Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RKVV Gilze (1932-1949, 1950-1957) / SV Gilze (1957-1991) / vv Gilze (1991-2011)

Sportpark aan de Lange Wagenstraat, Gilze (formerly RKVV Gilze / SV Gilze / vv Gilze)

Netherlands, province: North Brabant = Noord-Brabant

24 VI 2009 / vv Gilze - NAC Breda 2-7 / Pre-season friendly

Timeline

± 1919 / A group of friends from Gilze, a village in North Brabant halfway between Breda and Tilburg, gets together to form a football team, which they give the name Gilsche Voetbalclub, abbreviated as GVC. They find a plot of land to lay out a pitch, Terrein Boskant. Sticking to playing friendly matches against other recreational teams for the moment, GVC does not join any league association.
1920 / GVC changes its name to become AVM, standing for Altijd Vol Moed (‘Always Full of Courage’).
1921 / AVM joins the Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalbond (RKVB) Breda, the Breda sub-branch of Roman Catholic Football Federation RKF, being placed in RKVB Breda Division 3 for the 1921-22 season. To be allowed in as a new member club, AVM has to form a first board, with Piet Aarts taking on the role of chairman.
1922 / Clinching the title in RKVB Breda Division 3, AVM wins promotion to Division 2 of the said league system.
1924 / Renouncing its membership of RKVB Breda, AVM joins the Brabantsche Voetbalbond (BVB), the North Brabant sub-branch of the official Netherlands’ Football Association (NVB, later renamed KNVB), being played in BVB (Sunday) Division 2.
1925 / AVM takes on a new name, Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging (RKVV) Gilze.
1926 / Runners-up in BVB Division 2 for the second year running, RKVV Gilze is placed in Division 1 of the said league system by choice.
1927 / Finishing in joint first place in BVB Division 1 with WDC, RKVV Gilze meets the club from Breda in a tie-break match, played at NAC’s Stadion ‘t Ploegske in Breda – going on to lose the encounter (3-1) and thus missing out on promotion.
1929 / In spite of clinching the title in BVB Division 1, RKVV Gilze renounces its right to promotion to KNVB District South’s Sunday League 4 due to the projected costs of travel.
1930 / After six years as members of the BVB (KNVB), RKVV Gilze rejoins the Roman-Catholic Football Federation RKF and its sub-branch RKVB Breda, being placed in RKF (National) Division 2 for the 1930-31 season.
1931 / Clinching the title in RKF Division 2 (renamed IVCB Division 2 from 1932 onwards), RKVV Gilze fails to win promotion to D1 of the said league system in the championship play-offs.
1932 / Moving away from Terrein Boskant, RKVV Gilze settles on a newly laid-out pitch at Lange Wagenstraat – destined to stay at that location for the following 79 years. The year 1932 also sees the foundation of a new club in Gilze, Gilze-Boys, which also joins the RKVB Breda, being placed in its bottom division.
1933 / Suffering relegation from IVCB Division 2, RKVV Gilze descends into Division 3 of the said league system.
1934 / A covered stand is added to the set-up at Terrein Lange Wagenstraat – in fact, half of an old stand of a club in Tilburg, taken over by RKVV Gilze and RKSV RAC (from Gilze’s neighbour village of Rijen) together, with each of the clubs rebuilding half of it at their respective grounds.
1936 / RKVV Gilze absorbs its small village rivals Gilze-Boys without any name change resulting.
1940 / As the Netherlands is overrun by the German army in May 1940, all other football associations save the official Netherlands’ FA (KNVB, renamed NVB for the duration of the war) cease their activities, including the RKF and all its sub-branches. Given the choice between folding and making the leap to the NVB competitions, RKVV Gilze chooses the latter option, being transferred from IVCB Division 3B to NVB District South’s Sunday League 4.
1942 / Having been RKVV Gilze’s coach for some time – it is unclear how long – Henk Pellikaan leaves the club in 1942. At the time, Pellikaan was still playing for TSV LONGA from Tilburg, which he had joined in 1928. The midfielder was one of the Netherlands’ better footballers of the day, in fact making his debut for the Netherlands’ national team in 1932, being chosen for his country’s squad in the 1934 World Cup in Italy, and winning a total of 13 caps until his retirement from league football in 1946. Henk Pellikaan passed away in 1999 at the age of 88.
1946 / RKVV Gilze finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, 7 points behind champions RKVV Oisterwijk.
1948 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, 6 points ahead of SV Heusden, RKVV Gilze goes on to enjoy a successful round of championship play-offs, resulting in the club winning promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time.
1949 / Temporarily moving away from Terrein Lange Wagenstraat, RKVV Gilze settles at a makeshift pitch not far from the Gilze-Rijen Airbase to the north of the village, laid out on a plot of land owned by T.C. Haagh. Meanwhile, new grass is sown in at Terrein Lange Wagenstraat. The club most probably moved back to this location in 1950 or 1951.
1951 / Finishing in second-last position in District South I’s Sunday League 3C, RKVV Gilze drops back into Sunday League 4 after three years, along with bottom club RKSV Ons Vios. Meanwhile, a second pitch is added to the set-up at Sportpark aan de Lange Wagenstraat.
1954 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 4F, 5 points ahead of runners-up SV Veerse Boys, RKVV Gilze wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Ben Berenschot.
1955 / RKVV Gilze finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 4E, 3 points behind champions SV Veerse Boys.
1956 / Finishing in joint first place in District South I’s Sunday League 4F with vv Madese Boys, RKVV Gilze goes on to meet the club from Made in a tie-break match at Sportpark De Biezen in Dongen. Winning the encounter (2-1, goals by Van den Ouweland & Geerts), RKVV Gilze clinches the title, but fails to win promotion in the subsequent round of championship play-offs.
1957 / Finishing in joint first place in District South I’s Sunday League 4F with RKVV SCO, RKVV Gilze goes on to meet the club from Oosterhout in a tie-break match at Sportpark De Biezen in Dongen. Going on to suffer a heavy defeat in this encounter (5-1), Gilze has to leave the title to SCO. Also in 1957, RKVV Gilze changes its name to become Sportvereniging (SV) Gilze in preparation of branches for other sports being incorporated in the womb of the club – with branches for volleyball and hockey (the latter being very short-lived) being formed the following year.
1958 / SV Gilze finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 4F, 1 point behind champions RKVVU.
1960 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 4F, 6 points ahead of closest followers FC Right’Oh, SV Gilze goes on to qualify for the championship play-offs. Ultimately, the club wins a championship play-off match against RKVV Hilvaria, played at RKSV Sarto’s Sportpark Westend in Tilburg. Winning the encounter, Gilze accedes to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Ben Berenschot.
1971 / SV Gilze finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 3C, 8 points behind derby rivals SV RAC. Also in 1971, a new clubhouse and dressing rooms are inaugurated at Sportpark aan de Lange Wagenstraat.
1972 / SV Gilze finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 3C, 5 points behind champions vv Dongen.
1976 / Coached by Martin Groenhuis, SV Gilze finishes in second-last place in District South I’s Sunday League 3C, dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club vv Waspik.
1978 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 4F, 1 point ahead of closest rivals RKSV Groen-Wit, SV Gilze wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Piet de Jong.
1979 / Coached by Piet de Jong, SV Gilze finishes bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 3C, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with the club in second-last place, vv TAC.
1981 / The dressing rooms built in 1971 are completely renovated.
1983 / The main pitch at Sportpark aan de Lange Wagenstraat is laid out anew. Also in 1983, former SV Gilze youth player Hans van den Dungen, who had moved to NAC’s youth academy at the age of 14 in 1976, makes his professional league debut for the club in Breda, going on to play 361 matches in the yellow-and-black colours as a wingback and ultimately leaving the club for three more seasons at K Hoogstraten VV in 1993. Hans van den Dungen passed away in 2023 at the age of 61.
1984 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 4F, 3 points ahead of closest rivals vv Beerse Boys, SV Gilze wins promotion to Sunday League 3. Moreover, the club reaches the final of District South I’s Regional Cup (Districtsbeker), ultimately having to settle for the silver medal following a 2-0 defeat at the hands of PSV Reserves. The successful coach is Jan van Leeuwen. Following the cup success, the club also qualifies for the nationwide cup (KNVB-Beker), being knocked out in R1 by SC Heerenveen (4-0).
1986 / Coached by Jan van Leeuwen, SV Gilze finishes in second-last place in District South I’s Sunday League 3C, dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club RKVV Uno Animo.
1991 / The football branch of SV Gilze breaks away from the omnisport club, continuing its existence as Voetbalvereniging (vv) Gilze.
1992 / vv Gilze finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 4F, 4 points behind champions SV Veerse Boys.
1993 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 4F, 1 point ahead of closest rivals vv Chaam, vv Gilze wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The decisive points are clinched in a 1-0 home win over RKVV DIA. The successful coach is Frans Hermans.
1996 / Coached by Martijn Aarts, vv Gilze finishes bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 3C, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with the club in second-last place, SV Veerse Boys.
1997 / Coached by Martijn Aarts, vv Gilze finishes in second-last place in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, thus suffering back-to-back relegations, descending into Sunday League 5 for the first time, along with bottom club UVV ’40.
1998 / vv Gilze wins promotion from Sunday League 5 to Sunday League 4 under the aegis of coach Hans Rasenberg.
2000 / Coached by Henk Jansen, vv Gilze finishes bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, descending into Sunday League 5 along with the club in second-last place, RKSV Sarto.
2001 / Finishing in third place in District South I’s Sunday League 5D, vv Gilze goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus managing an immediate return to Sunday League 4. The successful coach is Henk Jansen.
2002 / Former SV Gilze and vv Gilze youth midfielder Charlie van den Ouweland, who had moved to Willem II’s youth academy some years previously, makes his professional league debut at the age of 21 at FC Den Bosch. Van den Ouweland goes on to have spells at FC Zwolle, FC Dordrecht, Fortuna Sittard, RBC Roosendaal, and FC Oss, ultimately hanging up his boots in 2012.
2003 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 4F with coach Rocco Leeser, vv Gilze drops back into Sunday League 5 along with the club in second-last place, UVV ’40.
2005 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 5H, 6 points ahead of runners-up RKVV DIA, vv Gilze wins promotion to Sunday League 4. The successful coach is Fred Kruijs. Also in 2005, former vv Gilze youth midfielder Joep van den Ouweland (the younger brother of Charlie), who had moved to Willem II’s youth academy in 1991 – and later to Feyenoord Rotterdam’s academy – makes his professional league debut at the age of 21 with BV De Graafschap. Van den Ouweland goes on to have spells at Go Ahead Eagles and FC Oss, withdrawing into non-league football with vv Achilles Veen in 2017.
2009 / vv Gilze finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 4E, 2 points behind champions SV Veerse Boys. In the summer of 2009, vv Gilze plays a gala match at Sportpark aan de Lange Wagenstraat against professional league side NAC Breda, managing to score two goals, but ultimately losing the match 7-2.
2010 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, 7 points ahead of closest followers vv Raamsdonk, vv Gilze wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Coen Vos.
2011 / 79 years after the ground’s inauguration, Sportpark aan de Lange Wagenstraat is abandoned in the summer of 2011, as vv Gilze settles at the newly laid-out Sportpark Verhoven, to the west of the village – although the new park has not been completed yet. In the following years, the old park has to make way for housing.
2012 / On September 18th, 2012, more than a year after vv Gilze moved into the new park, Sportpark Verhoven is officially inaugurated by Gilze-Rijen’s caretaker mayor Osterloh.

Note - Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1 & 10-18 = non-matchday (ruin) visit, January 2012 / pictures 2-9 = match visit, June 2009.