Danish 1st Division


The 1st Division is the second highest football league in Denmark, also known as NordicBet Liga for sponsorship reasons. From 1945 to 1991 the 1. Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark. With the formation of the Danish Superliga, the 1st Division became the second tier of Danish football. While all the teams in the Superliga are full-time professional the 1. Division has a mixture of full-time professional and semi-professional teams.
The top-ranking teams each year win promotion to the Superliga, while the bottom finishers get relegated to the Danish 2nd Division.
TV3 Sport 1 broadcasts one match per week from the league.

History

After World War II the format of the top-flight football division in Denmark, the "Championship League", where reverted with the tournament now named the "1st Division". There were 10 teams in the top division once again, playing each other twice, with the lowest team being relegated. The 1953–54 season saw the first non-Copenhagen team win the Danish championship, when Køge Boldklub won the title. The championship title was not reclaimed by a Copenhagen team in more than ten years, until Akademisk Boldklub won the 1967 season.
From 1958, the Danish championship was arranged through one calendar year, and the 1956–57 season lasted 18 months with the teams playing each other thrice for a 27 games total. From 1958 to 1974, the tournament was expanded to 12 teams, playing each other twice for 22 games per season each, but now the bottom two teams faced relegation. The number of teams was increased to 16 for the 1975 season, which resulted in 30 games per season. In 1986, the number of participants was altered once more, this time decreasing the number of teams to 14, and the number of games to 26.
In 1991, the Danish Superliga was created. This meant the 1st Division became the second highest league. Together with the Superliga introduction the best Danish leagues changed back to autumn-spring seasons.
In 1996, the 1st Division had its first name sponsor, as the league received the official name "Faxe Kondi Divisionen" after main sponsor Faxe Brewery. The sponsor deal ended in 2001, but from 2004 to mid-2007 it was named "Viasat Sport Divisionen". The "Sport" was omitted upon the closing of the Viasat Sport-channels in Denmark, and the opening of TV 2 Sport. The sponsorship finally ended prior to the start of the 2010–11 season.
Former 1st Division sponsors and logos:

Current teams (2019–20)

Club
Finishing position
last season		First season of
current spell in
1st Division
FC Fredericia6th2001–02
FC Roskilde9th2014–15
Fremad Amager5th2016–17
HB Køge7th2012–13
Hvidovre IF10th2018–19
Kolding IF2nd in 2nd Division2019–20
Nykøbing FC8th2016–17
Næstved BK4th2018–19
Skive IK1st in 2nd Division2019–20
Vejle BK14th in Superligaen2019-20
Vendsyssel FF12th in Superligaen2019-20
Viborg FF2nd2017–18

Previous winners

First tier until 1990, then second tier
SeasonWinner
1945–46B93
1946–47AB
1947–48KB
1948–49KB
1949–50KB
1950–51AB
1951–52AB
1952–53KB
1953–54Køge BK
1954–55AGF
1955–56AGF
1956–57AGF
1958Vejle Boldklub
1959B1909
1960AGF
1961Esbjerg fB
1962Esbjerg fB
1963Esbjerg fB
1964B1909
1965Esbjerg fB
1966Hvidovre IF
1967AB
1968KB
1969B1903
1970B1903
1971Vejle Boldklub
1972Vejle Boldklub
1973Hvidovre IF
1974KB
1975Køge BK
1976B1903
1977OB
1978Vejle Boldklub
1979Esbjerg fB
1980KB
1981Hvidovre IF
1982OB
1983Lyngby BK
1984Vejle Boldklub

SeasonWinner
1985Brøndby IF
1986AGF
1987Brøndby IF
1988Brøndby IF
1989OB
1990Brøndby IF
1991Næstved IF
Autumn 1991Viborg FF
Spring 1992Brønshøj BK
Autumn 1992Esbjerg fB
Spring 1993Horsens fS
Autumn 1993Vejle Boldklub
Spring 1994B93
Autumn 1994Viborg FF
Spring 1995Esbjerg fB
1995–96Hvidovre IF
1996–97Ikast FS
1997–98Viborg FF
1998–99OB
1999–2000FC Midtjylland
2000–01Esbjerg fB
2001–02Køge BK
2002–03Herfølge BK
2003–04Silkeborg IF
2004–05SønderjyskE
2005–06Vejle Boldklub
2006–07Lyngby BK
2007–08Vejle Boldklub
2008–09Herfølge BK
2009–10AC Horsens
2010–11AGF
2011–12Esbjerg fB
2012–13Viborg FF
2013–14Silkeborg IF
2014–15Viborg FF
2015–16Lyngby BK
2016–17Hobro IK
2017–18Vejle Boldklub
2018–19Silkeborg IF

Footnotes