Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: vv Zwart-Wit (1932-1947) / Sportclub Silvolde (1947-2023) / SSA Wisch (A&B) (2023-)

Sportpark De Munsterman, Silvolde (SSA Wisch, formerly vv Zwart Wit & Sportclub Silvolde)

Netherlands, province: Guelders = Gelderland

14 IX 2014 / Spcl. Silvolde - RKSV De Zweef 3-2 / Sunday League 1E (= NL level 5)

28 V 2023 / Spcl. Silvolde - SV Meerssen 0-2 / National Sunday Division 4B (= NL level 5)

Timeline

1900-10 / In the first decade of the 20th century, football is being played in Silvolde, with various neighbourhoods taking on each other in matches played on meadows around the village. Eventually, two recreational football clubs are formed: SVC (Silvoldsche Voetbalclub) and SVV (Silvoldsche Voetbalvereeniging). It is unclear where SVC's pitch was situated, but the club must have ceased activities in or around the World War I years. SVV, on the other hand, had a meadow at its disposal at Munstermanstraat.
1915 / Founded on the ashes of SVV, a new football sees the daylight, which is given the name Zwart-Wit. It is unclear where this new club played its football; two possible locations are mentioned - Terrein Schuilenburg (a plot of farmland) and Terrein Klooster Sint-Clara (near the local monastery). With no dressing rooms being available, players change clothes in local pubs, Café Wensink or Café Kaak. In the first few years, Zwart-Wit does not join the official Netherlands' Football Association (NVB, Nederlandsche Voetbalbond) yet, sticking to friendlies against other clubs from the wider area.
1918 / vv Zwart-Wit joins NVB, starting its life in GVB (Geldersche Voetbalbond), the association of clubs playing their football below the level of NVB League 3 (later League 4). Also in 1918, a strictly Roman-Catholic club is formed in Silvolde, RKVV (Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging) Velocitas. Velocitas, which probably never joined NVB, played its football on Terrein Toebes, a plot of farmland at Egginkstraat.
1920 / vv Zwart-Wit wins promotion from GVB Division 1 to NVB District East's League 3C.
1923 / Due to a conflict with NVB about a non-eligible player in a match in 1922, vv Zwart-Wit is excluded from taking part in regular league football for the 1923-24 season.
1925 / vv Zwart-Wit absorbs RKVV Velocitas without a changing its name. The club restarts in GVB Division 1, managing promotion to KNVB (as NVB was renamed in 1925) League 4 straightaway in 1926.
1928 / Obtaining the title in District East's Sunday League 4C, vv Zwart-Wit returns to League 3 after a 5-year absence.
1932 / After years of preparation, and some help from the municipality of Wisch, of which Silvolde is part, vv Zwart-Wit's new ground is inaugurated, Terrein / Sportpark Munsterman.
1935 / Winning the decisive home game against its last remaining rival vv Doetinchem in front of some 2,000 spectators, vv Zwart-Wit wins the title in District East's Sunday League 3D. In the ensuing play-off round, with vv Arnhemse Boys (the team finishing last in District East's Sunday League 2) and SML/Spatram (the team winning the other Sunday League 3 title in District East) being the other participants, vv Zwart-Wit comes out on top, thus acceding to Sunday League 2.
1936 / In Sunday League 2, with renowned teams as SC NEC, AVC Vitesse, and NC&VC Quick being among the other contenders, vv Zwart-Wit does not manage to hold its own - eventually ending up in last place due to a defeat at the hands of fellow-bottom club vv Rheden (3-1). In the ensuing play-off round against the two title winners in League 3, vv Cito (Renkum) and vv Doetinchem, vv Zwart-Wit finishes second behind the last-mentioned club, with vv Doetinchem's 4-1 derby win at Sportpark De Munsterman drawing some 2,500/3,000 spectators. As such, the Silvolde club drops back into League 3 after just one season. Also in 1936, at the instigation of a local chaplain, Mr Collet, a new Roman-Catholic club is founded in Silvolde, RKVVS (Rooms-Katholieke Voetbalvereniging Silvolde). Disdaining KNVB membership, this club joins the so-called RKUVB (Rooms-Katholieke Utrechtse Voetbalbond), an exclusively catholic football association. Initially playing its football at Terrein Wissink at Munstermanstraat (only a stone's throw away from vv Zwart-Wit's ground), RKVVS later moves to Terrein Konnink, a pasture situated at Oude Dinxperloseweg, in the hamlet of Kroezenhoek.
1940 / After the German occupation of the Netherlands, all football associations except the official Netherlands' FA (Nederlandsche Voetbalbond, NVB - the royal 'k' being dropped for obvious reasons) are abolished, upon which RKUVB member club RKVVS joins NVB.
1947 / After World War II, with no new Roman-Catholic football association being formed, the decision is taken in Silvolde to bring about a merger between the two local clubs vv Zwart-Wit and RKVVS, the result being Sportclub Silvolde. The new club's first chairman is Thé Gerritsen. Following the merger, RKVVS's pitch at Oude Dinxperloseweg is abandoned, with all activities moving to Sportpark De Munsterman.
1952 / A first set of full-fledged dressing rooms is inaugurated at Sportpark De Munsterman.
1955 / Having steadily played in League 3 since the end of the war, Sportclub Silvolde now accedes to League 2 - even though the club does not win the League 3 title. Following the introduction of professional league football in the Netherlands, with dozens of clubs taking the leap, extra promotion places are available in the higher divisions of (what from now on could be referred to as) non-league. On the basis of its 2nd place in Sunday League 3C, Sportclub Silvolde is placed in League 2. Also in 1955, a first grandstand is erected at Sportpark De Munsterman.
1957 / Sportclub Silvolde manages its best result up until that time, a 4th place in Sunday League 2B. Also in 1957, a Hungarian refugee by the name of Benkö (first name unknown) joins Sportclub Silvolde, being one of the club's star players until his emigration to Canada in 1959.
1962 / Finishing 12th and last in Sunday League 2B, Sportclub Silvolde drops back into League 3.
1964 / Finishing 12th and last in Sunday League 3C - the nail in the coffin being a 4-0 away defeat at Sportclub Neede -, Sportclub Silvolde descends into League 4, finding itself at that level for the first time since the days of vv Zwart-Wit in the late 1920s.
1967 / Paid for in part with contributions made by club members, floodlights are added to Sportpark De Munsterman's B pitch, enabling midweek training sessions.
1971 / Building works having gotten underway the previous year, a veritable clubhouse is inaugurated at Sportpark De Munsterman in August 1971.
1973 / Following back-to-back titles (in Sunday League 4C in 1972 and Sunday League 3C in 1973), Sportclub Silvolde suddenly finds itself in League 2 after an 11-year absence.
1977 / In spite of being runners-up in Sunday League 2A the previous season, Sportclub Silvolde descends into League 3 now due to finishing second-last in the 1976-77 season in that same division.
1987 / Having played at League 3 level for 10 years, Sportclub Silvolde now descends into League 4 following a last-place finish in Sunday League 3C.
1988 / Ending up in last place for a second time running, this time in District East's Sunday League 4C, Sportclub Silvolde drops back into the ranks of GVB ("Afdeling Gelderland"), 62 years after predecessor club vv Zwart-Wit last played at that lowly level.
1989 / Finishing in joint-first place in GVB Division 1, Sportclub Silvolde and ZVV Zutphania have to play a tie-break match for the title. At V&AV Pax's Sportpark 't Elderink, the match ends in a draw, upon which a 2nd encounter is organised in Doetinchem (ground: unknown), in which Zutphania comes out on top (3-1). As such, Sportclub Silvolde misses out on an immediate return to League 4.
1990 / Although managing no more than a disappointing 4th place in GVB Division 1, Sportclub Silvolde, trained by Leo Zegers, returns to League 4 due to extra promotion places being available. The club holds out at that level until 1993, when it drops back into the ranks of GVB a 2nd time in 5 years. With some justice, the 1990s are considered the nadir in Sportclub Silvolde's history.
2001 / Winning the title in Sunday League 5C - League 5 being the replacement of GVB Division 1 following the dissolution of Afdeling Gelderland in 1996 - under the guidance of coach Luciën Dibbets, Sportclub Silvolde returns to League 4.
2004 / The old grandstand at Sportpark De Munsterman, dating back to 1955, is knocked down to be replaced with a modern successor, for which the first stone is laid in the fall of 2004. Construction works are undertaken under the guidance of Henk Schwartz and Vincent Aalders.
2005 / Inauguration of the new covered stand, equipped with folding seats.
2006 / Finishing with an equal number of points as SV Concordia-Wehl, Sportclub Silvolde takes on their title rivals in a tie-break match at VVG '25's Sportpark De Pol in Gaanderen in front of 3,500 spectators, with Silvolde walking away with a 3-1 win. Thus, coach Mark Schepers and his team win promotion to Sunday League 3.
2007 / Sportclub Silvolde's U18 squad, coached by Sander Gries, clinches District East's Regional Cup (Districtsbeker) in their youth category, adding the League 2 title and a promotion to U18 League 1 to their string of successes the year after. With many of this squad's players acceding to the club's first team in the following years, the foundations are laid for Sportclub Silvolde's successes in the 2010s.
2009 / Runners-up in Sunday League 3C behind SV LONGA '30, Sportclub Silvolde, coached by Jos Heutinck (signed by the club in 2008 from V&AV Pax, where he obtained the League 3 title in 2007), qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Managing defeats of SV Spero and RKVV Rood Wit, the club meets SV Leones in the final, played at RKSV Achilles '29's Sportpark De Heikant with some 1,500 spectators in attendance, walking away with a 5-2 win (A.E.T.) and promotion to Sunday League 2.
2010 / Managing a 5th place in its first season in Sunday League 2I, Spcl. Silvolde qualifies for the promotion play-offs, successively seeing off Sportclub Markelo and DIO '30 to accede to the final. Taking on UVV Albatross on WSV's Sportpark De Voorwaarts, Sportclub Silvolde ultimately lost the match (which finished 0-0 A.E.T.) following a penalty shoot-out. Thus, the club missed out on a second promotion in a row.
2011 / With Sportclub Silvolde and RKVV Alverna finishing in joint-first place in Sunday League 2I, both clubs face each other in a tie-brak match at RKSV Achilles '29's Sportpark De Heikant. As Alverna wins the match 1-0, Silvolde in vain attempts to win promotion via the play-offs, defeating AGOVV in R1 before being eliminated by HVV Tubantia.
2012 / Finishing in 6th place in its 3rd season in Sunday League 2I, Spcl. Silvolde qualifies for the promotion play-offs yet again. Eliminating vv Victoria '28 in R1, the club edges past PH Almelo in the final (1-0 aggregate score) to win promotion to Sunday League 1 for the first time in club history. In spite of the success, coach Jos Heutinck leaves the club, being succeeded by former Willem II and Heracles Almelo player Scott Calderwood.
2013 / With Scott Calderwood being signed as manager by Hatta Club from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November 2012, Sportclub Silvolde has to find a replacement, ultimately finding Peter Wesselink to finish the season. Finishing runners-up behind RKVV Alverna in its first season in Sunday League 1E, the club qualifies for the promotion play-offs, but is eliminated in R1 by Achilles 1894.
2014 / With Scott Calderwood returning to Silvolde in the summer of 2013, the club has a relatively quiet second season at League 1 level, finishing in 5th place and missing out on a play-off spot. On the other hand, the club wins the Achterhoek Cup, defeating SV Grol in the final (A.E.T.).
2015 / In the 2014-15 season, due to illness, Scott Calderwood has himself replaced temporarily by his father Jimmy Calderwood, former professional league player (1972-89) in England and the Netherlands as well as a seasoned manager with spells at multiple professional clubs in the Netherlands and Scotland. Ultimately finishing 3rd in Sunday League 1E behind RKVV Alverna and vv Hoogland, Spcl. Silvolde qualifies for the promotion play-offs, defeating SC Erica in R1 and having the better of SC NEC (AV) in the final (7-3 aggegrate). Thus, the club manages a historic promotion to Zondag Hoofdklasse in its centenary year. In the 2015-16, its first season at that level, the club finishes in a respectable 4th place.
2018 / In its best-ever season, Sportclub Silvolde finishes in 3rd place in Zondag Hoofdklasse A behind vv SJC and Achilles 1894. In R1 of the promotion play-offs, the club suffers elimination at the hands of vv GOES (3-2 aggregate). Also in 2018, Spcl. Silvolde concludes an agreement with neighbouring club vv Terborg to merge part of their youth academies under the name ST (Samenwerkende Teams) Terborg/Silvolde. In the following years, the cooperation between both youth academies is intensified.
2023 / In its last season as an independent club, Sportclub Silvolde, coached by Rob Haveman, finishes 14th in National Sunday Division 4B (as Zondag Hoofdklasse B was renamed in 2022), just 1 point ahead of vv Moerse Boys, which finishes second-last and descends into League 1 directly. Having to assure its national league status in a set of play-offs, the club is eliminated in R1 by League 1 club RKVV Best Vooruit, thus dropping back to that level after 8 years in the national divisions. In the summer of 2023, a provisional merger is concluded with vv Terborg, leading to the foundation of SSA (Samenwerking Seniorenafdelingen) Wisch. With former De Graafschap player John Leeuwerik being the new club's first coach, first team football is played in Saturday league, to which vv Terborg had switched in 2020 - heralding the end of the glory years of Spcl. Silvolde in the higher echelons of non-league. SSA Wisch's first team will alternate home matches at Terborg and Silvolde.

Note 1 - One of the sources for the article above is a magazine published on the occasion of Sportclub Silvolde's 100th anniversary in 2015, “Jubileummagazine 1915-2015 Spcl. Silvolde”. Thanks to the club's board for putting a copy of this booklet at my disposal.

Note 2 - Below, a compilation of photos of two different match visits: pictures 2, 12, 14-15 & 22-25 = September 2014 / pictures 1, 3-11, 13, 16-21 & 26-28 = May 2023.