Bryne Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the town of Bryne, founded in 1926. As of 2019, it plays in the 2. divisjon.
History
Bryne has played a total of 17 seasons in the top flight of Norwegian football since their debut in 1976. They had their longest spell of 13 consecutive top tier seasons from 1976 until 1988. Their last stint in the top divisions lasted four seasons from 2000 until the 2003 season, when Bryne, coached by Swede Reine Almqvist, were relegated in the final round of the 2003 Tippeligaen. Bryne placed sixth in 1. divisjon in 2007. It was a disappointing season for the club that is aiming for the top division. It was a turbulent season, players left and players were brought in. The players that came in before the season did not manage to set their mark on the club, and was loaned out or sold. The season reached its bottom when head coach Magnus Johansson resigned after yet another disappointing appearance, this time against Tromsdalen. Hans Olav Frette, Johansson's predecessor, came in and led the team the rest of the season. In 2016, Bryne relegated to 2. divisjon despite of winning the last game of the season.
Stadium
Bryne spent the majority of their early years playing on a small, rented field next to Bryne Mill, before acquiring the site of their current home ground, Bryne Stadion, at the end of the 1930s. At the time of its inauguration in September 1946, the stadium's grass pitch was one of the largest in the country and a far cry from the 85x55 m dimensions of the Bryne Mill field. Bryne Stadion is used both for football and athletics and has a capacity of 10,000, of which 2,507 are seated. The record attendance is 13,621 paying spectators, achieved when Bryne defeated Viking on 26 May1980, although as many as 14,500 were estimated to have attended an earlier game between the two rivals, on 9 October 1977. The club considers 13,621 to be the official record since there were only 12,236 paying spectators at this other game. Bryne have in recent years been working towards a possible redevelopment of their home ground, alternatively the construction of a new stadium elsewhere, in order to increase turnover and conform with the Norwegian Football Association's requirements for hosting top tier football matches. On 14 February 2006, the club presented plans for the Jæren Arena, an 8,688-capacity stadium designed by the architects responsible for Viking Stadion, and on 12 December 2006, the club announced that it had obtained finance for the project, which was estimated to cost 150 million NOK. The intended location was on the border between the municipalities of Time, of which Bryne is the administrative centre, and Klepp. However, due to difficulties in obtaining a construction permit for the site, which is currently regulated for agricultural purposes, the club has opted for a new location about 900 m south of the old ground. Bryne aimed to have the stadium completed in time for the 2008 season. In 2010, Jæren Arena AS went bankrupt. As of 2019, Bryne still plays their matches at Bryne Stadion.
