Extreme Football Tourism: 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