Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RKSV Nemelaer

Sportpark De Walzaad, Haaren (RKSV Nemelaer)

Netherlands, province: North Brabant = Noord Brabant

11 VI 2023 / RKSV Nemelaer - SC Susteren 1-0 / Sunday League 1, promotion play-off R1 (= NL level 6)

Timeline

1944 / In spite of objections raised by the local priest - who is eventually overruled by his bishop -, a football club is founded in Haaren on July 15th, mere months before the liberation of the southern half of the Netherlands. The club's first chairman is Piet Paymans. The name chosen for the new club is RKSV (Rooms-Katholieke Sportvereniging) Nemelaer - Nemelaer being a corrupted orthography (tainted by local dialect) of Nemerlaer, the local 14th-century castle. Due to no pitch being available in Haaren proper, the club settles at Terrein Huize Assisië in Udenhout for the time being.
1945 / Abandoning Huize Assisië, RKSV Nemelaer settles at a ground in Haaren proper, Terrein Janus van Hurk, better known locally as Terrein D'n Oude Toren. The club is placed in Division 2 of the so-called Brabantse Voetbalbond (BVB) or KNVB Afdeling Brabant, a league system organising football in North Brabant played below KNVB League 4.
1946 / In its first competitive season, the club clinches the title in BVB Sunday Division 2, thus acceding to Division 1.
1953 / After 7 seasons in BVB's top division, RKSV Nemelaer suffers relegation into BVB Division 2. Due to the state of the pitch, the club is nearly disbanded, but a solution is found in the shape of a new pitch, Terrein Leyepad, alternately referred to locally as Terrein Achter de Kerk.
1955 / Clinching the title in BVB Division 2, RKSV Nemelaer returns to Division 1 - yet, the joy is short-lived, with relegation duly following in 1956.
1961 / RKSV Nemelaer drops back into BVB's bottom level, Division 3 - the nadir in club history.
1962 / Winning the title in BVB Sunday Division 3, RKSV Nemelaer manages a return to Division 2 after just one season.
1968 / Construction works having started one year previously, RKSV Nemelaer's new ground, Sportpark De Walzaad, is inaugurated on August 1st, 1968. In its original lay-out, the park consists of 2 pitches - with a 3rd being added in c. 1979.
1974 / RKSV Nemelaer becomes a multi-sports club, adding branches for volleyball and later badminton to the set-up. The situation is short-lived, though, with just the football branch continuing from 1977 onwards.
1978 / Coached by Harrie de Kok, RKSV Nemelaer wins the title in BVB Division 2, thus managing a return to Division 1 after 22 years.
1984 / After 6 seasons in BVB Division 1, the club drops back into Division 2.
1987 / RKSV Nemelaer wins the title in BVB Division 2, thus returning to Afdeling Brabant's top division after just 1 year. The successful trainer is Rien Pennings.
1988 / In a historic promotion, Rien Pennings' men win a 2nd title in a row, thus gaining promotion from BVB Division 1 to KNVB District South I's Sunday League 4 for the first time ever.
1992 / Managing a 5th place in Sunday League 4E, RKSV Nemelaer, coached by Rini de Groot, qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it surprisingly comes out on top, thus gaining promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time in club history.
1994 / Hitherto without any sort of cover, Sportpark De Walzaad's main pitch is adorned with a large main stand, works on which had commenced in 1993. On the pitch, there is less reason for celebration, as RKSV Nemelaer finishes second-last in Sunday League 3C, thus dropping back into League 4 after 2 years.
2000 / Former Nemelaer player Piet Drijvers takes over the role of trainer-coach, hailing the start of a very successful period for the club
2002 / Winning the title in District South I's Sunday League 4G, RKSV Nemelaer returns to League 3 after a 8-year absence.
2005 / Clinching the title in Sunday League 3C, RKSV Nemelaer, still coached by Piet Drijvers, accedes to Sunday League 2 for the first time in club history.
2010 / Finishing in 4th place in Sunday League 2F, RKSV Nemelaer qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Reaching the final, played at vv Beerse Boys' Sportpark De Klep in Middelbeers, Piet Drijvers' men defeat RKVVO with the narrowest of margins (1-0), resulting in a historic promotion to Sunday League 1.
2012 / Runners-up in Sunday League 1C behind RKVV Brabantia, RKSV Nemelaer qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Edging past SV Meerssen, the club eventually succumbs in both legs of the final against vv GOES (5-1 aggregate score) - thus missing out on promotion to Zondag Hoofdklasse.
2013 / With only RKVV JEKA picking up fewer points, RKSV Nemelaer finishes in 13th place in Sunday League 1C, thus dropping back into League 2 after 3 seasons.
2014 / Finishing in a rather underwhelming 4th place in Sunday League 2F, RKSV Nemelaer qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Defeating vv Nieuw Woensel in R1 (following a penalty shoot-out after a 3-3 aggregate score), Nemelaer emphatically defeats SC 't Zand in the final (7-3 aggregate), thus managing an immediate return to League 1. After 14 years of loyal service - and 4 promotions -, trainer Piet Drijvers leaves the club, signing a contract with vv Oirschot Vooruit.
2016 / Finishing in 6th place in Sunday League 1C, RKSV Nemelaer qualifies for the promotion play-offs, but the club crashes out in R1 against RKSV Groene Ster. That same year, Sportpark De Walzaad's B pitch is equipped with a synthetic surface.
2018 / A thorough renovation is carried out on Sportpark De Walzaad's clubhouse.
2019 / Finishing in third place in Sunday League 1C, RKSV Nemelaer qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it is eliminated in R1 by SV Leones (1-2).
2022 / Runners-up in Sunday League 1C, finishing 4 points behind RKSV HVCH, RKSV Nemelaer is given a new opportunity in the promotion play-offs, successively defeating SV Fortuna Wormerveer and scs TAC '90 to qualify for the final. This match, played at vv Alverna's Sportpark Bospad, the club is defeated in the most spectacular of fashions by SV LONGA '30 (8-5 A.E.T.), thus missing out on promotion.
2023 / Coached by Theo van Geffen, RKSV Nemelaer squanders the chance to win the Sunday League 1B title on the last day of the season, losing its away game at RKVV Erp (1-0), while rivals SC Kruisland defeat scs TAC '90 (7-3). Thus, SC Kruisland, in spite of an inferior goal difference, wins the title with a 3-point difference. In the promotion play-offs, Nemelaer defeats SC Susteren, but is eliminated in the final (played at vv UNA's Sportpark Zeelst in Veldhoven) by RKVV EVV (2-0). In a lucky loser round, organised due to an extra promotion place being available, the club is drawn against RKHVV and RKSV NEO. Defeating both clubs - with the decisive win being a narrow 1-0 defeat of NEO at Sportpark 't Wooldrik in Borne -, the club finally achieves its much longed-for promotion to the national leagues.

Note - The main source of the information above is a (comic) book published on the occasion of the club's 75th anniversary, “RKSV Nemelaer 75 jaar. Hét Haarense voetbalavontuur van 1944 tot 2019”, by Luc Verschuuren. Other valuable information was provided by senior club man Victor van Loon.