HVV Tubantia (Holland)

HVV Tubantia (Hengelose Voetbal Vereniging Tubantia) is an amateur football club who were formed on the 1st October 1900 in the town of Hengelo in the north east of The Netherlands after initially being called Wilhelmina.

The club moved to a ground at Bornsestraat, midway between Hengelo and Borne in 1905 after starting life in Tweede Klasse football. The team was successful, being crowned as 2A champions in 1907-08, 1908-09 and 1910-11 before another title win in 2011-12 was rewarded with promotion.

Tubantia were placed in Eerste Klasse Oost, one of divisions at the top level of Dutch football of the time of which they finished runners-up in 1913-14 and then again in 1919-20 before the side was relegated the following season.

Back in Tweede Klasse 2A Tubantia were crowned as champions in 1925-26 with the runners-up spot coming twelve months later. The title returned in 1927-28 which saw the club return to the top tier.

At this point Eerste Klasse was divided into five and then six regional sections, with the winner of each playing in a group to decide the Dutch national champions. Tubantia finished third in Eerste Klasse Oost in 1937-38 and 1940-41 prior to being relegated in 1946-47.

Back in Tweede Klasse 2A, Tubantia finished runners-up in 1947-48 before winning the title in 1949-50. Further second places arrived in 1950-51 and 1951-52 before the club entered a partnership with professional outfit Twente, while keeping the Tubantia name, but competing in professional football.

This came after the club had for several years developed and became an important social outlet to the people of the area. Tubantia became members of the third tier Tweede Divisie A at Stadion Veldwijk under coach Julius Huber.

Jan van Asten took over as coach the following season as the team was switched to the B section as Wim Perik scored the goals. Piet Huisken was the next coach as the club settled into the competition with mid table finishes.

Frans Olde Riekerink put away the goals in 1961-62 as the Tweede Divisie streamlined to one section before reverting to the previous system with Ben Tap in charge of the team. Bertus Starting was the top scorer in 1963-64 when Tunbantia finished in sixth place which was improved upon by one position the following season.

Piet de Wolf took over as coach in 1965 before being replaced by Wim de Bois with Jan Welles scoring the goals in the single division competition after which the club dropped down from professional football to revert to Sunday amateur status.

Tubantia had to start down at fourth amateur Vierde klasse, winning the 4A title at the first attempt before making it consecutive championships and promotion when 3A was won in 1969-70 before the team dropped back down twelve months later.

Runners-up places in Derde Klasse 3A followed in 1977-78 and 1980-81. The club suffered from decline over the years in membership, although they could still boast nine junior sides at the lowest point in 1981. As a consequence, the club made the decision to re-locate, opening a new base at Landmansweg in the north east of the town in 1983.

The move was celebrated when the title 3A was secured in 1984-85. The momentum was capitalised upon with the 2B title following in 1986-87 with Tubantia reaching Eerste klasse football, for one season. The relocation also saw a spike in membership numbers.

The side recovered to win 2B at the first attempt, but again the jump proved too much, ending in demotion twelve months later. Worse was to come in 1990-91 and 1991-92 with further relegations to leave the club back in Vierde klasse.

After a couple of second places Tubantia claimed the Vierde Klasse 4A title in the final season of the old millennium. The 3A championship was collected the following campaign before the team settled into Tweede Klasse 2J football with a runners-up place in 2001-02.

In their eighth season in the division Tubantia won the league in 2008-09 before lasting. In Eerste Klasse 1E until being relegated in 2011-12. The team recovered, finished second and then first in the 2J season of 2014-15 to go back up a level.

A new clubhouse and stand opened by the honorary president; Peter Leferink on Saturday 25th January 2014 assisted Tubantia to settle as a sixth tier Eerste Klasse 1E club. They were in eleventh place when the 2019-20 season was brought to a premature ending owing to the Coronavirus outbreak.

HVV Tubantia will play in Zondag Eerste Klasse 1E Oost in the 2020-21 season.

 

My visit

Saturday 18^th January 2014

My final visit to a club in the Twente region came following a walk from ACT ’65 along and under the A1 motorway. I thought that I’d worked out a short cut, but the route around the rear of the cemetery was fenced off. Instead it added a few hundred metres to my journey.

Signs at the corner of Sportpark De Bijenkorf displayed plans and images of the new development being completed at the venue. The entrance was found along Verlengde Polluxweg, with the car park leading to the changing rooms.

There were definite signs of work as much of the surface was mud, some where grass was meant to be. The new structure looked as though it would mean the main pitch moving in time. There certainly was one at the front of the building, though the works had rendered them unusable.

Indeed, new artificial surfaces would be laid in time on all three full sized pitches, with the main one round the back of the the new clubhouse which had the seated stand built into it.

I went to take photos of the current main pitch. It was surrounded by hedges and trees on three sides, with the pitch having hard standing around it. A few benches were located along the road side of the ground, with changing rooms behind the near goal.

With my task complete I headed to the Klein Driene bus stop and took the number 11 bus back into the town centre, where I got out and had a walk around the market to buy a European plug adaptor and to collect my bag from the excellent Hampshire City Hotel before taking the train to Zwolle for entertainment for the rest of the day.

vv ATC '65 (Holland)

vv ATC '65 is an amateur football club based in the north of the town of Hengelo in the north east 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 their 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 returning 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 prior to 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 settling into a spell of mid table finishes.

vv ATC '65 will play in the Zondag Tweede Klasse 2J Oost in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Saturday 18^th 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’s 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.

VOSTA (Holland)

VOSTA, Vooruit Omhoog Sportief Trots Alles, is an amateur football club based in north Enschede in the north east of The Netherlands. The club were formed on the 15th September 1926 by Mr A Moss at cafe Oostburg.

In 1931 VOSTA began playing at a ground on Steenweg, before moving to Sportpark Schreurserve at Minkmaatstraat four years later. The first playing record of the club points to them being members of Zondag, Sunday Tweede Klasse 2A in which a third place in 1943-44 was their best performance.

The team was relegated in 1950-51 before the team won Derde Klasse 3A in 1953-54, 1956-57 and again in 1959-60 which was rewarded with promotion. VOSTA’s momentum continued with a third place in 2B before securing the championship in 1961-62.

The first clubhouse was opened as the club reached Eerste klasse football, the highest amateur level of the day, playing in division 1D. Their highest finish came in 1966-67 when the team ended in sixth, before being relegated in 1968-69.

The decline continued with a further demotion in 1970-71 where VOSTA recovered with a couple of runners-up finishes in Derde Klasse 3A before taking the title in 1973-74. Two further second places ensued back in 2B before the side was relegated in 1976-77.

The 3A title was clinched again the following season, with their Tweede klasse spell lasting just two years before dropping back down again a few weeks after VOSTA opened a new clubhouse on March 15th 1980.

A trio of third places ensued before the team was relegated once again down to Vierde Klasse 4A which title was won at the first time of asking in 1988-89. Consecutive Derde klasse runners-up places in 1990-91 and 1991-92 was backed up with the title in 1993-94.

Tweede klasse competition lasted two seasons before VOSTA dropped back down in 1995-96 and again twelve months later to return to Vierde Klasse 4A. Another three third places would be as good as it got for the following decade before the team was relegated to Vijfde Klasse 5B.

Promotion through the play-offs was achieved in 2008-09 with VOSTA remaining in Vierde Klasse 4A until they went back down in 2011-12. Twelve months later the club regained their status, again through the play-offs, but were relegated again in 2014-15.

Back in the tenth tier Vijfde Klasse 5A, the lowest level of KNVB football, VOSTA finished bottom in 2016-17 before recovering to fourth place before a couple of low placed finishes including in the aborted 2019-20 campaign.

VOSTA will play in the Zondag Vijfde Klasse 5E Oost in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Saturday 18^th January 2014

To be perfectly honest I had never heard of VOSTA until I came across their neat venue when visiting cvv Sparta Enschede who occupied the rest of Sportpark Schreurserve. When taking photos of their venue I saw another ground with separate facilities, so naturally I went to take a look.

VOSTA’s headquarters were suited to a higher grade of football. A decent seated stand was on the same side as the clubhouse and changing rooms. The grass pitch had a rail and hard standing all the way around it as well as turf beyond. 

At the Minkmaatstraat end a sand volleyball court was set out. In front of the clubhouse was a concourse with chairs and tables with a fenced playground in front. The football enthusiast certainly had the best of both worlds with two impressive football clubs, playing on different days of the weekend to hold their attention.

My luck was definitely in. I had previously considered a bus ride up to Oldenzaal to visit Be Quick, but time was extremely tight. I stumbled across the Hyacintstraat bus stop virtually outside the ground and within minutes the no.6 was taking me back to Enschede station in time to catch a waiting train back to Hengelo.

cvv Sparta Enschede (Holland)

Christelijke Voetbalvereniging Sparta Enschede, more commonly known as cvv Sparta Enschede, is an amateur football club, based in the north eastern Dutch city of Enschede, that was formed on April 21st 1921.

The club had been formed by young men of the Twekkelerveld district with religious beliefs who did not want to partake in the more popular Zondag, Sunday football despite pressure from the local Twentsche Voetbalbond (TVB) to join their organisation.

This led to the formation of their own association for Zaterdag clubs before the TVB set up a league for clubs preferring to compete on a Saturday. In 1929 the Christelijke Nederlandsche Voetbal Bond, Christian Dutch Football Association was formed in Utrecht.

Sparta became members of the organisation while also playing in local competition going on to become national CNVB champions, which would later be acknowledged as Dutch Saturday champions in 1934-35 after defeating De Gazelle 4-3 in Nijverdal

The success was a prelude for what was to come after the club moved into their own new grounds at Zweringweg. In 1936-37 the Delft club Vitesse were hammered 6-1 in the final. Olympia of Rotterdam were defeated the following season in the final held in Rheden.

Sparta made it a hattrick of championships in 1938-39 when Amsterdam SOS were seen off in Apeldoorn. The outbreak of War and German occupation led to the CNVB and other independent associations to become part of the KNVB.

The club won the Vierde Klasse title in 1946-47 and again the following season before progressing to Derde klasse football, which was the highest amateur level at the time. Sparta were crowned as champions of the Oost, East region in 1950-51 and 1951-52.

This opened an opportunity to compete for the national Saturday title once more. They lost in the final to Huizen and then Spakenburg. Several Sparta players were awarded caps for the Dutch amateur Saturday side around this period.

The club was forced to use the facilities of SC Enschede’s Heekpark and Geel Zwart’s Erve Diekman ground owing to War damage and general poor condition of the ground at Zweringweg.

In 1954 Sparta acquired part of the new Sportpark Schreurserve-Erve Kristen where they converted the old farmhouse into club facilities while a couple of runners-up places in Derde klasse ensued before the team was relegated in 1962-63.

Sparta recovered, building a new clubhouse in 1967 prior to the title winning season of 1968-69. However, their spell in Derde klasse lasted just one season. The Vierde Klasse 4C championship was won in 1973-74, but again the third amateur level of the day proved too strong as the team returned two years later.

Runners-up slots came in 1978-79 and again in 1983-84 when the Christians won promotion through the play-offs. Improvement continued gradually leading to the lifting of the Derde Klasse 3B title in 1987-88.

However, Sparta lasted just a couple of seasons at Tweede klasse level before being relegated in successive seasons to land themselves back at Vierde klasse. Once again, the club recovered to take the 4D crown in 1992-93 after the new stand had been opened to add to several other improvements at Sportpark Schreurserve.

In 1995-96 the team went up through the play-offs to join Eerste klasse after a reorganisation of the leagues and an introduction of Hoofdklasse football categorised it as the second amateur level.

Sparta dropped back down in 1997-98. The team reached the play-offs in 1999-00 and were in action on May 13th when the factory of S.E.Fireworks caught fire and caused an explosion and damage to the nearby Mekkelholt/Roombeek district as it destroyed 400 homes, many businesses as well as the loss of 22 lives.

The club buildings were used to shelter survivors while a hospital was set up on one of the pitches at Schreurserve as Sparta members offered their services. It transpired that player Nick Azink had died along with a youth team parent. A committee was set up to help the many who lost their homes and who suffered.

Sparta recovered as a club and returned to Eerste klasse through another play-off campaign in 2000-01 under coach Koos de Wals as AZSV were defeated 2-0 in the final. The standard proved too tough as the team suffered consecutive relegations in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

Not for the first time, the club showed great belief and rose again in 2003-04 with Peter Bokma as chief coach as the Derde Klasse 3D title was won while the club purchased their ground which was used as a training base for several teams during the Under 20 World Cup in 2005.

Back in Tweede klasse, Sparta ended as runners-up of 2H in 2008-09 and 2010-11 before being crowned as champions in 2011-12 to return to Eerste klasse football. This level was retained until the completion of the 2015-16 campaign before Sparta returned to Tweede Klasse 2H.

The team finished as runners-up in 2018-19 prior to ending the truncated 2019-20 campaign in fourth place.

cvv Sparta Enschede will play in Zaterdag Tweede Klasse 2H Oost in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Saturday 18^th January 2014

It was my first day adventuring in Holland and I was keen to have a look at the amateur set up near to the towns I was staying in. After arriving in central Enschede after a trip to vv Rigtersbleek I took the no.62 to Kotkampweg, from where I just had to cross over Oldenzaalsestraat to find the entrance to the venue open.

Several parents were dropping off their young girls for football training on the artificial pitch near to the clubhouse. I walked around the corner to the main pitch, to find an impressive set up around the artificial surface at Sportpark Schreurserve.

A fine seated stand straddled the half way line to my right, with the dug outs and a raised scoreboard opposite. Hard standing and then grass surrounded the floodlit arena. As with many amateur set ups there were several raised advertising boards and flags on display.

I was pleased with my work, yet another venue across the hedge was catching my attention. Although I did keen research before hand I was unaware of another club sitting adjacent. My ‘bonus’ club turned out to be VOSTA.

vv Rigtersbleek (Holland)

Voetbal Vereniging Rigtersbleek is an amateur football club based close to the centre of Enschede in the north east of The Netherlands. The club were formed on the 10th August 1910 by workers of the Rigtersbleek textile factory and owned by the Van Heck family.

The club progressed to join KNVB football in 1917-18, winning the Derede Klasse 3A title at the first attempt. Their spell at the higher level lasted just twelve months before returning to 3A which was won for a second time in 1920-21.

Rigtersbleek quickly adjusted upon their reintroduction to Tweede Klasse 2A as they would be crowned champions on numerous occasions. The run started with consecutive top spots in 1922-23 and 1923-24 before a third championship in 1926-27 a year after ending as runners-up.

Three more second places ensued as the club captured 2A titles in between in 1930-31 followed by a fifth success coming arriving in 1937-38. Rigtersbleek went on to win the Noodwedstrijd emergency War competition in 1939-40.

Another four Tweede Klasse 2A titles were collected in 1940-41, 1945-46, 1946-47 and then in 1952-53 which saw the club rise to Eerste Klasse just before the advent of the professional era.

Rigtersbleek became members of Eerste klasse B in 1954-55, one of several top tier national divisions of the day. Wim Bleijenberg capped three times for Holland while with the club and Gerrit Comforter scored the goals for the team led by English coach Ernie Robinson.

Ninth place retained their top flight status, which was titled as Hoofdklasse in 1955-56 where they were placed in the A section. A lowly finish after Bleijenberg was sold to Ajax sent the club to the second tier for the following season.

Other star players of the day included Piet van Ek, Frans Olde Riekerink, Gerrit Trooster, Paul Roessink and Mannie van Tellingen as the team settled into Eerste Divisie B albeit in lowly positions with Ab Schepers taking over as coach in 1958.

The team continued to struggle before finishing bottom of Eerste Divisie A in 1959-60 to be relegated to Tweede Divisie. Frans Olde Riekerink top scored in 1960-61 under coach G Huberts with Rigtersbleek finishing fifteenth.

Due to a lack of financial resources the club decided to return to Sunday amateur status, initially in Eerste Klasse 1D where league positions gradually faltered over their four seasons stay, culminating in relegation in 1964-65.

The slide continued with Rigtersbleek lasting just one season in Tweede klasse. However, the team stabilised in Derde Klasse 3A with a couple of runners-up finishes before winning the title in 1971-72 to return to Tweede Klasse 2B.

The momentum at the club continued leading to another title win and promotion in 1974-75 to return to the top level of Dutch amateur football before dropping back down in 1977-78. The teams Tweede klasse spell lasted until the conclusion of the 1980-81 campaign before a further drop occurred.

Rigtersbleek’s time in Derde Klasse 3A would last longer on this occasion. A second place came in 1987-88 before the championship was won in 1990-91. Tweede klasse proved too tough with the team returning to their former level just twelve months later.

A gradual recovery took place at Heekstraat which saw another 3A title arrive in 1995-95, but once again it led to a solitary season of Tweede klasse football. Following a runner-up place the team were crowned Derde Klasse 3A champions in 2002-03.

After a series of mid table finishes, Rigtersbleek won the Tweede Klasse 2J title in 2007-08 before becoming champions of Eerste Klasse 1E in 2009-10 to reach Hoofdklasse, the top level of the time. The team struggled at their highest level for many years, dropping back down in 2012-13.

After regrouping promotion was won through the play-offs in 2014-15 to return to Hoofdklasse under coach John Gielink. However, Rigtersbleek dropped back down to the sixth tier twelve months later with a new stand being built at the ground soon after.

Back in Eerste Klasse 1E, the team finished halfway up the table for three seasons, led by coach Otto Krabbe until he was succeeded by Mete Soygül in the summer of 2019. Rigtersbleek were bottom of the table when the 2019-20 campaign ended early owing to the Coronavirus outbreak.

vv Rigtersbleek will play in Zondag Erste Klasse 1E Oost in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Saturday 18^th January 2014

I was in The Netherlands to enjoy my long weekend off work and to educate myself watching matches and visiting clubs had never previously heard of. It would keep me fit and appreciate the fabric of the game in a country I’ve always had marked down as being very progressive.

As ever I planned to fit in as much as I could, so I was out of bed in Hengelo bright and early. Apart from it wasn’t too bright. The hours time difference meant that 8.30 am in Holland was the same as 7.30 in the UK and the same murky light.

The bus from Hengelo station ran on time, and the display told me when I was getting close to the club. The no.9 went down Hengelostraat before dropping my at the Alleeweg stop. The ground was a hundred yards down Gookatenweg, before I turned right into GJ van Heekstraat and soon came across the entrance.

There were a couple of folks around the clubhouse. The venue had two artificial surfaces. I walked down to the main pitch, which had a decent sized seated stand on the far side and hard standing all the way around the railed pitch. A fine collection of raised advertising boards gave the ground an enclosed feel.

Having completed my task I headed to the Toekonstraat bus stop where within a few minutes the no.1 had arrived and was taking me down to Enschede station.