Saturday 22 February 2020

NETHERLANDS: HVV 't Gooi (1989-2001) / SC 't Gooi (2001-)

Sportpark Berestein - Gooi, Hilversum (SC 't Gooi, formerly HVV 't Gooi)

Netherlands, province: North Holland

22 II 2020 / SC 't Gooi - FC Hilversum 1-1 / District West I, Saturday League 3C (= NL level 8)

Note 1: Hilversumse Voetbalvereniging (HVV) 't Gooi, founded in 1905, played their football at Gemeentelijk Sportpark-Soestdijkerstraatweg between 1920 and 1989. From 1956 to 1971, 't Gooi (named SC Gooiland in 1965-1971) were a professional league side. In 1989, the club settled down at their current ground at Sportpark Berestein, which is home to no fewer than three football clubs (SV 's-Graveland / vv Altius / 't Gooi / SV Olympia '25) as well as a rugby club (RC Hilversum - stand discernible in the background in picture 13 below). In 2001, HVV 't Gooi were renamed Sportclub 't Gooi.

Note 2: the match at which the photos below were taken, was a rather special occasion: a derby game between the two former professional league clubs in Hilversum - and, moreover, the first league encounter between the two in 56 years. The last time HVV 't Gooi and FC Hilversum had been in the same division, was in 1963/64, when both were playing in the (professional) Tweede Divisie A, groundsharing at Gemeentelijk Sportpark-Soestdijkerstraatweg. 't Gooi's home game, played on Sept. 8th, 1963, finished 1-0, while the second encounter was a goalless draw. The long-awaited derby turned into a rather cagey affair, with numerous bookings - including three red cards - and 't Gooi, by then down to nine men, scoring the equaliser in the last minute of extra time (cp. pictures 14-16 below).















All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

Thursday 20 February 2020

ENGLAND: Macclesfield Town FC (1891-2020) / Chester City FC (1990-1992) / Macclesfield FC (2021-)

Moss Rose, Macclesfield (Macclesfield Football Club, formerly Macclesfield Town Football Club / Chester City Football Club)

England, county: Cheshire

18 II 2020 / Macclesfield Town FC - Plymouth Argyle FC 1-1 / Football League 2 (= ENG level 4)

Note 1: Macclesfield Town FC, founded in 1874, played at the ground shown in the photos below from 1891 onwards. Between 1990 and 1992, Chester City FC groundshared at Macclesfield whilst their new Deva Stadium was under construction. In September 2020, Macclesfield Town went into administration, ceasing all activities immediately. In the following summer, a successor club saw the daylight, Macclesfield FC, which started life in the North West Counties League Premier Division (step 5 of the non-league pyramid).

Note 2: highlights of the match I attended at Moss Rose can be watched by clicking this YouTube link.

Note 3: daylight photos (= no. 1-7 below) date back to a non-matchday visit in December 2019.






















All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

SCOTLAND: Queen's Park FC (B) (1924-1992, 1994-) / Queen's Park FC (1992-1994)

Lesser Hampden, Glasgow (Queen's Park Football Club - B ground)

Scotland, county: Lanarkshire

17 II 2020 / Queen's Park FC Reserves - BSC Glasgow Reserves 2-2 / SPFL Reserve League 2

Note: Lesser Hampden, the annex to Hampden Stadium, was inaugurated in 1924 as Queen's Park FC's side pitch, used for lower team matches and training purposes. While Hampden Stadium was undergoing renovation in the early 1990s, Queen's Park played its first team matches at this ground as well.






















All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author