SCH (Netherlands)

Sport Club Voorhees or SCH was an amateur football club from the city of Nijmegen in the Gelderland region of the Netherlands. The club was formed on January 23rd, 1921, as Nijmegen Voorhees Combination (NHC) in the village of Voorhees and continued until being disbanded on January 23rd, 2017.

The club changed its title in December 1926 to SCH, beginning the season at their new ground Sportpark De Biezen on Rivierstraat in the north west of the city and joining the KNVB football at Vierde Klasse level, from where they were promoted from 4D as champions in 1927-28.

SCH won the 3C title in 1930-31 and again the following season to achieve Tweede Klasse football before being promoted in 1934-35 following play-off victories over Hengelo and Vitesse, with their spell lasting just twelve months. Further titles came as Tweede Klasse 2B was won in 1938-39, followed by the emergency Noodcompetitie title in 1939-40. 

The 2C runners-up place was secured in 1942-43 before football was cancelled for a short time. A couple of runners-up places in Tweede Klasse C came in 1946-47 and 1947-48, prior to the team suffering a relegation in 1951-52. The Derde Klasse D title was won in 1953-54 and 1954-44, which was rewarded with promotion.

Gradually, new housing was built in the nearby Waterkwartier district, allowing the club membership to grow. However, ‘De Blauwe Jungskes’ gradually went down the divisions over the years. SCH lasted nine seasons back in Tweede Klasse competition before dropping back down in 1963-64. Four seasons later, it became worse as the team was demoted to Vierde Klasse football. 

The 4E title was won in 1969-70 to herald a return to their former status. The club retained Derde Klasse level for three seasons before being relegated in 1972-73. Back in Vierde Klasse E, the team finished as runners-up in 1977-78 before winning the title in 1978-79. The jump up proved too steep as SCH had returned within twelve months.

The team remained at that level until 1988-89, when they dropped out to local football before returning and winning promotion in 1990-91 through the playoffs. SCH went on to consolidate and then finish as 3D runners-up in 1992-93. 1996-97 saw the Derde Klasse 3D title won, with SCH going one better by claiming the Tweede Klasse 2I title in 1997-98. 

This regained their place in the first class for the first time in sixty-three years. However, the joy was not to last for SCH as they suffered relegation in 1999-00 and again in 2001-02. Worse was to follow as the club missed a season and were forced to restart at Vierde Klasse level before dropping to the fifth Vijfde Klasse in 2004-05.

Promotion came at the first attempt, but the end of the 2008-09 season ended in another demotion back to Vijfde Klasse following a 2-2 playoff draw against Eendracht Arnhem. Several mergers for SCH were mooted over the years without fruition before Wim Wouters' team won promotion back to the fourth Vierde Klasse in 2010-11.

The 4E title was won in 2012-13 for SCH to make their way back to Derde Klasse D, where they consolidated with third place on their return. Halfway through the 2016-17 campaign, previous indiscretions caught up with the club.

SCH had been reported for disciplinary incidents to the KNVB. The club couldn’t put together an acceptable action plan, so they were expelled from football in January 2017. Sportpark De Biezen was demolished in December 2017.

My visit

Sunday 19th January 2014

While I think my pre-planning is pretty good before I head off to ventures new, it is natural that at times that a visit to a club can be a disappointment. On the other hand, a club can appear without previous knowledge, as with how I came across SCH.

I was in Nijmegen primarily to go to the NEC game that lunchtime against ADO Den Haag, but after dropping off my bag at the De Prince B&B, I decided to do some exploring on the way to help bring me around from the hangover I’d incurred the previous evening while socialising in Zwolle. 

The Joris Ivensplein bus stop at the bottom of the street displayed that the no.85 would take me near to my intended target, the home of SV Blauw Wit. I was trying to concentrate on where we were when a decent-looking venue caught my attention. 

I rang the bell, hoping that the bus would stop soon, but it continued along Industrieweg before stopping around half a mile further up at Sluis Weurt. Not to be deterred, I headed back, using cycle tracks and then crossing a new road that didn’t even exist on my map app, just to confuse matters.

Eventually, I found myself on Rivierstraat and at the entrance, where I first discovered SCH. A Sunday morning match was taking place on the second pitch at the other side of the car park. I went to have a look at the main arena. De Biezen had a substantial cover down the far side, with the rest of the neat venue having hard standing around the pitch with grass beyond.

I was leaving when my presence was noticed by a club official. I explained that I was from England, visiting stadiums, and then heading to the NEC match. He seemed delighted with this. I ventured on, taking a look at the match in progress, as I was walking. It reminded me of Sunday mornings on Oliver's Mount, Scarborough!