The 2012 Tippeligaen was the 68th completed season of top division football in Norway. The competition began on 23 March 2012 and ended on 18 November 2012, with a summer break from 28 May to 30 June. Molde were the defending champions, while Hønefoss and Sandnes Ulf entered as the promoted teams from the 2011 1. divisjon. They replaced Start and Sarpsborg 08 who were relegated to the 2012 1. divisjon.
On 11 November 2011, Molde won the title with one matchday left to play after a 1–0 home win over Hønefoss. It was their second consecutive league title and also their second top-flight title overall.
Season summary
Strømsgodset were leading the league most of the season, but four matches before the end of the season there were three teams competing for the title. Rosenborg lost out on the title-race after losing to Strømsgodset and Molde. Molde secured the title in the 29th round after they won 1–0 at home, while Strømsgodset lost 2–1 against Sandnes Ulf.
Stabæk were relegated after being positioned at the bottom of the table throughout the season. Ahead of the last round, four teams were fighting against relegation, but Fredrikstad lost their match against the league-winners Molde and were relegated, while Sandnes Ulf finished 14th and played relegation play-offs against Ullensaker/Kisa, the sixth-placed team in the 1. divisjon. Sandnes Ulf won the play-offs 7–1 on aggregate (4–0 away and 3–1 at home), and were not relegated.
The average attendance in 2012 were 7,014 spectators, down from 7,995 in 2011, which was the lowest average attendance in Tippeligaen since 2003.
Teams Sixteen teams competed in the league – the top fourteen teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from the 1. divisjon The promoted teams were Hønefoss (returning after a season's absence) and Sandnes Ulf (their first post-World War II top-flight season). They replaced Sarpsborg 08 (relegated after their first ever presence) and Start (ending their three-year spell in the top flight).
Stadiums and locations
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Arena Turf Cap. ManagerAalesund 11 Ålesund Color Line Stadion Artificial 10,778 Kjetil RekdalBrann 56 Bergen Brann Stadion Natural 17,824 Rune SkarsfjordFredrikstad 42 Fredrikstad Fredrikstad Stadion Natural 13,300 Trond AmundsenHaugesund 6 Haugesund Haugesund Stadion Natural 5,000 Jostein GrindhaugHønefoss 2 Hønefoss Aka Arena Artificial 4,000 Leif Gunnar SmerudLillestrøm 49 Lillestrøm Åråsen stadion Natural 11,637 Magnus HaglundMolde 36 Molde Aker Stadion Natural 11,800 Ole Gunnar SolskjærOdd Grenland 31 Skien Skagerak Arena Artificial 13,500 Dag-Eilev FagermoRosenborg 49 Trondheim Lerkendal Stadion Natural 21,850 Jan JönssonSandnes Ulf 3 Sandnes Sandnes Idrettspark Natural 3,850 Asle AndersenSogndal 14 Sogndalsfjøra Fosshaugane Campus Natural 5,402 Jonas OlssonStabæk 17 Bærum Nadderud Stadion Natural 7,000 Petter BelsvikStrømsgodset 25 Drammen Marienlyst Stadion Artificial 7,500 Ronny DeilaTromsø 26 Tromsø Alfheim Stadion Artificial 7,500 Per-Mathias HøgmoVålerenga 52 Oslo Ullevaal Stadion Natural 25,572 Martin AndresenViking 63 Stavanger Viking Stadion Natural 16,600 Kjell Jonevret
Aalesund Brann Fredrikstad Haugesund Color Line Stadion Brann Stadion Fredrikstad Stadion Haugesund Stadion Capacity: 10,778 Capacity: 17,824 Capacity: 13,300 Capacity: 5,000 Hønefoss Lillestrøm Molde Odd Grenland Aka Arena Åråsen Stadion Aker Stadion Skagerak Arena Capacity: 4,000 Capacity: 11,637 Capacity: 11,800 Capacity: 13,500 Rosenborg Sandnes Ulf Sogndal Stabæk Lerkendal Stadion Sandnes Idrettspark Fosshaugane Campus Nadderud Stadion Capacity: 21,850 Capacity: 3,850 Capacity: 5,402 Capacity: 7,000 Strømsgodset Tromsø Vålerenga Viking Marienlyst Stadion Alfheim Stadion Ullevaal Stadion Viking Stadion Capacity: 7,500 Capacity: 7,500 Capacity: 25,572 Capacity: 16,600
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyIncoming managerDate of appointmentTable Sogndal Harald Aabrekk End of contract 31 December 2011 Jonas Olsson 1 January 2012 Pre-Season Lillestrøm Petter Belsvik Magnus Powell (caretakers) End of contract 31 December 2011 Magnus Haglund 1 January 2012Pre-Season Stabæk Jörgen Lennartsson Signed by IF Elfsborg 31 December 2011 Petter Belsvik 2 January 2012Pre-Season Fredrikstad Tom Freddy Aune Resigned 10 May 2012 Trond Amundsen 10 May 2012 13th Viking Åge Hareide Sacked 9 June 2012 Kjell Jonevret 19 June 2012 10th
League table
Positions by round
Relegation play-offs
At the end of the season, Stabæk and Fredrikstad were relegated directly to 1. divisjon, and will be replaced by Start and Sarpsborg who were directly promoted.
Five teams entered a play-off for the last Tippeligaen spot in the 2013 season. These were: A) Sandnes Ulf (by virtue of being the 14th placed team in the Tippeligaen) B) Sandefjord (by virtue of being the third placed team in the 1. divisjon) C) Mjøndalen (by virtue of being the fourth placed team in the 1. divisjon) D) Bodø/Glimt (by virtue of being the fifth placed team in the 1. divisjon) E) Ullensaker/Kisa (by virtue of being the sixth placed team in the 1. divisjon)
The four 1. divisjon teams first played a single game knockout tournament, with the winner (Ull/Kisa) advancing to a two-legged tie against the Tippeligaen team (Sandnes Ulf) for the 16th and final spot in the 2013 season. Sandnes Ulf retained their Tippeligaen spot with an aggregate 7–1 win over Ull/Kisa. Results
Sandnes Ulf won 7–1 on aggregate.
Results
Season statistics Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoalsGamesAverage1 Péter KovácsStrømsgodset14280.50 Zdeněk OndrášekTromsø14290.483 Davy Claude AnganMolde13260.504 Nikola ĐurđićHaugesund12180.675 Rade PricaRosenborg11260.42 Kim OjoBrann11290.38 Ola KamaraStrømsgodset11300.378 Riku RiskiHønefoss10260.38 Bořek DočkalRosenborg10270.37 Ulrik FloSogndal10270.37 Torgeir BørvenOdd Grenland / Vålerenga10290.34 Alexander SøderlundHaugesund10290.34
Source:Alt om fotball
Discipline Player Most yellow cards: 7 Tremaine Stewart (Aalesund) Most red cards: 1 23 players
Club Most yellow cards: 48 Lillestrøm
Most red cards: 3 Fredrikstad Sandnes Ulf Vålerenga
Attendances
Awards Annual awards Goalkeeper of the Year The Goalkeeper of the Year awarded to Kenneth Udjus (Sogndal)
Defender of the Year
The Defender of the Year awarded to Vegard Forren (Molde)
Midfielder of the Year The Midfielder of the Year awarded to Magnus Wolff Eikrem (Molde)
Striker of the Year
The Striker of the Year awarded to Alexander Søderlund (Haugesund)
Coach of the Year The Coach of the Year awarded to Ole Gunnar Solskjær (Molde)
References