NETHERLANDS: SV De Braak (B) (2022-2023) / SV De Braak (2023-)

Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Braak - Terrein Nieuwe Braak Oost (SV De Braak, formerly B pitch of SV De Braak)

Netherlands, province: North Brabant = Noord-Brabant

14 XII 2024 / SV De Braak (za) - RKSV Margriet (za) 1-2 / District South I, Saturday League 4E (= NL level 9)

Timeline

• 2020 / Foundation of SV De Braak as a merger of the two non-league clubs sharing Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Braak in Helmond with professional league side Helmond Sport, i.e. SC Helmondia and RKSV MULO. All activities move to SC Helmondia’s pitches at the southeastern end of the park. 
• 2022 / As one of the first steps in a complete renovation of Sportpark De Braak, a synthetic pitch is laid out in the northeastern corner of the park, which is shared by SV De Braak (as a side-pitch) and the pupils of the secondary school constructed at the northern end of the pitch, the Dr. Knippenbergcollege. That same year, SC Helmondia’s former main pitch is removed, with its covered stand being knocked down. Being deprived of its main pitch, the club is allowed to move its first team football to the adjacent Stadion De Braak as groundsharers with professional league side Helmond Sport. 
• 2023 / After one year of playing its first team football at Stadion De Braak, SV De Braak moves away to the synthetic pitch which has been laid out at the northeastern most corner of the park, partly on the area previously occupied by RKSV MULO’s old main pitch – a situation likely to endure until further renovation works at Sportpark De Braak will have been completed. At the time of the move to this pitch, SV De Braak had two first teams, a Sunday and a Saturday team both playing at League 4 level.
• 2024 / Finishing in second-last place in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, SV De Braak (zo) drops down into Sunday League 5 along with bottom club vv MVC. That same season, SV De Braak (za) finishes in second place in District South I’s Saturday League 4G, 5 points behind champions vv Jan van Arckel; qualifying for the promotion play-offs, the team is eliminated in R1 by vv Haaften (2-3).

Note - The match I visited at this ground was actually half a match. The encounter between SV De Braak (za) and RKSV Margriet (za), abandoned after 45 minutes of play due to the referee feeling unwell on 30 XI 2024 (score 1-1), was resumed on 14 XII 2024 (final score: 1-2, winning goal by RKSV Margriet in last minute, cp. photo 16 below). 

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