Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: vv ATC '65

Thursday, 1 December 2022

NETHERLANDS: vv ATC '65

Sportpark Slangenbeek, Hengelo Ov. (vv ATC '65)

Netherlands, province: Overijssel

1 XII 2022 / vv ATC '65 - SDC '12 4-0 / Sunday League 2I (= NL level 7)

Timeline

1965 / Foundation of Voetbalvereniging 'A Triginta Conditum' 1965 (vv ATC '65) - the literal translation of the Latin name being 'Founded by Thirty (Men)'. The founding fathers of vv ATC '65 are a group of disaffected members of KSV BWO, another Hengelo non-league club (and ATC's fiercest rival ever since). ATC's first chairman is Cees Krijnsen. The club starts its life at a side-pitch of Stadion Veldwijk (later renamed Stadion) Fanny Blankers-Koen) - a pitch, in fact, later taken over by FC Twente's youth academy.
1966 / ATC '65 adds basketball to its activities. In the following years, ATC turns into a veritable omnisports club with branches for volleyball, baseball, softball, and gymnastics.
1970 / Clinching the title in TVB Division 1A, vv ATC '65 manages to climb out of the divisions organised by the local Twentse Voetbalbond, acceding to Sunday League 4.
1973 / Abandoning its premises at the back of Stadion Veldwijk, vv ATC '65 moves to Sportpark Groot Driene.
1977 / A highlight in club history, as ATC accedes to Sunday League 3 for the first time after winning the title in Sunday League 4B. The adventure lasts for one season only, though, with relegation following in 1978.
1983 / After 13 years in the regular Sunday leagues, vv ATC '65 makes a forced return to the ranks of TVB.
1987 / Shedding all its other branches, vv ATC '65 continues as a club focusing on football only.
1993 / Ambitious newspaper magnate Joop Munsterman takes over the chairmanship of vv ATC '65.
1996 / Having played in Twentse Voetbalbond for the past 13 seasons, vv ATC '65 manages a return to Sunday League 4 by winning the title in TVB Division 1B.
2000 / Having been home at Sportpark Groot Driene for 27 years, vv ATC '65 settles at the newly built Sportpark Slangenbeek. That same year, following its second promotion in a row, the club accedes to Sunday League 2 for the first time.
2002 / Suffering relegation to L3 in 2001, vv ATC '65 manages an immediate return in Sunday League 2.
2004 / Winning the title in Sunday League 2J, vv ATC '65 reaches Sunday League 1 - another highlight in club history. Later that year, a covered stand is inaugurated at Sportpark Slangenbeek. Also in 2004, ATC's hyper-ambitious chairman Joop Munsterman takes over the presidency of professional league side FC Twente in Enschede. With Munsterman at the helm, FC Twente has the most successful spell in the club's history, crowned with its first national league title in 2010.
2007 / Having been relegated from League 1 the year before, vv ATC '65 manages an immediate return to that level by clinching the title in Sunday League 2J. Following this, the club has a second two-year spell in Sunday League 1 (2007-09). In the following years, ATC is a steady League 2 club, with just one short excursion to Sunday League 3 (2014-15).
2016 / After 23 years, Joop Munsterman withdraws as ATC's chairman - one year after having given up FC Twente's presidency due to the club having run into grave financial difficulties. In 2016, the Netherlands' FA (KNVB) takes the decision to punish FC Twente for its mismanagement by retrograding the club to Eerste Divisie, the second step of the league pyramid. Angered at the decision, Munsterman withdraws as KNVB member, making him no longer eligible as a board member of any club affiliated to the football association.
2017 / vv ATC '65's main pitch is equipped with a synthetic surface. In the 2017-18 season, FC Twente's women's team plays its home matches at Sportpark Slangenbeek.
2023 / ATC makes the voluntary step from Sunday League 2 to Saturday League 2.
2024 / Champions in Saturday League 2I, 5 points ahead of runners-up SV Nieuwleusen, ATC wins promotion to League 1, heralding a return at that level after an absence of fifteen seasons.