Kolding FC's brief history began with a merger between the two oldest football clubs in Kolding,
Kolding IF and
Kolding Boldklub, which took effect on 1 January 2002 after extensive negotiations. In their first complete season as Kolding FC (2002–03), the club, recently relegated from the
Danish 1st Division, finished ninth out of sixteen in the
Danish 2nd Division. The following season (2003–04), the team fell just one point short of promotion back to the 1st Division, missing the opportunity after losses to
Dalum and
Næstved. In the 2004–05 season, Kolding FC topped the 2nd Division with a record of 23 wins, 7 losses, and no draws, securing promotion back to the 1st Division. By the winter break of the
2005–06 season, the team was in third place, exceeding expectations of finishing in the top 11. They needed just two points to secure second place for promotion to the
Superliga, but ultimately finished sixth after adjusting their expectations to a top-five finish, following four losses and a draw in the final matches. The club merged with
Vejle Boldklub in 2011 under the name
Vejle Boldklub Kolding. The merger was dissolved in 2013 when Kolding IF chose to withdraw from the collaboration.
Nike sponsorship On 6 March 2007, Kolding FC announced a five-year sponsorship deal with
Nike, Inc. The chairman, Jens Haugaard, described the agreement as "extremely big for a 1st Division club." The sponsorship has been said to be worth "more than
DKK 3 million" and "DKK 5 million". The deal included the following components: • Provision of all clothing for all teams within the club and its parent clubs, Kolding IF and Kolding Boldklub, including training and match kits • An undisclosed monetary amount • A yearly friendly match against the highest-ranked other Danish Nike-sponsored team (then
OB) • In return, Kolding FC was required to make itself available for a yearly match against a lower-ranked Nike-sponsored team == Stadium ==