Thorbjørn Svenssen
Thorbjørn Svenssen ( born April 22, 1924 in Sandefjord, † January 8, 2011 ibid, called " cliffs " ( The Rock ) ) was a Norwegian footballer. He had his position in defense. With 104 missions he was, until September 7, 2012 capped player of the Norwegian national football team.
Life
Svenssen began playing football in 1936 Sandefjord BK. The climatic conditions brought in the rule five months with snow and frost, so that he was already employed in sports with football not alone in the teenage years. In winter, ski jumping, Bandywettkämpfe and ice hockey games was announced, the football played its role in the remaining months in the wide range of employment of the young athlete. Looking back, he says at this time, " that he has been challenged as Titch to be tough, fight strong, persistent and athletic ." He has trained three times with the team and every free hour beyond alone. He remained faithful throughout his Sandefjord, 1945-1965 plus career. In total he played 600 games for the club, of which 196 in the first division. A division title or trophy he never won in his club career. But in the years 1957 and 1959 he stood with his club - Sandefjord owned by 1948/49, bis 1961/62 1st League ( Hovedserien ) to - in the Cup finals. Both finals were lost by the yellow and black. 1957 0-4 against Fredrikstad FK and in 1959 with 1:2 goals by extension against Viking Stavanger.
In 1946, in Oslo, he wears the national jersey for the first time, 22 - year old, he calls attention to itself in the B selection at a 2:3 defeat against Denmark. In the national team he played from 1947 to 1962 for almost 15 years. During this time, he played 104 matches, 93 of them as captain, and was by the Englishman Billy Wright, the Second, who reached the milestone of 100 international appearances. His 100th international match on September 17, 1961 Norway lost 0-4 against Denmark.
In addition, Norway took part in 1952 in the Olympic Games, where in the first round against Sweden - the later bronze medalist stepped in with the goalkeeper Kalle Svensson and Bengt Gustavsson center half - was eliminated. A moderate success also succeeded in 1953, when they took a 1-1 in the World Cup qualifiers against the eventual champions Germany. Svenssen conducted the Norwegian defense against the five German attacker Helmut Rahn, Max Morlock, Ottmar Walter, Fritz Walter and Hans Schaefer. The 2-1 home victory on 12 June 1957 in the World Cup qualifiers against Hungary with its prominent attackers Nandor Hidegkuti, Lajos Tichy and Mate Fenyvesi, is also one of the successes of the national team. From 1953 - on June 24 against the Saarland - to October 29, 1961 in an away match against Turkey he went to Norway in ten World Cup qualifiers. Still in the 99th game against the Soviet Union ( 0:3) in August 1961 at the Ullevaal Stadium, he was again named the best player. Longtime companions were the defenders colleague Arne Bakker and the storm tank Harald Hennum.
In the Holmenkollen ski museum in Oslo, Norway in the sports heroes are revered, Svenssen is immortalized as the only football player.
From his countrymen, he was next to cliffs known as " The great whaling " because he had earned shortly after the Second World War as whalers his livelihood. After completing his career he led the forwarding of a factory operation in Sandefjord, where he had worked previously as well. Son Thorgny played until 1982 with Start Kristiansand in the highest league.