The Kristiansund Ballklubb , KBK for short , is a Norwegian football club from the city of Kristiansund in the administrative district ( Fylke ) Møre og Romsdal . The association was only founded on September 2, 2003 after a financially supported initiative by the local bank SpareBank 1 Nordvest . After the 2003 season, the new club took over the game licenses and the squad of the first teams of the two traditional clubs Clausenengen Fotballklubb and Kristiansund Fotballklubb . From 2004 KBK started playing, initially in the fourth-highest division. After the 2016 season KBK rose to the highest Norwegian league, the Eliteserien .
In Kristiansund there were several equal associations until the founding of Kristiansund BK. Clausenengen Fotballklubb , Kristiansund Fotballklubb , Dahle Idrettslag and Frei Fotballklubb were all football teams that played in the fourth, third and occasionally in the second highest league over the years. The Clausenengen FK played three times for the Norwegian championship when it was still played with several regional groups. The Kristiansund FK played first class in a season when two groups identified the finalists of the Championship. Although the city produced many talents, for example Ole Gunnar Solskjær , Øyvind Leonhardsen and Trond Andersen , these quickly moved to the surrounding clubs that played in the higher leagues. Only 80 kilometers south is Molde with the top team Molde FK , 150 kilometers away is Ålesund with the first division club Aalesunds FK and Trondheim with the record champions Rosenborg is only 200 kilometers away.
Several initiatives have been taken to pool the resources of football in Kristiansund. However, these failed regularly due to the resistance of the clubs that did not want to give up their identity. In 2003 the local savings bank SpareBank 1 Nordvest succeeded in turning things around. The bank offered football in Kristiansund an amount of 2,250,000 Norwegian kroner (around 250,000 EUR) over three years, but stipulated that the current best clubs in town, Clausenengen Fotballklubb and Kristiansund Fotballklubb, would cooperate. This prospect led both clubs to abandon their reservations and provide their roster and gaming licenses. On September 2, 2003, the new club Kristiansand Ballklubb was founded, and at the end of the season, the then third division (2nd division) Clausenengen FK transferred its license to the new club. Kristiansund FK, who played a league lower, transferred his license to the second team of the new club. Unfortunately Clausenengen was relegated at the end of the season and Kristiansund BK had to start a league lower than planned. Because the first and second teams are not allowed to play in the same league, the second team was also moved down one division to the fifth division, although Kristiansund FK had actually held the class.
The founding of Kristiansund Ballklubb did not mean the end of the Clausenengen and Kristiansund Fotballklubbs. Both clubs continue to play with the licenses and the squad of the respective second teams. In 2016 Clausenengen played in the 5th division (6th level). In 2016 Kristiansund Fotballklubb even played in the 3rd Divisjon (4th division), the league in which the team played before the new club was founded.
Kris Bright (2007-2008)