They are regarded as the most successful Norwegian club with 24 titles and 11 Cup wins and more UEFA competitions than any other club from the country.
Through to 1928 the club played friendly football along with other athletic pursuits and then joined the amateur league. In 1937 they were elevated to the national league, suffered odd disasters over their history but have generally been a top team. The first venture in Europe was in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1960 and by 1967 they were in the nation's top division winning three titles in four seasons. Between 1991-2004 they won consecutive titles and played in the Champions League 11 times. 1996-7 was probably their most memorable campaign beating Milan, qualifying for the quarter-finals and eventually losing to Juventus.
He played inside forward/wing half for Arsenal around the Second World War period, then Southampton as his major club over 170 times between 1947-52, where he was known as "Twinkletoes"! Not a slogger then!
In 1949-50 Southampton missed promotion to the old English Division One by 0.06 of a goal, based on the old goal difference equation.
Curtis managed Brighton and Hove Albion in 1961-3, having done his "badges" under Walter Winterbottom and also worked in the USA with San Diego Toros.
In 1969-70, he joined Rosenborg, where he managed the team against Southampton in an Inter Cities Fairs' Cup tie won by the Saints with goals scored by Terry Paine and Ron Davies.
He later managed the Norwegian national team between 1971-4 (not very successfully) after which he briefly went back to Rosenborg in 1976.
Curtis died in 2004, living on his own in a caravan in Chelmsford. Sad!
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