page_title: Ålgård FK
section_title: Decline
hierarchical_section_title: Ålgård FK / History / Decline
caption_attribution_description: Askøy FK–player and Oddbjørn Sivertsen, Ålgård Fotballklubb
context_page_description: Ålgård Fotballklubb is a men's football club located in Ålgård, Norway that was founded in 1915. Ålgård played in Hovedserien, then the highest division in Norway, for several years after World War II. The club has been playing mainly at the third tier level, and was last promoted to 2. divisjon in 2002.
  In Rogaland, Ålgård has one of the largest groups of participants in the sport of football in the clubs and has many teams in the youth league. The available talent keeps the club in 2. divisjon. When Bryne FK was promoted to Eliteserien in 1975, many players were transferred to the club in Jæren. Bryne is only 16 km from Ålgård. Players like Birk Engstrøm, Kåre Sivertsen, Sverre Kristian Vaule, Rune Medalen, and Jørgen Rangnes have played for Bryne in Eliteserien. Engstrøm earned a cap for Norway.
  The last players to be transferred to the larger clubs, are Marius Helle, Edwin Kjeldner and Robert Tveit. Women players such as Sissel Grude and Dagny Mellgren have transferred out of the area to Klepp IL. Mellgren scored team Norway's winning goal in the finals of the 2000 Summer Olympics.
context_section_description: The club celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1950. Ålgårds would attract Talent Alf Ravndal on its rooster but many players on the team remained from its previous seasons. Gunnar Stensland and Sigurd Ravndal, two decent players, moved to Stavanger and joined Viking. Sverre Fredriksen became the coach, but this was not enough, the club did not secure their place in Hovedserien and was relegated, home matches were played in Sandnes. Ålgård reached the qualification for Hovedserien the next year, but Gjøvik-Lyn, Årstad and Snøgg were too strong. But Ålgård still attracted 2000 attendants against Årstad in Haugesund, even though Årstad is from Bergen.
  Ålgård again reached the 3rd of the cup in 1951 and was again drawn against Viking. The teams had played each other ten times after the war before this match. Ålgård had won five, Viking four and one draw. The match attracted 4500 attendants. After a 0–0 draw, a rematch was played in Stavanger with 6000 attendees.
  Before the season of 1951/52, 1st division became "Landsdelsserien". Ålgård ended this season as the last one, winning the league of Rogaland. Once again the club had reached the qualification. This time was Varegg from Bergen opponents in Haugesund. The match ended 2–2 in front of 2000 spectators. The decision finally came after extra time in the rematch, and Varegg could celebrate after winning 2–1.
  Ålgård lost their first home match at the new ground in the autumn of 1952, two years after the ground was opened, when Djerv 1919 won 2–1. ÅFK got nine out of ten points in the spring of 1953, but the team had been too weak in the autumn and was not able to win the league this year. The first of the "great" players from the end of the 1940s had retired, and new players were added. 1952/53 was a good year for the team, the last time the team had scored as many goals was in 1947, but the economy was bad. The team was going to put this straight in the cup, and after an easy win against Klepp, the team was drawn against Donn in Kristiansand. But Ålgård surprisingly lost, and the club missed an income of several thousands kroner.
  The next season was disappointing, but 1955 was considerably better. The team reached the 3rd round of the cup and SK Brann visited Ålgård. But Ålgård was unable to repeat the achievement from 1946 and lost 6–2. The club was relegated from Landsdelsserien in the spring of 1955 but was back in 1957. But the season of 1957/58 became the last one in Landsdelsserien. After the league system was remade in 1961, Ålgård has never been higher than the third highest division. 1958 is remembered for the 1st round cup match against Viking, where a controversial decision by the referee, in the end, gave Viking a 3–2 victory after extra time. Jørgen Madland, the Ålgård goalkeeper, turned while he had the ball in his hands, and the referee decided that the ball had crossed the goal line. The referee had to be protected as he went to the dressing room after the match, as angry Ålgård players meant that the ball could not have crossed the line.
  1957/58 became Ålgårds weakest season until then, and the club did not qualify for the cup for the first time in 1959. Ålgårds under-19s team won KM in 1956, but many of these players left the club or could not strengthen the team.
caption: Ålgårds captain, Oddbjørn Sivertsen (white jersey), with an Askøy–player, in the match in 2. divisjon at Kleppestø 4 August 2007. 
  Photo: Rune Sattler
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