RKSV UDI ‘19 (Holland)

RKSV UDI ’19, Uitspanning Door Inspanning 1919, to give them their full title is an amateur football club from the town of Uden in the east of The Netherlands between the city’s of Nijmegen and Eindhoven. The club was formed on May 11th 1919 at a meeting in the café-restaurant De Korenbeurs.

The club set up its first junior side in 1933 to supplement the seniors. In 1945 the club provided regular opposition to an English Army side, before going on to be crowned champions of the Maas district and winning promotion to the KNVB Vierde (fourth) Klasse competition in the east.

Two years later UDI won another title and climbed to Derde (third) Klasse. In 1954 the club began producing its own magazine; UDI Heraut as well as forming the UDI Eagles Baseball Team and in 1956 the club moved to the Parklaan ground.

1960-61 saw another championship arrive at the club with UDI ’19 joining Tweede (second) Klasse. However, after two relegations UDI spent their fiftieth anniversary in 1969 as a Vierde Klasse club. The following year a new clubhouse was opened at Parklaan, and in 1973 a women’s side was added to the clubs portfolio.

1960-61 saw another championship arrive at the club with UDI ’19 joining Tweede (second) Klasse. However, the team dropped back down in 1963-64 and then again from 3E Klasse B in 1968-69 as UDI spent their fiftieth anniversary in 1969 as a Vierde Klasse club.

The following year a new clubhouse was opened at Parklaan, and in 1973 a women’s side was added to the club portfolio. The 4E Klasse A title was won in 1974-75 for UDI to regain their Derde klasse status.

Further progress was made in 1977-78 with a runners-up finish before the 3E Klasse B title was won in 1979-80 after the clubhouse was extended. The following season saw UDI clinch the 2E Klasse A title at the first attempt to reach Eerste klasse football for the first time.

The team remained in 1E Klasse E despite winning the title in 1982-83 after missing out in the play-offs before being relegated a couple of seasons later. The 90’s saw plenty of excitement at Parklaan as UDI started the decade by winning promotion back to Eerste Klasse.

The team went on to win 1E Klasse E at the first attempt to climb to the Sunday Hoofdklasse, which was the fourth tier of Dutch football at the time. Their spell lasted just one season as club staged a home friendly against Ajax, with the Amsterdamers winning 2-1.

In 1995-96 UDI lost a play-off game for promotion against EHC as the clubhouse received refurbishment. However, they weren’t to be denied in 1996-97 as the team won the 1E Klasse C title, while the ground was renamed Parkzicht.

In 1998 UDI qualified for the KNVB Cup after winning their Eerste klasse title before getting through the group stages to be rewarded with an away tie against Ajax. One hundred and sixty eight buses transported fans from Uden to the Amsterdam ArenA, where their side were defeated 9-0.

Following a sponsorship deal the club became known as UDI ‘19/Beter Bed which helped the team in their quest for honours when UDI won the Hoofdklasse B championship in 1999-00, before retaining it the following season.

Another Hoofdklasse title followed in 2001-02 prior to the runners-up spot in 2003-04 when the continued growth of club membership led to a new clubhouse being erected. To celebrate a pre-season match with Galatasaray took place in 2005.

A partnership was forged the following year with both NEC and PSV. It came as somewhat as a surprise when UDI were relegated in 2007-08. Undaunted, the Eerste 1E Klasse D title was won at the first attempt to herald a return to the Hoofdklasse.

To celebrate UDI’s ninetieth anniversary in 2009, PSV sent a team to Parkzicht. The Russian State Circus also spent a week performing at the club, as all aspects of the club continued to prosper.

Sam Wassenberg finished top of the scorers in 2009-10 as UDI consolidated prior to Tim Strijbosch regularly netting the following campaign before the team was moved to the C Klasse for one season.

The team ended third in 2014-15 and then fourth twelve months later before winning a place in the newly formed fourth tier Derde Divisie for 2016-17 under coach Bert Ruijsch. The standard proved too tough with UDI lasting just one season.

The Hoofdklasse was now the fifth level when UDI rejoined and finished fifth in 2017-18. Before a ending mid table for the next two seasons, including the 2019-20 campaign which was aborted prematurely owing to the Coronavirus outbreak.

UDI ’19 will appear in Hoofdklasse B Zondag in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Monday 20th January 2014

My long rides around The Netherlands over a tremendous long weekend were gradually coming to an end as I headed to Eindhoven, my final destination. There was just a couple of towns to call in at on route. The no.99 bus took me on the forty minute ride from Nijmegen to Uden bus station.

It was a dull cold day and not ideal for photography, but I was still keen to see what UDI ’19 had to offer. I set off for the walk of around a kilometer down Kastanjeweg, Prior van Milstraat and Losplaats before passing Stadion De Kuip, which was the town’s athletics venue. 

Just a couple of hundred yards away I found the entrance open to Parkzicht beyond the car park and clubhouse, with a groundsman tendering a damp penalty area.

Although I’d done pretty well throughout my trip using the excellent 9292 Dutch travel app on my phone, I got lost and confused in trying to work out where my bus may pick me up on the route to Veghel. After much frustration I eventually walked a long way back to the bus station to jump on board the no.152 to my next venue. 

De Treffers (Holland)

De Treffers is an amateur football club from the Gelderland town of Groesbeek in the east of The Netherlands, a few miles south east of Nijmegen. The club were formed in 1919, around the same time as their biggest rivals Achilles ’19 on the other side of town, with Jan Piepenbreier appointed as the clubs first chairman.

After playing in Nijmegen regional football, De Treffers joined the ranks of the KNVB in 1930. In 1935-36 and 1936-37 the club lifted the eastern region Eerste Klasse championships, going on to compete in the national championships.

Following World War Two, De Treffers had a period of struggle as they were relegated on a couple of occasions to find themselves in the Derde (third) Klasse. Promotion came thanks to a title win in 1961-62. Back to back championships elevated the club to Eerste (first) Klasse football in 1962-63.

De Treffers suffered a relegation in 1970-71, but they were promoted at the first attempt. The Hoofdklasse was created in 1974 and De Treffers were placed in the Zondag (Sunday) C. The team won their Hoofdklasse title in 1980-81 before finishing runners-up two years later.

Further league titles would follow in 1985-86 under coach Jan Pruijn before his side repeated their feat in 1987-88 and 1989-90. In both latter seasons the club were crowned as Sunday amateur champions, with the 1990 triumph coming against Quick Boys.

Ben Gerritsen then took charge of the team for a season which saw another Hoofdklasse title to add to the honours board. The best performances over the ensuing years came when De Treffers finished divisional runners-up in 1994-95 and 1996-97 before coach Jan Peters led his side to the title in 1997-98.

This triumph led to another national crown as Saturday champions IJsselmeervogels were defeated in the decider, as De Treffers became one of the foremost amateur outfits in the whole of the country.

Four consecutive league runners-up places ensued between 1999-00 and 2002-03 as Willie Willems coached the side. Peters had returned for a second spell when the team became Hoofdklasse C champions in 2004-05 as the forward trio of Rob Zegers, Saïd Echarqui and Guilliano Grot wreaked havoc on opposing defences.

League runners-up places followed for the three successive seasons from 2005-06 to 2007-08 after Guilliano Grot and then Eugène Marijnissen had spells as coach while future coach Aleh Putsila contributed goals to the effort.

Putsila was in charge when Hoofdklasse title number eight was won in 2009-10 which took the club to the third national level Topklasse, where the team consolidated their status before finishing third in 2012-13 under coach John Neijenhuis.

The 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns ended in fourth place finishes under the tutelage of Ton Caanen and then Anton Janssen. The latter would be enough to secure a place in the newly formed third tier Tweede Divisie after the Dutch national league system was restructured.

The elevation meant the club would have to convert away from just Sunday football. Goals from Robert Mutzers and Wesley Meeuwsen helped De Treffers settle into their new surroundings with a fourth place in 2016-17.

The following campaign was more of a struggle before the side recovered to eleventh place in 2018-19 when Jan de Jonge took over as coach. Lowie van Zundert top scored as his team ended the prematurely ended 2019-20 campaign in ninth place.

De Treffers will play in Tweede Divisie in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Monday 20^th January 2014

I found myself in the football mad town of Groesbeek on a bleak winters day on the fourth day of a football adventure across The Netherlands. 

Having walked from the home of rivals Achilles ’29 along Hulsbroek and then Nieuwe Drulseweg past and industrial estate and then housing I saw the floodlights of Sportpark Zuid down Nijerf.

The entrance to the ground was at the far end and through a large car park, with the magnificent club buildings behind half of the near end of the ground with a few steps of open terracing in front. 

The far touchline had a cover for standing spectators, with the road side a seated stand across the half way line. The rest of the ground had hard standing and grass, with raised advertising boards at the far end offering an enclosed feel to the arena.

Originally I had intended to head for the home of Groesbeeke Boys, but it was time to prioritise as I was feeling the effects of my exertions and needed to get to my evenings destination of Eindhoven as quickly as I could to have a rest before the evening’s match.

A free small local bus gave me a tour around the houses before dropping me in the town centre, next to where the railway once ran, so I could take a bus back into Nijmegen.

Achilles ’29 (Holland)

Achilles ’29 are a professional football club from the football active town of Groesbeek in the Gelderland province in the east of The Netherlands, close to the city of Nijmegen. The club were formed on June 1st 1929 by thirteen boys around the age of twenty, as a team for Catholics.

Land was donated at the Heikant by Gerrit Derks in the north east of Groesbeek. By 1933 Achilles had won promotion to the top level of Nijmegen district football. The club were crowned as champions in 1935-36, which led to Ben Ostendorp writing the club anthem; "Samen togen wij ten strijd".- Together We Went to War.

Mr Ostendorp’s words were somewhat prophetic as three years later football was abandoned because of the outbreak of World War Two, with Groesbeek located on the front line close to the German border and the village at the time being evacuated.

As peace was restored the members of Achilles returned to find Sportpark De Heikant with craters and the buildings raised to the ground, but the club pulled together and were soon back in action. A second Nijmegen championship arrived in 1953-54, which led to ‘De Heikanters’ progressing to KNVB competitions.

By 1964 two further title wins led to the club reaching Tweede (second) Klasse football. After having a long spell known as RKSV Groesbeek to reflect the religious orientation of the club and the fact that the amateur association NVB had several Achilles teams registered.

In 1969 the club successfully appealed to get their name back and added the ’29 suffix while five years later saw Frans van Bernebeek, the club president of forty years, stand down from his position.

The Tweede Klasse 2A Sunday division was won in 1973-74 as Achilles rose to the top level of amateur football of the day under coach Theo Derks. After two runners-up places in 1975-76 and 1976-77 the title was won in 1977-78 to elevate the club to the newly formed Hoofdklasse, as they were placed in Zondag (Sunday) B.

Relegation was only just averted in 1989-90 under the leadership of Jan van Deinsen, with several other struggles over the following seasons. In 1993-94 Achilles were relegated for the first time in their history.

Their spell in Eerste Divisie lasted six seasons before regaining their Hoofdklasse position in 1999-00. Unfortunately, they were relegated just twelve months later, before regaining their status at the first attempt in 2001-02.

With the popular head coach Eric Meijers at the helm the club continued to progress, going on to win Hoofdklasse C ahead of big local rivals De Treffers in 2005-06. This act was repeated in 2007-08 when a packed De Heikant celebrated a win against De Treffers to clinch the title to add to a triumph in the Districtsbeker Oost, East District Cup.

The 2008-09 campaign saw Achilles achieve publicity through their KNVB Beker, Cup, exploits with wins against FC Lisse, RKC Waalwijk through two Thijs Hendriks goals before the team went out at 3-0 in the fourth round to a Louis van Gaal led AZ.

The 2009-10 season was played with places in the newly formed semi-professional Topklasse for the following campaign at stake. Achilles finished fourth and made the step up to play their highest ever grade of Sunday football.

2010-11 saw another fine run to the Round of 16 of the KNVB Beker following notable wins against FC Oss and then Heracles Almelo in a remarkable 5-3 win which saw Tim Verhoeven net twice from the spot before RKC Waalwijk gained their revenge with a win on penalties at Sportpark de Heikant.

Achilles finished as runners-up in their first Topklasse campaign, with consolation coming when a second Districtsbeker Oost found its way to the clubs trophy cabinet. The 2011-12 campaign was one of great success as Achilles lifted the Super Cup for amateurs with a 2-1 victory over VV IJsselmeervogels.

The unprecedented 2011-12 season saw a third Round of 16 KNVB Beker appearance came following wins against Telstar and then MVV Maastrict before going down 3-0 at De Goffert in the local derby to NEC.

The team also went on to retain their Topklasse Zondag title to win a promotion place to the second tier Eerste Divisie before missing out on being crowned overall champions after losing the play-off Saturday title winners v.v. Katwijk 3-0 on aggregate.

Jan van Deinsen returned to the club in June 2012 to replace successful head coach Meijers who departed to take up the reigns at Helmond Sport. Both Achilles and Katwijk had stated that they were not interested in taking up promotion to Eerste Divisie, but the KNVB had a problem as AGOVV and BV Veendam had withdrawn, leaving them with just sixteen teams.

They solved this by relaxing the licensing necessities. Katwijk didn’t take up the offer but De Heikanters did as François Gesthuizen took over team affairs. Achilles continued to build the club infrastructure during this stellar period.

The 2013-14 season saw them field eleven other senior teams, one women’s team and thirteen youth sides. Plans were announced to move from the current main pitch and to build around the artificial surface instead.

Unsurprisingly, Achilles struggled playing in the second tier of Dutch football, finishing bottom of Eerste Divisie in their debut season before improving by a couple of places in 2014-15. Meijers returned to take his side to fifteenth, their highest ever league position in 2015-16.

However, the following season saw a last place for a second time, but on this occasion the team was relegated to the Tweede Divisie with Arno Arts taking over as coach. Once again, the side finished bottom in 2017-18 and were relegated to Derde Divisie Zaterdagafdeling.

Johan van Osch led his side in the traumatic 2018-19 campaign as over 100 goals were shed, and points were deducted for financial irregularities. Stefan Muller took over as coach in the summer of 2019 as the club prepared for life in Zaterdag Hoofdklasse A.

A dispute between the club directors and the Derk family owners of Sportpark De Heikant led to the club being evicted from the ground in December 2019 which led to an agreement with neighbours VV Germania to become tenants at their Sportpark Noord home.

Achilles were offered some rest bite from their plummet when the COVID-19 ended the 2019-20 campaign with the team again bottom of the table but without any relegations taking place.

Achilles ’29 will play in Hoofdklasse A Zaterdag in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Monday 20^th January 2014

I was in the small town of Groesbeek on a cold dull winter’s day in search of visiting some of the six football clubs that represented it. Five were amateur, but Achilles had joined the professional ranks. 

After calling in at Sportpark Noord I undertook a thirty minute walk before finding myself on Cranenburgsestraat and outside De Linde bar and restaurant. The ntrance to the ground was just past it.

To be honest there were no real signs of a second tier club being just behind the building. Beyond a decent sized car park I entered Sportpark Heikant in the corner of the main ground. The near goal was a few steps of open terracing backed by adverts and an electric scoreboard. 

The terracing continued round the far touchline and right down the side with a cover in the middle third of the pitch called The Egg Side, as patron Gerrit Derks kept his chicken coops on that side. Opposite were the club offices before a seated stand straddling the half way line. The changing rooms then continued around the far corner. Open terracing took up the space behind the far end.

It was a neat ground, but one that would struggle to reach Conference standards in the UK, although in fairness that reflects the silly sanctions imposed by our FA. It had been adapted with the relevant segregation barriers in position.

I left to go on another twenty minute walk to the home of rivals of De Treffers in the south of the town.

VV Germania (Holland)

VV Germania is an amateur football club from the town of Groesbeek, which is located a few miles south east of the city of Nijmegen, close to the German border. The club were formed on May 1st 1936, in the Stekkenberg part of town, playing at a ground called ‘het Vlak’.

Within a year Germania had won the Nijmegen Tweede Klasse winning promotion to the first division. In 1947 the club were crowned as Nijmegen champions and progressed into the eastern department of the national set up. 

Over the following seventeen years, a couple of championships and promotion were collected, but by 1964 they found themselves in the Vierde (fourth) Klasse as Germania relocated a few hundred metres to Sportpark Noord.

The move was celebrated a year later with a championship win in 1964-65, with Germania going on to lift Districtsbeker Oost, East District Cup in 1966-67. A further championship and promotion was celebrated in 1973-74 when the 3E Klasse D title was won.

Further success followed in 1975-76. The team finished top of 2E Tweede Klasse A before going on to win the final of the play off against AWS, Germania to secure promotion to the Eerste Klasse.

Germania played eight consecutive seasons of first level Sunday amateur football in 1E Klasse with a best finish of third place in 1980-81 and again in 1982-83. However, the team was relegated the following season after failing to build.

In 1987 the club collected their second Districtsbeker Oost, although form in the league continued to dip, ending in relegation from 2E Klasse A in 1988-89 before a further demotion from 3E Klasse D the following season.

The team recovered to lift the 4E Klasse E title at the first attempt to spark a tremendous upturn which saw title wins of 3E Klasse D in 1991-92 and 2E Klasse A in 1992-93 as the club returned to Eerste klasse football.

The undulating nature of form continued as Germania were relegated in 1994-95 and 1996-97 back down to 3E Klasse D from where they won promotion as champions in 1999-00. The 2E Klasse I league title followed in 2001-02.

In 2003-04 Germania won 1E Klasse E to rise to the heights of the fourth tier Zondag Hoofdklasse C where they finished sixth in their debut season before being relegated in bottom place in 2005-06.

After a runners-up spot Germania claimed the 1 E Klasse E championship in 2007-08. The team dropped back down a year later after defeat in the relegation play-offs. Back in Eerste E1 Klasse E the side finished as runners-up in 2010-11 before a third place and then a successful play-off in 2013-14 won the club another promotion.

Once again Hoofdklasse football was too tough for Germania who were relegated in their first season, before another demotion came in 2016-17. The 2017-18 campaign was even worse with the side dropping down to eighth tier Derde klasse football.

The team stabilised to finish seventh in 3E Klasse D prior to the appointment of coach Jeffrey Kooistra. In the abandoned 2019-20 season Germania were sat in ninth place when Coronavirus struck.

VV Germania will play in Derde klasse 3E Klasse D Zondag Oost in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Monday 20^th January 2014

My weekend sojourn was down to its last full day, and I was keen to see as many clubs as possible while heading to Eindhoven for the evening’s match. It was a typical January day, with a grey sky and low temperatures. 

After a fine breakfast at the Prince B&B in Nijmegen, I wandered around to the railway station to drop my bag in a locker before going next door to the bus station to jump onboard the no.5 to take me to the Stekkenberg stop.

Having already passed Sportpark Noord I was able to soon locate the ground up the lane behind Nijmeegsebaan. I arrived at the grounds entrance past another pitch to find the small railed gate locked, so I hopped over.

The venue was much like many others at Hoofdklasse level. Three sides had a small bit of hard standing, with banked grass behind backed by high advertising hoardings and a scoreboard. 

The final side had some open terracing either side of a fine raised seated stand. The club offices and clubhouse were just behind outside the ground. It was very neat and tidy and everything required without entering the ridiculous regulations imposed on clubs of a similar standard by the English FA.

I saw a gap in the hedge in the corner and tried to get over the fence at that side to no avail. Cars were arriving and I felt a bit embarrassed at being inside. I walked all the way round to find a gate open by the stand and spoke to some friendly club officials. 

I followed one out as he walked down the bank and to the advertising board on the main road to change the fixture information for the following week’s game. I continued heading downhill and then along for over a mile to my next port of call: Achilles ’29.

VV Alverna (Holland)

Voetbalvereniging Alverna, or VV Alverna, as they are more commonly known are an amateur football club from Alverna, which adjoins the town of Wijchen, five miles west of Nijmegen in the west of The Netherlands.

The club was established in 1950 following previous clubs AVE, Helios and Alvernia representing the town. A merger after World War Two led to the creation of Alverna Wijchen Combination (AWC), but this new club did not last long.

Through the initiative of Theo Rutten, the new club was created on May 14th 1950. The club climbed to Vierde (fourth) Klasse by 1967. Fred Rutten left the club as a junior in 1977 going on to play for PSV before ending up as head coach.

By the late 1990’s the club were playing football in the Zesde, sixth, klasse from where they won promotion up to Vijfde Klasse under coach Tonnie Wels in 1999-00. The success would spark an upward curve for the following twenty years.

Rick Peters was at the helm as Alverna were Sunday 5E Klasse E runners-up to win promotion the following season. Three seasons later the 4E Klasse E title followed in 2003-04. However, the latest success was perhaps a little too soon as the team dropped back down twelve months later.

Alverna recovered and finished third, second and then champions in successive campaigns before winning the 4E title once again in 2007-08 with Leo Otten as coach. This time the club was ready for Derde klasse football as the team was promoted again from 3E Klasse D in 2009-10 under the tutelage of Ton Kosterman.

The momentum continued with the capture of the 2E Klasse I title twelve months later as Alverna climbed to first class amateur football, which was the fifth tier at the time. The club added to its infrastructure and its artificial pitch by upgrading their facilities.

Rob Bouman was appointed as coach as his side won the 1E Klasse E title in 2012-13. However, Hoofdklasse Zondag C football proved a step too far as the side went back down after just one season.

Undaunted, Alverna counced straight back after capturing the 1E title at the first attempt. The team was moved to the now fifth tier Zondag Hoofdklasse A for 2016-17 after the reorganisation of the Dutch league system. The team was relegated after an unsuccessful play-off with Jan Pruijn at the helm.

Back in the sixth tier Erste klasse, Alverna found themselves in familiar surroundings in 1E Klasse C where they avoided the relegation play-offs before finishing the 2018-19 campaign in fifth place.

The team was leading the division in 2019-20 when the season was ended early without any promotion owing to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pancemic.

VV Alverna will play in the Hoofdklasse Zondag C in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

Alverna 1 LONGA '30 0 (Sunday 19^th January 2014) Zondag Hoofdklasse C (Att: c200)

It was my fourth day of my long weekend of football and socialising around Holland, and I was rather tired after a heavy day and night in Zwolle, followed by visiting three amateur clubs in Nijmegen before watching the excellent NEC v ADO Den Haag Eredivisie clash.

My research on the excellent Soccerway website (http://uk.soccerway.com/) before the trip had me looking for the potential of a later game. Despite there being many local clubs in the region, Alverna looked my best bet as it was located to the west of the city, as was De Goffert where NEC played.

Common sense should have had me heading to my room for a sleep, but I wasn't going to give up on an opportunity to broaden my knowledge, regardless of missing the first half. The brilliant 9292 transport app on my phone had been most helpful but I had read it wrong this time as I walked a long way for a bus, when there was a closer stop in the park.

Not to worry. I was dropped at the edge of Alverna at the Havenweg stop. I heard the music coming from the ground confirming that it was half time, so I decided to have a look at the home of nearby sv AWC. 

A path through the copse led me from there to the entrance of Sportpark Bospad. The gates were open for the second half, so I didn’t have to pay, and I picked up a free programme in the welcoming clubhouse.

The facilities were all at the entrance end to the ground on Bospad, with a seated stand in front of the club and the dressing rooms down a tunnel at lower level. The rest of the ground had hard standing all the way round the artificial surface, with a secondary grass pitch alongside.

The game was of the same standard as the one I'd seen at Wezep the day before; hard but skillfull. I was slightly surprised at the amount of long balls being played. I'd missed the goal earlier, which was scored by Rick Hutting. The great thing about nearly every amateur ground I visited was that there was a scoreboard to put me right.

Alverna's skilfull young winger had a good run and shot that struck the far post and the LONGA keeper Kaj Boschker made a decent save, but there were to be no more goals. The win put the home side into seventh place in the league, with the defeat for the side from Lichtenvoorde leaving them bottom of the table.

At least the visitors had the consolation of travelling home in style as they were using the team coach of De Graafschap, which was parked behind the ground. I had about about ten minutes before my bus was due at the Industriepark stop. The no.15 service took me round the houses in Nijmegen and close to De Goffert. It was the bus I should have caught to the game.

After checking into the Prince B&B and enjoying a shower and siesta, I relaxed for the evening and stayed off the beer. The city centre was lovely, even when mainly closed as I wandered about taking in the sights. 

I got an added bonus on planning an early night that the TV in my room had BBC One and Two, so I got to see Ronnie O’Sullivan win the Masters snooker and later Match of the Day Two!

I slept extremely well, not for the only time on my weekend away.