LATEST UPDATE - vv DEVO '58 / SPORTPARK OOKMEER VELD 18, AMSTERDAM (NETHERLANDS)
Extreme Football Tourism
Simply photos of matchday and stadium visits, mainly in Belgium and the Netherlands, occasionally in Britain or farther afield. Additionally, some historical information about grounds and clubs is provided. Others call it 'groundhopping', whereas I prefer 'football tourism'... but things have run slightly out of control: therefore, this is Extreme Football Tourism.
Monday, 3 February 2025
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Saturday, 1 February 2025
NETHERLANDS: vv ZOB
Zuidoosterpark, Zuidoostbeemster (vv ZOB)
Netherlands, province: North Holland = Noord-Holland
1 II 2025 / vv ZOB - vv VIOS-W 5-0 / District West I, Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1A (= NL level 6)
Timeline
- 1956 / Foundation of a football club in the village of Zuidoostbeemster, on the western outskirts of Purmerend in North Holland. The new club, which takes on the name vv ZOB (Zuidoostbeemster), joins the NHVB (Noord-Hollandse Voetbalbond), the North Holland sub-branch of the Netherlands’ Football Association (KNVB). vv ZOB settles on a newly laid-out pitch at J.J. Grootlaan. Although the majority of the club’s membership has a Roman Catholic background, vv ZOB joins the Saturday league pyramid, traditionally dominated by clubs of Protestant background – the reason behind this being that there is no room for an additional club in the NHVB Sunday pyramid for the 1956-57 season.
- 1968 / After twelve years in the NHVB divisions, with several promotions behind them, vv ZOB now wins the title in NHVB Division 1, with the decisive points being obtained in a 4-0 home win over vv PSZ Reserves. As such, vv ZOB accedes to KNVB District West I’s Saturday League 4 for the first time. The successful coach is Steef Nijenhuis.
- 1976 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 4A, 8 points ahead of closest followers vv Kromhout, vv ZOB wins promotion to Saturday League 3. The successful coach is Dolf van Dijk.
- 1977 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 3A, 3 points ahead of closest followers vv Blauw-Wit (za), vv ZOB – still coached by Dolf van Dijk – wins its second promotion in a row, acceding to to Saturday League 2 for the first time.
- 1982 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Saturday League 2C, vv ZOB drops back into Saturday League 3 after five seasons, along with bottom club DOSC.
- 1986 / vv ZOB finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Saturday League 3A, 3 points behind derby rivals VPV Purmersteijn.
- 1987 / Finishing in joint first place in District West I’s Saturday League 3A with RCH (za), vv ZOB meets the club from Heemstede in a tie-break match, going on to win the encounter 2-0 (goals by Walter Huybrechts & Peter van Rijn). As such, vv ZOB manages a return to Saturday League 2 after an absence of five years.
- 1991 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Saturday League 2C, vv ZOB is retrograded to Saturday League 3 along with the club finishing in second-last position, HSV De Zuidvogels.
- 1992 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 3A, 3 points ahead of vv Zandvoort ’75, vv ZOB wins promotion to Saturday League 2.
- 1993 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Saturday League 2C, vv ZOB drops back into Saturday League 3 along with the club in second-last place, vv NSC.
- 1996 / Although only finishing in ninth place in District West I’s Saturday League 3A, vv ZOB is placed in Saturday League 2 for the new season due to extra promotion places being available following the introduction of a Zaterdag Hoofdklasse as the new top division of the Saturday league pyramid.
- 1999 / Finishing in joint first place in Saturday League 2A with CSW, vv ZOB meets the club from Wilnis in a tie-break match for the title – going on to suffer defeat in this encounter and thus missing out on promotion to Saturday League 1.
- 2000 / Champions in Saturday League 2A, 2 points ahead of closest rivals HFC Kennemerland, vv ZOB wins a historic promotion to Saturday League 1. The successful coach is Chris Abels.
- 2001 / Finishing in joint last place in Saturday League 1A, vv ZOB drops back into Saturday League 2 after just one season, along with SV Lelystad ’67 and CSW.
- 2006 / Moving away from Terrein J.J. Grootlaan after exactly half a century, vv ZOB settles on the newly laid-out Zuidoosterpark, where the club has four pitches at its disposal. Alongside the western side of the main pitch, which has been laid out as a 3G, a covered stand has been erected – a feature which had been missing at the old ground. Terrein J.J. Grootlaan has to make way for a primary school.
- 2007 / vv ZOB finishes as runners-up in Saturday League 2A, 11 points behind champions HCSC.
- 2011 / Finishing in fourth place in Saturday League 2A, vv ZOB qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by vv De Beursbengels (5-0 aggr.).
- 2017 / Finishing in third place in Saturday League 2A, vv ZOB qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by CSW (4-2 aggr.).
- 2018 / Finishing in fifth place in Saturday League 2A, vv ZOB qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by HC&FC Victoria (2-1 aggr.).
- 2019 / Runners-up in Saturday League 2A, 1 point behind champions vv Monnickendam, vv ZOB qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Managing successive victories over BFC (3-1), FC Aalsmeer (4-1) and FC Delta Sports ’95 (1-0), the club accedes to Saturday League 1 after an absence of eighteen years at that level. The successful coach is Mohad Zaoudi.
- 2021 / The covered stand at vv ZOB’s Zuidoosterpark is named after club volunteer par excellence, former club chairman Fred van Rijswijk on the occasion of his eightieth birthday.
- 2023 / In the best season in club history (so far), vv ZOB manages an eighth place in Saturday League 1A.
NETHERLANDS: AVV ZSGO (1961-1985) / RKSV DCG (1963-1968) / RKSV DCG (B) (1968-1985) / vv DEVO '58 (1985-)
Sportpark Ookmeer - veld 18 "Devonello", Amsterdam Osdorp (vv DEVO '58, formerly AVV ZSGO / RKSV DCG / B pitch of RKSV DCG)
Netherlands, province: North Holland = Noord-Holland
1 II 2025 / vv DEVO '58 - FC VVC Reserves (3) 2-2 / District West I, Reserves' League 3 Group 3
Timeline
- 1919 / On July 1st, 1919, also in the Frederik Hendrikbuurt, ASC (‘Amsterdamsche Sportclub’) sees the daylight, founded by a group of boys which had already started playing unorganised matches on a plot of wasteland at Van Rappardstraat in the summer of 1918.
- 1920 / Joining the AVB (Amsterdamsche Voetbalbond), Amsterdam’s sub-branch of the official Netherlands’ Football Association (NVB, from 1929 onwards: KNVB) one year after its foundation, ASC changes its name to become AVV ZSGO (Amsterdamsche Voetbalvereeniging ‘Zonder Strijd Geen Overwinning’). Abandoning Terrein Van Rappardstraat, ZSGO settles on a newly laid-out grass pitch at Zuidelijke Wandelweg. Also in 1920, a Roman Catholic football club sees the daylight in the Spaarndammerbuurt in Amsterdam, RKWSV DOSS (Roomsch-Katholieke Westelijke Sportvereeniging ‘Door Oefening Steeds Sterker’). DOSS joins the Roman-Catholic football association RKAVB (Roomsch-Katholieke Amsterdamsche Voetbalbond), being placed in Division 2 of the nationwide Catholic league IVCB (Interdiocesane Voetbalcompetitiebond). The new club’s first ground is laid out on a plot of land owned by a local smallholder, Mr Ruiter, at Hemweg in the so-called Amsterdamsche Polder.
- 1921 / Foundation of a new Roman Catholic club in Amsterdam; this club, which takes on the name RKSV (Roomsch-Katholieke Sportvereeniging) Constantius, joins the DHVB (Diocesaan Haarlemsche Voetbalbond), into which the RKAVB had been absorbed. Initially playing its football on a makeshift pitch in Watergraafsmeer, RKSV Constantius concludes a groundsharing agreement with VIC at Kalfjeslaan later in 1922. Later in the 1920s, Constantius acquires its own pitch at Kalfjeslaan, Terrein Boer Groot.
- ± 1923 / Moving away from Terrein Zuidelijke Wandelweg, AVV ZSGO settles on a newly laid-out pitch at Amstelveenscheweg.
- 1927 / Abandoning Terrein Amstelveenscheweg, AVV ZSGO settles on a newly laid-out pitch at Nieuwe Kalfjeslaan.
- 1929 / AVV ZSGO abandons Terrein Nieuwe Kalfjeslaan, settling on a newly laid-out pitch at Weesperzijde. That same year, a new Roman Catholic football club sees the daylight, RKVV (Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging) Gezellen Vier, which joins the DHVB league association. This club’s first ground is the so-called Katholiek Sportpark in Amsterdam-Watergraafsmeer.
- 1931 / RKWSV DOSS moves away from its ground at Hemweg to a newly laid out pitch at Uitweg. Also in or around 1931, Abandoning Terrein Weesperzijde, AVV ZSGO settles on a newly laid-out pitch at Amstelveenscheweg – not the same pitch where the club spent several seasons in the 1920s, but a location close to Koenenkade.
- 1933 / Moving away from the Katholiek Sportpark after four years, RKVV Gezellen Vier moves to a newly laid-out pitch at Middenweg.
- 1934 / AVV ZSGO wins promotion to KNVB Sunday League 4 for the first time.
- 1936 / Abandoning Terrein Amstelveenschweg (II), where the club had spent five odd seasons, AVV ZSGO moves away to Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg, also used by its future merger partner ASC WMS. Another club moving to Velserweg, a huge municipal sports complex comprising forty football pitches, that same year is RKWSV DOSS, which abandons its old ground at Uitweg.
- 1937 / Moving away from Terrein Boer Groot at Kalfjeslaan, RKSV Constantius settles at Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg.
- 1938 / Following the example of dozens of other clubs, RKVV Gezellen Vier moves to Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg, where the club acquires its own main pitch, with the club concluding an agreement with RKSV Constantius, stipulating that the pitches required for the two clubs’ youth academies are rented in conjunction.
- 1941 / The boards of RKWSV DOSS and RKSV Constantius conclude a merging agreement, but as DOSS’ membership votes down the proposal, further merger talks are stalled.
- 1943 / With the hardships of the German occupation of the Netherlands being felt ever more acutely, Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg has to be vacated at the behest of occupation authorities. Some clubs cease their activities for the duration of the war, but AVV ZSGO manages to conclude a groundsharing agreement with CSV De Geuzen for the 1943-44 season. Meanwhile, the German oppressors plough up the entire Velserweg area, with most of the constructions situated on the sports fields – including, notably, the clubhouse of RKSV Constantius – being demolished.
- 1944 / New merger talks get underway between four Roman Catholic clubs: RKWSV DOSS, RKASV Wilskracht, RKVV Gezellen Vier, and RKSV Constantius. With no agreement being reached by the end of 1944, RKASV Wilskracht withdraws from the project due to the three other clubs refusing to grant Wilskracht’s demand to see its name retained in the name of the prospective merger club.
- 1945 / On September 11th, 1945, just in time for the start of the first post-war season, a merger agreement is concluded between RKWSV DOSS, RKSV Constantius, and RKVV Gezellen Vier, resulting in the foundation of RKSV DCG (Rooms-Katholieke Sportvereniging ‘Door Combinatie Sterk’); note that the first letters of the three clubs were thus preserved in the acronym ‘DCG’. Due to the area having been devastated by Allied bombers in the previous two years, neither AVV ZSGO nor RKSV DCG can take their place at Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg, which has to be rebuilt from scratch. In the 1945-46 season, ZSGO groundshares at APGS, SNA, and AVV De Spartaan, while RKSV DCG’s first team temporarily moves into a groundshare with AFC DWS at Spaarndammerdijk; the new club’s youth academy finds its place at the grounds of VIC (Kalfjeslaan), AVV BDK, and RKVVA.
- 1946 / AVV ZSGO returns to Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg after an absence of three years, although the club is being allocated two different pitches than the ones used in the 1936-43 period.
- 1947 / Having had to subdivide its activities on the grounds of several other Amsterdam clubs in the two preceding years, RKSV DCG can finally return to Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg in August 1947, one year later than AVV ZSGO.
- 1958 / Foundation of a new football club in Amsterdam’s Kolenkitbuurt, which is given the name vv Door Enige Vrienden Opgericht (DEVO) ’58. In the preceding years, a group of some fifteen to twenty boys from the aforementioned neighbourhood had gotten together to play street football in Akbarstraat – which laid the basis for the eventual foundation of vv DEVO ‘58. The club, which joined the AVB that same year, settled on a plot of farmland at Spaarndammerdijk, in use as a cow pasture during midweeks.
- 1961 / Having suffered relegation to Sunday League 4 in the 1960-61 season, AVV ZSGO moves away from Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg, settling at the newly laid-out Sportpark Ookmeer in Amsterdam-Osdorp. On this new location, ZSGO is given the luxury of three pitches – with the southernmost of those becoming its main pitch for the following 24 years. This pitch, referred to as "pitch/veld 18”, has the luxury of a covered (Elascon) stand (possibly erected in 1963 or 1964), wooden boards on the side facing this stand, as well as two steps of terracing behind the two goals. Meanwhile, also in or around 1961, after some three years at Terrein Spaarndammerdijk, the young club vv DEVO ’58 is allowed to move in to Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg as groundsharers with RKVV Aristos.
- ± 1962 / Probably after just one season as groundsharers with RKVV Aristos at Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg, vv DEVO ’58 moves in with SV Real Sranang at Sportpark Sloten – on the pitch later occupied by SC Sloten-Rivalen.
- 1963 / With the arrival of RKSV DCG, another club which was home at Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg, at Sportpark Ookmeer, AVV ZSGO has to share its main pitch with this club from now on. At that time, DCG was a club playing its football in the top division of the Netherlands’ non-league, Sunday League 1. DCG's lower team football and training sessions are held on the southernmost pitches of the new park.
- 1964 / Probably after two seasons at Sportpark Sloten, vv DEVO ’58 is allowed to move to Sportpark Ookmeer, where it becomes a groundsharer with RKSV DCG – however, not occupying one of that club’s principal pitches, but playing its football on the two pitches at the far southwestern end of the ground. In the following years, a former site hut is erected alongside these two pitches to serve as a makeshift clubhouse. Meanwhile, AVV ZSGO’s clubhouse at Sportpark Ookmeer is inaugurated after construction works which commenced one year previously. Unusually, the clubhouse has not been built close to the (shared) main pitch at the southern end of the park, but at the far other, northern, side, alongside pitch 14.
- 1965 / To facilitate the drainage of Sportpark Ookmeer, a monumental windmill, 1100 Roe, is disassembled at its old location at Haarlemmerweg, where it had been in place since 1674, to be rebuilt alongside pitch 18 of the park, where it has fulfilled its useful function until the present day. Meanwhile, also in 1965, the first stone is laid for RKSV DCG’s new clubhouse, situated in the southeastern corner of DCG’s part of Sportpark Ookmeer.
- 1966 / RKSV DCG finishes as runners-up in Sunday League 1A, 3 points behind champions ASV JOS. On May 21st, 1966, DCG’s new clubhouse, for which the foundation stone had been laid in the preceding year, is officially inaugurated. Meanwhile, also in 1966, winning its first-ever title, vv DEVO ’58 finishes in first place in AVB Sunday Division 3A. The decisive points are clinched in a 4-3 away win at SV Osdorp. As such, the club won promotion to AVB Sunday Division 2. It is unclear for how long DEVO managed to hold its own at this level.
- 1967 / RKSV DCG finishes as runners-up in Sunday League 1A, 1 point behind champions AFC.
- 1968 / In the most successful season in club history, RKSV DCG, coached by Harry Pelser, wins the title in Sunday League 1A, 2 points ahead of closest rivals ASC SDW. As such, the club qualifies for the nationwide non-league title championship with the winners of the other five Sunday League 1 divisions, UVS, vv Emmen, MV&AV Middelburg, RKVV Almania, and vv Rheden. In the last of its ten matches, the home tie against UVS, DCG has to obtain 1 point to obtain the title, but the encounter at Sportpark Ookmeer veld 18, attended by 7,500 spectators, finishes in a 2-3 win for the club from Leyden. As a result, DCG and UVS meet again in a tie-break match for the title at RCH’s Heemsteeds Sportpark, attended by a staggering 22,000 spectators; in that last encounter, DCG manages a 2-1 win, with striker Freddie Mulder scoring both goals for the club from Amsterdam. Meanwhile, also in the 1967-68 season, having finished as runners-up in Sunday League 4 on four previous occasions in the same decade, AVV ZSGO now finally clinches the title in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, 4 points ahead of runners-up vv Schoten. The decisive points are clinched in a home win against GVO. As such, after an absence of seven seasons, ZSGO manages a return to Sunday League 3. Also in 1968, RKSV DCG abandons pitch 18 of Sportpark Ookmeer, which it had shared as its main pitch with AVV ZSGO since 1963; with DCG withdrawing to a new main pitch at the southern end of Sportpark Ookmeer, where a new Elascon stand is inaugurated for the start of the 1968-69 season, pitch 18 is used for first team football by just one club, AVV ZSGO, in the following seventeen years, although it has to cede it occasionally to District West I when tie-break matches are held there at the end of the season, as well as for school tournament finals. Moreover, DCG continues to make use of the pitch for lower team football.
- 1969 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, AVV ZSGO descends back into Sunday League 4 after just one season.
- 1976 / vv DEVO ‘58’s most prominent member, folk singer André Hazes (Snr.), scores the first of a string of hits which would make him one of the Netherlands’ most popular singers, ‘Eenzame kerst’. In spite of his growing success, Hazes is notorious for not paying his contribution, leading to the singer being expelled from the club altogether.
- ± 1980 / The covered stand at “pitch 18”, erected in the early 1960s, is dismantled due to the construction being dilapidated beyond repair.
- 1981 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 4E, AVV ZSGO drops back into the ranks of the AVB after 47 years.
- 1985 / After an absence of four seasons, AVV ZSGO finds its way back up to Sunday League 4, winning promotion from the ranks of the AVB. That same year, the club abandons its main pitch, “pitch/veld 18”, moving its first team football to pitch/veld 14, the pitch adjacent to its clubhouse, while RKSV DCG stops making use of pitch 18 for lower team football as well. Meanwhile, pitch 18 is taken over by vv DEVO ’58, groundsharers at RKSV DCG for the past 21 years. A clubhouse is erected alongside the pitch by DEVO members that same year.
- 1987 / Finishing 1 point ahead of closest rivals AGS/Olympus, vv DEVO ’58 clinches the title in AVB Sunday Division 3A, thus winning promotion to AVB Sunday Division 2. The decisive points are obtained in a 5-1 away win at SV Rap – with two goals being scored by Jan Ravenswaaij, and one each by Willem Peterson, Michal Sirach, and Kenneth Reiziger.
- 1988 / Finishing bottom of the table in AVB Sunday Division 2 without having obtained a single point all season, vv DEVO ’58 drops back into AVB Division 3 after just one season.
- 1996 / With the abolition of all KNVB sub-branches, including the AVB, vv DEVO ‘58’s Sunday team is placed in the newly created District West II’s Sunday League 6. Meanwhile, the club also has a regular Saturday team, which is placed in Saturday League 6.
- 1997 / Champions in District West II’s Sunday League 6A, finishing 8 points ahead of closest followers AVV FIT, AVV TOG, and ASC Waterwijk, vv DEVO ‘58’s Sunday team wins promotion to Sunday League 5.
- 2000 / Although always leading an existence in the shadow of the club’s Sunday team, vv DEVO ‘58’s Saturday squad now manages to win the title in District West II’s Saturday League 6A, 5 points ahead of closest followers AVV BDK and SC Sloterpark/AGS. As such, promotion is achieved to Saturday League 5, but, instead, in an unusual move, DEVO withdraws from Saturday football, continuing with just regular first team football on Sundays.
- 2004 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 5D, vv DEVO ’58 drops back into Sunday League 6 along with bottom club P&T. Following the 2003-04 season, however, the club withdraws from first team football, continuing its existence in the reserves’ leagues in all but one of the six following seasons (2004-06 & 2007-10).
- 2009 / Former Netherlands’ international winger, 40-year-old Glenn Helder (formerly at Sparta Rotterdam, SBV Vitesse, Arsenal FC, SL Benfica, NAC, MTK Hungária, RBC Roosendaal, and TOP Oss), joins vv DEVO ’58 veterans’ team for some time after the demise of his former club FC Türkiyemspor.
- 2010 / vv DEVO ’58 returns to regular first team football on Sundays, being placed in District West I’s Sunday League 6B.
- ± 2013 / Parts of a new golf course for Golfclub Ookmeer are laid out at the two short ends of Sportpark Ookmeer veld 18. As part of this unwelcome development, the two steps of terracing at the western end of vv DEVO ‘58’s pitch has to make way for an artificial slope.
- 2014 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 6B, 1 point behind champions BSV Allen Weerbaar, vv DEVO ’58 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club goes on to win both its encounters (2-6 vs. SV Rap / 3-1 vs. vv APWC), thus acceding to Sunday League 5.
- 2016 / Replacing the old dressing rooms erected at Sportpark Ookmeer veld 18 in 1985, replacements are inaugurated at vv DEVO ‘58’s park, with the new construction being built into the older part of the clubhouse.
- 2017 / Finishing in fifth place in District West I’s Sunday League 5C – thus equalling the club’s best result since the turn of the century, dating back to 2002 – vv DEVO ’58 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it is eliminated in R1 by Sporting Krommenie (10-0 aggr.).
- 2018 / Finishing in joint last place in District West I’s Sunday League 5B with ASC SDW – moreover having incurred a penalty of 8 points being deducted due to foul play – vv DEVO ’58 withdraws from Sunday football, making the leap to Saturday League 4 (the lowest division in District West I’s Saturday pyramid at the time).
- 2019 / vv DEVO ’58 has its best season as a Saturday club, finishing in fifth place in District West I’s Saturday League 4D and only just missing out on the promotion play-offs.
- 2022 / Having managed a tenth place in District West I’s Saturday League 4E, vv DEVO ’58 withdraws from regular league football. From that time onwards, the club has only competed in the reserves’ divisions.
Note 1 – Important parts of information concerning the history of vv DEVO ’58 have been derived from an interesting documentary by Arthur Stam from 2008, “50 jaar DEVO ’58. Van de Kolenkit tot de Molen”, which has been published on YouTube in two parts (links to part 1 & part 2). Other details of recent club history were added by DEVO’s chairman, Marcel Linthorst. Furthermore, my thanks go out to RKSV DCG’s club historian Ed Degenkamp for providing priceless information regarding his club’s involvement at “pitch 18” of Sportpark Ookmeer.
Note 2 – A more extensive club history of AVV ZSGO, its future merger partner ASC WMS, and AVV ZSGOWMS can be found in an article with pictures of ZSGOWMS’s Sportpark Ookmeer veld 14 elsewhere on this website.
Note 3 – Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-23 & 26-27 = match visit, February 2025 / pictures 24-25 = non-matchday visit, November 2024.
Sunday, 26 January 2025
NETHERLANDS: vv HSV
Sportpark Het Maalwater, Heiloo (vv HSV)
Netherlands, province: North Holland = Noord-Holland
26 I 2025 / vv HSV - FC Aalsmeer 4-2 / District West I, Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1A (= NL level 6)
Timeline
- 1921 / Foundation of a first football club in Heiloo, a predominantly Roman Catholic village in the immediate vicinity of Alkmaar. However, the new club, which takes on the name VVH (Voetbalvereeniging Heiloo) does not have a Catholic or any other religious background. VVH settles on Terrein Jac van Gemeren at Kennemerweg and joins the so-called NHVB (Noord-Hollandsche Voetbalbond), the North Holland sub-branch of the Netherlands’ official Football Association (NVB or, from 1929 onwards, KNVB).
- 1929 / After an existence of eight years, VVH folds, ceasing all activities due to a deficient membership. The majority of the remaining members seek affiliation with VAVV Alcmaria Victrix in nearby Alkmaar. That same year, a new football club sees the daylight in Heiloo, RODA (‘Recht Op Doel Af’), which is formed under the tutelage of the local Roman Catholic church. Piet Keeman Snr. is elected as the club’s first chairman. A plot of land at Mallevoortsdijk, owned by the local Catholic parish, is put at the club’s disposal. The pitch at Mallevoortsdijk is situated in the immediate vicinity of the local Catholic girls’ school, where players can change clothes during weekend matches – in the absence of proper dressing rooms at the ground itself. For the moment, RODA contents itself with playing matches against other recreational teams without seeking affiliation with any league association.
- 1930 / One year after its foundation, RODA applies for membership of the so-called Diocesaan Haarlemsche Voetbalbond (DHVB), a sub-branch of the Roman-Catholic Sports Association RKF (‘Roomsch-Katholieke Federatie). Due to the name RODA already having been taken by a club from Roelofarendsveen, RODA 1923, RODA (Heiloo) changes its name to become RKHSV (‘Roomsch-Katholieke Heilooër Sportvereeniging’).
- 1931 / RKHSV takes part in league football for the first time, being placed in DHVB Division 2 for the 1931-32 season.
- 1933 / Having had to make do with the very basic facilities in the nearby girls’ school in the first years of its existence, RKHSV now acquires the luxury of dressing rooms in situ – with the facilities being officially consecrated by the village chaplain, Fr Van Ettinger.
- 1934 / In a gala match at Terrein Mallevoortsdijk, RKHSV entertains a team from Surinam, Paramaribo I.
- 1938 / Finishing in joint first place in DHVB Division 2 with vv VIOS-W, RKHSV meets the club from Warmenhuizen in a tie-break match, played in Warmenhuizen; going on to win the match 1-2 (A.E.T.), RKHSV crowns itself champions of its division. As such, the club qualifies for the championship play-offs against RKVV REO (De Rijp) and VVW (Wervershoof) for two promotion places – and finishing in second place behind REO, RKHSV accedes to DHVB Division 1 for the first time. The successful coach is C. Hoek.
- 1940 / Having spent the first years of its existence in DHVB and RKF, RKHSV is now constrained to make the step to the official Netherlands’ FA (renamed NVB following the German oppression of the Netherlands, abandoning the royal epithet ‘koninklijk’ for obvious reasons) as all other football associations are abolished by German occupation authorities. For the 1940-41 season, the club is placed in a ‘Special Division 1’ with Roman-Catholic clubs from North Holland.
- 1941 / Having narrowly avoided relegation following a third tie-break match against Special Division 2 champions vv Con Zelo, played in Alkmaar (2-0), RKHSV is placed in NHVB Sunday Division 1, as the ‘Special Divisions’ for Roman-Catholics are abolished.
- 1946 / Clinching the title in NHVB Sunday Division 1, 3 points ahead of vv Berdos, RKHSV qualifies for the championship play-offs, in which the club defeats VVV Westzaan (7-4 aggr.). As such, RKHSV wins promotion to KNVB District West I’s Sunday League 4 for the first time. Also in 1946, the much smaller Protestant community of Heiloo forms a football club as well, Sportvereniging (SV) De Foresters. Although the majority of the membership adheres to the protestant faith, SV De Foresters joins the Sunday league pyramid rather than choosing Saturday league football. As such, from now on, RKHSV has a local derby rival, as SV De Foresters rapidly finds the way up to the regular Sunday divisions in District West I.
- 1951 / RKHSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4A, 11 points behind champions BKC.
- 1953 / Finishing 6 points ahead of closest followers vv Schagen, RKHSV crowns itself champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4A. The decisive points were clinched in a 4-2 home win over vv Schagen, with Jan Bugter scoring all four RKHSV goals. In the ensuing championship play-offs, RKHSV managed to shed off vv Monnickendam (4-2 aggr.), thus achieving promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time.
- 1954 / A new set of dressing rooms is inaugurated at Terrein Mallevoortsdijk, with the original facilities, dating back to 1933, being turned into a club canteen.
- 1955 / As professional league football is introduced in the Netherlands, RKHSV’s Piet Schuijt earns himself a transfer to the newly formed professional club Alkmaar ’54 (one of the precursors of AZ). After fours seasons at Alkmaar ’54, Schuijt would go on to spend two more years with BVV in Den Bosch before withdrawing into non-league.
- 1956 / With youth matches having been held at the pitch of the local Sint Willibrordusstichting, a Catholic charity organisation, in the preceding years, RKHSV now acquires the luxury of a second pitch at Mallevoortsdijk, which is inaugurated with a gala match against professional league side Alkmaar ’54 (1-4). Some years later, this B pitch is turned into the ground’s main pitch.
- 1960 / Coached by Arie Moolenaar, RKHSV finishes in last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 after seven seasons.
- 1961 / Runaway champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4B, 9 points ahead of runners-up SV De Valken, RKHSV qualifies for the championship play-offs, in which it achieves promotion to Sunday League 3 in the most confident of fashions, winning all of its six matches – two each against HFC Helder, KVV, and vv Sint Martinus. The successful coach is Arie Borst.
- 1962 / 23-year-old RKHSV player Jan Spaans earns himself a transfer to professional league side Alkmaar ’54, only staying with that club for one season before withdrawing into non-league.
- 1963 / RKHSV is given notice that it will have to move away from Terrein Mallevoortsdijk in the foreseeable future due to the location having been designated for housing.
- 1966 / In October 1966, a start is made with the construction of a clubhouse and a set of dressing rooms at RKHSV’s prospective new ground at Bayershoffweg. Also in 1966, 21-year-old RKHSV winger Eddy Robert earns himself a transfer to professional league side HFC Haarlem. Robert only stays in Haarlem for one season, failing to achieve his breakthrough and returning to his mother club in the summer of 1967.
- 1967 / In April 1967, the Netherlands’ Association for Wasteland Redevelopment (Nederlandse Heidemaatschappij) starts its works on the laying out of five pitches at RKHSV’s prospective new ground at Bayershoffweg. Later that same year, on June 17th, the symbolic foundation stone of the clubhouse is laid.
- 1968 / Abandoning Terrein Mallevoortsweg, RKHSV settles at the newly laid out Sportpark Bayershoffweg in August 1968, with the complex being inaugurated by Heiloo’s mayor J.A. Pesman.
- 1969 / RKHSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 1 point behind derby rivals SV De Foresters. That same year, floodlights are added to the set-up of the main pitch at Sportpark Bayershoffweg, with the facilities being inaugurated with a gala match against professional league side RKSV Volendam.
- 1970 / RKHSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday league 3A, 3 points behind champions BVV De Kennemers.
- ± 1971 / In 1971 or 1972, the decision is taken to drop the reference to the Roman Catholic origins of the club, as RKHSV officially changes its name to become vv HSV.
- 1972 / vv HSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 2 points behind champions SV Beverwijk.
- 1975 / 19-year-old former (RK)HSV youth academy goalkeeper Rob Tervoort signs his first professional league contract, becoming backup goalie at AFC Ajax. Eventually making his league debut in 1977, Tervoort only managed a handful of games for the Amsterdam side, eventually moving away and having spells in Belgium with KSK Tongeren (1979-83) and K Sint-Niklase SK (1984) before hanging up his boots.
- 1976 / Finishing in joint first place in District West I’s Sunday League 3A with SVW ’27, vv HSV meets the club from Heerhugowaard in a tie-break match for the title at RKSV AFC ‘34’s Gemeentelijk Sportpark Robonsbosweg attended by 2,200 spectators – suffering a 3-0 defeat on the day and thus missing out on promotion.
- 1977 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 1 point ahead of closest rivals LSVV, vv HSV achieves a historic promotion to Sunday League 2. The decisive points are clinched in a 3-0 home win over vv Alkmaarse Boys. The successful coach is Hans Michels. Also in 1977, a covered stand is added to the set-up at Sportpark Bayershoffweg.
- 1981 / Coached by Siem Tijm, vv HSV finishes in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 2A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 after two years, along with bottom club SV Ilpendam.
- 1985 / Former vv HSV youth academy midfielder Fons van Haastrecht signs his first professional league contract with AZ ’67 at the age of twenty. Van Haastrecht goes on to play for the Alkmaar club (renamed AZ in 1986) for four seasons, adding one more year at Telstar to his professional league career before returning to vv HSV in 1990.
- 1990 / Coached by Piet van Houwelingen, vv HSV finishes bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last place, SV Ilpendam. Also in 1990, former vv HSV youth academy player, winger John Beelen, makes his debut as a professional league player with AZ, defending the colours of the Alkmaar side for four years before withdrawing into non-league with RKSV AFC ’34.
- 1991 / Finishing in joint first place in District West I’s Sunday League 4B with SV De Foresters, vv HSV meets its derby rivals in a tie-break match played at its own Sportpark Bayershoffweg – going on to win the encounter 2-0, and thus winning promotion to Sunday League 3.
- 1994 / Finishing in joint first place in District West I’s Sunday League 3B with WSV ’30, vv HSV meets the club from Wervershoof in a tie-break match, in which it suffers a 2-0 defeat. However, the club succeeds in achieving promotion via the backdoor of the play-offs subsequently, thus acceding to Sunday League 2 after an absence of thirteen years at that level.
- 1995 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 2A, vv HSV descends into Sunday League 3 along with bottom club SV Geel-Wit ’20.
- 1996 / vv HSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 6 points behind champions vv Duinrand S.
- 2000 / Finishing in fourth place in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, vv HSV goes on to win the play-offs, thus achieving promotion to Sunday League 2 after an absence of five seasons.
- 2005 / With the main pitch of Sportpark Bayershoffweg having to make way for housing after 37 years, a new clubhouse is constructed for the club alongside Pitch D of the park, which becomes the main pitch – and is equipped with a synthetic surface that same summer. The entrance of the ground is moved from Bayershoffweg to Het Maalwater, with the name of the ground being adapted to Sportpark Het Maalwater as a result.
- 2006 / Coached by Gerrit Boerman, vv HSV finishes bottom of the table in Sunday League 2A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 along with the club finishing in second-last position, vv ZAP.
- 2008 / On a pre-season training week in Heiloo, Sheffield Wednesday FC plays friendlies against HFC Haarlem (2-0) and SC Telstar (3-0) on the main pitch of vv HSV’s Sportpark Het Maalwater.
- 2010 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, 3 points behind derby rivals SV De Foresters, vv HSV achieves direct promotion to Sunday League 2 due to extra promotion places being available following the introduction of a Zondag Topklasse as the new top level of the Sunday pyramid. The successful coach is Edwin Veenstra.
- 2011 / Coached by Edwin Veenstra, vv HSV finishes bottom of the table in Sunday League 2A, thus being retrograded to Sunday League 3 along with the club finishing in second-last place, vv Kolping Boys.
- 2012 / Coached by Edwin Veenstra, vv HSV finishes in twelfth place in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, as a result of which the club has to save its skin in a relegation group against vv Texel ’94 and SV Always Forward. Due to losing the encounter against SV Always Forward, vv HSV finishes in second place in the group only, thus suffering relegation to Sunday League 4 for the first time in the new century, along with the two direct drop-outs from League 3B, SV Beemster and bottom club vv ZTS.
- 2013 / Finishing in third place in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, vv HSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out SV Spaarnwoude in R1 (6-2 aggr.) before being eliminated in R2 by SV DSOV (4-3 aggr. A.E.T.).
- 2014 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, 5 points ahead of runners-up SV Beemster, vv HSV achieves promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Edwin Veenstra.
- 2016 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, 4 points behind champions vv Kolping Boys, vv HSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by SVW ’27 (2-2 aggr. & penalty shoot-out).
- 2017 / Runaway champions in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, 12 points ahead of closest followers SV DTS, vv HSV wins promotion to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Edwin Veenstra, who would stay with the club for an impressive run of thirteen consecutive seasons before moving away in 2021. Also in 2017, former HSV youth academy player, 19-year-old Mees Kaandorp, makes his professional league debut with Jong AZ. In subsequent years, Kaandorp goes on to defend the colours of Almere City FC, BV De Graafschap, and SC Telstar.
- 2018 / vv HSV’s first team, title contenders in Sunday League 2A, is deducted four points for unsportsmanlike conduct, thus not only missing out on the title, but also on the promotion play-offs. Also in 2018, former HSV youth academy goalkeeper Mees Bakker makes his professional league debut at Jong AZ. In subsequent years, Bakker goes on to defend the colours of AZ, BV De Graafschap, and FC Den Bosch.
- 2019 / Abandoning Sunday football after 73 years, vv HSV’s eternal derby rivals SV De Foresters move away to the Saturday League pyramid. The last league match between the two teams, played at SV De Foresters’ Sportpark Het Vennewater on March 2nd, 2019, was won by vv HSV (0-3).
- 2023 / Finishing in third place in Sunday League 2A, vv HSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club defeats AVV SDZ in R1 (0-2) before being knocked out by JVC (Julianadorp) in R2 (1-0).
- 2024 / Runaway champions in Sunday League 2A, 11 points ahead of closest followers KFC, vv HSV manages an unprecedented promotion to League 1. The successful coach is René van Elsland.
Note – Much of the information above has been derived from a booklet which was published by vv HSV on the occasion of the club’s sixtieth anniversary in 1990: “Heilooër Sportvereniging 60 jaar”, by Fred Admiraal / Marcel Fleur / Edward Geesken / Nico Meyer / Hans Spaans / Hein Spaans / Henk Spaans / Jeroen Tromp. Thanks to HSV’s ultimate clubman Hans Ursem for putting a copy of this booklet at my disposal – as well as for providing essential additional information, which has also been included in the article above.
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