Hardball (company)


Hardball is a Norwegian investment company founded in 2004 to finance player transfers for the association football team SK Brann from Bergen, Norway. Former news editor at Norwegian TV 2 and managing director of software company Vizrt, Bjarne Berg, fronted Hardball and was one of several members of the investors group until his death in 2010.
Eivind Kåre Lunde is the company's Managing Director.
When a Hardball financed player is sold, Hardball is to have their investment back after expenses are withdrawn. Any profits are to be divided 50-50 between Hardball and Brann. Hardball has no ownership in Brann, and the power to sell or trade players stays with the club.
The investors are predominantly local businessmen from Bergen and are known Brann supporters, and have expressed desire to help Brann becoming a top class team. According to Bjarne Berg, the company's long-term goal is to make itself redundant without losing money in the process.
The company has partially or fully financed the following player transfers:
Note! All transfer fees are approximates.
Bought fromDateTransfer fee PlayerTransfer fee DateSold to
BryneDecember 20032.200.000Ragnvald Soma6.000.000March 2006Viking
Northern SpiritFebruary 2004750.000Dylan Macallister750.000March 2006Lyn
SalzburgAugust 20045.000.000Paul Scharner32.000.000January 2005Wigan Athletic
StabækDecember 200410.000.000Martin AndresenFree transferNovember 2007Vålerengen
KR ReykjavikDecember 20041.000.000Kristján Örn SigurðssonFree transferJanuary 2010Hønefoss
Ham-KamNovember 200510.000.000Petter Vaagan MoenFree TransferJanuary 2011Queens Park Rangers
FH HafnarfjarðarAugust 20062.000.000Ármann Smári BjörnssonFree transferAugust 2009Hartlepool United
VålerengaAugust 20067.000.000Ardian Gashi6.000.000July 2007Fredrikstad
LeedsAugust 20065.000.000 'Eirik BakkeFree transferJanuary 2011Sogndal Fotball
RosenborgMarch 20076.000.000Jan Gunnar SolliFree transferJanuary 2011New York Red Bulls
Løv-HamJuly 20072.500.000Knut WaldeContract expiredJanuary 2010-
ElfsborgJuly 20072.500.000Joakim SjöhageUndisclosedNovember 2008Trelleborg
Free transferJuly 2007Unknown 'Hassan El Fakiri---
BenficaAugust 20073.000.000Azar Karadas2.000.000September 2009Kasımpaşa

Investors of Hardball: