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LATEST UPDATE - vv SPORTING MARTINUS / SPORTPARK OVERBURG, AMSTELVEEN (NETHERLANDS)

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

NETHERLANDS: vv Gorredijk

Sportpark Kortezwaag, Gorredijk = De Gordyk (vv Gorredijk)

Netherlands, province: Frisia = Friesland

9 II 2025 / vv Gorredijk - vv GOMOS 3-2 / Sunday League 2H (= NL level 7)

Timeline

• ± 1905 / First attempts at forming a football club are undertaken in Gorredijk and the nearby hamlet of Kortezwaag in Frisia, with groups of youngsters getting together to play matches on pastures turned into improvised pitches. Club names from those early years include Excelsior and Blauw Wit Junior. 
• 1908 / A first mention is made of a club from Gorredijk, GVV (Gorredijkster Voetbalvereeniging), taking part in the competitions organised by the so-called Friesche Voetbalbond (FVB), the Frisian sub-branch of the Netherlands’ FA (NVB – renamed KNVB in 1929). In fact, GVV joined the FVB after a first tentative friendly match against VAC from Heerenveen, resulting in a 11-0 battering. GVV proved short-lived, though, and in one of the following years, a new clubs saw the daylight, GVC (Gorredijkster Voetbalclub), of which the existence proved equally ephemeral. It is unclear where the pitch or pitches of these clubs were situated.
• 1913 / A new club is founded in Gorredijk, VVG (Voetbalvereeniging Gorredijk), which joined the FVB in the fall of 1913.
• 1914 / Following the demise of Excelsior and Blauw Wit Junior, mentioned is made of a new boys’ club in Gorredijk, TOP (Tot Ons Plezier). As in the case of its predecessors, it is unclear how long TOP held out, but obviously not longer than a couple of years at most.
• 1915 / The latest of the clubs from Gorredijk joining the FVB, VVG, folds, ceasing all activities. For the remainder of World War I – in which the Netherlands remained neutral, but mobilised its forces, resulting in many young men being called up for army service – no organised football was played in Gorredijk.
• 1920 / In the summer of 1920, a new football club is founded in Gorredijk, which takes on the name of one of its predecessors, GVC (Gorredijkster Voetbalclub). The founding meeting is held in a local café, De Waag at Kerkewal, with J. Biesma, G. Bouwhuis, and R. Schaap being explicitly named in the sources as the founding fathers of the club. Biesma also takes on the role of GVC’s first chairman. The club rents a plot of land from a local smallholder, Eise Bergsma, situated on the location of the modern-day ice rink ‘Hâld Moed’ in Kortezwaag. Upon applying for membership of the FVB, the club’s board is requested to change the club name due to the acronym GVC already being in use by another FVB member. Thereupon, the club is accepted as new FVB member with the new name vv (Voetbalvereeniging) Gorredijk. Being placed in FVB Sunday Division 1, vv Gorredijk manages a 1-1 draw in its first match official, a home encounter against vv Friso (Leeuwarden).
• 1921 / Finishing as runners-up in FVB Sunday Division 1, vv Gorredijk wins promotion to NVB District North’s (Sunday) League 3. That same year, the club abandons Terrein Eise Bergsma, settling on a new pitch laid out at Hegedyk, nicknamed It Lytse Fuotbalfjild (‘The Small Football Pitch’) in the Frisian language.
• 1923 / A new pitch is laid out for vv Gorredijk, also at Hegedyk, at the back of the farm of Hearre de Vries. The Lytse Fuotbalfjild is retained for lower team football and training sessions.
• 1925 / vv Gorredijk finishes as runners-up in District North’s League 3C, 3 points behind champions SVC LSC 1890. 
• 1927 / vv Gorredijk finishes as runners-up in District North’s League 3A, 7 points behind champions vv Drachten.
• 1928 / Finishing in joint first place in District North’s League 3A with SSC, vv Gorredijk meets the club from Steenwijk in a tie-break match in Heerenveen – but, suffering a 3-1 defeat, vv Gorredijk misses out on the title.
• 1931 / Former vv Watergraafsmeer and vv Achilles (Assen) player Karel Kaufman becomes vv Gorredijk’s first official trainer. Kaufman was no mean force in the Netherlands’ football of the day, in fact working as physical trainer for the Netherlands’ national team for more than three decades (1930-64).
• 1933 / vv Gorredijk finishes as runners-up in District North’s League 3A, 1 point behind champions vv CAB.
• 1934 / Finishing 4 points ahead of runners-up HZC in District North’s League 3A, vv Gorredijk finally manages to win its first title. The decisive points are clinched in a 9-3 win over SSC. However, the club misses out on promotion to League 2 following a 5-4 aggregate defeat in a promotion-relegation play-off against SVC LSC 1890. Also in 1934, a modest covered stand is erected alongside vv Gorredijk’s main pitch at Hegedyk.
• 1936 / Finishing 1 point ahead of runners-up HZC, vv Gorredijk clinches its second League 3A title in three years. The decisive points are obtained in a 4-0 win over vv Nicator. Yet again, though, the club fails to book its ticket for League 2, suffering defeat in the promotion play-offs.
• 1938 / Finishing in joint first place in District North’s League 3A with vv CAB, vv Gorredijk meets the club from Bolsward in a tie-break match – but, suffering a 6-2 defeat, vv Gorredijk misses out on the title.
• 1939 / Finishing 3 points ahead of runners-up vv Oostelijke Boys, vv Gorredijk wins the title in District North’s League 3B. In the championship play-offs, the club meets vv CAB and vv Rood Geel. Finishing in joint first place with vv CAB, vv Gorredijk meets the club from Bolsward in yet another tie-break match, with SVC LSC 1890’s Terrein Leeuwarderweg being the venue – but, this time, Gorredijk walks away as 3-0 winners, thus finally acceding to League 2 for the first time in club history. The successful coach is Mr Vossenberg. However, due to the mobilisation of the Netherlands’ armed forces in the summer of 1939, no regular league football is played in the 1939-40 season due to the serious depletion of the membership of many football clubs. Therefore, vv Gorredijk’s first match as a Sunday League 2 club has to wait until the fall of 1940.
• 1941 / vv Gorredijk manages the best result in club history, finishing in seventh place in District North’s Sunday League 2A – copying that result in 1942 and 1944. Also in 1941, a set of basic dressing barracks are erected at Terrein Hegedyk – only to be knocked down again one year later due to the maintenance costs exceeding the club’s financial means.
• 1943 / Finishing in joint last place in District North’s Sunday League 2A with MSC, vv Gorredijk narrowly avoids relegation by defeating the club from Meppel in a tie-break match.
• 1946 / Finishing bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 2A with only 3 points obtained in the entire season, vv Gorredijk goes on to fail in its mission to avoid relegation by slumping to a clear-cut 9-1 aggregate defeat against League 3 champions vv Oosterparkers. As such, the club drops back into League 3 – in fact, constituting the club’s first-ever relegation.
• 1951 / Finishing bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 3B, vv Gorredijk drops back into Sunday League 4 for the first time. Also in 1951, after having had to make do without for the past nine years, vv Gorredijk acquires the luxury of new changing rooms at Terrein Hegedyk – in fact, a set of wooden barracks previously in use in Camp Sparjebird, which had been a German labour camp during the occupation years and a re-education centre for Nazi collaborators in the first years after the liberation of the Netherlands. 
• 1952 / Finishing in joint first place in District North’s Sunday League 4A with vv Freno, vv Gorredijk meets the club from Franeker in a tie-break match for the title at GAVC’s ground in Grouw – and, following a comfortable 4-0 win, the club manages a return to Sunday League 3 after just one season.
• 1953 / Unable to hold its own at League 3 level once again, vv Gorredijk finishes bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 3B with coach Tjeerd Delgrosso, thus dropping back into League 4.
• 1957 / Finishing in joint last place in District North’s Sunday League 4B with RKVV Bakhuizen, vv Gorredijk avoids relegation by winning a tie-break match against that club in Joure (5-2).
• 1959 / vv Gorredijk finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 4B, 9 points behind champions vv De Kooi.
• 1962 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 4B, 6 points ahead of closest followers DOG – with the decisive points being clinched in a convincing 3-0 away win against that club in Wolvega – vv Gorredijk qualifies for the championship play-offs, with vv Bergum, SC Assen, and vv Kwiek being the other contenders. Assuring itself of first place following a 2-0 win over SC Assen, vv Gorredijk clinches promotion to Sunday League 3. The goals in the decisive match, attended by some 1,200 spectators, were scored by Bennie Eppinga and future Gorredijk trainer Gerrit de Vries. The successful coach is Sjirk Flisijn.
• 1965 / Finishing bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 3A with coach Siep van der Zee, vv Gorredijk drops back into Sunday League 4. Also in 1965, the club enters a Saturday team in the regular FVB leagues for the first time; however, also in the following years and decades, the focus of the club’s activities remains firmly centred on Sunday football.
• 1966 / At the behest of Gorredijk’s municipal authorities, the so-called Koninklijke Nederlandse Heidemaatschappij (Royal Netherlands’ Association for Wasteland Redevelopment) is invited to lay out the pitches for a new sports park for vv Gorredijk. The works take the best part of the following two years.
• 1968 / Having played at the two pitches at Hegedyk for more than half a century, vv Gorredijk now moves into the newly laid-out situated at Mientewei, Sportpark Kortezwaag, which is inaugurated officially by Gorredijk’s mayor, Mr Posthuma. Sharing the park with a netball club – and later also with a rugby club RC De Wrotters – vv Gorredijk disposes of three pitches and a smaller practice pitch, with the capacity of the main pitch being extended considerably with the construction of two open terraces running alongside the touchlines on either side. As no dressing rooms have been constructed yet, the club has to make do with the old facilities taken along from Terrein Hegedyk.
• 1970 / A clubhouse as well as a set of dressing rooms are inaugurated at Sportpark Kortezwaag.
• 1971 / With vv Gorredijk’s squad bolstered by former vv Heerenveen (professional league) player Tjeerd Krist, the club manages a second place in District North’s Sunday League 4C, 1 point behind champions vv De Wilper Boys. In the following decade, vv Gorredijk is little more than an anonymous force in Sunday League 4. Also in 1971, Sportpark Kortezwaag hosts the tie-break match for the title in Sunday League 1C between vv Drachten and vv Harkema-Opeinde (2-1), attended by a baffling number of some 11,000 (!) spectators – all the more astonishing, given that the capacity of the ground had been estimated at 6,000 upon its inauguration in 1968.
• 1982 / Former vv Gorredijk youth academy goalkeeper Rob de Blois makes his debut as a professional league player with FC Groningen, going on to have a spell at SC Veendam before bowing out into non-league in 1988.
• 1985 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 4B, finishing 1 point ahead of derby rivals vv Jubbega, vv Gorredijk wins promotion to Sunday League 3 after an absence of twenty years at that level. The decisive points were clinched in a 2-1 home win over vv Renado. The successful coach is Gerrit de Vries.
• 1986 / Finishing in second-last place in District North’s Sunday League 3A with coach Gerrit de Vries, vv Gorredijk drops back into Sunday League 4 after just one season, along with bottom club vv Dronrijp. 
• 1988 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 4B, 5 points ahead of closest followers vv Renado, vv Gorredijk manages a return to Sunday League 3. The decisive points were obtained in a 3-1 away win at SV VENO (two goals by Jacko Krist, one more by Jan Mast). The successful coach is Ger Lamberts.
• 1989 / A covered stand is added to the set-up at Sportpark Kortezwaag, with the construction being built onto the terrace on the western side of the main pitch.
• 1990 / Coached by Jelte Postma, vv Gorredijk finishes bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 3A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last position, vv Jubbega. Also in 1990, former vv Gorredijk youth academy defender Wilco Hellinga makes his professional league debut at SC Heerenveen – going on to have spells at KFC Germinal Ekeren, FC Sankt-Gallen, 1. FC Nürnberg, FC Zürich, and BV Veendam before hanging up his boots in 2006. 
• 1991 / Finishing in joint first place in District North’s Sunday League 4B with vv Jubbega, vv Gorredijk meets its eternal rivals in a tie-break match, staged at SV UDIROS’ ground in Nieuwehorne, with some 3,000 spectators witnessing a 3-0 win for vv Jubbega. As such, vv Gorredijk has to try to achieve promotion via the backdoor of the play-offs. Achieving first place in the group stage against SV UDIROS and vv De Sweach, the club qualifies for the final, played in Lemmer, in which SC Emmeloord proves too strong (6-3). As such, vv Gorredijk ultimately misses out on promotion.
• 1996 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 4C, 6 points ahead of runners-up vv Bergum and without suffering a single defeat all season, vv Gorredijk manages a return to Sunday League 3 after six seasons. The decisive point was clinched in a 2-2 away draw against last remaining rivals vv Bergum. The successful coach is Jelte Postma. Also in 1996, former professional league player, 34-year-old midfielder Maarten de Jong, who had had spells with SC Heerenveen and FC Groningen, joins vv Gorredijk, spending the last years of his playing career at Sportpark Kortezwaag.
• 2001 / Replacing its predecessor from 1970, a new clubhouse is inaugurated at Sportpark Kortezwaag.
• 2002 / Coached by Marten Kamstra, who had succeeded Willem Weening in the course of the season, vv Gorredijk finishes bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 3C, thus dropping back into League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last position, vv Akkrum.
• 2004 / Runaway champions in District North’s Sunday League 4B, 10 points ahead of closest followers vv ONB, vv Gorredijk wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The decisive points are clinched in a 2-1 home win over vv Akkrum (goals by Mark Goerres & Remko de Leeuw). The successful coach is Jan Stuiver.
• 2005 / Finishing in third place in District North’s Sunday League 3D, vv Gorredijk qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out by vv Roden.
• 2007 / In the club’s best performance in more than sixty seasons, vv Gorredijk finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3B, 1 point behind champions vv Drachten. Ultimately, the club misses out on promotion due to defeat in the play-offs against vv Veendam 1894.
• 2008 / Coached by Johan van Slooten, vv Gorredijk finishes in second-last place in District North’s Sunday League 3A, thus dropping back into League 4 along with bottom club vv Rood Geel.
• 2010 / Coached by Ronald Veld, vv Gorredijk experiences the worst season in club history, finishing bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 4A and thus descending into Sunday League 5 for the first time in club history, along with the club finishing in second-last place, RKVV MKV ’29. Relegation had become inevitable following a 2-1 defeat against vv Sport Vereent. 
• 2012 / Finishing in joint second place in District North’s Sunday League 5B along with SV UDIROS, 1 point behind champions vv Steenwijker Boys, vv Gorredijk qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Following an away win against SC Terschelling (2-3), the club also wins its second, decisive play-off match, at home against FC Kraggenburg (3-0, two goals by Peter Boerstra, one more by Sake Rinsma) – resulting in the club managing a return to Sunday League 4 after two seasons. The successful coach is Jan Stuiver.
• 2016 / Former SC Heerenveen and FC Emmen professional league player, defender Arjen Bergsma, joins vv Gorredijk after successive spells at vv Harkemase Boys and vv Flevo Boys – staying at Sportpark Kortezwaag for seven seasons, eventually hanging up his boots in 2023.
• 2017 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 4B, 4 points ahead of runners-up vv Surhuisterveen, vv Gorredijk wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The decisive points were obtained in a 2-0 away win at SVMH, with Mart van der Tuin scoring both goals. The successful coach is Jacob Russchen.
• 2022 / Finishing in fourth place in District North’s Sunday League 3A, vv Gorredijk qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club knocks out SVZ in R1 (0-1), thus qualifying for the final, played at vv De Blesse’s Sportpark De Berk – with the season ending in tears, as the club stumbles to a 2-1 defeat against League 2 club vv Zuidwolde.
• 2024 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 3A, 4 points ahead of closest followers vv Drachten, vv Gorredijk wins promotion to Sunday League 2 – constituting a return to that level after an absence of 78 (!) years. In the fall of 2024, in a check-up of Sportpark Kortezwaag by Opsterland’s municipal authorities, the roof construction of the covered stand dating back to 1989 is judged unsafe and closed down for health and safety reasons. It remains to be seen if the stand will be renovated or knocked down and replaced.

Note – Much of the information above has been derived from a book published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of vv Gorredijk in 2020, “100 jaar vv Gorredijk” by Harm Bruinsma / Alrik de Jong / Anne Veenstra / Jelle Tenge / Boy Willems / Arne de Jong (published by vv Gorredijk in 2020).

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

NETHERLANDS: RKSVM (1968-2007) / vv Monster (1968-2012) / SV Polanen (2007-2012) / SC Monster (2012-)

Sportpark Polanen, Monster (SC Monster, formerly RKSVM / vv Monster / SV Polanen)

Netherlands, province: South Holland = Zuid-Holland

8 II 2025 / SC Monster - vv Valken '68 1-0 / District West II, Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1B (= NL level 6)

Timeline

• 1903 / In an article in the daily Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad, mention is made of two football clubs in Monster, a village situated along the North Sea coast, just to the south of The Hague; the names of these clubs are Wilhelmina and Nooit Gedacht. It is unclear where the pitch or pitches of these clubs were situated. Neither Wilhelmina nor Nooit Gedacht ever joined the Netherlands’ Football Association (NVB, renamed KNVB in 1929) and most probably their existence was rather short-lived, given that no other sources give any information about them. 
• 1911 / With both Wilhelmina and Nooit Gedacht having disappeared without leaving a trace, a new recreational football club is founded in Monster, MVV (Monstersche Voetbalvereeniging). The club’s ground is situated at the crossroads of Molenstraat and Rijnweg.
• 1922 / After eleven years of playing recreational football, MVV (Monster) joins the Netherlands’ Football Association – or, more precisely, its The Hague branch, the so-called Haagsche Voetbalbond (HVB). Due to most of the players of the club being of the Protestant faith, MVV chooses to play in the HVB Saturday divisions – in order to enable the membership to observe the Sunday rest. In the following two decades, MVV alternates spells in HVB Divisions 1 and 2 – with no promotion to higher divisions being on the table due to the KNVB not organising regular Saturday football above the level of its sub-branches in the pre-war years.
• 1941 / Due to the hardships of the war making themselves ever more felt – and more and more players being unavailable from the mobilisation of the Netherlands’ armed forces in 1939 onwards – the board of MVV (Monster) sees no other option but to disband their club.
• 1942 / Levie Andries van Leeuwen, a Jewish member of the former MVV, is murdered by the Germans in Auschwitz. He was 25 years old.
• 1945 / Foundation of a new football club for the predominant Protestant communities in Monster and nearby Ter Heijde aan Zee – with the new club being given the name vv Monster. The first chairman is Adriaan de Zoete, who successfully applies for KNVB membership of his club in the fall of 1945. The ground of the new club is situated on a pasture rented to vv Monster by a local smallholder, Mr Van de Ende, at Haagweg – in fact on the location of the side-pitches of modern-day Sportpark Polanen.
• 1947 / Two years after the foundation of vv Monster, a club for the smaller Roman-Catholic community in the village is formed, RKSVM (Rooms-Katholieke Sportvereniging Machatus – with St Machatus being the patron saint of the local parish), after permission was granted by the local priest, Fr Van Blaricum. Theo Scholtes is elected as RKSVM’s first chairman. Also in 1947, clinching the title in HVB Saturday Division 1 – without suffering a single defeat all season – vv Monster accedes to KNVB District West II’s Saturday League 4 for the first time. Meanwhile, RKSVM starts its life as a competitive club in HVB Sunday Division 4. Due to the new club not disposing of a pitch of its own yet, RKSVM concludes a renting agreement with vv Monster to be allowed to play its matches on the side-pitch at Haagweg.
• 1948 / In its first season as a League 4 club, vv Monster finishes in joint first place in District West II’s Saturday League 4B with DOTO ’33 – going on to meet the club from Pernis in a tie-break match for the title, played at Excelsior Maassluis’ ground, Terrein ‘t Stort, with DOTO ’33 walking away as winners (3-1). Also in 1948, after one season of groundsharing at Haagweg, RKSVM moves into its newly laid-out ground at Choorstraat, at the back of the house of the local GP, Dr Kleipool, and in the immediate vicinity of the St Machatus church.
• 1949 / In its second competitive season, RKSVM clinches the title in HVB Sunday Division 4, thus acceding to D3 of that league system.
• 1950 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 4B, 3 points ahead of runners-up RCVV TOGR, vv Monster goes on to win the championship play-offs against vv Lisser Boys and JAC – resulting in the club winning promotion to Saturday League 3, the top division of the Saturday pyramid until 1956. Also in 1950, RKSVM wins the title in HVB Sunday Division 3 following a 2-1 victory over vv MOA. As such, the club accedes to HVB D2 for the first time.
• ± 1951 / Dressing rooms are added to the set-up of vv Monster’s pitch at Haagweg.
• 1954 / vv Monster wins the title in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, 1 point ahead of closest rivals KVV Quick Boys. The decisive points are clinched in a 4-0 home win over Excelsior Maassluis on the last day of the season. Following this, vv Monster qualifies for the nationwide Saturday title play-offs against the other Saturday League 3 champions, SC Genemuiden, vv NSVV, and vv IJsselmeervogels – with the last-mentioned club walking away with the trophy. vv Monster finished in last place with only 2 points from its six matches. Home games, for which auction crates were put in place around the pitch as makeshift stands, drew some 1,500 to 2,000 spectators. 
• 1956 / With a Saturday League 2 due to be introduced in District West II for the 1956-57 season, the first five clubs of the two Saturday League 3 competitions qualify for the new division. As vv Monster ties for fourth place in Saturday League 3B with vv Hoogvliet and VVGZ, the club has to play in a tie-break competition against these two clubs for two places – but with both encounters being lost, vv Monster misses out on promotion. It would take the club thirty more seasons to reach this level.
• 1960 / vv Monster finishes as runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, 4 points behind champions Rijnsburgse Boys.
• 1966 / Having played in HVB Sunday Division 2 for the past sixteen seasons, RKSVM now clinches the title at that level, thus acceding to HVB D1 for the first time. The successful coach is Mr Van de Broek.
• 1967 / With a new sports park being laid out by Monster’s municipal authorities, for RKSVM and vv Monster on the site of the latter club’s ground, vv Monster has to find a temporary solution for the 1967-68 season, eventually settling on a groundshare with vv Naaldwijk at Terrein Geestweg. Due to Terrein Choorstraat also being redeveloped for housing, RKSVM has to make a temporary move as well, arranging a groundshare with vv Verburch in Poeldijk.
• 1968 / Inauguration of the newly laid-out Sportpark Polanen for RKSVM and vv Monster – due to RKSVM’s teams exclusively playing their football on Sundays and vv Monster’s weekend activities being constrained to Saturdays, this groundsharing arrangement poses no practical problems. Originally, the entrance of Sportpark Polanen was situated at Madeweg; later, the gates are moved to Duyvenvoordestraat at the western side of the park.
• 1970 / Clinching the title in HVB Sunday Division 1, RKSVM wins promotion to HVB Zondag Hoofdklasse, the top HVB division, for the first time.
• 1971 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, vv Monster drops back into Saturday League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last place, RCVV TOGR. Also in 1971, RKSVM clinches its second consecutive title, finishing in first place in HVB Hoofdklasse and thus acceding to KNVB District West II’s Sunday League 4 for the first time.
• 1980 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 4B, 6 points ahead of closest followers SC Lisse, vv Monster wins promotion to Saturday League 3. The successful coach is Dick Suiker. Also in 1980, the club wins a local cup competition, the so-called Westland Cup, defeating 's-Gravenzandse SV in the final (2-1, both Monster goals by Nico van Zanten).
• 1981 / Coached by Dick Suiker, vv Monster finishes in second-last place in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, thus dropping back into Saturday League 4 after just one season, along with bottom club vv Koudekerk. Some months later, in the fall of 1981, a covered stand is erected alongside the main pitch at Sportpark Polanen. Although sources on the matter are not available, the roof construction was probably taken over from another club.
• 1983 / Coached by Herman van Dinten, vv Monster finishes in joint first position in District West II’s Saturday League 4A with two other clubs; SV Die Haghe and SV ’35. In a tie-break competition, vv Monster draws its last match, away against SV Die Haghe at Sportpark Ockenburgh (2-2 / att. 2,000), where only a win would have sufficed for the title. As such, the promotion ticket goes to SV Die Haghe.
• 1984 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 4A, 3 points ahead of runners-up SV Loosduinen, vv Monster manages a return to Saturday League 3. The decisive points are obtained in a 2-0 home win against derby rivals vv Naaldwijk, with Nico van Zanten scoring both goals. The successful coach is Herman van Dinten.
• 1986 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, 7 points ahead of closest followers vv HVO, vv Monster breaks down the door to Saturday League 2 for the first time. The decisive points are clinched in a 4-1 win against vv HVO (goals by Ger Oosterveen, Johan Reedijk, Nico van Zanten, and André Dijkhuizen). The successful coach is Herman van Dinten. Also in 1986, after fifteen relatively stable years in Sunday League 4, RKSVM now finishes bottom of the table in District West II’s Sunday League 4C, thus dropping back into HVB Zondag Hoofdklasse.
• 1987 / In its first season at League 2 level, vv Monster is a title contender in District West II’s Saturday League 2B for most of the season, eventually finishing in fourth place and having to leave the honours to VVGZ. RKSVM also narrowly misses out on success, squandering the HVB Zondag Hoofdklasse title after defeat against vv WIK. That summer, Herman van Dinten joins RKSVM as head coach after his successful spell at vv Monster.
• 1990 / Finishing in third-last place in District West II’s Saturday League 2B with coach Joop Molendijk, vv Monster has to play a set of promotion-relegation play-offs against vv SSS – with the first tie-breaker (played at Sportpark ‘t Slot in Capelle aan den IJssel) finishing in a 2-2 draw, vv SSS walks away with the League 2 ticket following a 3-0 win in a second encounter at Sportpark Harga (Hermes-DVS) in Schiedam. As such, vv Monster is retrograded to Saturday League 3 along with the two direct drop-outs, vv Zwaluwen and bottom club HSV DUNO. Also in 1990, coached by Herman van Dinten, RKSVM obtains the title in HVB Zondag Hoofdklasse, ahead of runners-up HVV, with the decisive points being clinched in a 5-0 away win at RKSV Juventas – with two goals by the club’s top scorer Alex de Vries. As such, RKSVM manages a return to Sunday League 4 after an absence of four seasons.
• 1991 / Champions in District West II’s Sunday League 4G, 1 point ahead of closest rivals SV Martinit, RKSVM manages its second title in a row, thus acceding to Sunday League 3. The decisive points are obtained in a 3-2 win against the amateur branch of professional league side SVV. Once more, Alex de Vries crowns himself top scorer with 23 goals. RKSVM’s successful coach is Herman van Dinten.
• 1995 / RKSVM reaches the final of the Westland Cup, played at vv Naaldwijk’s Sportpark Hoge Bomen Noord, in which it is defeated 2-0 by ‘s-Gravezandse VV “Rood-Wit”.
• 1996 / Finishing in eighth place in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, vv Monster wins a ticket for Saturday League 2 following the introduction of a Zaterdag Hoofdklasse as the new top division of the Saturday League pyramid. Also in 1996, in the best season in club history prior to its taking on a new name in 2007, RKSVM finishes in fourth place in District West II’s Sunday League 3B.
• 1997 / Finishing in tenth place in District West II’s Sunday League 3B, RKSVM suffers relegation to Sunday League 4 along with SV TOGB and bottom club RAVA.
• 2003 / The board of RKSVM expresses its desire to move the playing day of several of its teams to Saturdays due to more and more youth academy players leaving the club, as they are unwilling to play on Sundays. This declaration of intent leads to a paroxysm of rage in vv Monster’s boardroom, with the presidency of that club claiming that, upon the inauguration of Sportpark Polanen in 1968, it had been agreed upon officially that RKSVM would be allowed to use the facilities on Sundays exclusively. With matters coming to a head, vv Monster decided to go to court to state their case, but due to no documents proving the club’s claim about the 1968 agreement, the judge advised the two clubs to settle their dispute after a cooling-down period.
• 2004 / Finishing in fourth place in District West II’s Sunday League 4D, RKSVM qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it manages to defeat RC&VV VOC in the final (1-0). As such, the team of coach Rob Beunder manages a return to Sunday League 3 after an absence of seven years. 
• 2005 / While retaining its first team in Sunday football, RKSVM enters a senior Saturday team into the reserves’ leagues for the first time. Due to the conflict with vv Monster still not having been resolved, RKSVM has to conclude a deal with vv Verburch from nearby Poeldijk to allow their Saturday team a ‘home’ ground for the 2005-06 season – with the arrangement being extended in the 2006-07 season, when two Saturday teams move to Verburch’s park at Arckeldijk. Meanwhile, also in 2005, the first stone is laid for a new clubhouse for RKSVM and vv Monster at Sportpark Polanen.
• 2006 / Coached by Piet Doorn, vv Monster finishes in second-last place in Saturday League 2D, thus dropping back into Saturday League 3 after ten seasons, along with bottom club NTVV. Meanwhile, also in 2006, the new two-tiered clubhouse of RKSVM and vv Monster at Sportpark Polanen is inaugurated. The old construction from 1968 remains in use as a meeting place for local leisure clubs.
• 2007 / RKSVM finishes in ninth place in District West II’s Sunday League 3C. Following the 2006-07 season, with its conflict with vv Monster finally being settled, the club changing its name to become Sportvereniging (SV) Polanen, thus shedding the ties to its Roman-Catholic origins. Moreover, first team football is moved from Sunday to Saturday – with SV Polanen having to start at the bottom of the Saturday pyramid, in Saturday League 5.
• 2008 / vv Monster finishes as runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 3C, 9 points behind champions PVV Excelsior Pernis. Also in 2008, SV Polanen wins the title in District West II’s Saturday League 5A in its first season as a competitive club, finishing no fewer than 17 (!) points ahead of runners-up SVOW.
• 2009 / Finishing in joint first place in District West II’s Saturday League 3C with PPSC, vv Monster meets the club from Schiedam in a tie-break match for the title at Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Rondgang in Hook of Holland, going on to win the encounter 3-1. As such, the club wins promotion to Saturday League 2. The successful coach is Robin Knoester. Also in 2009, SV Polanen wins its second title in a row, finishing top of the table in District West II’s Saturday League 4C, 2 points ahead of closest rivals CVV Berkel. As such, the club wins promotion to Saturday League 3. The successful coach is Reinier van Mierlo.
• 2010 / Coached by Robin Knoester, vv Monster finishes bottom of the table in Saturday League 2C, thus dropping back into Saturday League 3. Meanwhile, finishing in third place in District West II’s Saturday League 3C, SV Polanen qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club has the better of vv Hellevoetsluis in R1 (4-2 aggr.) and DSVP (2-1 aggr.), thus managing a historic third promotion in a row and acceding to Saturday League 2. The successful coach is Wim Baggerman.
• 2011 / Finishing bottom of the table in Saturday League 2A, SV Polanen drops back into Saturday League 3 along with the club finishing in second-last place, SV Soccer Boys. Also in 2011, as runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 3C, 4 points behind champions HVC ’10, vv Monster qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by vv Den Bommel (4-3 aggr.). Following the 2010-11 season, in a striking move, SV Polanen head coach Wim Baggerman signs for vv Monster. In the new season, SV Polanen and vv Monster are placed in the same league division for the first time, with the first derby encounter finishing in a 1-0 win for SV Polanen (goal by Rens de Jonge).
• 2012 / Runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 3B, 13 points behind runaway champions vv Naaldwijk, vv Monster qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club successively eliminates CVC Reeuwijk (5-3 aggr.) and MVV ’27 (3-2 aggr.) – and, as such, the club manages a return to Saturday League 2 after three years. The successful coach is Henk Baggerman. Meanwhile, in its last season as an independent club, SV Polanen finishes two places below vv Monster in the same division, just missing out on the promotion play-offs. Following the 2011-12 season, a merger is concluded between SV Polanen and vv Monster, resulting in the foundation of Sportclub (SC) Monster. Due to the promotion achieved by vv Monster, the new club’s first team starts its life in Saturday League 2. 
• 2017 / Finishing in third-last place in Saturday League 2C with coach Marten Glotzbach, SC Monster has to avoid relegation in a round of promotion-relegation play-offs, in which the club stumbles to a 2-1 (aggr.) defeat in R1 against derby rivals vv Naaldwijk. As such, SC Monster drops back into Saturday League 3, along with vv Lyra, SV Soccer Boys, and bottom club vv Kethel-Spaland.
• 2018 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 3B, 2 points ahead of closest rivals RKSV VELO, SC Monster manages an immediate return to Saturday League 2. The successful coach is Robin Knoester, who had returned to the club for a second spell in the course of the season, replacing Marten Glotzbach.
• 2019 / Finishing in second-last place in Saturday League 2A with coach Robin Knoester, SC Monster has to avoid relegation in a round of promotion-relegation play-offs, in which the club suffers a 0-4 home defeat at the hands of vv Lyra – and, as such, the club drops back into Saturday League 3, along with bottom club TAVV.
• 2022 / Runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 3B, 2 points behind champions SSA FC Skillz Wateringse Veld, SC Monster qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by TAVV (2-3).
• 2023 / Runaway champions in District West II’s Saturday League 3B, 11 points ahead of closest followers vv Verburch, SC Monster wins promotion to Saturday League 2. The successful coach is Marco Meijer.
• 2024 / Champions in Saturday League 2D, 4 points ahead of runners-up VFC, SC Monster wins a historic promotion to Saturday League 1. The successful coach is Marc Dijkhuizen.

Note – Vital parts of information in this historical overview were derived from a set of excellent articles about the history of football in Monster by Pieter de Zeeuw, available on SC Monster’s website. Moreover, Pieter de Zeeuw kindly agreed to answer my additional questions on the day of my visit at Sportpark Polanen. Many thanks, Mr De Zeeuw!

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

NETHERLANDS: RKSV Sint Martinus (1951-1975) / vv Sint Martinus (1975-1999) / vv Sporting Martinus (1999-)

Sportpark Overburg, Amstelveen (vv Sporting Martinus, formerly RKSV Sint Martinus / vv Sint Martinus)

Netherlands, province: North Holland = Noord-Holland

2 II 2025 / vv Sporting Martinus - SV Hoofddorp 0-1 / District West I, Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1A (= NL level 6)

Timeline

• 1919 / Foundation of a Roman-Catholic football club in Amsterdam under the auspices of the so-called Sint-Joseph-Gezellenvereeniging, a sub-branch of the Kolping Society, which has its headquarters at the Stadhouderskade. The new club is given the name RKSV (Roomsch-Katholieke Sportvereeniging) De Zwaluwen, with the president of the local Kolping Society, chaplain Van Adrichem, becoming its first chairman. The club joins the so-called Roomsch-Katholieke Utrechtsche Voetbalbond (RKUVB), a sub-branch of the RKF (Roomsch-Katholieke Federatie), a Roman-Catholic Sports Association. RKSV De Zwaluwen’s first pitch is situated at Sloterweg, but it moves to a new ground, Terrein Middenmeer at Middenweg at some point in the following years – probably one of the pitches on the so-called Katholiek Sportpark. 
• 1921 / Having played its football in the RKUVB for the first two years of its existence, RKSV De Zwaluwen now switches to the DHVB (Diocesaan Haarlemsche Voetbalbond), another RKF sub-branch.
• 1923 / Foundation of a new football club in Amsterdam, more specifically in the Roman-Catholic Papendorp area (Vredeskerk parish, Pijnackerstraat) in the southern reaches of the city. Initially, the new club, which is given the name KMD (‘Klein Maar Dapper’), sticks to playing irregular football without joining any association. Matches are played on a makeshift pitch in an area known locally as ‘Zwarte Land’ or ‘Zwarte Landje’, near the old RAI Conference Centre at Ferdinand Bolstraat.
• 1924 / RKSV De Zwaluwen records a remarkable success, winning the title in DHVB Division 1 and thus acceding to Division 2 of the nationwide RKF pyramid. Meanwhile, upon joining the DHVB, KMD is asked to change its name due to another club in the same association already using that same acronym. With the new appellation RKASV (Roomsch-Katholieke Amsterdamsche Sportvereeniging) The Unity, the club is accepted as a new member. A first board is put together, with Barend de Wilde taking on the role of chairman. The club finds itself a pitch in the Watergraafsmeer area in the southeast of Amsterdam – possibly at the Katholiek Sportpark also used by RKSV De Zwaluwen. RKASV The Unity commences its life as a competitive club in DHVB Division 3.
• 1925 / Abandoning Terrein Middenweg, RKSV De Zwaluwen moves to a new ground situated in the north of the city, Terrein Meeuwenlaan – adjacent to the pitches of RKAV (later renamed RKAVIC). Also in 1925, a new Roman-Catholic club sees the daylight in the southern reaches of Amsterdam, vv Amsteldijk, founded under the auspices of the St Willibrord parish (the St Willibrord Church was situated at Amsteldijk – hence the club name). vv Amsteldijk settles on Terrein Buitencentrum, a pitch laid out on a plot of land owned by the parish at Ouderkerkerdijk. Later on, thanks to a workfare programme organised in the 1930s, the ground is adorned with a covered stand as well as a set of dressing rooms.
• 1926 / RKASV The Unity records its first success, gaining the title in DHVB Division 3 and thus acceding to DHVB Division 2.
• 1927 / Winning back-to-back titles, RKASV The Unity sweeps the board in DHVB Division 2, thus acceding to DHVB Division 1.
• 1928 / Nearly making it three in a row, RKASV The Unity misses out on the DHVB Division 1 title on goal difference, having to leave the honours to RKSV GVO.
• 1930 / Upon withdrawing from first team football, vv Amsteldijk folds, ceasing all activities, possibly due to financial problems – but a successor club is founded straightaway, SVO (Strijden-Volharden-Winnen), with most of the remaining vv Amsteldijk membership making the leap to this phoenix club, which also takes over Amsteldijk’s pitch, Terrein Buitencentrum. Meanwhile, also in 1930, a new Roman Catholic football club is founded in the southern reaches of Amsterdam, RKSV (Roomsch-Katholieke Sportvereeniging) Sint Martinus – in effect a joint venture of three parishes, the St Anne’s Church (Sint-Annakerk, Amsterdamscheweg), the St Augustine’s Church (Augustinuskerk: Kalfjeslaan), and the St Agnes’ Church (Sint-Agneskerk: across from the Haarlemmermeer train station). RKSV Sint Martinus joins the DHVB and starts its existence on a pitch at Rentmeesterlaan, a pasture owned by the Klarenbeek family. 
• ± 1931 / Moving away from its pitch in Watergraafsmeer, RKASV The Unity moves to Terrein Boerenwetering – a pitch which can only be reached by boat. Later on in the 1930s, the club settles at Amstelveenscheweg, on a plot of land owned by a local smallholder, Mr Bon. This ground, on the eastern outskirts of an artificial forest which is being laid out between Amsterdam and Amstelveen, the so-called Amsterdamsche Bos (referred to as ‘Boschplan’ in the early years), has to be shared with RKSV Sint Martinus from some point in the second half of the 1930s onwards. By that time, a small covered stand has been added to the set-up.
• 1932 / Clinching the title in DHVB Division 1, RKSV De Zwaluwen wins promotion to Division 2 of the nationwide Roman Catholic league system – which has meanwhile been renamed from RKF to IVCB (Interdiocesane Voetbal-Competitiebond). By that time, having abandoned Terrein Meeuwenlaan, De Zwaluwen plays its home games at Jan Vroegopsingel, only a stone’s throw away from SVO’s Terrein Buitencentrum.
• 1940 / Having spent the first years of their existence in the DHVB and RKF/IVCB, all Roman Catholic clubs mentioned above – i.e. RKSV De Zwaluwen, RKASV The Unity, SVO, and RKSV Sint Martinus – are now constrained to make the step to the official Netherlands’ FA (renamed NVB following the German oppression of the Netherlands, abandoning the royal epithet ‘koninklijk’ for obvious reasons) as all other football associations are abolished by German occupation authorities. Due to the epithet ‘De Zwaluwen’ already being in use by other NVB clubs, RKSV De Zwaluwen has to adapt its name, being officially known as RKSV De Zwaluwen 1919 from then onwards. Due to none of the aforementioned clubs having played a major role in the Catholic leagues in pre-war Netherlands, they are all placed in the league system of the so-called AVB (Amsterdamsche Voetbalbond), the NVB sub-branch organising football below the level of NVB (Sunday) League 4 in the Greater Amsterdam region.
• 1942 / For reasons unknown, SVO changes its name to become vv Amstelboys – not to be confused with the eponymous club which played its football in the so-called Amsterdamsche Volksvoetbalbond (AVVB) between 1934 and 1938.
• 1944 / Winning a tie-break match against P & T, RKASV The Unity wins the title in AVB Sunday Division 1C – with club records mentioning that The Unity’s squad had been bolstered considerably by a footballer of a NVB League 1 player who had gone in hiding in Amsterdam. Be that as it may, as a result of its title win, RKASV The Unity accedes to NVB Sunday League 4 for the first time – although the club has to wait until mid-1945 to take its place due to the closing stages of the war interrupting regular league football in the 1944-45 season.
• 1947 / Finishing in last place in District West I’s Sunday League 4E, RKASV The Unity saves its skin at this level after a successful round of promotion-relegation play-offs. That same year, merger talks are held between RKASV The Unity, vv Amstelboys, and RKSV De Zwaluwen 1919. While The Unity’s membership votes down the proposed merger, the two other clubs agree to amalgamate into one, founding RKSV Amstelzwaluwen. All activities move to vv Amstelboys’ Terrein Buitencentrum, as Zwaluwen’s ground, Terrein Jan Vroegopsingel – only a stone’s throw away – has to make way for the new Amsterdam beltway. RKSV Amstelzwaluwen starts its life in AVB Sunday Division 1C. 
• 1948 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, RKASV The Unity goes on to suffer defeat in the relegation play-offs, thus dropping back into AVB Sunday Division 1 after three seasons – never managing a return to the national level in the remainder of its existence.
• 1949 / Suffering its second relegation in a row, RKASV The Unity is retrograded from AVB Sunday Division 1 to AVB Sunday Division 2.
• 1951 / While no information is available on the location where RKSV Sint Martinus was home between 1942 and 1951 – the club having been groundsharers with vv Amsteldijk at Terrein Amstelveenscheweg until 1942 or possibly longer – this club now moves to Terrein (Sportpark) Overburg in Amstelveen, the location occupied by vv Sporting Martinus today. As such, RKSV Sint Martinus is severed from its roots in Amsterdam. 
• 1952 / As the AVB cracks down on badly maintained playing surfaces, both RKASV The Unity and RKSV Amstelzwaluwen are forced out of their home grounds at Amstelveenseweg and Buitencentrum respectively due to a main pitch which is deemed unplayable. Whereas Amstelzwaluwen temporarily groundshares with SDC and RKAVIC while its pitches are being upgraded, RKASV The Unity is forced away from its home base in the south of Amsterdam with an unvoluntary move to Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg, a large municipal sports park with forty on the western outskirts of Amsterdam. As a result, the club’s membership shrinks considerably in the following years.
• 1953 / After one year of drainage works at Terrein Buitencentrum, RKSV Amstelzwaluwen can return to its home ground. That same year, a reorganisation is undertaken, making the football club a sub-branch of a multisport club, ‘Groot Amstelzwaluwen’, with volleyball, gymnastics, and handball being added to the myriad of activities. 
• 1955 / At RKSV Sint Martinus’ Sportpark Overburg, a first clubhouse is inaugurated. 
• 1956 / Winning the title in AVB Sunday Division 1, RKSV Sint Martinus wins promotion to District West I’s Sunday League 4 for the first time in its history.
• 1958 / Having spent six seasons in exile at Gemeentelijk Sportcomplex Velserweg, RKASV The Unity now returns to its roots in the south of Amsterdam, being allowed the use of two pitches on AMVJ’s park at Kalfjeslaan in the Amsterdamse Bos, the forest laid out in the 1930s halfway between Amsterdam and Amstelveen. Hereby, following RKSV Sint Martinus’ move seven years previously, RKASV The Unity becomes an Amstelveen rather than an Amsterdam club.
• 1959 / RKSV Sint Martinus finishes as runners up in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, 6 points behind champions ASV Meerboys. That same year, a set of dressing rooms is inaugurated at RKASV The Unity’s new ground at Kalfjeslaan in the Amsterdamse Bos.
• 1961 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, 2 points ahead of closest rivals BVC Bloemendaal, RKSV Sint Martinus wins promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time. That same season, RKSV Amstelzwaluwen descends into AVB Sunday Division 2 due to finishing bottom of the table in AVB D1.
• 1962 / After thirteen consecutive seasons in AVB Sunday Division 2, RKASV The Unity now clinches the title at that level, thus managing a long overdue return to AVB Sunday Division 1. In November 1962, The Unity is allowed the use of the floodlit side-pitch of another club, RKSV Wilskracht-SNL, for training sessions.
• 1963 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, RKSV Sint Martinus drops back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club WFC Rapiditas.
• 1965 / Suffering a heavy 4-0 home defeat at the hands of APGS in the last match of the season, RKASV The Unity finishes in last place in AVB Sunday Division 1A, thus dropping back into AVB Division 2. No information is available about the club’s performances in the last six years of its existence.
• 1966 / Due to rumours about both of the clubs’ grounds having to make way for building projects in the future, RKASV The Unity and RKSV Amstelzwaluwen hold first tentative merger talks.
• 1968 / The covered stand at RKSV Amstelzwaluwen’s Terrein Buitencentrum, dating back to the 1930s, is deemed unsafe by Amsterdam’s municipal authorities and is removed in the fall of 1968.
• 1969 / The original clubhouse at RKSV Sint Martinus’ Sportpark Overburg, dating back to 1955, has to make way for a two-tiered replacement.
• 1970 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4E, 2 points ahead of closest followers ASV De Germaan, RKSV Sint Martinus manages a return to Sunday League 3 after an absence of seven seasons. Meanwhile, RKSV Amstelzwaluwen also has a successful season, clinching the title in AVB Sunday Division 2 following an away win at AFC TABA. As such, the club wins promotion to AVB Division 1. The successful coach is Jan Deuster.
• 1971 / As Amsterdam’s municipal authorities make it clear that larger clubs are given priority in the matter of the allocation of new grounds, RKASV The Unity and RKSV Amstelzwaluwen finally go about their merger talks seriously after five years of pussyfooting – given that both clubs know that they will have to leave their grounds in the foreseeable future. In a combined assembly of members, green light is given for the foundation of a merger club, which is given the name Sporting Zuid – with M. Derksen being elected as the club’s first chairman. For the time being, both grounds – Amstelzwaluwen’s Terrein Buitencentrum and The Unity’s Terrein Kalfjeslaan (Amsterdamse Bos) – remain in use, with first team football usually being played at the latter park. Sporting Zuid starts its life in AVB Sunday Division 1. 
• 1972 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, RKSV Sint Martinus drops back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club SV De Meteoor.
• 1973 / Following a 2-0 win in a tie-break match against Gold Star, played at Sportpark Ookmeer veld/pitch 18, Sporting Zuid records its first success, clinching the title in AVB Sunday Division 1 and winning promotion to KNVB District West I’s Sunday League 4. Meanwhile, the club’s B pitch, Terrein Buitencentrum, is removed to make way for an extension of the Amsterdam beltway. Later that same year, Sporting Zuid also has to abandon Terrein Kalfjeslaan, which has to make way for hockey pitches, laid out in the shadow of the Netherlands’ national hockey stadium, the Wagenerstadion. Sporting Zuid temporarily settles as groundsharers of PVWA at Terrein Ouderkerkerdijk. Meanwhile, works get underway at the club’s prospective new ground, Sportpark Het Loopveld, situated only a stone’s throw away, also in Amstelveen.
• 1974 / After one year of groundsharing at PVWA, Sporting Zuid moves into its newly laid-out Sportpark Het Loopveld. At the new ground, the club disposes of five pitches as well as a two-tiered clubhouse.
• 1975 / Following a conflict with the Netherlands’ Catholic Sports Federation (NKS, Nederlandse Katholieke Sportfederatie), RKSV Sint Martinus changes its name to become vv Sint Martinus.
• 1976 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, 1 point ahead of runners-up RKVV VDO, Sporting Zuid wins promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time. The successful coach is Jan Deuster, who leaves the club after more than ten seasons as head coach in the summer of 1976 – only to return to the club two years later to take over the role as chairman (1978-86).
• 1977 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, 3 points ahead of closest rivals RKVV VDO, vv Sint Martinus wins promotion to Sunday League 3. Meanwhile, Sporting Zuid finds itself unable to cope with the level in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, finishing in second-last place and dropping back into League 4 along with bottom club AVV OVVO.
• 1978 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, 4 points ahead of a quartet of clubs – AVV Animo, HC&FC Victoria, SC Oriënt, and ASV DJK – vv Sint Martinus wins promotion to Sunday League 2 for the first time in club history. Meanwhile, one division lower, Sporting Zuid narrowly misses out on promotion, finishing as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, 1 point behind champions RKSV Pancratius.
• 1979 / Sporting Zuid finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, 5 points behind champions vv Slotervaart. Also in or around 1979, marred by a decreasing membership and overcapacity of its pitches, Sporting Zuid are joined at Sportpark Het Loopveld by students’ football club ASVV De Schollevers, which probably continued its status as groundsharer at the park until the departure of Sporting Zuid itself in 1999. From the 1980s onwards, another groundsharer joins Sporting Zuid, American football club Amsterdam Rams. 
• 1980 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, 3 points ahead of closest followers RKDES, Sporting Zuid manages a return to Sunday League 3. The decisive points are clinched in an away match at SV Argon. The successful coach is Arie Haan – not to be confused with his namesake, a Netherlands’ international player who played in the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals.
• 1982 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 2B, vv Sint Martinus drops back into Sunday League 3 along with the club finishing in second-last position, RKSV Pancratius. 
• 1984 / Finishing in second-last and last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3C respectively, vv Sint Martinus and Sporting Zuid drop back into Sunday League 4, a level at which both clubs would stay for the following fifteen seasons.
• 1990 / Former vv Sint Martinus youth academy player, defender Michael Reiziger, makes his debut in AFC Ajax’ first team at the age of seventeen. Reiziger went on to have a successful career, which led him to FC Volendam, FC Groningen, Milan AC, FC Barcelona, Middlesbrough FC, and PSV, eventually hanging up his boots in 2007. Reiziger was part of the Ajax squad which won the 1995 Champions League as well as winning 72 caps for the Netherlands’ national team, being part of his country’s squads in the 1998 World Cup as well as the 1996, 2000, and 2004 editions of the European Championship.
• 1999 / In its last season as an independent club, vv Sint Martinus finishes as runners-up in District West II’s Sunday League 4E, 10 points behind champions FC Abcoude, while Sporting Zuid manages a sixth place in that same division. Following the 1998-99 season, a merger is concluded between vv Sint Martinus and Sporting Zuid, leading to the foundation of vv Sporting Zuid Sint Martinus – although the new club is universally referred to as (vv) Sporting Martinus. All activities move to vv Sint Martinus’ Sportpark Overburg, while Sporting Zuid’s Sportpark Het Loopveld is taken over by SV Rap.
• 2000 / In its first season following the merger, vv Sporting Martinus finishes as runners-up in District West II’s Sunday League 4E, 16 points behind runaway champions vv Legmeervogels. That summer, the club signs former VSV, Telstar, and FC Volendam professional league player (328 matches for Telstar!) Fred André as head coach. André stays on for one season, in which the club finishes in fifth place in Sunday League 4E.
• 2003 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, 5 points ahead of derby rivals RKAVIC, vv Sporting Martinus wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Jannis van der Lijcke.
• 2004 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, 6 points behind champions FC Chabab, vv Sporting Martinus goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus securing back-to-back promotions and acceding to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Jannis van der Lijcke.
• 2006 / vv Sporting Martinus finishes as runners-up in Sunday League 2B, 3 points behind champions USV Hercules.
• 2011 / Finishing in twelfth place in Sunday League 2B with coach Jannis van der Lijcke, vv Sporting Martinus has to play promotion-relegation play-offs to avoid the drop – and not being successful at that task, bowing out in R1 against VVZA (3-2 aggr.). As such, the club drops back into Sunday League 3 along with FC De Bilt, RKSV DCG, and bottom club SV Kampong.
• ± 2012 / The main pitch at Sportpark Overburg is equipped with a synthetic surface.
• 2014 / Coached by Rob Wever, vv Sporting Martinus finishes in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, thus descending into Sunday League 4 along with SV Diemen, RCH, and bottom club SV Nieuw-West United. Also in or around 2014, a covered stand – a simple steel construction covered by a plastic sheet roof – is added to the set-up at Sportpark Overburg as a replacement for the uncovered stand on the canteen side of the main pitch, which has to be removed for security reasons, allowing ambulances onto the side-pitches of the park.
• 2015 / Finishing in third place in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, vv Sporting Martinus qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it has the better of vv Schoten (5-3 aggr.) before suffering defeat in R1 at the hands of ASV Fortius (3-2 aggr.). Drawn in a lucky loser round for extra promotion places with RKVV DSS, Forza Almere, and vv MSV ’19, vv Sporting Martinus has to leave the honours to the last-mentioned club, thus finishing the season with empty hands.
• 2016 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, 6 points ahead of closest followers RKDES, vv Sporting Martinus wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Ron Gerlof. That same year, the club’s chairman Pieter Monkelbaan steps down after 21 years at the helm of the club; to honour him, the covered stand alongside the main pitch is renamed the Pieter Monkelbaan-Tribune.
• 2017 / Finishing in fourth place in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, vv Sporting Martinus qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by RKSV DCG (4-3 aggr.).
• 2022 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, 1 point ahead of closest rivals AVV ZSGOWMS, vv Sporting Martinus wins promotion to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Tom Verhoek. That same year, the clubhouse at Sportpark Overburg, dating back to 1969, is knocked down to make way for a new two-tiered construction, which is inaugurated in the early months of 2023.
• 2023 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2B, 5 points behind champions SCPB ’22, vv Sporting Martinus qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club eliminates vv ZAP in R1 (1-0), only to be knocked out by vv TSC in R2 (0-2).
• 2024 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2B, 8 points behind champions AVV ZSGOWMS, vv Sporting Martinus qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club edges past SV Fortuna Wormerveer (2-2 & penalty shoot-out) and ASV De Dijk (2-2 & penalty shoot-out) to qualify for the final, played at SV Hillegom’s Sportpark Zanderij. In that final, vv Sporting Martinus has the better of SVA (5-1), thus managing a historic promotion to League 1, the sixth tier of the Netherlands’ football pyramid. The successful coach is Michael Crombeen.

Note – Apart from conversations with several club volunteers, the information above has been derived from several booklets released on the occasion of club anniversaries: “40 jaar RKASV The Unity 1923-1963” (anonymous) / “Sporting Zuid 1919-1989” (by Adriaan Koppers & Frans Looye) / “Sporting Zuid 75” (anonymous). Thanks to Ron de Wit of www.vriendenvanwatergraafsmeer.nl for allowing me to use the two last-mentioned sources.

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