NETHERLANDS: AVC Heracles (1913-1974) / SC Heracles '74 (1974-1998) / Heracles Almelo (1998-1999)

Gemeentelijk Sportpark Bornsestraat, Almelo (formerly AVC Heracles / SC Heracles '74 / Heracles Almelo)

Netherlands, province: Overijssel

July 2010 / no match visited

Note: AVC (Almelose Voetbalclub) Heracles saw the daylight in 1903, when two local clubs, In Arte and Hollandia, concluded a merger; for the first three years of their existence, the club were called Hercules, but due to a club in nearby Enschede already having chosen that name, the practical decision was taken upon to choose the Greek version of the hero's name instead of the Latin one. Hercules/Heracles took up playing at Hollandia's ground, Terrein Hammink, but moved to Terrein Erve Bonthuis in 1909. In 1913, a new main pitch was inaugurated on the other side of Terrein Erve Bonthuis, with the entrance situated at Bornsestraat. In 1925, this pitch was adorned with a wooden main stand - other open standing areas were added later onwards. AVC Heracles became one of the more successful clubs in the eastern part of the Netherlands, and thus, when professional league football was introduced in 1954, the club from Almelo decided to join the professional ranks, reaching the top league or Eredivisie for the first time in their history in 1962. In 1974, the club was split into a non-league branch, retaining the name AVC Heracles, and a professional branch, SC (Sportclub) Heracles '74 - usually simply referred to as SC Heracles. At the request of Almelo's town council, the name was adapted to being Heracles Almelo; by this time, preparations to build a new stadium at Ossenkoppelerhoek were well underway and the municipality were keen for some extra exposure for their town in exchange for their handsome contribution to the building costs. In the summer of 1999, Heracles Almelo moved to the new stadium, then known as Polman Stadion for sponsorship reasons. On August 4th, 1999, a farewell match was played at Gemeentelijk Sportpark Bornsestraat, with AFC Ajax providing the opposition (result: 2-2). Subsequently, most of the stands of the old ground were knocked down; only the main stand was retained - after a thorough restauration, it was moved to AVC Heracles' main pitch (formerly the old stadium's first side pitch). Part of the covered stand behind one of the goals was rebuilt at SV Almelo's ground at Ossenkoppelerhoek, where it has served as main stand ever since. Part of the fencing of the old ground - which became a training pitch for AVC Heracles - survived for some 15 more years (cp. photos below from 2010) before being removed as well.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author