Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: vv Noordster

Gemeentelijk Sportpark - Sportlaan, Oude Pekela (vv Noordster)

Netherlands, province: Groningen

20 XI 2022 / vv Noordster - vv Valthermond 2-1 / Sunday League 2K (= NL level 7)

Timeline

1920 / In the early months of 1920, a recreational team is formed by a group of friends from Oude Pekela; they play their football at a makeshift pitch at Zuidveensterheide / Weelderheide before moving on to Houthandel Koerts - on a ground also used by two other local teams: Harjosteff and Pekela. Seeking membership of OGVB (Oost-Groninger Voetbalbond), an independent association of football teams from the far north-east of the Netherlands, in May 1920, the friends' team takes on the name 'Voetbalvereeniging Noordster'. Before the start of the 1920-21 season, vv Noordster moves to a new pitch at Thorbeckelaan.
1922 / Managing its first promotion, vv Noordster accedes to OGVB's Division 3. The following season, the club replicates the success, winning promotion to OGVB's Division 2.
1925 / The OGVB association folds, ceasing all its activities - with most member clubs making the step to GVB (Groninger Voetbalbond), a local branch of the official Netherlands' Football Association (NVB). However, vv Noordster seems to have made the switch to GVB one or two seasons previously, given the fact that the club won promotion to NVB League 3 in the 1924-25 season.
1926 / vv Noordster absorbs its older village rival Pekela without any name change occurring as a result of the merger. By this time, Harjosteff, the third football team in Oude Pekela, no longer exists. The fate of a fourth village club, PVC, also founded in 1920, is unclear.
1927 / Finishing second in League 3C, vv Noordster gains promotion to NVB League 2 for the first time. Proving a stable factor at this level, the club remains in League 2 for the following 38 (!) years.
1932 / vv Noordster wins the title in League 2B, but due to disappointing results in the promotion play-offs, the club is barred from acceding to League 1.
1934 / Abandoning its old ground at Thorbeckelaan, vv Noordster settles at De Savornin Lohmanlaan.
1959 / As construction works on a new municipal sports park, commissioned by Oude Pekela's local authorities, are completed, vv Noordster leaves its pitch at De Savornin Lohmanlaan behind to move to the new ground, located at Sportlaan. It is unclear if the large terrace on the western end of the main pitch was part of the original lay-out; possibly, it was installed somewhat later, in the 1960s.
1965 / Winning the decisive game away at vv Nieuw Buinen, vv Noordster wins the title in Sunday League 2B - thus acceding to District North's Sunday League 1 for the first time in club history.
1966 / With the growing popularity of Saturday football in certain parts of the Netherlands, vv Noordster decides to enter a team in the regular Saturday leagues. In spite of a continued existence of over 40 years, Noordster's Saturday squad never manages to climb higher up the league ladder than L4. Regular Saturday league football at vv Noordster is discontinued in 2009.
1969 / Having played in League 1 - the top tier of non-league at that time - for four seasons, vv Noordster drops back into Sunday League 2.
1974 / In a play-off match to accede to Sunday League 1, vv Noordster is defeated at the hands of vv Hoogezand. The same fate awaits the club from Oude Pekela the following season, with vv Zwartemeer walking away with the promotion ticket this time.
1978 / Having played at League 2 level for the past nine seasons, vv Noordster finds itself in Sunday League 3 for the first time in 51 years. In the following four decades, the club alternates spells in Sunday Leagues 3 and 2.
1988 / Plans to add a covered stand to the Gemeentelijk Sportpark are stalled due to budgetary problems. Meanwhile, 15-year-old youth player Gerard Wiekens switches to professional league side SC Veendam, where he manages his breakthrough as a first-team player in 1990. Later on, Wiekens earns himself a transfer to Manchester City FC.
1993 / The clubhouse on the eastern end of the main pitch is thoroughly renovated.
2006 / In the presence of alderman Alko Lammersma, a brand new covered stand - a long-cherished wish of Noordster's board - is inaugurated.
2008 / vv Noordster hosts BV Veendam in a friendly match, emphatically won by the professional league side (14-1). Noordster's goal is scored by Mark Wever.
2017 / In spite of a rather anonymous season in Sunday League 2L, in which the club finishes ninth, vv Noordster wins the promotion play-offs, thus finding its way back to Sunday League 1 after an absence of 48 years.
2018 / Club icon Gerard Wiekens takes over the managership of vv Noordster's first team, combining the job with his role as assistant-manager at FC Emmen from 2019 onwards. Wiekens stays on at Noordster for two seasons.
2022 / In spite of Gerard Wiekens returning briefly in an attempt to avoid the drop, vv Noordster is relegated from Sunday League 1 after a spell of five years.
2023 / Finishing in thirteenth and last place in Sunday League 2K, vv Noordster suffers its 2nd relegation in a row, dropping back into L3 along with vv Peize and vv ASVB.
2024 / Finishing in seventh place in District North's Sunday League 3B, vv Noordster qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club defeats vv Drachten in R1 (1-5), but is eliminated in R2 by vv Ruinen (4-2).