Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: AVV America

Sportpark Erica, America (AVV America)

Netherlands, province: Limburg

1 X 2023 / AVV America - SV Ysselsteyn Reserves 2-3 / District South II, Reserves' League 4 - group 5

Timeline

1920 / Foundation of Americase Voetbalvereeniging (AVV) America (following the 1934 orthography change spelled as Americase Voetbalvereniging America). The club may have started its life on a pitch referred to locally at Terrein De Perdsvotten, but several ground moves were made in subsequent decades which have not been documented properly.
1940 / Probably having played in RKLVB (Rooms-Katholieke Limburgse Voetbalbond) until World War II, AVV America joins the regular Netherlands’ Football Association as German occupation authorities demand the abolition of all other football associations.
1948 / Having played in KNVB Afdeling Limburg (more commonly referred to as Limburgse Voetbalbond or LVB), the association of clubs in Limburg playing below Sunday League 4, AVV America now wins promotion to Sunday League 4 for the first time.
1950 / In the best season in club history, AVV America wins the title in District South II’s Sunday League 4F, but misses out on promotion in a round of promotion-relegation play-offs against fellow League 4 champions JVC Cuijk and League 3 clubs RKSV Montagnards and vv Boxmeer, with the last-mentioned club assuring itself of a prolonged stay in League 3. In the following years, AVV America remains a force to be reckoned with in League 4, with runner-up finishes in 1951 (in League 4F) and 1955 (in League 4G).
1957 / Finishing 12th in Sunday League 4F, AVV America drops back into Afdeling Limburg after nine years.
± 1959 / Abandoning Terrein De Perdsvotten, AVV America moves to a temporary pitch, Terrein Zwarte Plak.
1963 / Abandoning Terrein Zwarte Plak, the soil of which was too wet for a football pitch, AVV America settles at the newly built Sportpark Erica, which is inaugurated officially in the following year.
1968 / The outbuildings of Sportpark Erica so far having consisted of just dressing rooms, an extension to the building now sees the inauguration of a clubhouse.
1971 / Having spent the fourteen previous seasons in Afdeling Limburg, AVV America manages a return to Sunday League 4.
1972 / The clubhouse at Sportpark Erica is extended to give it its current lay-out.
1980 / After nine consecutive seasons in District South II’s Sunday League 4 – with the 1975-76 season seeing the club’s best performance, a 3rd place in League 4H – AVV America drops back into Afdeling Limburg Division 1 following a 13th place in League 4H.
1996 / In a reorganisation of the non-league pyramid, which sees the abolition of all regional KNVB football associations below Sunday League 4, AVV America is placed in the newly created Sunday League 5.
1998 / AVV America descends into Sunday League 6.
2011 / Having played in District South II’s Sunday League 6 for the past 13 seasons, AVV America now finishes 4th in Sunday League 6D, qualifying for the promotion play-offs in the last match of the season, defeating RKDSO (5-0). In the play-offs, the club finishes second in a group of three, ahead of vv Racing Boys, but behind SV Grashoek. In a lucky-loser round, the club finishes first in a group with SC Sint Hubert and SV Maaskantse Boys, thus winning promotion to Sunday League 5 through the back door.
2012 / Keen to bring about a merger between RKSV Meterik and AVV America, municipal authorities of Horst aan de Maas suggest the construction of a new sports park for both clubs, to be built halfway between the two villages.
2014 / Finishing second-last in Sunday League 5E, AVV America drops back into Sunday League 6 along with bottom club vv Racing Boys. Also in 2014, AVV America signs a partnership deal with RKSV Meterik, involving the merger of youth teams – evolving into a fully-fledged shared youth academy in the following years.
2015 / Clinching the title in Sunday League 6C, 4 points ahead of closest rivals SV Brandevoort, AVV America returns to Sunday League 5 after just one season.
2017 / AVV America and RKSV Meterik sign a so-called intention declaration, the first step on the path to a merger of both clubs.
2018 / Finishing runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 5E, 4 points behind champions RKSV Montagnards, AVV America qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Defeating SV Rood Wit ’62 in the final (5-4 aggregrate, with the 4-3 winner in the home game being scored in the last minute of extra time), the club manages a return to Sunday League 4 after 38 years.
2020 / Unable to find a suitable location for a new park for the projected merger club of RKSV Meterik and AVV America – the projected location at Schiksedijk turning out to be unavailable due to an unwillingness on the part of its owner, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, to cede it to the municipality of Horst – municipal authorities suggest a thorough renovation of RKSV Meterik’s Sportpark De Vonckel. Thereupon, AVV America’s membership votes down the merger, preferring to continue independently at Sportpark Erica. It should be pointed out that the youth academies of both clubs continue to work together.
2021 / Following the COVID lockdown, which saw a large part of AVV America’s first team hang up their boots, the club decides to withdraw its first team from regular league football, preferring to continue with just teams in the reserves’ leagues.
2023 / RKSV Meterik’s completely revamped Sportpark De Vonckel is inaugurated in the fall of 2023. Meanwhile, in America, the clubhouse of Sportpark Erica is also renovated, with municipal authorities covering part of the costs involved.