17 clubs in danger of losing their licence.

(Nettavisen.no)
Monday The Licence Committee revealed during a press conference at Ullevaal Stadium(the arena that FC Lyn once owned and now can't even afford to rent.) that a total of 17 clubs in Tippeligaen (5), Adeccoligaen (10) and Toppserien Women (2) has received conditional license and is in danger of losing this if they are not able to show positive equity by the end of the year.

Lyn, Tromsø, Strømsgodset, Start and Stabæk are some of the clubs that are in danger of losing their license and thus be denied to play football at a top level in 2010.

The new licence settlement, which will help the clubs out of the ditch, requires, like the old system positive equity.

It's previously been estimated that the 16 teams in Tippeligaen in total runs against a deficit of 150 million kroner(£15 million) in 2009.



This is the first time the Norwegian Football Association uses the new rules for club licenses for Tippeligaen, Adeccoligaen and Toppserien Women. The clubs will keep the licenses that are now handed out, until the licence committee pulls it back or to the club is relegated from Adeccoligaen or Toppserien Women.

The central change in the licensing system is that the clubs now are divided into three categories based on their economic. Category 1 is the worst.

In Tippeligaen Strømsgodset, Start, Stabæk and Tromsø are all placed in category 1, and must now draw up an action plan that the Licence Committee must accept.

Clubs that do not follow their action plan risk facing sanctions. The teams can be punished with a warning, fees of up to 250,000kr per license criteria violation or an eight points deduction per violation. The License Committee will also be able to impose restrictions on the clubs player purchases and contract signings.

These are the 17 clubs that have to document positive equity before the 31st of December 2009 in order to be given a licence:

Tromsø
Strømsgodset
Start
Stabæk (Men and women)
Lyn
Stavanger
Løv-Ham
Sarpsborg
Moss
Kongsvinger
Ham-Kam
Notodden
Hønefoss
Skeid
Haugesund
Amazon Grimstad (Women)
Trondheims Ørn (Women)