NETHERLANDS: SV Alexandria '66 (1984-1989) / vv Alexandria '66 (1989-)

Sportpark Oosterflank, Rotterdam Prins Alexander (vv Alexandria '66, formerly SV Alexandria '66)

Netherlands, province: South Holland = Zuid-Holland

31 VIII 2024 / vv Alexandria '66 - RSV Antibarbari 1-3 / District West II, Regional Cup - group stage, group 1-05

Timeline

• 1966 / Foundation of a multi-sports club in Rotterdam, Sportvereniging (SV) Alexandria ’66, with branches for football, tennis, table-tennis, gymnastics, volleyball, and basketball. The football branch of SV Alexandria ’66 settles at Sportpark Laag Zestienhoven.
• 1969 / After three years at Sportpark Laag Zestienhoven, SV Alexandria ’66 moves to Terrein Folkert Elsingastraat.
• 1972 / After three years at Terrein Folkert Elsingastraat, SV Alexandria ’66 moves to Sportpark Boszoom.
• 1977 / Winning promotion from the ranks of the Rotterdamse Voetbalbond (RVB) for the first time, SV Alexandria ’66 accedes to District West II’s Sunday League 4, managing a respectable third place in Sunday League 4F in its first season at this level.
• 1984 / After twelve years at Sportpark Boszoom, SV Alexandria ’66 moves to Sportpark Oosterflank, although the first stone of the new ground has only just been laid and building works have not been completed yet.
• 1985 / Champions in District West II’s Sunday League 4D, 4 points ahead of runners-up SV DSO, SV Alexandria ’66 accedes to Sunday League 3 for the first time.
• 1986 / Official inauguration of Sportpark Oosterflank.
• 1988 / SV Alexandria ‘66’s 17-year-old defender Winston Bogarde, who had joined the club some years previously from Sparta Rotterdam’s youth academy, earns himself a contract with pro side SVV. Bogarde goes on to have an impressive, sixteen-year-long professional league career, taking him to SBV Excelsior, Sparta Rotterdam, AFC Ajax, Milan AC, FC Barcelona, and Chelsea FC – also picking up 20 caps for the Netherlands and taking part in the 1996 European Championships as well as the 1998 World Cup.
• 1989 / SV Alexandria ‘66’s football branch breaks away from its mother club, continuing independently as Voetbalvereniging (vv) Alexandria ’66.
• 1990 / Champions in District West II’s Sunday League 3D, 3 points ahead of closest followers RC&VV VOC, vv Alexandria ’66 accedes to Sunday League 2 for the first time.
• 1991 / Finishing in second-last place in District West II’s Sunday League 2B, vv Alexandria ’66 drops back into League 3 along with bottom club SV TOGB.
• 1992 / Finishing in second-last place in District West II’s Sunday League 3C, vv Alexandria ’66 drops back into League 4 along with bottom club CVV Zwervers.
• 1995 / Runners-up in District West II’s Sunday League 4G, with an equal number of points as champions RV&AV Sparta, vv Alexandria ’66 manages to win promotion to League 3 via the play-offs.
• 1996 / Inauguration of the new two-tiered clubhouse at Sportpark Oosterflank.
• 1998 / Finishing in tenth place in District West II’s Sunday League 3C, vv Alexandria ’66 descends into League 4 via the play-off, along with direct drop-outs vv URSUS and vv Cabauw.
• 2001 / The board of vv Alexandria ’66 takes the decision to switch its focus from Sunday league football to Saturday football, one year after its regular Saturday team won promotion to League 3.
• 2004 / Following a last place in District West II’s Sunday League 4G, vv Alexandria ’66 withdraws from regular Sunday league football.
• 2005 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 3C, 6 points ahead of closest rivals MVV ’27, vv Alexandria ’66 wins promotion to Saturday League 2.
• 2010 / Finishing in third place in Saturday League 2D, vv Alexandria ’66 wins direct promotion to Saturday League 1 along with champions SV Deltasport and runners-up SV Heinenoord due to extra promotion places being available following the introduction of Topklasse as the new third tier of the Netherlands’ football pyramid.
• 2012 / Finishing in seventh place in Saturday League 1B, vv Alexandria ’66 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club wins both of its group games against LVV Roda ’46 (5-2) and HCSV Zwaluwen ’30 (0-1). As such, the club achieves a historic promotion to Zaterdag Hoofdklasse, the fourth tier of the Netherlands’ football pyramid.
• 2013 / Finishing in third-last place in Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B, vv Alexandria ’66 has to play a set of play-offs against League 1 teams to avoid relegation. However, in its group, the club only manages a second place behind FC ‘s-Gravenzande (0-3 defeat) and ahead of vv Alblasserdam (0-1 win) – resulting in relegation to Saturday League 1 after just one season.
• 2016 / Finishing bottom of the table in Saturday League 1B, vv Alexandria ’66 drops back into League 2 along with WV-HEDW, CSW, and vv Valken ’68. 

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

NETHERLANDS: RV&AV Sparta (2000-2014, 2024-) / Sparta Rotterdam (B) (2000-2014, 2024-)

Sportpark Nieuw Terbregge, Rotterdam Terbregge (RV&AV Sparta & B ground of Sparta Rotterdam)

Netherlands, province: South Holland = Zuid-Holland

31 VIII 2024 / Jong Sparta Rotterdam - vv HHC Hardenberg 1-2 / Tweede Divisie (= NL level 3)

Timeline

• 1959 / With the club having had to make do with just the pitch of Stadion Spangen and its one side-pitch, Rotterdam professional league side RV&AV Sparta is now given the luxury of a youth academy ground, Sportpark Laag Zestienhoven.
• 1961 / After two years at Sportpark Laag Zestienhoven, RV&AV Sparta moves its youth academy to a newly laid-out ground only a stone’s throw away from the stadium, Sportpark Nieuw Vreelust.
• 1976 / An administrative separation is implemented, with RV&AV Sparta being subdivided into two independent entities; a professional league club, which henceforth carries the name Sparta Rotterdam; and a non-league club, which retains the old name RV&AV Sparta, as well as taking over the club’s branches for other sports (rugby, cricket, and baseball). Henceforth, RV&AV Sparta shares Sportpark Nieuw Vreelust with Sparta Rotterdam’s youth academy.
• 2000 / After 37 years at Sportpark Nieuw Vreelust, Sparta moves its youth academy as well as its non-league satellite RV&AV Sparta to the newly laid-out Sportpark Nieuw Terbregge in Rotterdam-Hillegersberg. The main pitch of the new ground sports a strikingly shaped covered stand.
• 2001 / Champions in Sunday League 2D, 8 points ahead of RVV HOV, RV&AV Sparta wins promotion to Sunday League 1, ten years after last having played at that level.
• 2002 / In the best season in club history (so far), RV&AV Sparta finishes in third place in Sunday League 1B, 6 points behind champions vv Nieuwenhoorn – but the club fails to win promotion to Zondag Hoofdklasse via the play-offs.
• 2005 / Coached by former Sparta Rotterdam player Ben Spork, RV&AV Sparta finishes in tenth place in Sunday League 1B, dropping back into Sunday League 2 along with GC&FC Olympia and bottom club GVV SVW.
• 2011 / Coached by former Sparta Rotterdam player Eddy Ridderhof, who had succeeded his former team colleague John Schuurhuizen in 2010, RV&AV Sparta finishes bottom of the table in Sunday League 2D, dropping back into League 3 along with RKSV WCR.
• 2012 / Finishing in eleventh place in District West II’s Sunday League 3D, RV&AV Sparta has to play a set of promotion-relegation play-offs against League 4 teams vv HWD and SV RDM, with the latter walking away with the League 3 ticket and RV&AV Sparta suffering relegation to Sunday League 4. Following the season, however, the club withdraws its first team, continuing its existence with reserves and youth teams in the following two seasons.
• 2014 / After two years, RV&AV Sparta returns in first team football – however, following the trend in District West II, the club prefers to enter the Saturday League pyramid rather than the Sunday divisions, being placed in Saturday League 4E. However, due to problems with the surface of the main pitch at Sportpark Nieuw Terbregge, first team football moves to pitch 4 – with occasional excursions to pitch 3 – of the park. The main pitch sees very little activity in the following ten years. 
• 2015 / Coached by former Sparta Rotterdam player Ron Luijten, RV&AV Sparta wins the title in District West II’s Saturday League 4E, 7 points ahead of closest rivals SSV HBSS. As such, the club accedes to Saturday League 3.
• 2017 / Coached by Ron Luijten, RV&AV Sparta finishes in fourth place in District West II’s Saturday League 3C, qualifying for the play-offs, in which the club successively edges past FC Binnenmaas (4-3 aggr.) and vv SSS (4-2 aggr.). As such, RV&AV Sparta wins promotion to Saturday League 2.
• 2020 / In the 2019-20 season, RV&AV Sparta finds itself in first place in Saturday League 2D, 4 points ahead of closest followers FC Binnenmaas, when the season is cut short in March 2020 due to the first COVID lockdown. As such, the club is deprived the opportunity to add a title to its record, missing out on a potential promotion to League 1 as well.
• 2022 / Coached by former Sparta Rotterdam player Robert Verbeek, RV&AV Sparta finishes as runners-up in Saturday League 2D, 1 point behind champions vv DCV. In the ensuing promotion play-offs, the club is eliminated in R1 by HVC ’10 (2-2 & penalty shoot-out).
• 2023 / Champions in Sunday League 2F, 8 points ahead of closest rivals vv Spirit, RV&AV Sparta wins promotion to Saturday League 1.
• 2024 / Inauguration of a new clubhouse at Sportpark Nieuw Terbregge. Also in 2024, the main pitch of the ground, practically unused in the previous ten years, is equipped with a synthetic surface. Coinciding with this, Sparta Rotterdam moves the home matches of its U23 team, Jong Sparta, which has been a part of the regular non-league pyramid since 2016, to Nieuw Terbregge after two years of groundsharing with Excelsior Maassluis at Sportpark Dijkpolder (and having made use of the 3G at Het Kasteel in the six preceding seasons). First team football of RV&AV Sparta also moves to this pitch – unless the team’s home fixtures coincide with Jong Sparta, which is given precedence in such cases.

Note - Below the photo series, a video can be found with highlights of the encounter between Jong Sparta Rotterdam and vv HHC Hardenberg attended by me at Sportpark Nieuw Terbregge in August 2024.

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

BELGIUM: K Lutlommel VV (2023-)

Terrein De Konijnenpijp terr. 8, Lommel Lutlommel (K Lutlommel VV)

Belgium, province: Limburg

25 VIII 2024 / K Lutlommel VV - KFC Paal-Tervant 3-2 / Limburg, Provincial Cup - Region Northwest

Timeline

• 1938 / Foundation of a football club in Lutlommel, a hamlet on the eastern outskirts of Lommel in Belgian Limburg. The new club, Lutlommel Voetbalvereniging (VV), joins the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB) with registration number 2770. The club settles at Terrein Torenstraat.
• 1945 / Moving away from Terrein Torenstraat, Lutlommel VV settles at Terrein Molenberg, situated at the back of Café De Lindeboom, owned by Plien Van de Witte.
• 1948 / After three years at Terrein Molenberg, Lutlommel VV settles at a newly laid-out pitch at Vredestraat, in the garden of the club's sponsor, mr Sevens, a local beer merchant.
• 1970 / Lutlommel VV abandons its pitch at Vredestraat after 22 years, settling at a newly laid-out ground, Terrein De Konijnenpijp, put at the disposal of the club by municipal authorities. 
• 1988 / On the club’s fiftieth anniversary, Lutlommel VV acquires the royal epithet, thus officially becoming Koninklijke Lutlommel Voetbalvereniging (K Lutlommel VV or KLVV).
• 2023 / On a piece of land partly taken by the old pitch 3 of Terrein De Konijnenpijp, a new clubhouse is constructed for K Lutlommel VV, with a covered stand built into it. In October 2023, these premises as well as the club’s new main pitch – officially pitch 8, Terrein 8 – are inaugurated in the presence of Lommel’s mayor Bob Nijs.
• 2024 / In January 2024, the clubhouse and covered stand along the old main pitch at Terrein De Konijnenpijp are knocked down. The pitch itself continues to be in use for lower team football and training sessions. Also in 2024, as champions in Provincial League 3B, no fewer than 16 points ahead of closest followers K Kabouters Opglabbeek, K Lutlommel VV manages a return to Provincial League 2 after an absence of four years.

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

BELGIUM: Veerle Sport (1972-2014) / VV Laakdal (2014-2024) / VV-Next Laakdal (B) (2024-)

Terrein Rauwstraat, Veerle (B ground of VV-Next Laakdal, formerly Veerle Sport / VV Laakdal)

Belgium, province: Antwerp

25 VIII 2024 / VV-Next Laakdal B - KSK Heist B 4-1 / Antwerp, Provincial Cup - group stage, group 6

Timeline

• ± 1910 / Football is introduced in the village of Veerle, in the southeastern corner of the province of Antwerp, by local boys attending the college in Geel, where the sport had already been popularised previously. First tentative matches are played on meadows in and around Veerle.
• 1912 / Probably in 1912 – but no later than 1913 – a football club was founded in Veerle, which is given the name Vlug & Vrij (VV) Veerle, with a pitch being laid out for the club at the back of the blacksmith shop of Mr Delsardt, Kapellestraat.
• 1924 / With no clarity existing on the league association in which VV Veerle played in the first decade of its existence, the club now successfully applies for membership of Belgium’s official Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB), although no first team football is played initially.
• 1926 / In December 1926, when the Belgian Football Association introduces its list of registration numbers, VV Veerle receives number 404.
• 1928 / After four years, VV Veerle takes part in Antwerp’s provincial divisions for the first time, being placed in Regional League 3A (3e Gewestelijke A).
• 1929 / Although having a relatively strong season, finishing in third place in Regional League 3A, VV Veerle withdraws from first team football after just one season.
• 1931 / VV Veerle’s registration number 404 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists. By that time, probably, the club had already joined a different league association.
• 1933 / After two years, VV Veerle rejoins Belgium’s FA, acquiring registration number 2029. Yet again, though, the club does not enter a first team straightaway.
• 1935 / After two years of inactivity, VV Veerle (matr. 2029) takes part in regular league football for the first time, with its first team being placed in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3D.
• 1936 / After finishing in sixth place in P3D in its first season in the provincial divisions, VV Veerle withdraws from first team football, with its registration number 2029 being erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists one year later. Yet again, though, the club does not seem to have folded, continuing its existence in another league association.
• 1940 / A second football club is founded in Veerle, Sportvrienden FC Veerle, which acquires membership of Belgium’s FA with registration number 2911.
• 1941 / One year into the German occupation of Belgium, VV Veerle joins the Belgian FA for a third time, obtaining registration number 3060 upon being accepted as new member club.
• 1942 / Sportvrienden FC Veerle and VV Veerle (matr. 3060) take part in regular first team football for the first time, with both clubs being placed in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3G.
• 1943 / Sportvrienden FC Veerle finishes in fourth place in P3G, with VV Veerle being markedly less successful in that same division with an eleventh place. After the 1942-43 season, however, both clubs withdraw from first team football and cease their activities due to football matches having become an easy target for German occupation authorities to arrest young men to be sent away to Germany for the dreaded Arbeitseinsatz (forced labour). 
• 1945 / With neither VV Veerle nor Sportvrienden FC Veerle resuming their activities after the liberation of Belgium from the German yoke in the fall of 1944 – and their registration numbers being erased in 1945 and 1946 respectively – a new football club sees the daylight in Veerle in December 1945, Veerle Sport. Emiel Van Meeuwen becomes Veerle Sport’s first chairman, with the club settling at VV Veerle’s old ground at Kapelstraat. The new club joins Belgium’s FA with registration number 4430.
• 1946 / Veerle Sport starts its life as a regular league club in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3E.
• 1949 / Abandoning Terrein Kapelstraat, Veerle Sport settles at a newly laid-out pitch at Tessenderloseweg.
• 1955 / Veerle Sport conquers the title in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3E following a victory over FC Netezonen in a tie-break match played at VC Westerlo’s ground (2-1). As such, the club wins promotion to Provincial League 2 for the first time. Also in 1955, Veerle Sport founds its youth academy.
• 1963 / Finishing in second-last place in Provincial League 2B, Veerle Sport drops back into Provincial League 3.
• 1972 / Finishing in ninth place in P3H, Veerle Sport is retrograded to the newly created Provincial League 4 for the new season. In December 1972, abandoning Terrein Tessenderloseweg, Veerle Sport settles at a newly laid-out ground at Rauwstraat – the ground still in use today.
• 1973 / Champions in P4E, Veerle Sport manages an immediate return to Provincial League 3.
• 1976 / Runners-up in P3C, Veerle Sport accedes to Provincial League 2 after an absence of thirteen years at that level.
• 1982 / Champions in P2C, Veerle Sport wins promotion to Antwerp’s Provincial League 1 for the first time in club history.
• 1984 / In the best season in club history, Veerle Sport finishes in third place in Provincial League 1 – a result which is equalled four years later.
• 1993 / Having been a stable Provincial League 1 side for eleven consecutive seasons, Veerle Sport now finishes in thirteenth place, resulting in the club descending into Provincial League 2.
• 1996 / Champions in P2C, Veerle Sport starts its second spell in Provincial League 1.
• 2000 / Having battled against relegation for most of the previous four years, Veerle Sport now drops out of Provincial League 1 following a last place finish in the 1999-2000 season. The club would never manage a return to the top provincial division in the remaining years of its existence.
• 2006 / Finishing in last place in P2C, Veerle Sport descends into Provincial League 3 along with FC Zwaneven, K Verbroedering Balen, KFC Lentezon Beerse, KSK Oosthoven, KFC Meer, KFC Beekhoek Sport, KFC Meerle, and KVV Vosselaar – the clubs dropping back being so numerous due to three Provincial League 2 divisions being reduced to two for the new season.
• 2008 / Having come close to promotion to P2 in the play-offs in the previous season, Veerle Sport now finishes bottom of the table in P3D, dropping back into Provincial League 4 along with the club in second-last place, KSK Oosthoven. 
• 2012 / Having had some very difficult years in the bottom half of the Provincial League 4 table, Veerle Sport now finishes in fifth place in P4E, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which the club defeats Zoerle Sport in R1 (4-1 aggr.) and KFC Sint-Martinus Halle in R2 (6-5 aggr.) to break down the door to Provincial League 3 after an absence of four seasons.
• 2014 / In its last season as an independent club, Veerle Sport finishes in eighth place in P3C. Following the 2013-14 season, the club concludes a merger with K Standaard FC Vorst from nearby Vorst, a club founded in 1933 (registration number 2046) playing in Provincial League 4 at that moment. The new merger club, which retains Veerle’s number 4430, is given the name Voetbalvereniging (VV) Laakdal, with first team football being played at Veerle’s Terrein Rauwstraat and Vorst’s Terrein Huiperstraat being retained for lower team football and training sessions. The new merger club starts its life in Antwerp’s Provincial League 3C.
• 2015 / Finishing in fifteenth place in P3C, VV Laakdal descends into Provincial League 4 along with KFC Heultje, Blauberg Sport, and bottom club K Blauwvoet Oevel.
• 2016 / Champions in P4E, 5 points ahead of closest followers KVV Rauw Sport, VV Laakdal manages a return to Provincial League 3 after an absence of just one season.
• 2019 / Finishing in third place in P3C, VV Laakdal qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club manages defeats of, among others, KSK Kasterlee (3-0), eventually resulting in promotion to Provincial League 2.
• 2020 / With the promotion to P2 proving a poisoned chalice, VV Laakdal is unable to cope at the higher level, finishing in second-last in P2B and dropping back into Provincial League 3 straightaway along with bottom club KSV Schriek.
• 2022 / Finishing in fourteenth place in P3C, VV Laakdal drops back into Provincial League 4 along with KFC Berg-Op Beerzel, FC Netezonen, and bottom club KVV Rauw Sport.
• 2024 / Finishing in an abysmal second-last position in Provincial League 4F (with only 9 points) in its last season, VV Laakdal concludes a merger with FC Netezonen from nearby Eindhout (a club founded in 1940), resulting in the foundation of VV-Next Laakdal, with Netezonen’s registration number 2868 being retained. The new club starts its life with two ‘first’ teams, as VV-Next A plays its matches at Terrein Rundershoek in Eindhout, with VV-Next B being home at Terrein Rauwstraat in Veerle. Moreover, Terrein Huiperstraat in Vorst is also retained for lower team football and training purposes.

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