Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RKSV DEM (1935-1954) / RKVV DEM (1954-)

Sportpark Adrichem Noord, Beverwijk (RKVV DEM, formerly RKSV DEM)

Netherlands, province: North Holland = Noord-Holland

31 I 2015 / RKVV DEM - BVV De Kennemers 5-2 / Sunday League 1A (= NL level 5)

16 XII 2023 / RKVV DEM - FC Rijnvogels 4-2 / National Division 3A (= NL level 4)

Timeline

1922 / A group of Catholic youths of the St Gerardus Majella Boys’ School from Beverwijk resolves to form a football club, which is given the name RKVV DES (Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging ‘Door Eendracht Sterk’). Not seeking affiliation with any association yet, the club sticks to playing friendly matches against other teams from the wider region, having at its disposal a plot of land, Terrein P. de Wildt at Hoflanderweg, where a pitch is laid out for the club’s home matches.
1923 / Seeking affiliation with the Roman-Catholic football association DHVB (Diocesaan-Haarlemsche Voetbalbond), RKVV DES changes its name to become RKSV DEM (Roomsch-Katholieke Sportvereeniging ‘Door Eendracht Macht’) due to another club in the same league association bearing the same name – but this cannot have been the firmly Protestant vv DES from Nijverdal, founded in 1922 as well, which was a member of CNVB (Christelijke Nederlandsche Voetbalbond) from 1929 onwards. Also in 1923, RKSV DEM moves to a new pitch, Terrein J.B. de Wildt at Sint-Aagtendijk.
1925 / RKSV DEM is joined at Terrein J.B. de Wildt by their non-confessional village rivals SV Beverwijk.
1926 / Feeling threatened by the larger club of SV Beverwijk – who were in favour of incorporating RKSV DEM into their ranks – DEM feels constrained to leave Terrein J.B. de Wildt, temporarily settling for a groundsharing agreement with WFC (Wijckeroogsche Football Club) at Landgoed Schulpen in Velsen-Noord.
1928 / As WFC folds, RKSV DEM suddenly finds itself as sole user of the football pitch at Landgoed Schulpen.
1930 / Beverwijk’s town council allows RKSV DEM to play its first team football in Beverwijk, allowing it the use of the main pitch of the Gemeentelijk Sportpark at Cornelis Amsestraat (modern-day Hendrik Mandeweg) – sharing that pitch with BVV De Kennemers. For the time being, DEM’s lower team football continues to take place at Landgoed Schulpen.
1935 / A long cherished wish of the club, RKSV DEM centres all its activities at a newly laid-out ground in Beverwijk proper, consisting of two pitches, Terrein J.J. de Wildt (later renamed Sportpark Adrichem) at Hoflanderweg. The club takes with it the changing rooms of Terrein Schulpen to rebuild them at the new ground.
1940 / Having spent the first near-two decades of its existence in DHVB, RKSV DEM is 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. RKSV DEM is placed in District West I’s Sunday League 3B.
± 1941 / As DEM also has an athletics branch, a running track is added to the set-up – surrounding the main pitch at Sportpark Adrichem. In this same round of renovations, an open terrace is constructed as well as a new set of dressing rooms.
1954 / RKSV DEM’s football branch continues independently, breaking away from the branches for volleyball, hockey, tennis, table tennis, handball, athletics, and hiking. As such, the club changes its prefix from RKSV (Rooms-Katholieke Sportvereniging) to RKVV (Rooms-Katholieke Voetbalvereniging).
1955 / Winning the title in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, RKVV DEM accedes to League 2 for the first time in its history.
1957 / Beverwijk’s town council purchases Sportpark Adrichem from RKVV DEM, allowing the club to rent the ground, which meanwhile disposes of three pitches.
1960 / Having held out at L2 level for five years, RKVV DEM now finishes last in Sunday League 2A, thus dropping back into League 3.
1962 / Replacing a construction erected only three years previously, RKVV DEM has its new clubhouse inaugurated, which is referred to by members as De Boog.
1963 / Winning the title in Sunday League 3A, RKVV DEM accedes to League 2.
1979 / Having been a regular feature in League 2 for the past sixteen years – and having finished in third place in L2A in 1976 and 1977 – RKVV DEM now descends back into League 3 following a last place in Sunday League 2A.
1982 / Finishing second-last in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, RKVV DEM finds itself in Sunday League 4 for the first time in its existence. Also in 1982, former Telstar and FC Volendam player Fred André (328 matches for Telstar between 1963 and 1976!) takes over the position of trainer-coach at RKVV DEM, but he does not stay longer at the club than just one season. Still in 1982, a new clubhouse, also named De Boog, is inaugurated at the northwestern end of the main pitch, with the inaugural ceremony being performed by the local alderman being charged with sports affairs, Cees Bodewes.
1986 / Conquering the title in Sunday League 4C, RKVV DEM finds the way back up into L3.
± 1990 / The open terrace along the western end of DEM’s main pitch is removed and replaced with a small covered stand.
1992 / Winning the title in Sunday League 3B, RKVV DEM manages a return to League 2 after an absence of thirteen years.
1996 / With the abolition of the NHVB (Noord-Hollandse Voetbalbond), the association organising all football in North Holland below the level of KNVB League 4, RKVV DEM’s Saturday League team is placed in District West I’s Saturday League 6. In the following decades, the club maintains its policy of having two first teams – one on Saturday, the other on Sunday, with the Sunday team being the undisputed flagship.
1997 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2A, RKVV DEM goes on to win the promotion play-offs, resulting in the club being placed in Sunday League 1 for the first time in its history.
2000 / After three years in League 1, RKVV DEM drops back into League 2 following a tenth place finish in L1A – and probably after a round of play-offs.
2005 / After five seasons in League 2, RKVV DEM descends into League 3 following an eleventh place finish in L2A.
2007 / Clinching the title in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, RKVV DEM finds the way back to League 2.
2010 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2A, RKVV DEM accedes to Sunday League 1 by winning the subsequent round of promotion play-offs. In the following season, the club maintains itself excellently with a third place in Sunday League 1A – yet missing out on the promotion play-offs.
2012 / With RKVV DEM and HFC EDO finishing in joint-first position in Sunday League 1A, the two clubs meet each other in a tie-break match, played at vv ADO’ 20’s Sportpark De Vlotter – won by HFC EDO (1-0), which thus clinches the direct promotion spot. Having to settle for a promotion play-off place, RKVV DEM edges past FC Boshuizen in R1, but is defeated in R2 by Koninklijke HFC – thus missing out on an unprecedented promotion to Zondag Hoofdklasse.
2018 / Runners-up in Sunday League 1A, 5 points behind champions SV Fortuna Wormerveer, RKVV DEM, coached by Arvid Smit, qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it is defeated in the final away at MVV Alcides (1-0). With an extra promotion place being available due to the withdrawal of Jong BV De Graafschap from the national league pyramid, though, the club is given an extra opportunity; meeting RKSV HVCH in an extra tie-break match, played at ASV UVV’s Sportpark De Paperclip in Utrecht, RKVV DEM wins 2-1 – thus managing an unprecedented promotion to Zondag Hoofdklasse.
2019 / Still coached by Arvid Smit, RKVV DEM wins the title in Zondag Hoofdklasse A in its first-ever season at this level, 3 points ahead of vv Hoogeveen. As such, the club accedes to Sunday National Division 3.
2021 / The small covered stand at RKVV DEM’s main pitch, which had been constructed some thirty years previously, is knocked down and replaced with a new, much larger construction which offers a covered seat to up to 224 spectators.