VV ATC '65 (Netherlands)

VV ATC '65 is an amateur football club based in the north of the town of Hengelo in the northeast of the Netherlands, who were formed in 1965. The ATC in the club name is from the Latin ‘A Triginta Conditum’, which, when translated, means ‘from thirty arise’. As the club was formed by thirty members, the name seemed fitting.

The club started out on pitches by Stadion Veldwijk, which in time would become the training centre for FC Twente, with Cees Krijnsen as club president playing in local De Twentsche Voetbalbond (TVB) competition.

After winning the Eerste klasse in 1969-70, ATC progressed to national Sunday Vierde klasse football, where they competed in divisions 4A and 4B. In 1973, ATC moved to Great Driene to deal with its expanding club.

The 4B title was lifted in 1976-77 to win promotion to Derde Klasse 3A before dropping back down after one season. In 1982-83, the club was demoted again and returned to local competition, where they played in the top two levels before returning to Vierde klasse after winning the TVB Eerste Klasse 1B in 1995-96.

The future FC Twente owner, Joop Munsterman, became president. The ambitions of ATC grew as several sides represented the club, as well as the formation of a women’s team and a basketball side. ATC moved to Sportpark Slangenbeek in Hengelo Torenlaan.

The team settled in and finished as 4A runners-up before taking the title in 1998-99. The momentum continued as ATC were crowned as Derde Klasse 3A champions twelve months later. However, the jump to Tweede klasse proved too steep as the team was relegated from 2J after a season.

Undeterred, the 3A title was won again at the first attempt. This time ATC’s spell in Tweede Klasse 2J lasted two seasons before they won promotion to Eerste klasse football in 2003-04 before dropping back down in 2005-06.

The ‘Fakkeldragers’, meaning Torchbearers, recovered to win the 2J championship in 2006-07 to enable another crack at high level amateur football before being relegated in 2008-09. ATC struggled a little back in Tweede Klasse 2J, leading to a further relegation in 2013-14.

The side returned to what became the seventh-tier Tweede Klasse after one season through the play-offs and settled into a spell of mid-table finishes under trainer Peter de Vries, who was replaced by Geert Veldhuis at the start of the 2016-17 campaign. Roy de Vos was appointed to the position in 2019.

The side finished sixth in 2021-22, followed by a runners-up spot twelve months later to win promotion under new trainer Job ten Thije. ATC then ended in the relegation places in Erste Klasse G and chose to concentrate on their Saturday team instead, who had progressed from the Vierde Klasse to the Derde Klasse in 2021-22.

Bart Benneker was appointed as trainer in January 2024 after the Saturday side had been promoted to the seventh-tier Tweede Klasse a few months earlier, after winning the Derde Klasse I title. Saturday football returned after a year's sabbatical in the 2025-26 season, with the team being placed in Derde Klasse H.

VV ATC '65 will play in the Zaterdag Tweede Klasse H in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Saturday 18th January 2014

I had stayed overnight in the centre of Hengelo on the previous evening to attend the local derby between FC Twente and Heracles. 

Being in the area and having spare time I also wanted to see what the clubs lower down the pecking order had to offer, so after visiting three amateur clubs in nearby Enschede, I found myself boarding the no.11 bus from Hengelo station to Roershoek bus stop.

The area was at the far side of the A1 motorway and relatively newly built. My pre-printed map did me massive favours as I cut through lots of neat residential streets and then around a lake to bring me out by the entrance to Sportpark Slangenbeek.

There were several football pitches, including a couple with artificial surfaces. Twente Hockey Club stood next door with three all weather pitches of their own. It really was a sporting paradise. Plenty of the clubs youngsters were getting invaluable training, while a match was going on one of the ‘out’ pitches.

The main pitch was synonymous with so many that I came across on my brief visit. It had an excellent main seated stand. ACT had one that was slightly bigger than most. The rest of the ground had hard standing and then grass surrounding it in parts. 

Advertising boards gave the venue an enclosed feel as they were raised above the hard standing. An impressive two storey clubhouse was stood back behind the entrance end goal.

Yet another ground and general set up had impressed me. I walked towards my next port of call along Torenlaan, only to discover that that the two football pitches nearest the road had an artificial cricket wicket between them, with the fine pavilion of Hengelo Cricket Club in the far corner.