Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: SV THOS

Abel van der Laan-Sportpark, Beerta (SV THOS)

Netherlands, province: Groningen

3 XI 2024 / SV THOS - vv Westerwolde Reserves 1-2 / District North, Reserves League 5-12

Timeline

1920 / Foundation of a first football club in Beerta, which is given the name Zwart-Wit. Later that same year, upon joining the newly founded Oost-Groninger Voetbalbond, also known as the Voetbalbond Oostelijk Groningen (VBOG), the club takes on a new name, Voetbalvereeniging ‘Tot Heil Onzer Spieren’, abbreviated as vv THOS. The club starts its activities on a pitch laid out alongside the Beertsterdiep, on a plot of farmland rented to the club by a local smallholder, Mr Brandsma.
± 1921 / Foundation of a rival club in Beerta, BVC (Beertase Voetbalclub), which also joins the VBOG, groundsharing with vv THOS at Terrein Brandsma.
± 1922 / Foundation of a third club in Beerta, Take Care, although it has to be pointed out that the membership of Take Care mainly consisted of inhabitants of the countryside area around Beerta proper. Like the two other clubs in the village, Take Care joins the VBOG. It is unclear where Take Care’s pitch was situated.
± 1923 / As Terrein Brandsma has to be vacated, vv THOS and BVC have to look out for new locations for their home matches. BVC moves to a pitch laid out on a plot of farmland not far from the toll booth situated in Beerta-West at the time. vv THOS, on the other hand, finds a temporary new home on a plot of land not far from Café Hilgenga (the former Café Ankes) on the southern outskirts of the village. Café Hilgenga, known at the time as the gathering place of Beerta’s leftist movement – with communism quickly spreading among local agricultural workers in the northeastern corner of the Province of Groningen – is used as clubhouse and dressing room.
± 1924 / BVC folds, ceasing all activities, leaving vv THOS and Take Care as the two football clubs for youths in Beerta.
1925 / As the Voetbalbond Oostelijk Groningen ceases all activities, all remaining member clubs, including vv THOS, join the so-called Groninger Voetbalbond (GVB), the Groningen sub-branch of the Netherlands’ Football Association (NVB, later renamed KNVB).
± 1926 / Moving away from the temporary pitch near Café Hilgenga, vv THOS settles on a newly laid-out pitch on a plot of farmland owned by a local landholder, Benjamin de Levie. Benjamin de Levie, who is of Jewish ancestry, would later fall victim to the murderous German occupation regime, being deported to Auschwitz III (Monowitz), where he dies at the age of 65 in 1942.
± 1928 / After an existence of some six years, Take Care folds, ceasing all activities – leaving vv THOS as Beerta’s only football club.
± 1931 / vv THOS wins the title in GVB Division 1, as a result of which the club has the right of promotion to KNVB District North’s (Sunday) League 3 – with no League 4 being organised in this district until after the German occupation years. However, due to the club not disposing of dressing rooms in situ, a KNVB requirement, with Terrein De Levie not having the correct measurements for the KNVB divisions either – and vv THOS’ board not having in mind to move to a location offering the possibility of laying out a larger pitch – a part of the club’s players leaves the club, forming a breakaway club with the name vv Beerta. vv Beerta settles on the pitch formerly used by Take Care (location unknown).
± 1933 / Moving away from Terrein De Levie, vv THOS settles on a newly laid-out pitch not far from Café Hilgenga – not far from the location used by the club in the mid-1920s.
± 1934 / After an existence of some years only, vv Beerta folds, ceasing all activities. Part of its membership returns to vv THOS.
1935 / Now having the disposal of a pitch in conformity with KNVB requirements, following a second title in GVB Division 1, vv THOS finally makes the leap from the ranks of the GVB to KNVB District North’s (Sunday) League 3 (with no League 4 existing in District North until after World War II).
1936 / In its first season in District North’s Sunday League 3C, vv THOS manages a sensational second place, finishing 4 points behind champions vv Zuidbroek.
1937 / vv THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3C for the second year in a row, finishing 3 points behind champions SC Scheemda.
1942 / vv THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 4 points behind champions vv Zuidbroek.
1943 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 6 points ahead of runners-up SC Scheemda, vv THOS is deprived of the opportunity to win promotion to League 2 due to no title play-offs being held after the 1942-43 season due to organisational problems during the ongoing occupation of the Netherlands’ by Nazi Germany.
1944 / Yet again winning the title in District North’s Sunday League 3D, this time finishing 2 points ahead of closest followers vv Delfzijl, vv THOS nevertheless does not accede to League 2 – either due to no promotion play-offs being held or due to not being successful in those play-offs.
± 1947 / Moving away from Terrein Café Hilgenga, vv THOS settles on a newly laid-out pitch at Hoofdstraat, consisting of one pitch for matches (current Pitch 2 of the park) as well as a training pitch situated somewhat further northward.
1949 / As vv THOS absorbs Gymnastiekvereniging Beerta, the local gymnastics club founded around 1900, the club changes its name to become Sportvereniging (SV) THOS. Also in 1949, the club’s first team undertakes a summer tour in Denmark, playing two friendly matches against clubs from the Nykøbing Mors region.
1951 / SV THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 2 points behind champions FVV.
1956 / sv THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 9 points behind champions vv Neptunia.
1957 / Coached by Mr Ten Berge, SV THOS wins the title in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 2 points ahead of vv ZNC, failing to win promotion in the subsequent title play-offs.
1964 / Finishing in second-last place in District North’s Sunday League 3D, SV THOS descends into Sunday League 4 for the first time, along with bottom club vv Kwiek. This heralds the end of an uninterrupted spell of 29 years of League 3 football.
1965 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 4G, 2 points ahead of closest rivals vv Westerwolde, SV THOS wins promotion to Sunday League 3 after just one year.
1966 / SV THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 3 points behind champions vv Zuidlaren.
± 1968 / An additional pitch is laid out at Terrein Hoofdstraat, situated to the south of the main pitch. Upon completion of the works, SV THOS moves its first team football to this new pitch – still the club’s main pitch today.
1973 / SV THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 7 points behind champions vv Helpman. Also in 1973, a new floodlight installation is inaugurated at Terrein Hoofdstraat. Meanwhile, works get underway on a new clubhouse, including a boardroom and dressing rooms, a design by Beerta’s municipal architect, J. Berghuis.
1974 / Inauguration of SV THOS’s new clubhouse at Terrein Hoofdstraat, with the inaugural ceremony being performed by Beerta’s mayor, J.G. Voslamber.
1975 / Coached by J. Dalmolen, SV THOS conquers the title in District North’s Sunday League 3D, finishing 3 points ahead of closest followers vv WEO. As such, the club wins promotion to Sunday League 2 for the first time.
1978 / In the most successful season in club history, SV THOS, coached by M. van Donderen, finishes in fourth place in District North’s Sunday League 2B, with only reputed non-league clubs SV Twedo, vv WKE, and Achilles 1894 picking up more points than the side from Beerta. Also in 1978, former SV THOS youth academy player, striker Jurrie Koolhof, makes his debut as a professional league player with SC Veendam at the age of 18. Koolhof goes on to defend the colours of AVC Vitesse, PSV, FC Groningen, SBV Vitesse, BV De Graafschap, and BV Veendam, hanging up his boots in 1994. Koolhof also won five caps for the Netherlands’ national side in 1982-83. In the years 2000-08, Jurrie Koolhof worked as a professional league coach at BV De Graafschap, BVO Emmen (assistant), AGOVV Apeldoorn, FC Dordrecht, MVV, and SC Cambuur, before turning to youth scouting and TV punditry. Succumbing to an incurable disease, Jurrie Koolhof passed away in 2019 at the age of 59. His two sons also had careers as professional sports players, the elder, Wesley, as a tennis player, and the younger, Dean, as a footballer at BV De Graafschap, MVV Maastricht, and Helmond Sport.
1979 / Finishing in second-last place in District North’s Sunday League 2B, SV THOS, coached by Jan Broertjes – who had replaced M. van Donderen in the closing stages of the season – drops back into Sunday League 3 after two years, along with bottom club SV Bedum.
1980 / Among the festivities organised to celebrate SV THOS’ sixtieth anniversary, a gala match is held at Terrein Hoofdstraat, with SV THOS playing host to a team of former AFC Ajax players, including Klaas Nuninga, Jan Mulder, and Sjaak Swart.
1983 / Finishing bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 3D, SV THOS drops back into Sunday League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last place, derby rivals vv Nieuweschans.
1984 / SV THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 4G, 2 points behind champions vv Bato.
1989 / SV THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 4G, 7 points behind champions vv ASVB.
1992 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 4G, 4 points ahead of closest followers vv STA, SV THOS wins promotion to Sunday League 3 after an absence of nine seasons at that level.
1997 / Coached by Henny Lingbeek, SV THOS finishes bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 3B, thus dropping back into League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last place, vv HSC.
2003 / Coached by Aike Lubben, SV THOS finishes bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 4E. As such, the club is retrograded to Sunday League 5 for the first time in club history, being accompanied to that level by the club finishing in second-last position, vv Kwiek.
2008 / SV THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 5E, 9 points behind champions vv Bareveld. In the subsequent round of play-offs, the club fails to win promotion to League 4.
2013 / Finishing in fifth place in District North’s Sunday League 5F, SV THOS qualifies for the promotion-relegation play-offs, in which the club finishes in last place in a group behind vv Nieuw Roden and vv Harkstede, thus failing at its attempt to return to Sunday League 4. Also in 2013, former SV THOS youth player, 19-year-old Hans Hateboer, who had left the club for BV Veendam’s youth academy several years previously, makes his debut as a professional league player at FC Groningen, going on to wear the colours of Atalanta BC (2017-24) and Stade Rennais FC (2024-) – as well as being called up several times for the Netherlands’ national team from 2018 onwards.
2014 / Former SV THOS board member and canteen manager Abel van der Laan passes away at the age of 83. In his honour, SV THOS’ sports park at Hoofdstraat is renamed Abel van der Laan-Sportpark.
2019 / Runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 5D, 2 points behind champions vv Farmsum, SV THOS qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club draws a bye in R1 before being trashed by vv Bareveld in R2 (0-9).
2022 / Coached by Jaap Sikkema, SV THOS finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 5C, 10 points behind champions vv Veelerveen. In the subsequent play-off rounds, SV THOS draws a bye in R1, going on to defeat vv Drieborg in R2 (3-2 A.E.T.), resulting in the club winning promotion to Sunday League 4 after an absence of 19 years at that level.
2023 / Having an excellent season in District North’s Sunday League 4C, SV THOS finishes in second place, 4 points behind champions vv Veelerveen. In the promotion play-offs, the club is eliminated by USV Nieuwleusen (0-1).
2024 / Coached by Bob Mulder, SV THOS finishes bottom of the table in its second season in District North’s Sunday League 4C (just 1 win, 7 points, goal difference: -93), suffering relegation to League 5 along with FVV, vv PJC, and vv Bareveld. Following the 2023-24 season, the club withdraws from first team football, continuing with just a reserves’ team and several recreational teams. The club makes headlines in local media in November 2024 when it announces that it is on the brink of folding due to a lack of players – leading to an immediate surge in membership, with several players from other clubs in the region joining SV THOS’ reserves’ squad.

Note – Important parts of information provided above were derived from a booklet published by SV THOS on the occasion of the club’s sixtieth anniversary, “Jubileumnummer SV THOS Beerta 60 jaar” (1980), with especially a historic article about the early club history by G.L. Siemons proving an important, yet sketchy source. If anyone can shed more light on the following unanswered questions, please get in touch with me:

(1) In which year exactly did vv/SV THOS move to the current park at Hoofdstraat (later renamed Sportpark Abel van der Laan)? In the article above, using various oral sources, the date has been estimated at ± 1947.

(2) In which year exactly was the current main pitch added to the set-up? In the article above, using various oral sources, the date has been estimated at ± 1968.