Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RKSV Ulysses (1976-2022) / SSA-SJO VITA (A&B) (2022-)

Sportpark D'n Heuvel, Megen (SSA-SJO VITA, formerly RKSV Ulysses)

Netherlands, province: North Brabant = Noord-Brabant

28 III 2024 / SSA-SJO VITA - SV Maaskantse Boys 3-0 / District South II, Sunday League 5E (= NL level 10)

Timeline

± 1921 / In 1920 or 1921, a football club was founded in Megen, which takes on the name RKVV (Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging) Vitesse. The club joins the so-called Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalbond (RKVB), being placed in the competition for the Den Bosch region (‘Kring Maasbuurt’).
1940 / Upon the German occupation of the Netherlands, all football associations apart from the official Netherlands’ FA (KNVB, renamed NVB at the behest of German authorities) are abolished. Instead of joining the NVB, RKVV Vitesse chooses to cease all activities for the time being.
1944 / Shortly after the liberation of the southern half of the Netherlands, a makeshift XI of male inhabitants of Megen, brought together under the name Ontspanning & Ontmoeting (O&O), takes on a team of British soldiers. The match, played on November 11th, 1944, ends in a 4-2 win for the liberators.
1946 / Refoundation of the football club under the slightly adapted name Rooms-Katholieke Sportvereniging (RKSV) Vitesse. The club, which chooses Wim Kouwenberg as its first chairman, settles on a pitch at Megensedijk (referred to locally as “Kermisterrein”, probably also the pitch used by RKVV Vitesse before the outbreak of World War II).
1947 / Applying for membership of the official Netherlands’ Football Association (KNVB), RKSV Vitesse is allowed only on the condition of changing its name, given that ‘Vitesse’ was a name already taken by several other clubs. Thereupon, under a completely new name, RKSV Ulysses – Ulysses being the Latin name of Greek hero Odysseus – the club is admitted as new FA member. Probably also in 1947, and yet again at the insistence of KNVB officials, the club moves to a new pitch with the correct dimensions at Maasdijk. The club is allowed the use of this pitch after an agreement with the local monastery, who own the pasture. RKSV Ulysses plays its first match on August 3rd, 1947.
± 1951 / After a new agreement with the local monastery, an extra pitch is laid out for RKSV Ulysses to the west of Terrein Maasdijk (bordering Nieuwstraat).
1958 / Clinching its first KNVB title, in NBVB Afdeling Maasbuurt Division 2, RKSV Ulysses wins promotion to Division 1 of that same league system – thus playing one division below KNVB Sunday League 4.
1976 / In a thorough renovation of Terrein Maasdijk, the two pitches are laid out anew – with the main pitch being given a quarter’s turn to give it its current position, while the construction is undertaken of a clubhouse including two dressing rooms, and a small training pitch. The new park, renamed Sportpark D’n Heuvel, is officially inaugurated by Megen’s mayor, Ton Bus.
1978 / Clinching a new title in NBVB Afdeling Maasbuurt Division 2, RKSV Ulysses manages a return to Division 1 of that same league system.
1984 / The clubhouse at Sportpark D’n Heuvel is extended with two extra dressing rooms, bringing the total up to four. This extension takes place at the expense of the small training pitch laid out eight years previously. In return, the club is given the leisure of an extra training pitch at Maasbommelsestraat.
1985 / RKSV Ulysses wins promotion to KNVB Sunday League 4 for the first time in club history, managing a respectable fourth place in District South I’s Sunday League 4A in the 1985-86 season.
1987 / Finishing last in District South I’s Sunday League 4A, RKSV Ulysses drops back into NBVB Division 1 after two seasons.
1990 / RKSV Ulysses manages a return to Sunday League 4.
1992 / Finishing last in District South I’s Sunday League 4A, RKSV Ulysses drops back into NBVB Division 1 along with RKVV Herpinia.
1993 / The training pitch at Maasbommelsestraat has to make way for housing. As such, RKSV Ulysses is left with just the two pitches at Sportpark D’n Heuvel.
1994 / RKSV Ulysses manages yet another return to Sunday League 4.
1996 / Finishing second-last in District South I’s Sunday League 4A, RKSV Ulysses descends into the newly formed Sunday League 5 along with bottom club FC Schadewijk. Also in 1996, upon the club’s fiftieth anniversary, a start is made with the construction of a covered stand at the southern end of the main pitch at Sportpark D’n Heuvel.
1997 / In spite of having a good season, finishing runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 5G, RKSV Ulysses temporarily withdraws from first team football.
1998 / Official inauguration of the covered stand at Sportpark D’n Heuvel. Also in 1998, RKSV Ulysses returns with a first team in District South I’s bottom division, Sunday League 6.
1999 / Clinching the title in District South I’s Sunday League 6G, 4 points ahead of closest followers vv Heeswijk, RKSV Ulysses manages a return to Sunday League 5.
2008 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 5H, RKSV Ulysses drops back into League 6 after ten years, along with SV Maaskantse Boys.
2011 / Finishing in fourth place in District South II’s Sunday League 6F, RKSV Ulysses wins promotion to League 5 via the play-offs.
2012 / In a renovation of Sportpark D’n Heuvel, the clubhouse is extended to include a subterranean indoor sports hall as well as a community house.
2015 / RKSV Ulysses concludes a cooperation agreement with RKVV SBV (‘Sport Brengt Vreugde’) from the nearby village of Haren – a club founded in 1957 which never reached a higher level than KNVB Sunday League 5; the two clubs merge their youth academies under the provisional name SJO (Samenwerkende Jeugdopleidingen, i.e. ‘Cooperating Youth Academies’) VITA. For the time being, the senior teams of both clubs remain independent.
2017 / Finishing in fourth place in District South II’s Sunday League 5H, RKSV Ulysses qualifies for a promotion play-off, in which it defeats SVOC ’01 (5-2 aggr.) to manage a return to League 4 for the first time since the turn of the century.
2018 / Runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, finishing just 1 point behind champions WVV Constantia, RKSV Ulysses qualifies for the play-offs. Successively defeating RKVV Herpinia (3-5) and RKSV WEC (1-0), the club qualifies for the final, played at Sportpark D’n Heuvel, eventually defeating RKVV Festilent after a penalty shoot-out, with the regular match having finished 2-2. The decisive penalty is converted by Stefan van de Camp. As such, RKSV Ulysses finds itself in Sunday League 3 for the first time in club history.
2019 / Finishing last in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, RKSV Ulysses drops back into League 4 after just one season, taking with it RKSV MULO and WVV Constantia.
2022 / Finishing last in District South II’s Sunday League 4H, RKSV Ulysses descends into League 5 along with vv Gassel. Also in 2022, building on the merger of both clubs’ youth academies in 2015, RKSV Ulysses and RKVV SBV now bring together their senior teams as well, with a view of concluding a full merger within two years. From now on, the two clubs field teams under the name SSA-SJO VITA (SSA standing for Samenwerkende Seniorenafdelingen, i.e. ‘Cooperating Senior Branches’). Due to RKSV Ulysses suffering relegation in its last season as an independent club, SSA-SJO VITA’s first team starts its life in District South I’s Sunday League 5. First team matches are alternately played at Sportpark D’n Heuvel and SBV’s Sportpark Elzenbos.
2023 / Finishing in fourth place in District South I’s Sunday League 5B, SSA-SJO VITA qualifies for the promotion play-offs. After drawing a bye in R1, the club eliminates vv Gloria-UC in R2 (1-2) before losing the final against HRC ’14 (1-2) and thus missing out on promotion.

Note - The match I attended at Sportpark D'n Heuvel in fact was no more than the remainder of an encounter being abandoned on February 18th, 2024, due to one of the away players assaulting the referee after being red-carded. The game was resumed on March 28th in the 72nd minute, with another referee and the scoreline at that point being 2-0.