cvv Sparta Enschede (Holland)

Christelijke Voetbalvereniging Sparta Enschede, more commonly known as cvv Sparta Enschede, is an amateur football club, based in the north eastern Dutch city of Enschede, that was formed on April 21st 1921.

The club had been formed by young men of the Twekkelerveld district with religious beliefs who did not want to partake in the more popular Zondag, Sunday football despite pressure from the local Twentsche Voetbalbond (TVB) to join their organisation.

This led to the formation of their own association for Zaterdag clubs before the TVB set up a league for clubs preferring to compete on a Saturday. In 1929 the Christelijke Nederlandsche Voetbal Bond, Christian Dutch Football Association was formed in Utrecht.

Sparta became members of the organisation while also playing in local competition going on to become national CNVB champions, which would later be acknowledged as Dutch Saturday champions in 1934-35 after defeating De Gazelle 4-3 in Nijverdal

The success was a prelude for what was to come after the club moved into their own new grounds at Zweringweg. In 1936-37 the Delft club Vitesse were hammered 6-1 in the final. Olympia of Rotterdam were defeated the following season in the final held in Rheden.

Sparta made it a hattrick of championships in 1938-39 when Amsterdam SOS were seen off in Apeldoorn. The outbreak of War and German occupation led to the CNVB and other independent associations to become part of the KNVB.

The club won the Vierde Klasse title in 1946-47 and again the following season before progressing to Derde klasse football, which was the highest amateur level at the time. Sparta were crowned as champions of the Oost, East region in 1950-51 and 1951-52.

This opened an opportunity to compete for the national Saturday title once more. They lost in the final to Huizen and then Spakenburg. Several Sparta players were awarded caps for the Dutch amateur Saturday side around this period.

The club was forced to use the facilities of SC Enschede’s Heekpark and Geel Zwart’s Erve Diekman ground owing to War damage and general poor condition of the ground at Zweringweg.

In 1954 Sparta acquired part of the new Sportpark Schreurserve-Erve Kristen where they converted the old farmhouse into club facilities while a couple of runners-up places in Derde klasse ensued before the team was relegated in 1962-63.

Sparta recovered, building a new clubhouse in 1967 prior to the title winning season of 1968-69. However, their spell in Derde klasse lasted just one season. The Vierde Klasse 4C championship was won in 1973-74, but again the third amateur level of the day proved too strong as the team returned two years later.

Runners-up slots came in 1978-79 and again in 1983-84 when the Christians won promotion through the play-offs. Improvement continued gradually leading to the lifting of the Derde Klasse 3B title in 1987-88.

However, Sparta lasted just a couple of seasons at Tweede klasse level before being relegated in successive seasons to land themselves back at Vierde klasse. Once again, the club recovered to take the 4D crown in 1992-93 after the new stand had been opened to add to several other improvements at Sportpark Schreurserve.

In 1995-96 the team went up through the play-offs to join Eerste klasse after a reorganisation of the leagues and an introduction of Hoofdklasse football categorised it as the second amateur level.

Sparta dropped back down in 1997-98. The team reached the play-offs in 1999-00 and were in action on May 13th when the factory of S.E.Fireworks caught fire and caused an explosion and damage to the nearby Mekkelholt/Roombeek district as it destroyed 400 homes, many businesses as well as the loss of 22 lives.

The club buildings were used to shelter survivors while a hospital was set up on one of the pitches at Schreurserve as Sparta members offered their services. It transpired that player Nick Azink had died along with a youth team parent. A committee was set up to help the many who lost their homes and who suffered.

Sparta recovered as a club and returned to Eerste klasse through another play-off campaign in 2000-01 under coach Koos de Wals as AZSV were defeated 2-0 in the final. The standard proved too tough as the team suffered consecutive relegations in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

Not for the first time, the club showed great belief and rose again in 2003-04 with Peter Bokma as chief coach as the Derde Klasse 3D title was won while the club purchased their ground which was used as a training base for several teams during the Under 20 World Cup in 2005.

Back in Tweede klasse, Sparta ended as runners-up of 2H in 2008-09 and 2010-11 before being crowned as champions in 2011-12 to return to Eerste klasse football. This level was retained until the completion of the 2015-16 campaign before Sparta returned to Tweede Klasse 2H.

The team finished as runners-up in 2018-19 prior to ending the truncated 2019-20 campaign in fourth place.

cvv Sparta Enschede will play in Zaterdag Tweede Klasse 2H Oost in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Saturday 18^th January 2014

It was my first day adventuring in Holland and I was keen to have a look at the amateur set up near to the towns I was staying in. After arriving in central Enschede after a trip to vv Rigtersbleek I took the no.62 to Kotkampweg, from where I just had to cross over Oldenzaalsestraat to find the entrance to the venue open.

Several parents were dropping off their young girls for football training on the artificial pitch near to the clubhouse. I walked around the corner to the main pitch, to find an impressive set up around the artificial surface at Sportpark Schreurserve.

A fine seated stand straddled the half way line to my right, with the dug outs and a raised scoreboard opposite. Hard standing and then grass surrounded the floodlit arena. As with many amateur set ups there were several raised advertising boards and flags on display.

I was pleased with my work, yet another venue across the hedge was catching my attention. Although I did keen research before hand I was unaware of another club sitting adjacent. My ‘bonus’ club turned out to be VOSTA.