Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf

Sunday, 5 July 2015

NETHERLANDS: vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf

Sportpark Schuytgraaf, Arnhem (vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf)

Netherlands, province: Guelders = Gelderland

5 VII 2015 / AFC Arnhem - Panathinaicos FC 0-10 / Pre-season friendly (neutral venue)

Timeline

1919 / Foundation of a football club in the Klarendal neighbourhood in the city of Arnhem, with the new club taking on the rather curious name Moderne Voetbalvereeniging, abbreviated as MVV; the founding fathers of the club are Piet Schmidt and Anton Spork. However, already by December 2019, the club changes its name to become vv Arnhemsche Boys – later spelled as vv Arnhemse Boys following the 1934 spelling reform. The foundation of the club coincides with the laying out of a new sports facility in the Platte Stuk area to the north of Park Sonsbeek on the northern outskirts of Arnhem. Various football clubs settle here around the same time or in the following years, with each of them clubs disposing of its own pitch in the park, which is initially referred to locally as the Volkssportpark or Gemeentelijk Sportpark, but later officially renamed Sportpark ‘t Cranevelt. Although source material is far from specific, it is clear vv Arnhemse Boys played in the Cranevelt area from the outset, with the exact date of the club settling at the southwestern end of the park – modern day Pitch/Veld 1 – being unclear.
2009 / vv Arnhemse Boys leaves Sportpark ‘t Cranevelt after ninety years, starting a new existence with the adapted name vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf at the newly laid-out Sportpark Schuytgraaf in the eponymous neighbourhood on the far western outskirts of Arnhem. At that point, the club’s first team plays its football in Sunday League 4.
2010 / Finishing in fourth place in District East’s Sunday League 4F, vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf qualifies for the promotion play-offs – a three-way affair against RKVV HAVO and vv Angerlo Vooruit. Winning its encounter against the former (1-4) and losing against the latter (3-4), Arnhemse Boys still wins promotion to Sunday League 3 on goal difference, thanks to Angelo Vooruit-HAVO finishing in 1-4. The successful coach is Patrick Baltus, former professional league striker of SBV Vitesse and BV De Graafschap (1987-90).
2013 / Coached by Ricardo Gil y Muiños, vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf finishes in third-last place in District East’s Sunday League 3D. Having to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs, the club draws a bye in R1, going on to sail past SV Angeren in R2 (7-3 aggr.); however, in the final, Arnhemse Boys stumbles over vv SCP (5-2 aggr.). As such, the club descends into Sunday League 4 along with DVOL and bottom club RKVV Overasseltse Boys.
2018 / Champions in District East’s Sunday League 4F, 5 points ahead of closest rivals GVA, vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Pierre van den Berg.
2019 / Finishing in second-last place in District East’s Sunday League 3D, vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf has to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs. Drawing a bye in R1, the club enjoys successive wins over SV Angeren in R2 (4-2) and vv Beekbergen in the final (3-1) – thus staving off relegation.
2022 / Coached by Pim Scholten, vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf finishes bottom of the table in District East’s Sunday League 3C, thus descending into Sunday League 4 along with vv Ewijk and RKVV RODA ’28. However, following the 2021-22 season, breaking with a tradition of football in the Sunday pyramid since the club’s foundation in 1919, Arnhemse Boys chooses to be placed in Saturday League 4.
2023 / Finishing in ninth place in District East’s Saturday League 4B, vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf is placed in the newly created Saturday League 5 along with ASV Zuid Arnhem, vv Dodewaard, vv Uchta, and bottom club SVHA.
2025 / Runaway champions in District East’s Saturday League 5B, 13 points ahead of closest followers vv Elspeet, vv Arnhemse Boys Schuytgraaf manages a return to Sunday League 4 after two years.

Note - In the pre-season friendly I attended at Sportpark Schuytgraaf in 2015, AFC Arnhem entertained Panathinaicos - i.e. at a neutral venue, as Panathinaicos were adamant to play on a proper grass pitch. The main pitch on AFC Arnhem's Sportpark Over het Lange Water Oost) was a 3G.