Extreme Football Tourism: February 2013

Sportpark Varkenoord West, Rotterdam Feijenoord (formerly B ground of RV&AV Feijenoord, SC Feijenoord & Feyenoord / A ground of SC Feyenoord)

Netherlands, province: South Holland = Zuid-Holland

19 II 2013 / SC Feyenoord - vv Smitshoek 1-0 / RTV Rijnmond Cup R3
23 X 2018 / SC Feyenoord - vv ZBC '97 8-0 / Voetbal Rijnmond Cup R1

Note 1: RV&AV Feijenoord, founded as vv Wilhelmina in 1908, moved into Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip) in 1937. Twelve years later, in 1949, all Feijenoord youth teams took up playing their football at Sportpark Varkenoord, which, henceforth, was also used for training purposes by the first team. In 1956, the club changed their name to become Sportclub Feijenoord (and fifteen years later, in a minor spelling adaptation, Feijenoord became Feyenoord). In 1978, Feyenoord was split in two: the professional side BVO Stichting Feyenoord, and a non-league side, SC Feyenoord; henceforth, Sportpark Varkenoord West was shared by SC Feyenoord and Stichting Feyenoord's youth teams. The main stand, replacing a wooden predecessor which was sold to vv Wilhelmus in Voorburg, was constructed in 1994. In mid-2019, SC Feyenoord & Feyenoord's youth academy moved to the newly built Sportpark Nieuw Varkenoord West, constructed on one of the side pitches of the ground pictured below; subsequently, Sportpark Varkenoord West was demolished.

Note 2: below, a compilation of photographs of two different visits: pictures 1-22 = match visit, October 2018 / pictures 23-29 = non-matchday visit to abandoned ground, September 2019.