Sverre Heidenreich (EN)

Sverre Heidenreich was born in 1920 and made his debut for IK Start on May 15, 1938, at the age of 18, in a match against one of the club’s main rivals at the time, Flekkefjord. The match ended in a 1–3 loss, but he scored Start’s only goal on his debut.

After a break due to the sports strike during the WWII, he played matches for the club every year until he retired as a player on June 5, 1955, following a 2–3 cup loss to Nærbø.

He is officially recorded with 45 league matches and 17 cup matches. Including friendlies, the actual number is likely significantly higher. He played as a midfielder and is credited with two goals in these 62 official matches.

He served as the club’s chairman in 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1958. It skould be noted that he is likely one of the few individuals who played matches and served as club chairman at the same time!

In addition, he was the first team coach in 1950 and 1951 – also whileI sholud be noted still an active player.

Later, he coached various youth teams from 1962 to 1970, including players who would go on to become Start legends – such as Trond Pedersen and Svein Mathisen. He also coached the junior regional team in Agder.

For his efforts, he was awarded IK Start’s Gold Badge in 1955.

During World War II, Heidenreich was active in the resistance movement as an agent for XU. After the war, he worked as a physical education teacher but struggled with the aftereffects of his wartime experiences.

Sverre Heidenreich’s contributions to IK Start and Norwegian football in the post-war years were significant. He represented a generation that not only built up the clubs athletically but also took responsibility for rebuilding sports after the devastation of the war.

Sverre Heidenreich passed away on May 10, 1993, at the age of 73.