RKSV UDI ‘19 (Netherlands)

RKSV UDI’19

Ground: Sportpark Parkzicht

Capacity: 1,500

Club Founded: 1919

League: Derde Divisie B - 4th Tier (current level)

Uitspanning Door Inspanning 1919, to give them their full title, comes from the town of Uden, located between the cities of Nijmegen and Eindhoven. 

Club History

The club was founded at a meeting in the café-restaurant De Korenbeurs in Uden. They provided regular opposition to the English Army side before going on to be crowned champions of the Maas district, being promoted to the fourth amateur KNVB Vierde Klasse competition in the east.

UDI won another title, climbing to the Derde Klasse. The club began printing its own magazine, UDI Heraut, and also formed the UDI Eagles Baseball Team. In 1956, the club moved to the Parklaan ground before the team went up to the Tweede Klasse. After the team suffered relegations, UDI spent their fiftieth anniversary in 1969 as a Vierde Klasse club.

The following year, a new clubhouse was opened at Parklaan, and in 1973, a women’s side was added to the club portfolio. The Vierde Klasse A title was won in 1974-75 as UDI regained their Derde Klasse status. Further progress was made when the title was won in 1979-80 after the clubhouse had been extended. 

The following season, UDI won another title to play in Eerste Klasse football for the first time. The 90s saw plenty of excitement at Parklaan as UDI started the decade by winning promotion back to the Eerste Klasse after an earlier relegation.

The team went on to win promotion to the Sunday Hoofdklasse, which was the fourth tier of Dutch football at the time. Their spell lasted just one season as the club staged a home friendly against Ajax, with the Amsterdamers winning 2-1.

In 1995-96, the clubhouse was refurbished, while UDI lost a play-off game for promotion against EHC. However, they weren’t to be denied the following season as the team won the Eerste Klasse C title, while the ground was renamed Parkzicht.

In 1998, UDI qualified for the KNVB Cup after winning their Eerste Klasse title. After getting through the group stages, they were rewarded with an away tie against Ajax. 168 buses transported fans from Uden to the Amsterdam ArenA, where their side were defeated 9-0.

Following a sponsorship deal, the club became known as UDI'19/Beter Bed, helping the team in their quest for honours. UDI won the Hoofdklasse B championship and retained it. Another title followed in 2001-02 as club membership grew, leading to the building of a new clubhouse.  

To celebrate, a pre-season match with Galatasaray took place in 2005. A partnership was forged the following year with both NEC and PSV. It came as somewhat of a surprise when UDI were relegated in 2007-08. Undaunted, the Eerste Klasse D title was won at the first attempt to herald a return to the Hoofdklasse.

To celebrate UDI’s ninetieth anniversary in 2009, PSV sent a team to Parkzicht. The Russian State Circus also spent a week performing at the club, as all aspects of the club continued to prosper. The club won a place in the Derde Divisie (fourth-tier) for 2016-17 under trainer Bert Ruijsch.

The standard proved too tough, with UDI lasting just one season. The Hoofdklasse was now the fifth level by the time UDI rejoined. After the restructuring of Dutch league football, it became the Derde Divisie (fourth-tier).

The team was relegated but soon returned under trainer Niels van Casteren.

My visit

Stadium Visit - Monday 20th January 2014

My long rides around the Netherlands over a tremendously long weekend were gradually coming to an end as I headed to Eindhoven, my final destination. There were just a couple of towns to call in at on the route. The number 99 bus took me on the forty-minute ride from Nijmegen to Uden bus station.

It was a dull, cold day and not ideal for photography, but I was still keen to see what UDI’19 had to offer. I set off for the walk of around a kilometre down Kastanjeweg, Prior van Milstraat, and Losplaats before passing Stadion De Kuip, which was the town’s athletics venue. 

Just a couple of hundred yards away, I found the entrance open to Parkzicht beyond the car park and clubhouse, with a groundsman tendering a damp penalty area. I found a decent venue with a tidy main stand straddling the halfway line.

Although I’d done pretty well throughout my trip using the excellent 9292 Dutch travel app on my phone, I got lost and confused in trying to work out where my bus might pick me up on the route to Veghel. After much frustration, I eventually walked a long way back to the bus station to jump on board the number 152 to my next venue.