regional series"). Roald Jensen played all eight games in the Landsdelserien in the fall of 1960.
The same year, Jensen also debuted for Norways national football team
in a game against Austria
, although the committee that decided who would play were skeptical of him, due to his age. His first goal for the national team came in his second game, against Finland
, in August 1960—a game Norway won 6–3—but his breakthrough for Norway was in a game against Sweden
that September, where Jensen and Rolf Birger Pedersen
, his Brann teammate, charmed the entire country with their magnificent football and shy appearance. Norway won the game 3–1. Roald Jensen soon became famous for his ball control and his accurate shots and passes. He became Norway's biggest sports star and a darling of the media, and earned the moniker "Kniksen", which translates into "juggler" in English.
After the 1961 spring season, Brann were promoted from Landsdelserien. The Norwegian League system was reorganized, and the autumn season was the start of a marathon campaign that lasted throughout 1962. Ten out of 30 games were played that autumn, and Jensen was on the pitch in all of the games, scoring five goals. Jensen also played in all of Brann's games in the Norwegian cup in 1961, which ended in October when Fredrikstad FK defeated them in the semifinal at Brann Stadion. The attendance for that game, 24,800 people, is to this day the record at Brann stadium. Jensen was in and out of the national team in 1961, but played seven games.
In the 1961–62 season
, Jensen helped Brann win their first ever League Championship. In the book Godfoten, Nils Arne Eggen
describes a situation where Jensen and Rolf Birger Pedersen, in the next-to-last game of the season against Rosenborg, took off their football shoes and humiliated their opponents by playing in their socks in a demonstration of superiority. However, the fact is disputed, and Pedersen denied that it ever happened. Brann won the game 4–1, with Jensen scoring one goal. Following that season, Jensen was named "striker of the year" by the newspaper Verdens Gang
, and "player of the year" in Sportsboken, a sports yearbook published in Norway.
Brann repeated their success and won the Norwegian First Division in 1963
.
after the 1964 season, while SK Brann was relegated, and debuted as the Maroons' first overseas international on 2 January 1965. He stayed with Hearts until 1971. His Hearts career was plagued by injuries, but he still played 170 games and scored 31 goals. An important goal was the extra-time winner against Morton
in the 1968 Scottish Cup
semifinal; however, the Maroons lost the resultant final 1–3 to Dunfermline Athletic
.
Controversy started in the pre-season during 1972, when Jensen ended up in a fight with the referee during an indoor tournament in Haukelandshallen
. Jensen was suspended for six months, unable to play half the season. Jensen returned after the summer break, and Brann ended up in the cup final, beating Rosenborg 1-0, 47 years after Brann's last cup triumph. Despite his long suspension, Jensen was named "footballer of the year" in Norway after playing a total of ten games and scoring three goals in league and cup.
Jensen played regularly through the 1973 season, and at age 30, he was expected to play for many years to come. After a quarrel on the pitch, manager Ray Freeman
took away Jensen's status as team captain. However, the club's board insisted that Jensen was to remain captain. When Jensen also ended up in conflict with new manger Billy Elliott
, he and his brother Kjell chose to retire. His last game as a Brann player was in the European Cup Winners Cup, against Glentoran F.C.
, on 7 November 1973.
In total, Jensen played 244 games for Brann, and is regarded as the club’s greatest player ever.
Jensen played for Brann's various old-boy's teams. He died of heart failure on 6 October 1987, while on the football field training with Brann's old-boy's team Gamlekara. Thousands attended his funeral in Fyllingsdalen
's church. In 1990 and 1991, Jensen's son Sondre Jensen
made five appearances for SK Brann.
A bronze statue of Kniksen made by the Norwegian sculptor Per Ung
was installed outside Brann Stadion in 1995. In 2008, a large area outside the two new stands at Brann Stadion was named "Kniksens plass" after Roald Jensen. This also became SK Brann's new address.
is given to Norwegian
football players after each football season. The award is handed out by Norsk Toppfotball
, and has been awarded annually since 1990. There are separate awards for best goalkeeper, defender
, midfielder
, striker
, manager
, and referee. It is recognized as Norwegian football's most prestigious award.
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
was one of that country's most celebrated association football players. He played for SK Brann and Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
("Hearts"). Knicksen is a local Bergen word meaning "juggler".
Jensen was born in Bergen. From an early age, he was interested in football. He made his Brann senior-team debut in 1960, while still only 17. He made his debut on the national team the same year. Brann, with Jensen, won the league in 1961-62 and in 1963. After Brann's relegation in 1964, Jensen transferred to professional football in Scotland as Heart of Midlothian's first non-British player. While he was in Scotland, Jensen was unable to play for Norway, as the national team did not allow professional players at that time.
In 1971 Jensen returned to Brann and won the Norwegian championship (cup) with the club in 1972. Jensen retired from football after the 1973 season, when he was 30 years old. Jensen died in 1987 while playing football for Brann's old-boys team. The Kniksen award
Kniksen award
The Kniksen award , established in 1990, acclaims the best players in the Norwegian football premiership. The award is named after the legendary Norwegian football player Roald Jensen, nicknamed "Kniksen".-Category A:...
, a prize that acclaims the best players in Norwegian football, is named after Jensen. In 1995 a statue of Jensen was erected outside Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion is a football stadium in Bergen, Norway. It was constructed in 1919, and has been the home of the football club Brann ever since. The stadium lies south of the centre of the city, at the foot of Mount Ulriken....
in Bergen.
Early life
Roald Jensen was born in Bergen and grew up at Eidsvågsneset, Bergen. He was the son of architect Karl Ingolf Jensen and Kirsten Alice Rokne.His brother Kjell Jensen
Kjell Jensen
KJell Jensen was a Norwegian football from Bergen that player that played for SK Brann.He made a total of 46 appearances in Brann, 33 league games and 13 in the cup. 31 of the games where played on the top flight in Norway....
was also a footballer.
As a child, Jensen played in the garden with a football for hours on end. In his autobiography, Gje meg en B - !, Boka om Brann, he describes a situation when he lost a small ball he got when he four years old as the most unhappy time of his life. When he was ten years old, he was a founding member of a football club called Dynamo. In a game Dynamo won 22–0, Jensen scored 15 goals. Jensen was also a member of the buekorps
Buekorps
Buekorps are traditional marching neighbourhood youth organizations in Bergen, Norway.The tradition, which is unique to Bergen, dates back at least to the 19th century when children would imitate the adult militia soldiers performing close order drill...
("Archery Brigade") Nordnæs Bataillon
Nordnæs Bataillon
Nordnæs Bataillon is a buekorps in Bergen that was established 3 May 1858. The members primarily come from the eastern side of Nordnes....
.
Jensen joined Brann at age 13, and dominated on the club's youth teams. Even as a youth player, he was noticed for his extreme technical skills. In 1959, SK Brann's junior team won the National Championship. The final at Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion
Brann Stadion is a football stadium in Bergen, Norway. It was constructed in 1919, and has been the home of the football club Brann ever since. The stadium lies south of the centre of the city, at the foot of Mount Ulriken....
was attended by 16,000 people.
Jensen finished high school and attended Bergen Technical School for two years, before he decided to concentrate on football.
SK Brann (1960–1964)
Jensen played his first senior match for Brann against Viking in April 1960. Because he was only 17, the club had to get a special permit in order to use him. He played all six of the remaining games of the 1959–60 league seasonNorwegian Main League 1959-60
-Group A:-Group B:-References:*...
, scoring two goals. Despite Roald Jensen's early success, Brann was relegated to the regional league Landsdelserien ("Regional series"). Roald Jensen played all eight games in the Landsdelserien in the fall of 1960.
The same year, Jensen also debuted for Norways national football team
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
in a game against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
, although the committee that decided who would play were skeptical of him, due to his age. His first goal for the national team came in his second game, against Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
, in August 1960—a game Norway won 6–3—but his breakthrough for Norway was in a game against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
that September, where Jensen and Rolf Birger Pedersen
Rolf Birger Pedersen
Rolf Birger "Pesen" Pedersen was a Norwegian footballer and football coach. He grew up near Brann Stadion, and later became one of Brann's most legendary players...
, his Brann teammate, charmed the entire country with their magnificent football and shy appearance. Norway won the game 3–1. Roald Jensen soon became famous for his ball control and his accurate shots and passes. He became Norway's biggest sports star and a darling of the media, and earned the moniker "Kniksen", which translates into "juggler" in English.
After the 1961 spring season, Brann were promoted from Landsdelserien. The Norwegian League system was reorganized, and the autumn season was the start of a marathon campaign that lasted throughout 1962. Ten out of 30 games were played that autumn, and Jensen was on the pitch in all of the games, scoring five goals. Jensen also played in all of Brann's games in the Norwegian cup in 1961, which ended in October when Fredrikstad FK defeated them in the semifinal at Brann Stadion. The attendance for that game, 24,800 people, is to this day the record at Brann stadium. Jensen was in and out of the national team in 1961, but played seven games.
In the 1961–62 season
Norwegian Main League 1961-62
Statistics of Norwegian Main League Association Football championchis in season 1961/1962.-League standings:-References:*...
, Jensen helped Brann win their first ever League Championship. In the book Godfoten, Nils Arne Eggen
Nils Arne Eggen
Nils Arne Eggen is the most successful coach in the history of Norwegian football. He is best known as the manager for Rosenborg in the period 1988–97 and 1999–2002...
describes a situation where Jensen and Rolf Birger Pedersen, in the next-to-last game of the season against Rosenborg, took off their football shoes and humiliated their opponents by playing in their socks in a demonstration of superiority. However, the fact is disputed, and Pedersen denied that it ever happened. Brann won the game 4–1, with Jensen scoring one goal. Following that season, Jensen was named "striker of the year" by the newspaper Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
, and "player of the year" in Sportsboken, a sports yearbook published in Norway.
Brann repeated their success and won the Norwegian First Division in 1963
Norwegian First Division 1963
-League standings:-References:*...
.
Hearts (1965–1970)
Jensen transferred to HeartsHeart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
after the 1964 season, while SK Brann was relegated, and debuted as the Maroons' first overseas international on 2 January 1965. He stayed with Hearts until 1971. His Hearts career was plagued by injuries, but he still played 170 games and scored 31 goals. An important goal was the extra-time winner against Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
in the 1968 Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
semifinal; however, the Maroons lost the resultant final 1–3 to Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
.
Back in Brann (1971–1973)
Jensen returned to Brann in the summer of 1971. He played the final nine games in the league that season, scoring two goals. Despite Jensen's return, Brann ended ninth—second from the bottom in the league. Usually this would mean relegation, but the league was expanded to 12 teams in 1972, and only one team was relegated.Controversy started in the pre-season during 1972, when Jensen ended up in a fight with the referee during an indoor tournament in Haukelandshallen
Haukelandshallen
Haukelandshallen is an indoor sport arena in Årstad borough, Bergen, Norway. It holds 5,000 people. The arena hosts mainly team handball matches, is the home arena for Tertnes IL and hosted the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship. The basketball team Ulriken Eagles also plays there....
. Jensen was suspended for six months, unable to play half the season. Jensen returned after the summer break, and Brann ended up in the cup final, beating Rosenborg 1-0, 47 years after Brann's last cup triumph. Despite his long suspension, Jensen was named "footballer of the year" in Norway after playing a total of ten games and scoring three goals in league and cup.
Jensen played regularly through the 1973 season, and at age 30, he was expected to play for many years to come. After a quarrel on the pitch, manager Ray Freeman
Ray Freeman
Ray Freeman is a British chemist. He won the Royal Medal in 2002 and is currently a retired professor at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he continues to work on NMR spectroscopy.-References:...
took away Jensen's status as team captain. However, the club's board insisted that Jensen was to remain captain. When Jensen also ended up in conflict with new manger Billy Elliott
Billy Elliott (footballer)
William Henry "Billy" Elliott , born in Bradford, was an English professional footballer and football manager. He played five times for the England national side.- Playing career :...
, he and his brother Kjell chose to retire. His last game as a Brann player was in the European Cup Winners Cup, against Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
, on 7 November 1973.
In total, Jensen played 244 games for Brann, and is regarded as the club’s greatest player ever.
Outside football
Roald Jensen married Eva Sofie Jetmundsen on 15 July 1967. Before his comeback for Brann in 1971, Jensen worked for Fiskernes Bank in Bergen. After he retired from football, he continued to work in Bergen's banking and insurance sector.Jensen played for Brann's various old-boy's teams. He died of heart failure on 6 October 1987, while on the football field training with Brann's old-boy's team Gamlekara. Thousands attended his funeral in Fyllingsdalen
Fyllingsdalen
Fyllingsdalen is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway, located south-west of the city centre in the valley to the west of Løvstakken. The early name of the valley, Fynö dalen, was the origin of the name of the farm which gave Fyllingsdalen its name, Fyllingen...
's church. In 1990 and 1991, Jensen's son Sondre Jensen
Sondre Jensen
Sondre Jensen is a retired Norwegian football player.Sondre Jensen debuted for SK Brann in the Norwegian Premier League in 1990 and were capped five times for the club in 1990 and 1991...
made five appearances for SK Brann.
A bronze statue of Kniksen made by the Norwegian sculptor Per Ung
Per Ung
Per Ung is a Norwegian sculptor. His first large public commission was the bronze statue of actress Johanne Dybwad, located on Johanne Dybwads plass outside the National Theatre in Oslo. His monument of figure skater Sonja Henie is located at Frogner stadion. His statue of Fridtjof Nansen is...
was installed outside Brann Stadion in 1995. In 2008, a large area outside the two new stands at Brann Stadion was named "Kniksens plass" after Roald Jensen. This also became SK Brann's new address.
The Kniksen award
In Roald Jensen's honour, the Kniksen awardKniksen award
The Kniksen award , established in 1990, acclaims the best players in the Norwegian football premiership. The award is named after the legendary Norwegian football player Roald Jensen, nicknamed "Kniksen".-Category A:...
is given to Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
football players after each football season. The award is handed out by Norsk Toppfotball
Norsk Toppfotball
Norsk Toppfotball is an interest organization for the 16 Norwegian Premier League and 16 Adeccoligaen clubs in Norway. The organization was previously known as Serieforeningen, but changed its name in 2001. NTF goal is to be a leading factor in the development of Norwegian top football on a club...
, and has been awarded annually since 1990. There are separate awards for best goalkeeper, defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, and referee. It is recognized as Norwegian football's most prestigious award.
External links
- Image Archive at londonhearts.com