Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RK BVV '27

Sportpark 't Hoogveld, Blitterswijck (RK BVV '27)

Netherlands, province: Limburg

8 X 2023 / RK BVV '27 - Astrantia SV 0-3 / District South II, Sunday League 5D (= NL level 10)

Timeline

1927 / Foundation of a football club in Blitterswijck, which takes on the name RKBVV (Roomsch-Katholieke Blitterswijcksche Voetbalvereeniging), with the statutory meeting taking place in Café Siebers. Instead of joining the official Netherlands’ FA, RKBVV applies for membership of the so-called RKLVB, Roomsch-Katholieke Limburgsche Voetbalbond, a feeder league (association) of the IVCB (Interdiocesane Voetbalcompetitiebond), the Roman-Catholic football association in the Netherlands. As the pitch which had been in use in previous years for recreational football at De Smelen did not meet RKLVB requirements, the newly founded club has to find another solution – which is found on a temporary pitch on a plot of moorland near modern-day Galgenberg, to the south of the village.
1928 / RKBVV takes part in RKLVB’s leagues for the first time, its first team being placed in RKLVB Division 1 and its reserves’ team in Division 3 of the same league association.
1932 / Runners-up in RKLVB Division 1, RKBVV accedes to RKLVB’s so-called Overgangsklasse, the level below the lowest nationwide IVCB level, Division 3.
1933 / After five years on their temporary pitch, RKBVV moves back to Terrein De Smelen, which has been upgraded to meet RKLVB’s minimum requirements.
1940 / Following Germany’s occupation of the Netherlands, the oppressors' authorities abolish all football association except for the official Netherlands’ FA (renamed NVB, dropping the royal epithet ‘Koninklijk’ for obvious reasons); thereupon, RKBVV, which held its own in RKLVB Overgangsklasse for the past eight seasons, now applies for NVB membership, which is obtained on the condition that the club changes its name to avoid confusion with BVV from ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Subsequently, the decision is taken to officially add the year of the club’s foundation to the name, which becomes BVV ’27 – or, to be precise, RK BVV ’27, but it should be noted that the Roman-Catholic epithet has hardly ever been used in the post-war years. Upon being accepted as new FA member, RK BVV ’27 is placed in District South II’s Sunday League 4F.
1954 / Having been a League 4 club for the past fourteen years, RK BVV ’27 now finishes second-last in Sunday League 4H, resulting in relegation into the ranks of Afdeling Limburg.
1955 / Having played in Afdeling Limburg Division 1 for one season, RK BVV ’27 manages to win promotion back to League 4 immediately.
1964 / Works get underway on RK BVV ‘27’s projected new ground, Sportpark ‘t Hoogveld.
1966 / Having played at Terrein De Smelen for 33 years, RK BVV ’27 moves to its newly laid-out Sportpark ‘t Hoogveld, which is consecrated by the local priest, Mr Geurts.
1968 / Coached by Sef Basten, RK BVV ’27 clinches the title in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, thus acceding to League 3 for the first – and only – time in club history.
1969 / In the best season in club history, RK BVV ’27 finishes in 9th place in District South II’s Sunday League 3D.
1971 / Finishing second-last in Sunday League 3D, RK BVV ’27 drops back into League 4 after three years.
1973 / Dead-last in Sunday League 4H, RK BVV ’27 descends into the ranks of Afdeling Limburg.
1974 / A clubhouse is inaugurated at Sportpark ‘t Hoogveld.
1979 / A third pitch is added to Sportpark ‘t Hoogveld.
1982 / RK BVV ’27 wins the title in Afdeling Limburg Division 2. Also in 1982, the clubhouse at Sportpark ‘t Hoogveld is extended with a set of two extra dressing rooms, also made use of by the local netball club (which was later wound up).
1993 / Having spent twenty consecutive seasons in Afdeling Limburg, RK BVV ’27 – coached by Theo Huygen – now clinches the title in Afdeling Limburg Hoofdklasse after winning a tie-break match against fellow-champions RKDSO (2-1) at a neutral venue, SVEB’s Sportpark ‘t Venneke in Broekhuizenvorst. BVV’s goals in the match, attended by some 800 spectators, are scored by Bart Lemmen and Robert Theeuwen. As a result, BVV accedes to Sunday League 4. The club’s stay at that level is short-lived, though, with relegation following immediately in 1994.
1996 / In a reorganisation of the league pyramid, all associations organising football below League 4 are abolished; this results in RK BVV ’27 being placed in the newly formed Sunday League 5D of District South II.
2000 / Coached by Leon van Rengs, RK BVV ’27 finishes second-last in Sunday League 5D, as a result of which the club descends into League 6.
2001 / Winning the title in Sunday League 6D (with the decisive points being obtained in an away win at SV Kronenberg), RK BVV ’27 – coached by Sander de Koning – manages a return to League 5 within a year.
2002 / Still coached by Sander de Koning, RK BVV ’27 finishes last in District South II’s Sunday League 5F, descending back into League 6.
2009 / Finishing last in Sunday League 6E, RK BVV ’27’s board takes the far-reaching decision to withdraw its first team from the regular leagues.
2011 / RK BVV ’27 returns with a first team in Sunday League 6.
2015 / In spite of finishing dead-last in Sunday League 6C with just 9 points, RK BVV ’27 is placed in Sunday League 5 for the following season due to the League 6 level being liquidated.
2018 / Finishing in 3rd place in Sunday League 5E behind champions RKVV Montagnards and AVV America, RK BVV ’27 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which a 6-2 aggregate win over League 4 team SV Leunen is sufficient for promotion to League 4 for the first time since the turn of the century. In the decisive 4-0 home win, the goals for the team of trainers Leon Wijnhoven and Leon Vievermans are scored by Joost Wijnhoven (2), Yilmaz Durgan, and Jannes Gooren.
2020 / Having managed to narrowly save its skin in League 4 the previous year, RK BVV ’27 withdraws its first team from the regular leagues following the 2019-20 season, cut short by the COVID lockdown – and in which the club picked up just 4 points in 14 matches.
2021 / After an absence of one year, RK BVV ’27 returns with a regular first team in Sunday League 5.
2024 / Finishing in fourth place in District South II's Sunday League 5D, RK BVV '27 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by SSA-SJO VITA (4-2).

Note – One of the sources used to compile this historical overview is a booklet published on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of BVV ’27 in 2002: “BVV ’27 75 jaar”, by Hans te Boekhorst / Fried Hanraets / Roel Hendrix / Wil Janssen / Simon Kreutz / Henk Lomme / Paul Rütten / Jeu Theeuwen / Maurice Wolters. Thanks to the club's board for putting a copy of this booklet at my disposal.