WHC Wezep (Holland)

Wezep Hattemerbroek Combination, or WHC Wezep as they are most commonly known are an amateur football club from  from Wezep – Hattemerbroek in the Gelderland region of central Netherlands who were formed on the 1st October 1930, originally as Hattemerbroek Football Association (HVV).

HVV were soon successful, going on to be crowned champions of the North Central Football Association in 1937-38 and 1938-39. Unfortunately, World War Two intervened, but when peace was restored a new club HVV Wezeper Boys took over the reins.

However, the KNVB, the Dutch FA, refused to recognise the new set up and enforced them to merge with another local club; HVV Brandsma. From there WHC was born. Placed in Saturday fourth class amateur Dutch football, WHC reached the final of the competition in 1948-49, where they were defeated 2-1 by Amsterdam AMVJ.

Undaunted WHC regrouped and won the championship the following season by beating Nunspeet in 't Harde in front of 5,000 fans at the final to win promotion to Derde Klasse football. After a couple of third places in Klasse 3A before the team finished as runners-up and then won the promotion play offs.

The 1960’s would bring the glory days to Sportpark Muldersingel as five championships at Tweede Klasse were won. In 1963-64 and 1965-66 the 2C title was won sandwiching a second place in between.

The club was moved geographically to play in Tweede Klasse 2D where WHC were just at home with further title wins in 1966-67 and 1967-68 when an amazing crowd of 11,500 witnessed the completion of the blue and white’s seventh club title for the final against local rivals Go Ahead Kampen Zwolle.

1969-70 saw the 2D championship return to the club. The following season saw WHC win the Saturday Amateur Cup following a victory over Black White '28. Throughout the 70’s WHC played in the top tier of the amateur game, fluctuating between divisions 1A and 1B.

A runners-up spot was achieved in 1971-72 which was followed by a series of mid table finishes before WHC narrowly avoided relegation in 1979-80 following a 5-0 win over SDCP, with 5,000 fans attending the clash in Nunspeet.

However, 1981-82 saw WHC relegated for the first time. Six years later victory over FC Meppel in the final of the Tweede Klasse saw WHC propelled back to the first Eerste Klasse for the 1988-89 campaign.

The team competed in Klasse 1B and 1C for the following nine seasons where the team finished third in 1992-93 prior to being crowned as champions of 1D title in 1996-97 to take the club up to Hoofdklasse football, the highest amateur status of the day.

Probably WHC’s greatest claim to fame came when they were drawn against Ajax in the KNVB Cup. The match on the 23rd December 2009 was moved to the IJsseldelta Stadion home of neighbours PEC Zwolle and ended in a 14-1 win for the visitors in front of a sell-out 10,500 crowd.

To see the action from the game, click here.

The turn of the millennium saw the club consolidate and then end with three third place finishes in the league. Following restructuring of the leagues in 2010-11 WHC failed to gain a place to the Topklasse as Hoofdklasse dropped to the second tier.

After three third place finishes, WHC ended as runners up of Zaterdag Hoofdklasse C in 2010-11 and 2011-12 before being relegated in 2014-15. The team recovered finishing third in 2016-17 and again the following season from where they won promotion through the play-offs.

However, their Hoofdklasse stay lasted just twelve months. When the 2019-20 finished early owing to the Coronavirus outbreak WHC sat in fourth place in Zaterdag 1E Klasse 1D.

WHC Wezep will play in Zaterdag 1E Klasse 1D Oost in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

WHC Wezep 1 AZSV 0 (Saturday 18^th January 2014) Zaterdag Hoofdklasse C (att: 300)

When I planned my long weekend around The Netherlands, one of the attraction was that the main Eredivisie games kicked off on the Saturday evening, offering me scope to delve into the non league amateur game for the first time. 

As my match of choice at night was PEC Zwolle against Vitesse and to meet up with my old pal Guy Watson, who was going to FC Utrecht v Feyenoord the following day, I wanted a nearby game. The excellent Soccerway website was to prove to be my friend once again.

After some trekking around Enschede and Hengelo, the train took me to Zwolle at lunchtime. A strategic error on my part led me to book the excellent but remote Mercure Hotel on the outskirts of the town. A decided to splash out on a taxi from the station, but the rapid rate of the metre was putting me off further extravagance.

Freshened up after a shower I planned to jump on the no.100 bus at the Oranje Nassaulaan stop. However, this required using the cycle paths going under the motorway and dual carriageway. I got lost and had to revert to the map app on my phone. 

Thankfully I’d taken up the offer from 3 phones of an unlimited twenty four hours internet pass for a fiver. I was soon on track but time was pressing on. I was never going to make the stop, so instead I had to jog and then run further down the route to Katerveerdijk.

I beat the bus by a minute. The locals saw a very out of breath and perspiring visitor jump onboard! Around ten minutes later I was jumping off at Willem de Zwijgerkazerne. From there it was a couple of minutes walk down Hoeloosweg to the entrance of Sportpark Muldersingel. I was encouraged that there were others doing the same.

I immediately got the vibes that WHC were a thriving club. At least two other games had finished on adjoining pitches and the women’s team were warming up before their match on the secondary pitch behind the goal of the main arena. 

I followed the crowds and found a temporary club shop. I was delighted to see that there was a match programme. I’m not sure how much I paid for it, as I let the friendly lady take some change from my hand, but she gave me four strips of raffle tickets as well.

Admission cost me $7. I was given a ticket at the booth that was then torn in half by the inspector a yard away! The entrance was in the corner of the ground just past what looked like a decent clubhouse. Once inside I liked what I saw. De Muldersingel was a typical non league venue.

By the entrance there was a food stall. Both ends had a little flat hard standing. The far side had seven steps of open terracing. The near side had similar open terracing but a raised roofed seated stand across the half way line to accommodate 500 fans. 

There was a basic scoreboard in the far corner, but the feature that impressed me were the raised double level of advertising boards above the open ends and terracing giving the ground a real enclosed feel and the impression that local businesses really supported their club.

I took up a position on the far terrace once I’d taken my photos to take in the action. Both sides went into the game in the bottom three in the league table, so I was expecting a tight clash. I wasn’t to be let down.

The visitors from Aalten began brightly without creating any real opportunities. The home centre back Tanju Sahin seemed to enjoy the theatrical side of the game. I quickly got the impression that he wasn’t quite as good as he thought he was. The match had moments of close skill and passing, but also plenty of long balls for good measure. 

WHC grew into the encounter and went ahead on twenty eight minutes when Bunyamin Özkök latched on to a pass inside the area to go round the visiting custodian Ruud Kempers and slot home from a tight angle.

Just like at being back at a game at home the away keeper took some stick from a group of home youths. Kempers looked quite young himself with a head of flaming red hair. I’m not sure what was repeatedly shouted at him each time he cleared the ball, but I don’t suppose it too complimentary. 

Shortly after the goal, the WHC centre forward Ibrahim Tuncer, who was built like a young Peter Crouch missed a sitter and put the ball onto the women’s pitch over the fence. Leading up to half time I saw fans leaving the terrace and coming back from the food bars eating something out of paper. 

This had to be investigated! It turned out to be a lightly battered fish that was then sprinkled with paprika pepper. It cost $2.20 and I have to say it was a very welcome treat as far as football food goes.

As the half time whistle went it was time to wash my snack down with a beer. Bottles of Amstel were an extremely reasonable £1.75 a go. The TV’s were showing the teletext pages from the other games around the country, including the amateurs.

I decided to take up a seat in the stand for the second half, finding the day so much more relaxing after finding out that the Scarborough game at Bedworth had been postponed. Tuncer continued to have a nightmare up front before he was mercifully replaced, while Sahin looked to be the star while making his fair share of errors.

The action had reduced after the break, and turned into a battle of attrition. AZSV pushed forward trying to pierce the home defence, but they were holding firm and looking more likely to double their advantage. 

Özkök came close to claiming a brace with a decent chance. As the game entered its closing stages I stood by the exit as Tjeerd Korf and then Rossi Dati both missed guilt edged chances to seal the game.

I fully expected them to let it slip in the last minute. Judging from the reaction of their fans, I wasn't in a minority. However, they hung on to claim three vital points. I thought it only right to have another bottle while waiting for my bus. 

The bar was packed with happy fans who then turned their attention to the TVs showing the Holland v New Zealand hockey match. My timing was perfect, having only to wait a minute or two for the bus to arrive and take me to Zwolle station and to meet up with Guy for the evening’s entertainment.

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.