sv Blauw Geel ’38 (Holland)

sv Blauw Geel ’38 is an amateur football club from the town of Veghel, near Eindhoven in the west of The Netherlands. The club, which translated means ‘Blue Yellow’ were formed on June 21st 1938.

The team first started competing in Vierde klasse, fourth level football before winning their division in 1948-49. Four seasons at Derde klasse level ended in relegation in 1953-54. The club had the 1957-58 season in hibernation before returning to the same level.

The rest seemed to do the club good as the 4E Klasse A title was won on their return, before the Klasse C championship was claimed in 1960-61 to herald a promotion. Blauw Geel fitted well in the higher level with a third place finish in 3E Klasse B coming in 1961-62.

That was as good as it would get over the next four seasons before the team was demoted again in 1965-66. The 4E Klasse A title win in 1968-69 clinched a return back to the third level before the club was crowned as 3E Klasse B champions in 1970-71.

However, Tweede klasse football proved too steep a jump as their spell lasted just one season. Worse was to come when after three seasons of Derde klasse, Blauw Geel were relegated a further level in 1974-75.

Back in 4E Klasse A, a runners-up place was won in 1977-78 before the league was won in 1980-81. Again, Derde klasse football found the team out as they went back down twelve months later.

Blauw Geel recovered, finishing runners-up in 1982-83 before lifting the 4E Klasse A title the following season. After a third place the 3E Klasse B championship was won in 1985-86 to win promotion to the Tweede klasse.

Third place in their first season could not be maintained with the team going down in 1991-92. The ups and downs continued with another relegation in 1994-95. Third place in 4E Klasse B ended in promotion the following season and an upturn in fortunes.

Over the next four seasons the finishing place improved each time, culminating in the winning of 3E Klasse C in the final season of the old millennium. The 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons saw second place finishes in 2E Klasse F and then Klasse H, which title was won in 2003-04.

In Eerste klasse Blauw Geel finished as runners-up of Klasse D before winning Klasse C in 2005-06 to reach Hoofdklasse football. The team went down through the play-offs from Zondag B twelve months later.

Two consecutive runners-up places in 1E Klasse D saw the team win promotion in 2009-10. They missed out in the Sunday section of the Hoodklasse play-offs for promotion in 2010-11. Play-off defeats also followed in 2011-12 and 2013-14 after finishing as runners-up.

With the locally based supermarket giant chain Jumbo as major sponsors the club continued their upward trajectory in the growing town of Veghel. Blauw Geel '38 won Hoofdklasse Zondag B in 2016-17 to climb to the Derde Divisie, the fourth level of Dutch football under coach Erwin van Breugel.

Following a season of consolidation Niels van Casteren arrived as the new coach with the team finishing in the bottom third before being placed in eighth when the COVID-19 pandemic halted the 2019-20 campaign.

Blauw Geel ’38 will play in Derde Divisie Zondag in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Monday 20^th January 2014 

My final call before relaxing in Eindhoven, my overnight terminus on my travels around the football clubs of Holland saw me arrive on the outskirts of Veghel at the Hintelstraat stop, after taking the no.160 service from Uden.

I was taking the full advantage of the excellent 9292 travel app and my £5 daily unlimited internet on my phone. It had paid real dividends throughout my trip in terms of walking and time. My route to my destination took me by the side of several canals and new housing developments. 

I must confess that it was further than I thought, but I did take one last short cut down a lane past several pitches and through some hazardous mud before finding the entrance to the Prins Willem Alexander Sportpark.

Although I was tired, weary and really struggling, the sight of a new ground of a decent standard added new enthusiasm to my body. The ground was naturally painted in blue and yellow and had a significant raised seated grandstand on the far side. The near touchline had a full length open terracing. 

A hard standing path went all the way around the pitch and grass beyond. The clubhouse and changing rooms were behind the goal at the entrance end, with pitches of grass and artificial surfaces beyond to cater for all the many teams that represented the club.

My map didn’t massively comfort me when I saw how far it was to the town centre. However, someone was looking down at me, because I found the Middlegaal bus stop with the hourly 158 service due in three minutes. Needless to say I took that option! Even further luck fell my way as on arrival at the bus station, the Eindhoven service arrived.