Quick 1888 (Holland)

Quick 1888, or Quick Nijmegen as they are otherwise known, are an amateur football club based in the west of the city of Nijmegen in the Gelderland region of The Netherlands. Originally Quick were formed as a cricket club by four boys on the 10th April 1888, making them the oldest in Holland.

The club started out playing on the Kronenburgersingel in the city centre, before it was decided that it was too small. This necessitated a move to a new ground on St. Annastraat, at which point the club decided to play football in the winter months.

In May 1895, the club committee decided to abandon cricket at the club, while membership began to grow while the football team won its first honour by gaining promotion to Eerste Klasse by defeating PW.

A series of third place finishes in Eerste Klasse Oost came before the side dropped down to the second level in 1907-08 before returning to the top level a year later. On their return the side won the Oost title before losing on aggregate to HVV in the 1909-10 national final.

Quick finished runners-up of their division in 1910-11 before membership continued to grow leading to the cricket section being reintroduced in 1915 while the football side finished Oost runners-up in 1915-16. In September of that year, land was purchased on Hazenkampseweg where a ground with a grandstand was laid out.

The mayor of Nijmegen was the guest of the official opening, before Quick drew 2-2 with Sparta Rotterdam in front of a crowd of 4,000. Athletics and hockey were soon added to the club’s portfolio. 

Dutch football was gradually growing, with the Eerste Division consisting of four before eventually growing to six regional divisions from which each winner played off to decide the national champions.

Quick were relegated in 1925-26 while the club was compensated when the cricket side lifted the national knock out trophy a year later. The Tweede Klasse 2B title was lifted in 1931-32, 1936-37 and 1937-38 with the final success rewarded with promotion.

The team went on to become Eerste Klasse Oost runners-up in 1941-42, a performance that was repeated in 1947-48 before Quick won the KNVB Beker in 1948-49 after beating Helmondia 2-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

SVV of Schiedam were the league champions with the two sides meeting for the Super Cup at De Goffert. SVV won the game in the last Super Cup to be held until 1991. Han Engelsman and Felix von Heijden were both capped by the Dutch national team in this period.

Stanley Rose, a soldier from England had attached himself to Quick during the War as a very capable footballer and cricketer. He continued to travel to Nijmegen each week once peace was restored even after the side were relegated in 1949-50.

He was about to play in a championship decider in 1950-51, but opponents Vitesse complained that Rose should not be allowed to play as he was not Dutch. Their appeal was withheld as they went on to win the game and return to top level football.

However, twelve months later Quick dropped back down to the amateur second klasse as a Sunday side, which was about to become the fourth tier after the introduction of the Eredivisie. The 2B championship was won in 1952-53 and then again in 1956-57 leading to promotion to Eerste Klasse football.

The 1E Klasse B title was won in 1957-58 and 1959-60 before a switch to 1D heralded further championship wins in 1961-62 and 1962-63. The complex at Hazenkamp was required for housing so Quick moved to a large site at Dennenstraat, where neighbours Blauw Wit once played.

In 1965 the club’s supporters donated the ironwork reading ‘Sportpark De Dennen’ for the main entrance. The team was relegated the following year before returning as 2E Klasse A champions in 1970-71 under coach Wim Groenendijk.

Around this time the Eerste klasse became the fourth tier after the Hoofdklasse had been introduced. The main pitch and grandstand had to be rebuilt and moved as the new main Graafseweg road was built. In 1973-74 Quick won Eerste Klasse 1B, to go up to Hoofdklasse football.

Their spell lasted just one season before further relegation followed in 1976-77 before climbing back as Tweede Klasse 2A champions in 1979-80. Another promotion and league title followed the following season.

Hoofdklasse status lasted just the 1981-82 campaign, prior to runners-up places in 1D in 1982-83 and 1986-87. Eventually the hockey and athletics sections moved on from the club to develop properly. Meanwhile tennis, badminton and bowls were added for members to enjoy.

By 1989 an indoor sports hall was opened at De Dennen prior to Quick being relegated in 1990-91. The Tweede Klasse 2A title was won at the first attempt to regain their previous status. However, the team struggled before dropping back down in 1994-95.

Aside from a runners-up spot in 1998-99 there was little cheer for Quick fans before the team was relegated further in 2001-02. There was a gradual recovery with a runners-up place in Derde Klasse 3D in 2006-07 before the title followed in 2007-08 and then 2008-09 which was rewarded with promotion.

Tweede klasse football lasted three seasons before Quick were relegated in 2011-12 before regaining their status at the first attempt. In the summer of 2012, De Dennen was given a facelift in readiness for the clubs one hundred and twenty fifth anniversary.

The main pitch was re-laid with an artificial surface and the grandstand was fitted with new seating while a lacrosse section was added to the club which also had a new clubhouse added in 2015 before the 2015-16 brought the Tweede Klasse 2I title and promotion.

By now Eerste klasse was the sixth tier of Dutch football. A runners-up place came in Klasse 1E 2016-17 before Quick were relegated a year later. Back in Klasse 2I the team finished in seventh place.

The 2019-20 campaign was ended early owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of the abandonment Quick were second from bottom of the table.

Quick 1888 will play in Zondag Tweede Klasse 2I Oost in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Sunday 19^th January 2014

When researching for my long weekend of football and socialising in The Netherlands I had rapidly pencilled in a visit to Quick while in Nijmegen as soon as I saw their cricketing pedigree and long history.

I was running a bit late for my destination of De Goffert for the lunchtime kick off for the NEC v ADO den Haag game, but I thought I had it still under control as I’d seen a couple of fans heading in the direction of the stadium.

It was a lovely winter’s day and the sun put De Dennen Sportpark in excellent light. The driveway past the old gates led me past the indoor hall and then the clubhouse on my left, while four other football pitches, with the artificial cricket strip and tennis courts were to the right. The main pitch was straight ahead.

The artificial surface was surrounded by hard standing. Grass banking gave the ground an enclosed feel at the top end. Sett back down the near touchline was a large bank with occasional bench seating offering patrons a raised view. The crowning glory was the excellent stand on the far side. It was an ideal venue for the standard of football played by the club.

I continued on completion of my look around, up to the brow of the hill and over the railway line. It was of great comfort to see large groups of fans heading to the main event of the day. I was heading in the right direction, and I was going to be on time. 

Even better was that I was beginning to feel human again after a good old walk from the socialising of the previous evening in Zwolle.