Roger Helland
Encyclopedia
Roger Helland, born 26 September 1973, is a retired Norwegian
football (soccer)
player from Austrheim
, who spent the bulk of his career with SK Brann. He played two games for the Norwegian national football team in 1997.
in 1993. Helland came on as a sub in the 88th minute in a game against Rosenborg BK at Lerkendal
, as Brann won 4–0. He only played one more game in the spring season but from the twelfth game of the season he played all the remaining games, for a total of 13 league games in his first season. In 1997, Helland helped Brann finish second
in the Norwegian Premier League, Brann's best league position since 1975, and he made his debut and played his only two games for the Norwegian national team that year. Helland played in Brann until 1999 and played a total of 206 games, scoring 21 goals for the club. In the Norwegian Premier League he played 154 games scoring 15 goals.
As Helland's contract with Brann ran out in December 1999, he was offered a contract by a number of Norwegian clubs. Helland eventually chose to move abroad, as he signed a half-season contract with Danish
club Brøndby IF
, where fellow Norwegian Åge Hareide
had just become head coach. Helland was a part of Hareide's Scandinavia
n venture in that transfer window, and arrived at Brøndby alongside Stig Inge Bjørnebye
, Magnus Svensson, Krister Nordin
, and Mattias Jonson
. He was bought by Hareide to replace Brøndby's "risky" central defender Vragel da Silva
in the zone defense of Hareide's newly introduced 4-3-3 formation. Having made his official Brøndby debut in March 2000, Helland went on to play 12 of Brøndby’s remaining 15 league games of the Danish Superliga 1999-2000
season, as Brøndby finished in second place. Towards the end of the season, Brøndby chairman Per Bjerregaard
criticized the cooperation of the central defense pairing of Helland and Per Nielsen
, and Helland subsequently received general criticism from the Danish media. Helland's contract was not renewed in the summer 2000.
He returned to Norway and Lillestrøm SK in June 2000. When Fredrikstad was promoted to the Norwegian First Division in 2002, Helland was signed in December 2002 to strengthen the team. Fredrikstad were promoted again and Helland was back in the Norwegian Premier League with his third team. In the third game of the 2004 season he scored Fredrikstad's first goal in in 20 years in the top flight of Norwegian football, when Molde FK was defeated 1–0 at Aker Stadion
.
On 13 June 2004 he was back at Brann stadion
to play against his old team Brann. The game ended unfortunate for Helland when he was sent off
after a questionable decision by the referee. Helland retired as a footballer in 2005. In 2009 he came back to Brann as a coach for the junior team.
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 (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player from Austrheim
Austrheim
Austrheim is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Austrheim was separated from Lindås on 1 January 1910. Fedje was separated from Austrheim on 1 January 1947...
, who spent the bulk of his career with SK Brann. He played two games for the Norwegian national football team in 1997.
Career
Helland was a part of the various youth teams in SK Brann, and made his first appearance on the senior team in the Norwegian Premier LeagueNorwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
in 1993. Helland came on as a sub in the 88th minute in a game against Rosenborg BK at Lerkendal
Lerkendal stadion
Lerkendal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located at Lerkendal in Trondheim, Norway. The home ground of the Tippeligaen side Rosenborg BK, it has a capacity for 21,116 spectators, making it the second-largest football stadium in the country....
, as Brann won 4–0. He only played one more game in the spring season but from the twelfth game of the season he played all the remaining games, for a total of 13 league games in his first season. In 1997, Helland helped Brann finish second
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the Norwegian Premier League, Brann's best league position since 1975, and he made his debut and played his only two games for the Norwegian national team that year. Helland played in Brann until 1999 and played a total of 206 games, scoring 21 goals for the club. In the Norwegian Premier League he played 154 games scoring 15 goals.
As Helland's contract with Brann ran out in December 1999, he was offered a contract by a number of Norwegian clubs. Helland eventually chose to move abroad, as he signed a half-season contract with Danish
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...
club 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...
, where fellow Norwegian Åge Hareide
Åge Hareide
Åge Fridtjof Hareide is a Norwegian football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Viking FK.-Playing career:During his playing career, Hareide played for Hødd, Molde, Manchester City and Norwich City....
had just become head coach. Helland was a part of Hareide's Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n venture in that transfer window, and arrived at Brøndby alongside Stig Inge Bjørnebye
Stig Inge Bjørnebye
Stig Inge Bjørnebye is a retired Norwegian footballer who played in Norway, England, and Denmark, most notably for Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. His preferred position was left back, which he occupied for domestic clubs and the national team...
, Magnus Svensson, Krister Nordin
Krister Nordin
Hans Krister Nordin is a Swedish former professional football player, who played the bulk of his career with Swedish club AIK Fotboll in the Allsvenskan championship. He played two matches for the Sweden national under-21 football team.Born in Stockholm, Nordin started playing football with local...
, and Mattias Jonson
Mattias Jonson
Mattias Jonson is a Swedish former professional football player, who played as a midfielder for Swedish club Djurgårdens IF in the Allsvenskan championship...
. He was bought by Hareide to replace Brøndby's "risky" central defender Vragel da Silva
Vragel da Silva
Vragel da Silva is a former Brazilian footballer.Da Silva last played in Germany for Energie Cottbus.- Career :...
in the zone defense of Hareide's newly introduced 4-3-3 formation. Having made his official Brøndby debut in March 2000, Helland went on to play 12 of Brøndby’s remaining 15 league games of the Danish Superliga 1999-2000
Danish Superliga 1999-2000
The 1999–2000 Danish Superliga season was the 10th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
season, as Brøndby finished in second place. Towards the end of the season, Brøndby chairman 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....
criticized the cooperation of the central defense pairing of Helland and Per Nielsen
Per Nielsen
Per Lundgren Nielsen is a retired Danish professional football player who played in the central defense of Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga for his entire club career. With Brøndby, Nielsen won five Danish championships and three Danish Cups since his senior debut in 1993...
, and Helland subsequently received general criticism from the Danish media. Helland's contract was not renewed in the summer 2000.
He returned to Norway and Lillestrøm SK in June 2000. When Fredrikstad was promoted to the Norwegian First Division in 2002, Helland was signed in December 2002 to strengthen the team. Fredrikstad were promoted again and Helland was back in the Norwegian Premier League with his third team. In the third game of the 2004 season he scored Fredrikstad's first goal in in 20 years in the top flight of Norwegian football, when Molde FK was defeated 1–0 at Aker Stadion
Aker stadion
Aker Stadion, formerly known as Molde Stadion, is a football stadium located at Reknes in Molde, Norway, and is the home of Norwegian Premier League club Molde. The stadium has a capacity of 11,800 spectators....
.
On 13 June 2004 he was back 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....
to play against his old team Brann. The game ended unfortunate for Helland when he was sent off
Penalty card
A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
after a questionable decision by the referee. Helland retired as a footballer in 2005. In 2009 he came back to Brann as a coach for the junior team.