Knut Erik Folland

Knut Erik Folland
Personal information
Date of birth (1972-03-05) 5 March 1972
Position(s)
Youth career
Gaular
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
–1989 Gaular
1990–1991 Førde
1992 Os
1993–1996 HamKam
1997 Elverum
1997–2000 Førde
2001–2002 Os
Managerial career
2007–2014 Førde
2015 Vard Haugesund
2017 Førde (assistant)
2018 Florø (coach)
2023 Førde (coach)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Knut Erik Folland (born 5 March 1972) is a retired Norwegian football defender and later manager. He notably played in Norway's highest league Eliteserien for Hamkam, and on the second tier for Hamkam and Os; later coaching Førde and Vard Haugesund.

Career

Hailing from Sande i Sunnfjord,[1] he played in the Sixth Division for Gaular. He was given a 2,000 kr grant in 1989 to support his football training,[2] and in early 1990, Folland spent half a year at a football academy in Alcudia.[3][4] Ahead of the 1990 season he joined a larger team in Sunnfjord, Førde IL.[5][6] Folland started his first Førde game in August 1990, playing sweeper. The game ended in a 0–7 loss to Åsane.[7][8]

To try his luck on a higher level, Folland went on trial with Os TF in the 1992 pre-season, and was given a contract with the second-tier team.[9][10] Until he finished school, he would commute between Førde and Os.[11] Folland made his debut for Os at Haugesund stadion in May 1992 against Haugar. Two newspapers declared Folland as the best Os player of the match and "brilliant", respectively.[12][13]

Because he started his compulsory military service at Jørstadmoen in 1992, Folland contacted Eliteserien club Hamarkameratene. He was allowed to train with Hamkam from December 1992, and during the winter he managed to make his way into the first team squad, featuring regularly in the pre-season friendlies.[14][15][16]

In the fall of 1993, he was offered a new contract. Manager Peter Engelbrektsson praised his technique, tactical and jumping skills, but added that Folland was under development and needed more strength.[17] In the 1994 Eliteserien, Folland notably started in central defense against Lillestrøm in May 1994, as central defender Leif Nordli could not make the game in time.[18][19] VG expressed surprise that Folland was still standing, after a last-ditch effort by goalkeeper Frode Grodås to convert a corner kick. Grodås "smashed into Folland as a tanker truck", a "senseless assault".[20]

Folland started his first game of the 1995 Eliteserien against Brann, but was sent off in a clear loss.[21] Nonetheless he continued starting games, with his breakthrough seeming imminent.[22] He was sidelined in favour of Stian Hagelund in late August.[23] Ham-Kam were relegated at the end of 1995. Continuing for one year, after the 1996 1. divisjon season, Ham-Kam did not renew the contract with Folland. Being released came as a surprise to him, but after Ham-Kam started playing in the First Division, he had enrolled at Hedmark University College in Elverum to have something to fall back on.[24]

Folland was set to join Elverum Fotball ahead of the 1997 season,[25] though he was also contacted by Førde.[26] The transfer deal was finally resolved in April 1997.[27] For Elverum, Folland was a key member of the team owing to his abilities in directing the play, both through passing as well as verbally. When the school year 1997–98 commenced, Folland left Elverum to continue his education at Sogn og Fjordane University College.[28]

By the 2000s, Folland had started an education in ergotherapy. In 2001 he found it necessary to move to Bergen to get an internship. He was wanted by Fyllingen, but as the Bergen-based club only wanted to utilize Folland in central defense, he got an offer from his former club Os which entailed playing as a central midfielder. Folland chose Os.[29][30] He would go on loan from Førde, but never returned there as a player.[31][32]

Manager career

Folland became head coach of Førde IL in 2007. As the team had lingered seven seasons in the Third Division, Folland led Førde to promotion from the 2009 Norwegian Third Division.[33][34] Though Førde were relegated from the 2011 Norwegian Second Division, they wo instant re-promotion in 2012, with Folland attempting to use the promotion as leverage to incur an investement to improve the playing facilities.[35]

Folland announced his resignation in August 2014, effective after the end of the season.[36][37] He was replaced by Torbjørn Glomnes.[38]

Folland was wanted as head coach of SK Vard Haugesund, already in 2013,[39] and was announced as Vard's new signing in October 2014. Folland stated that the goal was promotion to the First Division. The link between him and Vard was conceived through fellow manager Karl Oskar Emberland.[40] Folland only lasted one season Vard due to the considerable distance away from his family.[41]

Folland announced his retirement from coaching in 2016,[1] but already in 2017 he returned to Førde IL as adviser and assistant.[42][43] In 2018 he was a defense coach for Florø SK.[44] He returned to help Førde in a coaching capacity in 2023.[45][46]

Personal life

Knut Erik Folland's daughter Mina Bell Folland played for Gaular IL and was selected for the Norwegian U14–16 youth national training camp.[47] She made her debut for Toppserien in 2021 after joining Arna-Bjørnar, and moved on to Røa IL in January 2024.[48]

From 2015, Folland worked with administrating the physicians' services in Sunnfjord Municipality.[49] In January 2025, he took up an administrative position at Førde Hospital.[50]

References

  1. ^ a b "Frå fotball til legesenter" (in Norwegian). NRK. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Gular hadde sjansane, Stårheim vann". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 27 September 1989. p. 8.
  3. ^ "Tre til Alcudia". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 11 October 1989. p. 8.
  4. ^ "Hadde det fint, men...". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 21 April 1990. p. 7.
  5. ^ "Fornying i Førde-stallen". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 4 October 1989. p. 6.
  6. ^ "Åtte nye i Førde-stallen". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 10 January 1990. p. 8.
  7. ^ "'Fotball-krig' i Stryn". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 3 August 1990. p. 8.
  8. ^ "Tolv baklengsmål på to kampar". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 7 August 1990. p. 7.
  9. ^ "Førde-spelar til 1. divisjon?". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 20 February 1992. p. 14.
  10. ^ "Os vil ha Folland". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 6 March 1992. p. 15.
  11. ^ "Os Turn med pressekonferanse". Os og Fusaposten (in Norwegian). 25 March 1992. p. 16.
  12. ^ "Sviende Os-baksmell". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). 5 May 1992. p. 28.
  13. ^ "Os burde avgjort kampen før pause". Os og Fusaposten (in Norwegian). 6 May 1992. p. 20.
  14. ^ "Knut Erik Folland". Hamar Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 10 November 1992. p. 17.
  15. ^ "Folland på A-laget til Hamkam". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 16 April 1993. p. 13.
  16. ^ "Ham-Kams funn". Hamar Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 26 April 1993. p. 16.
  17. ^ "Ham Kam satsar på Knut Erik". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 28 September 1993. p. 18.
  18. ^ "– Helt vanvittig". Østlendingen (in Norwegian). 27 May 1994. p. 18.
  19. ^ "– Skal gjere alt for å stoppe Tore Andre". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 28 May 1994. p. 17.
  20. ^ "Frode fly forbannet". VG (in Norwegian). 27 May 1994. p. 37.
  21. ^ "Trener-Peter og Ham-Kam raste". Østlendingen (in Norwegian). 29 May 1995. p. 18.
  22. ^ "Spiller med sjøltillit". Østlendingen (in Norwegian). 21 June 1995. p. 26.
  23. ^ "Justerer forsvaret". Østlendingen (in Norwegian). 30 August 1995. p. 27.
  24. ^ "Vraket – men Folland tar det som en utfordring". Hamar Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 13 November 1996. p. 25.
  25. ^ "Solungene velger Elverum". Glåmdalen (in Norwegian). 30 November 1996. p. 31.
  26. ^ "Førde håper på Folland". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 2 November 1996. p. 25.
  27. ^ "Folland spilleklar". Østlendingen (in Norwegian). 19 April 1997. p. 35.
  28. ^ "Elverums målfarlige trio ...der to forsvinner". Østlendingen (in Norwegian). 4 August 1997. p. 24.
  29. ^ "Folland blir Fyllingen-spelar". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 15 December 2000. p. 14.
  30. ^ "Rutinert tilvekst". Os og Fusaposten (in Norwegian). 24 January 2001. p. 17.
  31. ^ "Folland blir i klubben". Os og Fusaposten (in Norwegian). 14 July 2001. p. 13.
  32. ^ "Uvisst kring Folland". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 23 November 2001. p. 16.
  33. ^ "Feira opprykket ut i dei små timer". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 26 October 2009. p. 12-13.
  34. ^ "Folland stilte krav for å halde fram". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 10 November 2009. p. 12.
  35. ^ "Mot opprykk, vil ikkje signere". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 8 September 2012. p. 10-11.
  36. ^ "Han sluttar i Førde". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 5 August 2014. p. 12.
  37. ^ "Er Haugesund neste?". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 16 October 2014. p. 13.
  38. ^ "Blir den nye sjefen i Førde". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 18 October 2014. p. 10-11.
  39. ^ "Reiste rett til Haugesund". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 19 September 2013. p. 16.
  40. ^ "Mål: Opprykk til 1. div". Haugesunds Avis (in Norwegian). 23 October 2014. p. 21.
  41. ^ "– Fantastisk spillergruppe". Haugesunds Avis (in Norwegian). 18 November 2015. p. 22.
  42. ^ "Tilbake i Førde-fotballen". Firda (in Norwegian). 22 November 2016.
  43. ^ "Folland bidrar igjen". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 28 June 2017. p. 7.
  44. ^ "- Oppgåva trigga meg". Firdaposten (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 27 March 2018. p. x.
  45. ^ "Knut Erik Folland gjer 'comeback'". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 12 January 2023. p. 9.
  46. ^ "Men spesieltéin ting meiner Folland er betre no". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 13 April 2023. p. 12.
  47. ^ "– Det er heilt fantastisk å vere her". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 8 August 2020. p. 17.
  48. ^ "Mina Bell Folland fra Arna-Bjørnar til Røa" (in Norwegian). Røa IL. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  49. ^ "Men Folland varslar fleire endringar". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 14 June 2022. p. 20.
  50. ^ "Dette skal han til med no". Firda (in Norwegian Nynorsk). 28 November 2024. p. 26.
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