Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RKVV DVC '26 (1966-1975) / vv DVC '26 (1975-)

Sportpark De Nevelhorst, Didam (vv DVC '26, formerly RKVV DVC '26)

Netherlands, province: Guelders = Gelderland

4 II 2016 / vv DVC '26 - vv VIOD 3-4 / Achterhoek Cup

17 V 2025 / vv DVC '26 - vv ATC '65 1-1 / Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1G (= NL level 6)

Timeline

1917 / Football is introduced to Didam, a small town on the Netherlands’ eastern border with Germany, as mobilised soldiers called up to guard that border during World War I start playing improvised matches on a pasture owned by a local fruit grower, Mr Geurtzen, at Kerkstraat, situated at the back of the St Martin’s Church graveyard. The group of footballing soldiers includes some players of reputed League 1 clubs from different parts of the country.
1918-19 / With the mobilisation over, the soldiers leave Didam, but the enthusiasm for football does not abate as a result. Local youths form two recreational clubs, De Spoorclub and De Zagerij, with each disposing of its improvised pitch – the former on a plot of land owned by the Netherlands’ Railway Services near the local train station; and the latter on a pitch near Didam’s lumber mill.
1920-21 / The remaining players of the two boys’ clubs join forces for improvised matches played on various pastures around Didam – more specifically on plots of land owned by Mr Even (near the Reformed graveyard), Mr Ros (at Tatelaar), and Mr G. Pruis (at Oude Straat, modern-day Luynhorststraat).
1922 / Foundation of a first proper football club in Didam, which is given the name Theodem. Louis Olislagers, the son of the local constable, is chosen the club’s first chairman. Theodem’s activities are restricted to playing improvised matches and tournaments. Theodem’s pitch is situated at Oudestraat (modern-day Luynhorststraat) on a plot of land owned by Gradus Peters.
1923 / Theodem is absorbed into the local netball club, Victoria. A new pitch is laid out at Tatelaar, on a plot of land owned by a local smallholder, Hent Kummeling.
1924 / Victoria decides to join the Roman Catholic football association RKUVB (Roomsch-Katholieke Utrechtsche Voetbalbond), a sub-branch of the Netherlands’ Roman-Catholic football association RKF (Roomsch-Katholieke Federatie), with a new name, Didam – given that the name Victoria was already in use by another member club. For the 1924-25 season, Didam is placed in RKUVB Division 2E.
1925 / In January 1925, Didam (Victoria) goalkeeper Nol Hassink breaks his leg during the home match against Thesos (from Lobith). Locals are so shocked by the event, that the club withdraws from league football for the remainder of the season – with no further activities being developed in the following 1,5 years.
1926 / After about a year and a half without notable footballing activities in Didam, a new football club is formed, Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging (RKVV) Didamsche Voetbalclub (DVC). Theo Leonards is chosen as the new club’s first chairman, with the local chaplain, G.C. Smit, taking on the role of spiritual advisor – an obligatory feature for any Roman-Catholic club. In the foundation meeting, the name DVC is chosen over other suggestions, such as Sparta, De Lijmers, Velox, and Sint Martinus. Joining the RKUVB, RKVV DVC is placed at that league’s bottom level, Division 2. DVC settles on the former pitch of Victoria (Didam), i.e. Hent Kummeling’s pasture at Tatelaar. As there are no dressing rooms available on the site, the players change clothes in Café Restaurant Het Wapen van Gelderland at Zevenaarscheweg.
1929 / RKVV DVC ceases its activities due to a lack of volunteers.
1931 / After two years of inactivity, RKVV DVC resumes its activities, being placed in RKUVB Division 2 for the 1931-32 season and with Theo Leonards agreeing to take on his role as chairman once more. Given that Hent Kummeling is no longer willing to put his pasture at the disposal of the club, DVC has to look for a new pitch, which is found at the same road (Tatelaar) on a plot of land owned by Mr G. Roemaat.
1938 / Following two or even three promotions, RKVV DVC now accedes to Division 2 of the so-called IVCB (Interdiocesane Voetbalcompetitiebond), the nationwide league system of Roman-Catholic Football Federation RKF. To celebrate the occasion, DVC hosts Roman Catholic national title winners RKSV Volendam at Terrein Roemaat, defeating the North Holland side 3-2.
1940 / As the Netherlands are occupied by the German Reich, all football associations except for the official Netherlands’ FA (renamed NVB for the duration of the war) cease their activities to prevent being wound up by German authorities. As so many other RKF clubs, RKVV DVC now joins the NVB, being placed in NVB District East’s Sunday League 4 with a slightly adapted name, RKVV DVC ’26 – to avoid confusion with the older NVB club DVC from Delft.
1941 / Finishing bottom of the table in District East’s Sunday League 4H, RKVV DVC ’26 descends into Sunday Division 1 of Afdeling Gelderland, the Guelders’ sub-branch of the NVB.
1943 / Probably after winning promotion from Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 1 to NVB District East’s Sunday League 4 – no information is available on the matter – RKVV DVC ’26 has to cease all activities due to the ongoing hardships of World War II.
1945 / For the 1945-46 season, RKVV DVC ’26 is placed in KNVB District East’s Sunday League 4. The club settles on a newly laid-out pitch, situated on a pasture owned by a local smallholder, Mr Dorus Reuling, at Dijksestraat in Oud-Dijk. Initially, the players use Reuling’s farmstead to change clothes – with the facilities of nearby Café De Stoommolen being preferred for that purpose later on.
1946 / Finishing bottom of the table in District East’s Sunday League 4L, RKVV DVC ’26 drops back into Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 1.
1947 / Moving away from Terrein Reuling after two years, RKVV DVC ’26 settles on a newly laid-out pitch closer to the town centre, on a meadow owned by Jan Looman at Rekkenweg, which is known locally as Terrein De Kom. The facilities are blessed by the local priest, Fr A.F.A. Janssen, before the start of the 1947-48 season. With no dressing rooms being available on the site, the players use the facilities of nearby Café Het Zwijnshoofd, owned by Joop Berendsen, as such.
1950 / RKVV DVC ’26 wins promotion from Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 1 to District East’s Sunday League 4. Also in 1950, dressing rooms in situ are inaugurated.
1951 / RKVV DVC ’26 celebrates its 25th anniversary with a gala match between League 1 clubs AGOVV and EVV Eindhoven at Terrein De Kom.
1953 / RKVV DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 4F, 5 points behind champions SV DCS.
1954 / Finishing bottom of the table in District East’s Sunday League 4F, RKVV DVC ’26 drops back into Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 1.
1956 / After an absence of two years at district level, RKVV DVC ’26 wins promotion from Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 1 to District East’s Sunday League 4.
1959 / Champions in District East’s Sunday League 4E, 3 points ahead of closest rivals SV Grol, RKVV DVC ’26 fails to win promotion to Sunday League 3 in the subsequent round of championship play-offs.
1960 / Sensationally, as a League 4 club, RKVV DVC ’26 manages to win the Regional Cup (Districtsbeker) for Sunday clubs. As a result, the club qualifies for the 1960-61 Netherlands’ Cup (KNVB-Beker) for the first time, being drawn in a group with four professional league clubs, with matches being played between August 1960 and February 1961. In fact, DVC goes on to suffer defeats in all of their matches, but manages to score six goals: DVC-AVC Vitesse 0-1; BV De Graafschap-DVC 4-2 (goals by Som & Driessen); DVC-AVC Heracles 3-8 (3 goals by Teuntje Bolk); vv DOS-DVC 3-1 (goal by Richard van Kraaij). Also in 1960, DVC inaugurates a temporary second pitch at Lockhorststraat, which is equipped with a rudimentary floodlight installation, thus allowing some welcome rest to Terrein De Kom as well as midweek training sessions during the winter months.
1961 / RKVV DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 4E, 2 points behind champions VVG ’25.
1962 / Champions in District East’s Sunday League 4D, 8 points ahead of closest followers vv Lobithse Boys, RKVV DVC ’26 wins promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time.
1963 / Clinching its second title in a row, RKVV DVC ’26 finishes top of the table in District East’s Sunday League 3D, 3 points ahead of runners-up SV Spero. As such, the club accedes to Sunday League 2 for the first time.
1964 / Going from strength to strength, RKVV DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 2A, 8 points behind champions RKVV Jonge Kracht.
1965 / Finishing bottom of the table in District East’s Sunday League 2A, RKVV DVC ’26 drops back into Sunday League 3.
1966 / Champions in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 6 points ahead of closest rivals SV Grol, RKVV DVC ’26 manages an immediate return to Sunday League 2. Also in 1966, the club abandons Terrein De Kom after nineteen seasons, moving into the newly laid-out Sportpark De Nevelhorst – named after the adjacent artificial lake – where the club has three pitches at its disposal. The new park is inaugurated on October 23rd, 1966, by Didam’s mayor, Niek Vlaar. For the time being, training sessions are organised elsewhere, on a pitch situated at the back of the local Roman Catholic boys’ school.
1967 / With a fourth pitch being laid out at Sportpark De Nevelhorst to allow training sessions being held in situ, the pitch at the back of the boys’ school is abandoned.
1968 / Finishing in second-last place in District East’s Sunday League 2B, RKVV DVC ’26 drops back into Sunday League 3 along with bottom club vv KHC. Also in 1968, works get underway on the construction of a clubhouse at Sportpark De Nevelhorst, with its inauguration occurring in 1969.
1972 / RKVV DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 4 points behind champions vv Haaksbergen.
1975 / Champions in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 1 point ahead of closest rivals SC Eibergen, RKVV DVC ’26 wins promotion to Sunday League 2. The decisive point is obtained in a head-to-head clash away in Eibergen, which ends in a goalless draw. Following the 1974-75 season, DVC’s talented 18-year-old midfield player Hans Wanders signs a deal with professional league side BV De Graafschap. Wanders goes on to have a twelve-year-long professional career, the majority of which is spent at De Graafschap with short spells at SC NEC and SC Heracles ’74 in between. Also in 1975, one year after A.F.A. Janssen relinquished his post as Didam’s Roman Catholic priest, RKVV DVC ’26 gives up its status as a Roman Catholic club, continuing life as vv DVC ’26. In fact, the prefix RK had already fallen into disuse in the previous decades, which meant that the name change would hardly have been noticed by the membership and club followers.
1976 / To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the club, vv DVC ’26 plays two gala matches, hosting AVC Vitesse (0-7) and a team of former Netherlands’ international players (2-1) at Sportpark De Nevelhorst. Also in 1976, the club’s board is handed the symbolic foundation stone of the park’s grandstand, but its construction would not commence until a couple of years later.
1977 / Champions in District East’s Sunday League 2A, 5 points ahead of runners-up vv Arnhemse Boys, vv DVC ’26 wins a historic promotion to Sunday League 1.
1978 / In the best season in club history, vv DVC ’26 finishes in joint fourth place in Sunday League 1D. Also in 1978, with the foundation stone being laid by groundskeeper Gradus Masselink, a covered grandstand is erected at Sportpark De Nevelhorst, a construction which has graced the ground ever since.
1980 / Finishing in second-last place in Sunday League 1D, vv DVC ’26 drops back into Sunday League 2 after three years, along with bottom club vv Westermeijer Ede.
1981 / At the instigation of DVC chairman Jan Welling, an indoor sports hall is added to the set-up at Sportpark De Nevelhorst. The construction, later renamed Jan Wellinghal, is inaugurated in the early months of 1982.
1982 / vv DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 2A, 1 point behind champions vv Westermeijer Ede.
1986 / vv DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 2A, 1 point behind champions SV Babberich. That same year, the club celebrates its sixtieth anniversary with a gala match against AFC Ajax (result unknown).
1994 / vv DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 2A, 3 points behind champions RKSV Groesbeekse Boys. That same year, the dressing room unit below the main stand at Sportpark De Nevelhorst is extended with two extra rooms.
1996 / vv DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 2A, 7 points behind champions vv Arnhemse Boys. That same year, the club also wins District East’s Regional Cup (Districtsbeker), defeating Saturday club vv DOS Kampen in the final (2-1), played at ABS’s Sportpark De Looënk in Bathmen. Thus qualifying for the group stage of the nationwide non-league cup, vv DVC ’26 is eliminated in a group with vv IJsselmeervogels and FVC, having to leave the honours to the former club, with all matches being played at Sportpark De Westmaat Noord in Spakenburg.
1999 / Having come close to the title in Sunday League 2 on several occasions in the previous two decades, vv DVC ’26 now finishes in tenth place in Sunday League 2I, dropping back into Sunday League 3 along with AVV Columbia and bottom club vv SJN. Also in 1999, the clubhouse at Sportpark De Nevelhorst undergoes a thorough renovation.
2000 / Champions in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 1 point ahead of closest rivals SV LONGA ’30, vv DVC ’26 manages an immediate return to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Jan Lammers.
2001 / Coached by Jan Lammers, vv DVC ’26 finishes in second-last place in Sunday League 2I, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 after just one season, along with bottom club SV Spero. Also in 2001, DVC marks its 75th anniversary with a gala match against professional league side SBV Vitesse (result unknown).
2002 / vv DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 2 points behind champions SV LONGA ’30.
2003 / Former DVC youth striker Sjoerd Ars, who had left the club early to join Feyenoord Rotterdam’s youth academy, makes his professional league debut with BV De Graafschap. Ars goes on to have an adventurous career at FC Omniworld, Go Ahead Eagles, RBC Roosendaal, FC Zwolle, PFK Levski Sofia, Tianjin Teda, Konyaspor Kulübü, Karşıyaka SK, NEC, NAC Breda, Haladás FC, and Fortuna Sittard, eventually returning to BV De Graafschap and bowing out into non-league with SV De Treffers in 2018.
2004 / vv DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 2 points behind champions vv SDOUC.
2007 / vv DVC ’26 finishes as runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 4 points behind champions V&AV Pax. In the summer of 2007, DVC signs Nico van Zoghel, former professional league goalkeeper at vv DOS, DVV Go Ahead, Go Ahead Eagles, SC Amersfoort, and BV De Graafschap, as its head coach. Van Zoghel would stay in Didam for one season only, in which the club managed a fourth place in District East’s Sunday League 3C.
2008 / Extra dressing rooms are added to the north of the main stand.
2009 / The main pitch at Sportpark De Nevelhorst is equipped with a synthetic surface.
2010 / Runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 4 points behind champions SC Varsseveld, vv DVC ’26 wins automatic promotion to Sunday League 2 due to extra promotion places being available following the introduction of Zondag Topklasse as the new top level of the Sunday pyramid. The successful coach is Herman Ubbink.
2011 / Finishing in eleventh place in Sunday League 2I with coach Herman Ubbink, vv DVC ’26 goes on to suffer defeat in R1 of the promotion-relegation play-offs against SV Concordia-Wehl (4-2 aggr.). As a result, the club drops back into Sunday League 3 after one season, along with SV Spero, vv Beuningse Boys, and bottom club vv Erica ’76.
2012 / Runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 6 points behind champions WVC, vv DVC ’26 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club manages successive wins over vv ONA ’53 (6-1 aggr.) and UVV Albatross (3-1 aggr.). As such, DVC manages an immediate return to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Edwin Hoogerdijk.
2015 / Finishing in twelfth place in Sunday League 2I with coach Bert Hendriks, vv DVC ’26 has to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs. Knocking out SV Spero in R1 (1-0 aggr.), the club suffers a comprehensive 6-1 (aggr.) defeat at the hands of SV Hatert in R2. As such, DVC drops back into Sunday League 3 along with vv VIOD, vv DVV, and bottom club vv Trekvogels.
2016 / Finishing in third place in District East’s Sunday League 3C, vv DVC ’26 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club bows out in R1 against vv Union (5-1 aggr.).
2017 / Runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 6 points behind champions SV Bon Boys, vv DVC ’26 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club has the better of SV OBW (4-2 aggr.). As such, DVC wins promotion to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Dave de Jong.
2018 / Finishing in fifth place in Sunday League 2I, vv DVC ’26 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by Sportclub Bemmel (3-0). In the summer of 2018-19, former professional league midfielder Jan Oosterhuis (spells at FC Wageningen, FC Utrecht, and BV De Graafschap), joins DVC as head coach, staying on in that function for one season until moving on to vv DUNO.
2022 / Finishing in fourth place in Sunday League 2I, vv DVC ’26 is knocked out in R1 of the promotion play-offs by SV Bon Boys (3-0).
2023 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2H, 3 points behind champions SV Grol, vv DVC ’26 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by RKSV De Tukkers (1-2).
2024 / Champions in Sunday League 2G, 1 point ahead of closest rivals VVG ’25 and 2 points ahead of Sportclub Westervoort, vv DVC ’26 manages a return to League 1 after an absence of 44 years. Before the last match of the season, the club found itself in third place, but with VVG ’25 and Sportclub Westervoort both suffering defeat in their last matches (against SV Leones and SV Schalkhaar respectively), DVC managed to clinch the title in sensational fashion with a 2-0 home win over derby rivals SV DCS. The successful coach is Willem Mulderij.
2025 / Finishing in second-last place in the Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1G with coach Willem Mulderij, vv DVC ’26 drops back into Sunday League 2 after just one season, along with bottom club vv Drenthina and play-off loser vv ATC '65.
Note – Below, a compilation of photos of two different match visits: pictures 1-14 = May 2025 / picture 15 = February 2016.