Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: ABS

Sunday, 18 June 2023

NETHERLANDS: ABS

Sportpark De Looënk, Bathmen (ABS)

Netherlands, province: Overijssel

18 VI 2023 / vv Lemelerveld - SV Barbaros 2-3 / District East, Sunday Leagues 2 & 3 - promotion-relegation play-off final (neutral venue) (= NL levels 7 & 8)

Timeline

1930 / Foundation of a multi-sports club in Bathmen, which is given the name Algemeene Bathmense Sportvereeniging (ABS). Initially, there are only branches for gymnastics and football, but other sports are added to the set-up later onwards, including handball, volleyball, and judo. ABS's first chairman is G. Rutgers. The club's first football pitch, Terrein Oude Molen, was situated to the north of Bathmen proper. At some point, the club moved to Terrein Vegerinkskamp, but it is unclear when exactly.
1932 / Although Bathmen is situated in Overijssel, ABS' football branch joins a football association from a neighbouring province, the so-called Geldersche Voetbalbond (GVB). GVB (officially renamed Afdeling Gelderland in 1940) organised feeder leagues of the regular Netherlands' FA's District East Sunday League 4.
1961 / ABS wins the title in GVB Sunday Division 1A, but fails to clinch promotion in the ensuing round of play-offs.
1964 / Having played in the divisions of GVB for over 3 decades, ABS finally accedes to KNVB Sunday League 4. After winning the GVB Sunday Division 1A title, the club qualifies from the promotion play-offs against fellow champions vv MEC, KCVO, Sportclub Groessen, and SV Steenderen.
1971 / Winning the title in District East's Sunday League 4H, ABS accedes to Sunday League 3 for the first time, holding its own at that level for 2 seasons before dropping back.
1975 / Winning the title in Sunday League 4G, ABS sets out on a prolonged spell in Sunday League 3.
1978 / Abandoning Terrein Vegerinkskamp, ABS moves into the newly built Sportpark De Looënk.
1982 / In the best season in club history, ABS finishes runners-up in Sunday League 3B.
1987 / Following back-to-back relegations, ABS finds itself in GVB (Afdeling Gelderland) for the 1st time in 23 years. It takes the club 2 seasons to find the way back up into Sunday League 4.
1999 / Having played in Sunday League 4 for the past 10 seasons, ABS finishes in 10th place in Sunday League 4G, thus dropping into Sunday League 5 (which succeeded GVB Division 1 in 1996).
2000 / Winning the title in Sunday League 5H, ABS returns to League 4 immediately.
2005 / Finishing runners-up in Sunday League 4H, ABS eventually wins promotion to League 3 via a round of play-offs.
2006 / ABS hosts AFC Ajax in a pre-season friendly at Sportpark De Looënk, not unexpectedly losing the encounter emphatically (11-0).
2010 / Finishing 12th and last in Sunday League 3B, the club drops back into League 4.
2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short due to the COVID lockdown, ABS is awarded the title in Sunday League 4G on the basis of 16 of 24 matches - with a 6-point margin over closest followers vv Holten. ABS wins promotion to Sunday League 3.
2023 / Having finished in 12th place in Sunday League 3D, ABS drops back into League 4 along with UVV Albatross and SV Turkse Kracht.