PEC Zwolle (Netherlands)

Prins Hendrik Ende Desespereert Nimmer Combinatie Zwolle, or more commonly PEC Zwolle, is a professional football club from the historic city of Zwolle in the Netherlands. The city located seventy-five miles northeast of Amsterdam is one of the oldest in the country.

PEC’s history is complicated and interesting since the clubs Prins Hendrik, formed in 1906, and Ende Desespereert Nimmer (1904) merged on the 12th June 1910 to form the club. PEC became the club of the middle-class community and became rivals to ZAC, which represented the high society since its formation in 1893. 

Zwolsche Boys arrived on the scene in 1918 to give the working class a club to support. All three clubs played on grounds a small walking distance apart and played each other regularly. In 1923, PEC moved into Sportpark De Vrolijkheid and signed the entire Zwolsche Boys forward line before reaching the KNVB Cup Final in 1927-28, where they were defeated 2-0 by Racing Club Heemstede.  

In 1935, the club exchanged grounds with Zwolsche Boys, with PEC heading to Oosterenkstadion at Gemeentelijk Sportpark. PEC became regional Tweede Klasse champions in 1954-55, which offered the club the opportunity to join the professional set-up. Under coach Jan van Asten, Zwolle were given a place in the second-tier Eerste Klasse A.

The initial professional season was to sort out the rankings and allocate places going forward. PEC’s poor finish led to a place in Tweede Divisie A. Leo Koopman scored goals after the club had been switched to the B section as the team finished mid-table. Zwolsche Boys had been placed in Eerste Klasse B under the tutelage of Jan Lodensteyn. 

However, they also dropped to Tweede Divisie B with Arend Gerrits in charge of their side to resume their local rivalry with PEC. It was around this time that Boys and PEC once again swapped their grounds. This time, PEC would go on to purchase the De Vrolijkheid complex. Zwolche boys under Arend Gerrits also became a Tweede Divisie club in 1956-57.

Tweede Divisie was streamlined to a third-tier league in 1960-61 as PEC, trained by Jan de Roos, finished just above the drop zone. The team survived the relegation places through the play-offs before being relegated through them after a defeat to Oldenzaal in 1962-63. Boys had survived the 1959-60 relegation play-offs before defeat to LONGA sent them down in 1961-62. 

Both clubs recovered to win promotion back to the third tier, with Cor Sluyk in charge of PEC and with Stijger, the Boys coach, whose team survived another close shave in 1964-65. Zwolche continued to struggle under former Dutch international Joep Brandes while PEC gradually improved each season. 

Brandes swapped clubs with remarkable effect. PEC finished bottom in 1968-69 while Boys ended in fifth under Arie Otten. PEC and Zwolsche Boys merged in 1969, initially playing as PEC. Boys continued as a separate amateur club, dropping down to Vierde Klasse 4E football. 

Pim van de Meent arrived as the trainer of the merged club to oversee an improvement, with Lody Kragt leading the scoring. Pepe Fernandez and Freek Schutten helped the team to the runners-up place in 1970-71 under trainer Lászlo Zalai after the club had returned to Oosterenkstadion on Ceintuurbaan while Zwolsche Boys moved back to De Vrolijkheid.

The performance was enough to gain the club, now named PEC Zwolle, a place in the second-tier Eerste Divisie. Herman Heskamp and Jan Hoogendoorn put away the chances as Zwolle finished as runners-up in 1972-73 before missing out on promotion in the play-offs. The dreams of promotion also ended at the same stage the following season after the appointment of trainer Georg Keßler. 

Kees van Sloten scored goals regularly prior to Hans Alleman leading the side to another runners-up place in 1976-77, which again ended in play-off disappointment. It was to be double frustration as Zwolle also reached the final of the KNVB Beker, going down 3-0 after extra time to FC Twente at De Goffert in Nijmegen. 

The club dusted down to win the Eerste Divisie title and promotion to Eredivisie for the first time twelve months later after the appointment of Fritz Korbach, as Ron Jans starred. Zwolle consolidated in the top flight before coming close to relegation in 1981-82, as it was revealed that the club was in financial trouble after chasing their ambitions and before coming close to bankruptcy.

In 1982, businessman developer Marten Eibrink took over and stabilised the finances, as well as changing the name to PEC Zwolle ’82. He had the stadium renovated and brought in legendary players Johnny Rep and Piet Schrijvers to the club. However, Co Adriaanse’s team was relegated in 1984-85 before they collected themselves and won promotion the following season. 

Foeke Booy scored the goals as Zwolle once again found their Eredivisie feet. In 1988, Eibrink left the club citing a lack of interest from sponsors, and the local authorities had their reason. At the end of the 1988-89 season, Zwolle were relegated once more, with sponsors pulling out, players being left unpaid, and the true extent of the Slavenburgs Bank debt coming to light. 

The club was declared bankrupt in 1990. Theo de Jong was the trainer at the time, looking to try and stabilise things on the pitch as the club started again as FC Zwolle, changing from the city’s green and white colours to blue and white to sever all ties with the previous regime while creating a new club crest.

The team missed out on promotion in the 1990-91 play-offs before several seasons in mid-table ensued. Jaap Stam was introduced to the team at the start of a stellar career, along with fellow future international Bert Konterman. In 1996, a bit of local football history was made when Zwolsche Boys left De Vrolijkheid, which would be redeveloped later for retail use, to move to the new Jo van Marle Sportpark in the south of the city.

Jan Everse had arrived as trainer, as Zwolle took the side to the play-offs in 1996-97, which again ended in disappointment. The club had, however, turned the corner, once again ending the season at the same stage twelve months later and again in 1998-99.

It was agony again the following season for the team with Dwight Lodeweges as trainer, as they fell short despite ending as league runners-up. The near misses with promotion continued in 2000-01 before there was no doubt in 2001-02. The goals of Arne Slot and Richard Roelofsen under Paul Krabbe fired ‘Blauwvingers’ to the Eerste Divisie title in 2002-03 before the trainer was replaced by Peter Boeve. 

The club managed to retain its status through the play-offs upon its return to top-level football. Hennie Spijkerman took over team affairs but could not prevent the team from being relegated in 2003-04. There were play-off disappointments in 2004-05 and 2005-06 before the return of trainer Everse, whose team missed out in 2006-07 and again the following season at the final stage.

The club made the decision to replace Oosterenkstadion with a new stadium on the same complex. Zwolle was given permission despite some reservations owing to the casino which would accompany it. FC Zwolle Stadion opened for the 2008-09 campaign.

Art Langeler was appointed as coach in 2010 after further play-off heartbreaks. His team was denied in the play-off final by VVV-Venlo in 2010-11. Darryl Lachman starred as Nassir Maachi, scoring the goals to take Zwolle to the 2011-12 Eerste Divisie title and promotion.

Their home venue was renamed IJsseldelta Stadion after the local region, while the club returned to the title of PEC Zwolle before the team consolidated their Eredivisie status, before former player Ron Jans took over as trainer in the summer of 2013.

In 2013-14, the team reached the KNVB Beker final, where they came from behind to destroy Ajax 5-1 in front of an astounded crowd at De Kuip as both Ryan Thomas and Guyon Fernandez scored twice, which was added to by a Bram van Polen goal. Click here to see the remarkable victory.

Zwolle qualified for the 2014-15 Europa League, where they went out in the play-off round to Sparta Praha, before the displays of Lars Veldwijk helped his team to more European football the following season. In the summer of 2016, IJsseldelta Stadion was renamed MAC³PARK Stadion in a sponsorship deal.

Fourteenth place in 2016-17 saw Jans being replaced by John van 't Schip, who led the side to ninth before the appointment of prodigal son Jaap Stam. His season at the helm ended with Zwolle towards the wrong end of the table. John Stegeman was put in charge of the team in the summer of 2019. 

Art Langeler was given the trainer's job in July 2021, lasting just a few months before being succeeded by Dick Schreuder as the team went down in last place several months later. The goals of Lennart Thy and Thomas van den Belt helped Zwolle to promotion in 2022-23. The talents of Schreuder saw him take the Castellón job, to be replaced by Johnny Jansen.

Henry van der Vegt was given the trainer's job in July 2025 after the team had consolidated its top-tier status.

PEC Zwolle will play in the Eredivisie in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

PEC Zwolle 1 Vitesse 2 (Saturday 18th January 2014) Eredivisie (att: 12,350)

My planning for this Saturday evening encounter had begun a few weeks earlier when it looked like a good travel link to the rest of my journey, so I applied for a Clubcard. It was needed by supporters at each club to purchase tickets, so that the authorities had a clear check to see who was in the stadiums, which cut down on a lot of the hooliganism that blighted matches for a couple of decades.

My PEC card had come back, but I still couldn’t order my tickets online as I needed a Dutch bankcard. A phone call to the helpful staff soon sorted me out, so I could collect them at the game. I needed two as I was to meet up with my old pal Guy Watson, who was going to see FC Utrecht the following afternoon.

I met him in the plush bar of the Sandton Pillows Hotel across the road from Zwolle station after I returned from my afternoon amateur game at nearby WHC Wezep. Guy had done his homework well. We were soon crossing the canal that circled the old city centre and entering Sally O’Brien’s Irish Bar for some Grolsch and to watch the live coverage of Arsenal v Fulham.

Once we’d seen the other scores come in, we decided to take the easy option and head to the IJsseldelta Stadion in good time. We got on board the no.3 service from Rodetorenplein near where an ice disco was being set up after we had a rapid slurp in Cafe Bosch. On the bus, we got talking to a Swiss groundhopper who was due to go to Oxford City and Cambridge City the following week, as well as Warrenpoint Town in Northern Ireland to revisit an abandoned game, which was well beyond my dedication.

Unbelievably, I looked in my wallet and realised I’d left my clubcard back in London! The lady at the counter said it was no problem and that they were expecting me. Our seats cost €17.50, with a decent programme, just one more Euro. All sorted, it was time to find the fans' bar, which, it appears, is a regular feature at Dutch grounds. 

It cost non-card carriers $2 much to Guy’s laughter. Inside, old games were shown on the TVs. Refreshments were obtained by a token system, necessitating us to put notes into a machine which then dispensed a plastic currency known countrywide as munts. Each club had its own special plastic coins.

A fan started talking to us, and seemed most impressed that I’d been to watch Wezep that afternoon, which was a general appreciation I got as the night continued. He returned with two beers for us as a mark of hospitality. Naturally, we returned the favour before our new pal headed off to meet his teetotal father-in-law. After a couple more drinks, it was time to make our way round to our seats at the far end.

The IJsseldelta Stadion was compact and enclosed all the way round, with a roof offering all protection. It was all seated with all four sides raised. A few seats covered the paddocks down to the pitch down the sides. The away fans from Arnhem were further away from us. The configuration of the arena made for an excellent atmosphere. The PEC Ultras at the far end were making a real racket.

Vitesse took the lead on the excellent artificial surface after just three minutes, when Christian Atsu went past three defenders without challenge and shot into the top corner. We thought that could signal a one-sided game, with the visitors needing a win to go to the top of the league.

Zwolle responded as Guyon Fernandez finished neatly after ten minutes, following neat build-up play from Jesper Drost. Vitesse had a penalty saved shortly after by PEC keeper Diederik Boer. Guy returned with a couple of beers that we were allowed to drink in our seats, but with the bad news that the punts from the bar outside were invalid and we needed new ones in the stadium.

The game was nip and tuck until the interval. My need for food was an expensive experience compared to drinks, but I was well aware of the perils of drinking on an empty head! While the tokens saved queues at counters, they were also very convenient for the clubs as they could round up prices. We were left one munt short of drink, but the staff would not bend. 

Guy said he saw a tourist fan looking to put a $50 bill into the machine. He was either returning to another game, very generous, or in a hell of a mess at full-time. Zwolle had more of the play after the break and looked like they could snatch it. However, after missing a good opportunity late on, the visiting full-back Patrick van Aanholt won the game in the last minute when his run took the ball in his stride before firing home under Boer.

We had both been cheering for Zwolle and had taken a liking to the way they played. Well, that and the beer assisting us, maybe? We headed round to the far end and quickly found the bus stop back into town. There were no extra services laid on, so it could have been a bit of a fight to get on, if not for it being a mismatch in the weight department in our favour. 

The bus back was packed, with the local youths rocking it from side to side and generally acting up until it drove off, before depositing us at the station. We crossed a bridge back into the old town and found a brown cafe for an hour or so. At half-time at the game, a home fan had rolled giant dice on the pitch to draw the raffle, much to our amusement.  

Niek was that man, and was now in the pub as we chatted about football and drank with him and his mates. Guy went off to his hotel by train while I stayed for a nightcap before Niek gave me his Zwolle scarf. I eventually got back to the hotel at midnight after failing to find my bus stop and having to pay for another taxi, but I still seemed pretty happy with life!