NETHERLANDS: RKVV Constantia (1970-±1977) / WVV Constantia (±1977-)

Sportpark De Kwik, Wanroij (WVV Constantia, formerly RKVV Constantia)

Netherlands, province: North Brabant = Noord-Brabant

24 IX 2023 / WVV Constantia - vv Sambeek 4-0 / District South II, Sunday League 4H (= NL level 9)

Timeline

• 1918 / Foundation of a first football club in Wanroij, which is given the name Willem I. The club finds a pitch on a piece of farmland referred to as Terrein De Hoeke. The existence of Willem I is short-lived, though, with dissolution following around 1920.
• 1925 / Refoundation of Willem I under the newly chosen name Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging (RKVV) Constantia. The founding fathers of the new club are Tiny Tillemans, Thijs Prinsen, and Marinus van den Hoogen. The first chairman is Piet van den Hulsbeek. The club, which joins Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalbond Den Bosch, a Roman-Catholic football association, is placed in Kring Maasbuurt Division 2 of that association’s league pyramid. Having played its first tentative matches at Terrein De Nor in May 1925, the club soon finds a new, more suitable pitch at Terrein Bergen. 
• 1928 / Having remained inactive for most of the previous year due to the absence of a suitable pitch, RKVV Constantia moves to Terrein Lambertus van Duren in September 1928, only to move on to Terrein P. Verhoeven one month later. Meanwhile, co-founder Marinus van den Hoogen has taken over the chairmanship of the club.
• 1930 / Having played at Terrein P. Verhoeven for the past year, RKVV Constantia moves on to Terrein Johan van den Broek in February 1930.
• 1931 / Without suffering a single defeat all season, RKVV Constantia clinches the title in Kring Maasbuurt Division 2, defeating De Zwaluw from nearby Oeffelt in a tie-break match at RKSV Olympia’s Terrein Graafseweg in Boxmeer (4-0), with two goals each by J. Bouwmans and J. van den Hulsbeek. Also in 1931, the club moves on to a new ground, probably situated at or close to Dorpsstraat. The pitch is inaugurated on May 10th, 1931, with a friendly match against RKVV Voorwaarts from Weebosch (2-3).
• 1932 / RKVV Constantia crowns itself champions of Kring Maasbuurt Zuid following a convincing 6-0 defeat of vv Juliana from Maashees. After the season, the club plays a tie-break match against the champions of Kring Maasbuurt Noord, DES, the result being promotion to Division 2 of Roomsch-Katholieke Federatie (RKF).
• 1936 / Managing a respectable 4th place in IVCB (Interdiocesane Voetbal-Competitie-Bond) Division 3, RKVV Constantia also wins the so-called Bisschopsbeker, a cup competition, by defeating vv Gemert in the final played in Mill. 
• 1940 / IVCB as well as all Roman-Catholic football leagues are disbanded at the behest of German occupation authorities. RKVV Constantia joins the official Netherlands’ FA, NVB (Nederlandse Voetbalbond), being placed in Sunday League 3 of District South II – and continuing its life one division lower from 1941 onwards.
• 1944 / RKVV Constantia wins the title in District South II’s Sunday League 4G without winning promotion to a higher division.
• 1947 / Having played at Terrein Herman Reijnen (at Molenstraat) for some years after abandoning the pitch at Dorpsstraat, RKVV Constantia now moves to Terrein Miet de Hoog (Verlorenhoek).
• 1949 / Having played at Terrein Miet de Hoog for two years, RKVV Constantia now settles at Terrein Sjef Wijnen (at Kerkveld).
• 1950 / Finishing 9th and second-last in Sunday League 4G, RKVV Constantia descends into Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 1.
• 1952 / Abandoning Terrein Sjef Wijnen after three years, RKVV Constantia moves into its purpose-built, municipal sports ground at Dorpsstraat – situated right next to the local feed mill plant. The opening ceremony having been performed by the local mayor, Mr Cornelissen, WVV Constantia loses its first (friendly) match on the new pitch comprehensively against SV DSV (1-6).
• 1953 / RKVV Constantia wins promotion back to Sunday League 4 after a three-year absence.
• 1957 / Finishing in 8th place in District South II’s Sunday League 4A, RKVV Constantia drops back into Afdeling Noord-Brabant.
• 1958 / RKVV Constantia wins promotion back to Sunday League 4 after just one season in Afdeling Noord-Brabant.
• 1961 / Finishing in 11th place in Sunday League 4A, RKVV Constantia drops back into Afdeling Noord-Brabant – destined not to return to League 4 for almost two decades. The decisive defeat sealing relegation was incurred at the hands of vv Hapse Boys.
• 1962 / RKVV Constantia misses out on promotion back to KNVB Sunday League 4 after finishing runners-up in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 1 behind SV Milsbeek. Around this same time, the club has to play its home games on temporary pitches at Landhorst and the local recreation park, De Bergen, due to its pitch at Dorpsstraat being laid out anew.
• 1964 / RKVV Constantia drops back into Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 2.
• 1966 / A second pitch is added to the set-up at Terrein Dorpsstraat.
• 1968 / Having played at Terrein Dorpsstraat for the past sixteen years, RKVV Constantia settles on a temporary pitch at the local recreation park De Bergen, while a new municipal ground is being prepared for the club at Kwikstraat – in fact right next to the old pitches at Dorpsstraat.
• 1969 / Having finished runners-up behind RKSV Odiliapeel the previous season, RKVV Constantia now wins the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 2 after winning a set of two tie-break matches against RKSV Festilent – the second of which, played at SES’ ground in Langenboom, is attended by over 2,000 spectators. As such, Constantia manages a return to D1 after five years.
• 1970 / Having spent two seasons at De Bergen, RKVV Constantia moves into the newly built Terrein Kwikstraat. On June 12th, 1970, the inaugural ceremony having been performed by Wanroij’s mayor, Mr Smulders, the first match to be played on the new pitch is a friendly encounter between a regional selection of players from local non-league clubs playing League 2 team vv Boxmeer. The old pitch at Dorpsstraat is replaced by facilities for the local handball and tennis clubs.
• 1975 / RKVV Constantia celebrates its 50th anniversary with a gala match against a team of Roman-Catholic broadcaster KRO, which includes celebrities such as Ad Langebent, Berend Boudewijn, and Aad van den Heuvel. No fewer than 1,700 spectators witness an emphatic 14-0 win for Constantia.
• ± 1977 / Although definite proof is sadly missing, RKVV Constantia’s board must have officially dropped the reference to the Roman-Catholic origins of the club in the late 1970s or early 1980s (but certainly before 1987), with the club name being adapted to become Wanroijse Voetbalvereniging (WVV) Constantia.
• 1980 / Defeating HBV (3-1) in a home match attended by 1,264 spectators, WVV Constantia wins the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 1, thus managing a return to KNVB Sunday League 4 after 19 years.
• 1983 / Finishing 12th and last in Sunday League 4A, WVV Constantia, coached by Frans Geerings, drops back into Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 1.
• 1984 / Coached by Martien Timmers, WVV Constantia suffers a second relegation in a row, thus suddenly finding itself in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 2.
• 1987 / Terrein Kwikstraat is officially renamed Sportpark De Kwik, with ‘kwik’ being a reference to the local dialect word for a ‘breeder’ or ‘grower’ (‘kweker’ in regular Dutch) – Kwikstraat had been given that name because the soil used to be part of a local breeding farm. 
• 1990 / Winning the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 2 following a 2-1 defeat of RKVV Fiducia (goals by Peter van den Broek and Willie Donkers), WVV Constantia finds its way back to Division 1. Also in 1990, Sportpark De Kwik’s main pitch is adorned with a small covered stand. 
• 1991 / WVV Constantia drops back into Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 2 following a last place in Division 1.
• 1992 / Defeating SV Milsbeek in a tie-break match, WVV Constantia wins promotion to Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 1. The stay at that level does not last longer than one season, though, with relegation following in 1993.
• 1996 / In a reorganisation of non-league, which sees the divisions below Sunday League 4A being integrated into the district pyramid, WVV Constantia is placed in Sunday League 6. 
• 1997 / Finishing 4th in Sunday League 6I, WVV Constantia wins the promotion play-offs to accede to Sunday League 5. The stay at that level lasts for two seasons, with relegation following in 1999.
• 2002 / Finishing runners-up in Sunday League 6G, WVV Constantia accedes to League 5 after winning the promotion play-offs.
• 2008 / Clinching the title in District South II’s Sunday League 5G, WVV Constantia wins promotion to Sunday League 4, returning to that level after an absence of 25 years.
• 2009 / After just one season in Sunday League 4, in which it finishes last in League 4G, WVV Constantia drops back into League 5.
• 2012 / The clubhouse at Sportpark De Kwik is rebuilt completely
• 2014 / Finishing runners-up in Sunday League 5G, 14 points behind champions vv Nijnsel, WVV Constantia wins the ensuing promotion play-off group against RKSV WEC and RKVV Keldonk to accede to League 4.
• 2018 / Just 1 point ahead of RKSV Ulysses, WVV Constantia wins the title in Sunday League 4G, thus acceding to League 3 a full 77 years after last having played at that level.
• 2019 / WVV Constantia finishes 12th in Sunday League 3D, with just RKSV Ulysses and RKSV MULO gathering fewer points. Having to play a round of play-offs to stay in League 3, Constantia is unable to stay up, thus finding itself back in League 4 after just one season.
• 2020 / In the 2019-20 season, broken off in the early spring of 2020 due to the COVID lockdown, WVV Constantia finishes the season in second place, thus being deprived of the opportunity to fight for a return to League 3. Also in or around 2020, the entrance of Sportpark De Kwik is moved from Kwikstraat to Hoevensestraat.
• 2022 / In the first full season following the COVID lockdown, WVV Constantia wins the title in Sunday League 4G, 10 points ahead of vv Achates, thus making its way back to League 3.
• 2023 / With just SV Vitesse ’08 behind them, WVV Constantia finishes in 11th place in District South II’s Sunday League 3D with only 10 points. Having to save its skin in the play-offs, the club defeats RKSVO (1-2), but loses the final due to a last-minute goal away at vv Alem (3-2) – thus again dropping back into League 4 after one season only.

Note – Main source of information is a book published on the occasion of WVV Constantia’s 75th anniversary in 2000, “Constantia 75 jaar”, written by Gerrit Jacobs / Henk Laarakkers / Henk Reijnen / Tonny Blonk / Frans Cornelissen. Thanks to WVV Constantia’s board for putting a copy of this book at my disposal

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

NETHERLANDS: RKVV Almania (1970-2013) / Sporting Sittard '13 (2013-)

Sportpark Bachstraat, Sittard Broeksittard (Sporting Sittard '13, formerly RKVV Almania)

Netherlands, province: Limburg

17 IX 2023 / Sporting Sittard '13 - RKVV Wijnandia 4-2 / District South II, Regional Cup - group stage, group 2-12

Timeline

• 1919 / Having been inspired by French occupation troops just across the border in Germany, the soldiers of which play each other in football matches to kill time, the decision is taken in the village of Broeksittard to found a football club, which is given the name Blauw Wit. The club’s first chairman is Mr. M. Jetten. In 1919 or shortly after it, the club finds itself a ground, Terrein Schelberg. 
• 1920 / Blauw Wit starts its life in Division 2 of the so-called Roomsch-Katholieke Limburgsche Voetbalbond (RKLVB), a league of Roman-Catholic football clubs in Limburg not affiliated to the official Netherlands’ Football Association (NVB).
• 1930 / Having played in several Roman-Catholic leagues in the past 10 years (initially RKLVB, later RKF and IVCB), Blauw Wit applies for membership of the official Netherlands’ FA (KNVB), being placed in District South II’s Sunday League 3 on the condition that the club changes its name – the name Blauw Wit already having been taken by several other clubs. As such, Blauw Wit changes its name to become RKVV (Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging) Almania.
• 1932 / Having played in KNVB Sunday League 3 for two seasons, RKVV Almania chooses to withdraw its KNVB membership, preferring to return to the ranks of RKLVB, being placed in that league’s Overgangsklasse (feeder division of the ranks of IVCB).
• 1934 / RKVV Almania has a successful year – although it is unclear in which division –, winning all of its matches and finishing the season with a 68-0 goal difference.
• 1939 / RKVV Almania wins a title in RKLVB or IVCB.
• 1940 / Following the German occupation of the Netherlands, all football associations except the official Netherlands’ FA (renamed NVB, naturally without the royal epithet ‘K’ – or ‘koninklijk’) are abolished. RKVV Almania rejoins NVB, being placed in Sunday League 2.
• 1946 / Foundation of vv Stadbroek, a new club created in the eastern outskirts of Sittard - soon to coalesce with the village of Broeksittard in the post-war years. It is unclear if this club played at Sportpark Stadbroek at Jan Steenstraat from the outset.
• 1949 / vv Stadbroek reaches KNVB Sunday League 4 for the first time. It is unclear for how long the club managed to hold its own at this level before dropping back into Afdeling Limburg (Limburgse Voetbalbond, LVB).
• 1955 / With the introduction of professional league football – and many Sunday league clubs joining –, the open places in Sunday League 1 are taken by clubs from the level below. As such, RKVV Almania, which had finished 3rd in Sunday League 2A in the 1954-55 season, wins promotion to the highest non-league level. Meanwhile, in another part of Sittard, in the Ophoven neighbourrhood, a new football club is founded which is given the name vv Thien Bunder Boys.
• 1956 / Unable to hold its own in Sunday League 1 – also because its strongest players had joined the newly created professional league side in Sittard, RKSV Sittardia –, RKVV Almania drops back into League 2 after just one season.
• 1960 / Finishing bottom of the table in Sunday League 2B, RKVV Almania finds itself in Sunday League 3 for the first time since rejoining the ranks of the Netherlands’ official FA in 1940.
• 1963 / Winning the title in District South II’s Sunday League 3C, RKVV Almania returns to the League 2 level.
• 1964 / Although RKVV Almania wins the title in Sunday League 2A, the club fails to win promotion due to an unsuccessful set of promotion play-offs.
• 1966 / RKVV Almania loses the title in Sunday League 2B in the last match of the season. Leading at VCH in Hout-Blerick 0-2 until 15 minutes before the end of the match, the club goes on to lose 3-2, with rivals SV Panningen thus pipping the Broeksittard side at the post – and walking away with first place.
• 1967 / RKVV Almania eventually accedes to Sunday League 1 after obtaining the title in Sunday League 2B. This promotion heralds the most successful spell in club history.
• 1968 / Incredibly, RKVV Almania wins the title in Sunday League 1F in its first season after returning to this level. In the subsequent play-offs against the champions of the five other Sunday League 1 divisions (RKSV DCG, UVS, vv Rheden, vv Emmen, and MV&AV Middelburg), RKVV Almania plays its home matches at Stadion De Baandert, the stadium of professional league side Fortuna SC. Managing just one win in 10 matches, Almania finishes bottom of the table, with Amsterdam’s DCG clinching first place.
• 1970 / RKVV Almania comes close to the title in Sunday League 1F once again, eventually having to leave the honours to local rivals vv Sanderbout. The derby encounters between the two clubs draw crowds of 4,000 (at Almania) and 2,500 (at Sanderbout). In the preparatory stages of the 1970-71 season, RKVV Almania wins the so-called Twente-Ros Tournament in Enschede. On September 6th, 1970, the club’s newly laid-out ground, Sportpark Bachstraat, is inaugurated with Almania managing a 1-1 draw against vv RIOS ’31. Possibly also in or around 1970, vv Thien Bunder Boys moves from Ophoven to the southern half of this newly created Sportpark Bachstraat in Broeksittard.
• 1971 / Finishing with an equal number of points as vv Caesar in Sunday League 1F, RKVV Almania meets its rival in a tie-break match for the title at Stadion De Baandert (attended by 16,000 spectators!), with vv Caesar winning the match after extra time (3-2) – thus pushing back Almania into second place. Meanwhile, vv Stadbroek wins promotion to KNVB Sunday League 4 for a second time.
• 1973 / Winning the final against RKVV Voerendaal at Voerendaal’s ground (0-2), RKVV Almania wins District South II’s Regional Cup (‘Districtsbeker’).
• 1974 / Finishing 6th in Sunday League 1F, RKVV Almania wins promotion to the newly created top level of Sunday football, Zondag Hoofdklasse.
• 1975 / In its first season in Zondag Hoofdklasse C, RKVV Almania finishes in 6th place – and, not unimportant in view of local rivalries, being the most successful non-league club in Limburg that season.
• 1977 / Clinching the title in District South II’s Sunday League 4D, vv Stadbroek accedes to Sunday League 3, probably for the first time.
• 1978 / Winning its second title in a row, this time in Sunday League 3B, vv Stadbroek accedes to Sunday League 2 for the first time in club history.
• 1979 / Its fate being sealed following a 4-2 defeat away at SV Panningen, RKVV Almania drops out of Zondag Hoofdklasse C after 4 seasons, never managing a return to that level in subsequent years. On June 4th, 1979, the club plays its last-ever match at Hoofdklasse level, a 1-2 home defeat against TSV LONGA. Meanwhile, in the club’s best season ever, vv Stadbroek finishes in 4th place in Sunday League 2B.
• 1980 / RKVV Almania reaches the semis of District South II’s Regional Cup, in which it is eliminated by RFC Roermond (1-3). Meanwhile, at the southern end of Sportpark Bachstraat, vv Thien Bunder Boys changes its name to become Sportclub (SC) Sittardia ’80.
• 1981 / SC Sittardia ’80 absorbs a small, local non-league club, vv Vrangendael, without a name change resulting from the merger.
• 1982 / Finishing bottom of the table in Sunday League 1F, RKVV Almania finds itself in Sunday League 2 for the first time in 15 years. Meanwhile, having managed 4 seasons in League 2, vv Stadbroek now finishes last in Sunday League 2B, thus dropping back into League 3.
• 1983 / Finishing 6 points ahead of RKVV Waubach, RKVV Almania wins the title in Sunday League 2A, thus managing an immediate return to League 1. In November 1983, the clubhouse at Sportpark Bachstraat is consumed in a fire.
• 1985 / RKVV Almania drops back into League 2 following a 13th place in Sunday League 1F. On a happier note, a rebuilt clubhouse is inaugurated at Sportpark Bachstraat, the official ceremony being performed by a local alderman, Mr Houthakkers. Meanwhile, finishing last in District South II’s Sunday League 3C, vv Stadbroek finds itself back in League 4 after 8 years.
• 1986 / Following a 0-4 win at RKVV Kolonia, RKVV Almania clinches the title in Sunday League 2A, thus returning to League 1 at the first instance. Meanwhile, in its third relegation in four years, vv Stadbroek falls back into the ranks of Afdeling Limburg after finishing bottom of the table in Sunday League 4D.
• 1988 / RKVV Almania finishes runners-up in Sunday League 1F, but misses out on promotion to Zondag Hoofdklasse.
• 1990 / Finishing 10th in Sunday League 1F, RKVV Almania drops back into League 2. Meanwhile, after four years in Afdeling Limburg, vv Stadbroek manages a return to Sunday League 4. The stay at that level lasts for two seasons, with relegation following in 1992.
• 1994 / Winning the title in Sunday League 2A, RKVV Almania manages a return to League 1. The stay at that level does not last longer than one season, though, with relegation duly following in 1995.
• 1996 / vv Stadbroek wins promotion to Sunday League 4. This time, the stay at that level lasts for 5 seasons, with relegation following in 2001.
• 1997 / RKVV Almania wins the title in Sunday League 2H, thus returning to League 1. Again, though, the spell at that level does not last longer than one season, with relegation following in 1998. The club never returned to the League 1 level in subsequent years.
• 1999 / Finishing 11th in Sunday League 2G, RKVV Almania suffers relegation to Sunday League 3, a level at which the club had last played 36 years back.
• 2001 / Winning the title in Sunday League 3C, RKVV Almania manages a return to League 2. The spell at that level lasts for 3 seasons, with relegation following in 2004.
• 2004 / Clinching the title in District South II’s Sunday League 5C, vv Stadbroek wins promotion to Sunday League 4.
• 2005 / SC Sittardia ’80 changes its name to become vv Sittard-Oost.
• 2006 / Finishing in 10th place in Sunday League 3B, RKVV Almania drops back into League 4, a level at which the club had never played previously.
• 2007 / Winning the title in District South II’s Sunday League 4C, RKVV Almania finds its way back to League 3 at the first instance. As for vv Stadbroek, in its last season as an independent club, it finishes in 9th place in Sunday League 4C. The club concludes a merger with vv Sittard-Oost, resulting in the foundation of SSOC (Stadbroek-Sittard-Oost Combinatie). With vv Sittard-Oost’s ground, Sportpark Bachstraat (Zuid), having to make way for a playground, all activities move to Sportpark Stadbroek at Jan Steenstraat. SSOC starts its life in Sunday League 4 by virtue of vv Stadbroek having stayed up at that level the previous season.
• 2008 / Finishing last in Sunday League 4C, SSOC suffers relegation to League 5.
• 2009 / Winning the title in Sunday League 5C, SSOC manages an immediate return to League 4.
• 2011 / SSOC finishes runners-up in Sunday League 4C, but fails to win promotion in the play-offs. Nonetheless, the 2010-11 season goes down as the most successful year in the merger club’s short existence.
• 2013 / In its last season as an independent club, RKVV Almania finishes 12th in Sunday League 3B, thus suffering relegation to League 4. Meanwhile, SSOC finishes in 10th place in Sunday League 4C, narrowly saving its skin at that level. In mid-2013, SSOC concludes a merger with RKVV Almania, resulting in the foundation of Sporting Sittard ’13. All activities move to Almania’s ground at Bachstraat, with SSOC’s Sportpark Stadbroek at Jan Steenstraat being abandoned – and subsequently laid out anew as a recreation area. Sporting Sittard ’13 starts its life in Sunday League 4, a level at which the club has played ever since.

Note - Picture 21 below (the last in the series) shows the two open terraces on each side of the main stand before the discovery of concrete degradation incited Sittard's municipal authorities to take the decision to cover both terraces under a set of thick groves. Photo, taken in April 2018, courtesy of Sjoerd van Leeuwen.

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

NETHERLANDS: vv Doetinchem

Sportpark De Bezelhorst Noord, Doetinchem (vv Doetinchem)

Netherlands, province: Guelders = Gelderland

10 IX 2023 / vv Doetinchem - SC EDS 0-2 / District East, Regional Cup - group stage, group 3-34

Timeline

• 1907 / Foundation of Doetinchemsche Football Club (DFC) – not the oldest club in Doetinchem, given that DVC (Doetinchemsche Voetbalclub) dated back to 1900 – but this club folded in 1911. The first pitch of Doetinchemsche FC, originally an elitist club, was situated in Wijnbergen, Terrein Cleve – a plot of farmland rented from a local smallholder.
• 1915 / Doetinchemsche FC reaches NVB District East’s League 3 for the first time (with no League 4 existing at that time).
• 1918 / Winning the title in League 3 for the second time running, DFC wins promotion to League 2. That same year, a new club sees the daylight in Doetinchem, Excelsior. It is unclear where Excelsior’s ground was situated.
• 1922 / Forced by NVB authorities, who frown upon clubs sharing the same name, Excelsior changes its name to become DLO (‘Door Lichamelijk Oefenen’, or, literally translated in English, ‘By Physical Training’). 
• 1924 / DLO reaches NVB League 4 for the first time. That same year, Doetinchemsche FC drops back into League 3 after having played in League 2 for the past 6 seasons.
• 1928 / A merger is concluded between DLO and DFC, resulting in the foundation of Voetbalvereeniging (vv) Doetinchem. All activities move to Doetinchemsche FC’s ground – by then no longer situated in Wijnbergen, but in Doetinchem proper, Terrein De Kruisberg.
• 1930 / Winning the title in League 3C, vv Doetinchem accedes to League 2. In the 1930s, the club alternates spells in League 2 (1930-34, 1936-38) and League 3 (1934-36, 1938-41). Also in the course of this decade, a wooden covered stand is erected at Terrein De Kruisberg.
• 1937 / Having its best season in the pre-war era, vv Doetinchem finishes in 4th place in League 2B.
• 1941 / Winning the title in District East’s Sunday League 3C, vv Doetinchem manages a return to League 2. The club holds out at that level for 8 years, with relegation following in 1949.
• 1951 / Finishing in 1st place in Sunday League 3C, vv Doetinchem returns to League 2. This time, the spell at that level lasts for 3 seasons, with relegation following in 1954.
• 1956 / Although, at a club meeting, a majority of the members votes in favour of a merger with fledgling professional league club BVC De Graafschap (founded in 1954), the decision is reversed shortly afterwards amid a sharp conflict between those in favour and those against a professional league adventure. In the end, BVC De Graafschap finds another merger partner, vv Oosseld – with the new merger club taking on the name VBV De Graafschap and with vv Oosseld becoming the club’s non-league branch. For many years, the relations between De Graafschap and vv Doetinchem remain strained.
• 1962 / Finishing in last place in District East’s Sunday League 3C, vv Doetinchem drops back into League 4 for the first time in club history. In the following 15 years, the club alternates spells in League 4 (1962-65, 1969-74) and League 3 (1965-69, 1974-77).
• 1977 / Clinching the title in Sunday League 3C, vv Doetinchem returns to League 2 after an absence of 23 years at that level.
• 1979 / For the first time in club history, vv Doetinchem accedes to League 1 following a title win in League 2A. In the following season, the club finishes in a respectable 5th place in League 1D.
• 1986 / In the best season in club history, vv Doetinchem finishes in 4th place in League 1D.
• 1987 / Having held out at League 1 level for 8 consecutive seasons, vv Doetinchem drops back into League 2.
• 1988 / Suffering back-to-back relegations, the club suddenly finds itself in League 3.
• 1990 / Having played at Terrein De Kruisberg for some 65 years (including the DFC era pre-1928), vv Doetinchem moves to the newly laid-out Sportpark De Bezelhorst, to the north of Doetinchem’s town centre.
• 1999 / Having spent 11 consecutive seasons in League 3, vv Doetinchem now wins the title in Sunday League 3C, thus acceding to League 2. The stay at that level does not last longer than one season though, with relegation duly following in 2000. The club spends the following 9 seasons in League 3.
• 2002 / VBV De Graafschap has a youth academy ground built at Sportpark De Bezelhorst, to the south of vv Doetinchem's ground. In the following years, also due to vv Doetinchem's membership dwindling, De Graafschap is also allowed the use of the southern end of the park.
• 2010 / Having suffered relegation into League 4 the previous season, vv Doetinchem now wins the title in Sunday League 4D, thus returning to League 3.
• 2015 / Finishing last in Sunday League 3C, vv Doetinchem drops back into League 4.
• 2018 / vv Doetinchem clinches the title in Sunday League 4D, 1 point ahead of vv MvR. As such, the club returns to League 3.
• 2022 / Coached by Hans Hendriksen, vv Doetinchem finishes in 4th place in Sunday League 3B, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. Defeating vv Trekvogels in R1 (2-3) and RKSV Brakkenstein in R2 (1-5), the club qualifies for the final, played against vv Witkampers at a neutral venue, Sportclub Eefde’s Sportpark De Wolzak. After 90 minutes, the score is 2-2, with the tie going into extra time. After vv Witkampers scores the 3-2, the atmosphere on and off the pitch becomes extremely heated – with matters running out of hand quickly. Due to some of vv Doetinchem’s players having misbehaved badly, the match, which was called off with just 1 minute of play remaining, was awarded to vv Witkampers. Amateur footage of the brawls off the pitch goes viral, drawing nationwide attention.
• 2023 / In March 2023, due to an away match at vv Gendringen being suspended by the referee after misconduct by vv Doetinchem players, KNVB authorities punish the club with a deduction of 5 points. The following month, after another match – at home against VDZ – being broken off by the referee, vv Doetinchem’s board takes the far-reaching decision to withdraw its first team voluntarily – with automatic relegation being the logical result. Most players are expelled from the club, with a new first team being formed for the 2023-24 season in Sunday League 4.

Note - Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-3 = non-matchday visit, October 2019 / pictures 4-14 = match visit, September 2023.

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