Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RKVV Vianen Vooruit

Terrein Koebaksestraat "Sportpark Vianen Vooruit", Vianen N-Br (RKVV Vianen Vooruit)

Netherlands, province: North Brabant = Noord-Brabant

17 XI 2024 / RKVV Vianen Vooruit - RKVV Excellent 5-0 / Sunday League 3G (= NL level 8)

Timeline

1932 / In Vianen – not Vianen in the Province of Utrecht, but a hamlet to the west of Cuijk in North Brabant, a football club is founded, which is given the name RKVV (Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging) Vianen Vooruit. The foundation has been instigated by Fr C. Muskens, priest of the Vianen parish – only founded two years previously in 1930 –, who prefers to see male inhabitants in ‘his’ village play in their own club rather than going to JVC, the club in Cuijk proper, which had seen the daylight in 1931. In the inaugural meeting, taking place in Café ‘t Wiemeltje on May 14th, 1932, Jan Langen is chosen as Vianen Vooruit’s first chairman. Initially, the club settles on a plot of pasture belonging to Tat van Daal’s farmstead at Louwershof, but the smallholder has second thoughts, deciding that he wants his plot back at the end of August that same year. Subsequently, the club finds a new home at Terrein ‘t Rot, a plot of land owned by another smallholder, Marten Thooner, at the crossroads of Rotsestraat and ‘t Flieren. The new pitch is inaugurated on August 24th, 1932, by Fr Muskens; following the ceremony, a gala tournament is organised with several clubs from surrounding villages as well as a German team from Cologne called Nordwacht. With no dressing rooms being available in situ, players have to change clothes in the bedroom of Café ‘t Wiemeltje, further down the road. Instead of joining the official Netherlands’ Football Association (KNVB), RKVV Vianen Vooruit, like almost all other clubs from the region, becomes a member of the Roomsch-Katholieke Federatie (RKF), a Roman-Catholic football association, being placed in the Maasbuurt branch. The club suffers a comprehensive away defeat in its first match of the season at RKVV Toxandria (9-3), going on to clinch its first official win in the subsequent home game against Victoria Reserves (from Haps), 4-2.
± 1934 / Marten Thooner sells part of his land, including Terrein ‘t Rot, to another smallholder, Helm Arts, who extends the leasing agreement with RKVV Vianen Vooruit.
1939 / RKVV Vianen Vooruit wins its first and only promotion in the ranks of the RKF, probably acceding to Afdeling Maasbuurt Division 1 after winning a title in Division 2.
1940 / Having spent the first eight years of its existence in the RKF, RKVV Vianen Vooruit is now constrained to make the step to the official Netherlands’ FA (renamed NVB following the German oppression of the Netherlands, abandoning the royal epithet ‘koninklijk’ for obvious reasons) as all other football associations are abolished by German occupation authorities. For the 1940-41 season, the club is placed in Division 1 of the so-called NBVB (Noord-Brabantse Voetbalbond), the NVB sub-branch organising league football in the Province of North Brabant below the level of (K)NVB Sunday League 4.
1947 / RKVV Vianen Vooruit drops out of NBVB Sunday Division 1, dropping back into NBVB Sunday Division 2.
1949 / Champions in NBVB Sunday Division 2A, RKVV Vianen Vooruit fails to achieve promotion in the subsequent championship play-offs.
1950 / As Helm Arts sells parts of his farmland, including half of the football pitch, Terrein ‘t Rot, to a neighbouring smallholder, Mr Pluk, the pitch is given a quarter’s turn, as a result of which it continues to fall within the ownership of Mr Arts.
1952 / Champions in NBVB Sunday Division 2A, RKVV Vianen Vooruit manages a return to NBVB Division 1 after an absence of five seasons. Also in 1952, as the pitch of JVC at Café De Bond in Cuijk is laid out anew, that club groundshares with RKVV Vianen Vooruit at Terrein ‘t Rot in the second half of the 1951-52 season.
1953 / As the pitch of Terrein ‘t Rot has become unplayable, Cuijk’s municipal authorities agree to lay out the pitch anew. In the meantime, RKVV Vianen Vooruit has to move to a temporary pitch, situated at the back of the house of board member Cor van Kempen at Diepestraat.
1954 / With the new pitch at Terrein ‘t Rot still not being ready for use in November 1954, RKVV Vianen Vooruit moves to another temporary pitch, a plot of farmland owned by Christje Cornelissen at the crossroads of Rotsestraat and Franssenstraat – around the corner from Café ‘t Wiemeltje.
1956 / Finally, after having had to play elsewhere for three years, Terrein ‘t Rot is reopened, with Cuijk’s town clerk F. Buijssen performing the inaugural ceremony and Fr Muskens blessing the new pitch.
1959 / Having had to use the facilities of Café ‘t Wiemeltje as dressing rooms until this point, RKVV Vianen Vooruit now inaugurates its first fully-fledged dressing rooms at Terrein ‘t Rot.
1960 / Floodlights are added to the set-up at Terrein ‘t Rot, allowing training sessions to be held during midweek in the winter season as well. These facilities are refurbished in the course of the 1966-67 season.
1962 / The Municipality of Cuijk takes over the ownership of Terrein ‘t Rot from the club.
1964 / Coached by H. van Raay, RKVV Vianen Vooruit drops back from NBVB Division 1 to Division 2. The club’s performance in the following thirty years has been poorly documented, but it is clear a promotion to Sunday League 4 was never achieved prior to the abolition of NBVB in 1996.
1971 / As the sole pitch at Terrein ‘t Rot proves insufficient to accommodate the increasing membership of the club, RKVV Vianen Vooruit concludes an agreement with Cuijk’s municipal authorities to have a second pitch laid out at Koebaksestraat, on the verge of the village centre. Works get underway on a pitch as well as a set of dressing rooms.
1972 / The new pitch at Koebaksestraat is inaugurated on June 18th, 1972, by Cuijk’s mayor Henneskens. From now on, this pitch hosts first team football, with Terrein ‘t Rot being retained for lower team football and training sessions.
1974 / At the behest of Cuijk’s municipal authorities, a plot of land adjacent to the main pitch at Koebaksestraat is purchased for the purpose of laying out a second pitch – or, actually, a third pitch, given that Terrein ‘t Rot is still retained as well.
1976 / An extension is added to RKVV Vianen Vooruit’s clubhuis at Koebaksestraat.
1996 / Upon the abolition of all KNVB sub-branches, including the NBVB, RKVV Vianen Vooruit is placed in District South II’s Sunday League 5. Also in 1996, a third pitch is laid out at Koebaksestraat. At this point, the club abandons its old pitch, Terrein ‘t Rot, which had been in use from 1932 onwards. The facilities there are taken over by an equestrian club.
2002 / Coached by Marc Schols, RKVV Vianen Vooruit finishes bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 5H, thus descending into Sunday League 6 along with the club finishing in second-last position, RKSV Juliana.
2003 / Still coached by Marc Schols, RKVV Vianen Vooruit wins the title in District South II’s Sunday League 6H, 7 points ahead of runners-up SC Gassel. As such, the club manages an immediate return to Sunday League 5. Also in 2003, RKVV Vianen Vooruit’s ultimate clubman Gerrit Theunissen takes his leave after having served 55 consecutive years in various capacities on the club’s board, including which the presidency (1971-89).
2005 / Coached by Tom Heymans, RKVV Vianen Vooruit finishes bottom of the table in District South II’s Sunday League 5H, thus being retrograded to Sunday League 6 along with the club finishing in second-last position, SV Estria.
2006 / A renovation of the clubhouse at Koebaksestraat is carried out.
2008 / Coached by Henk Driessen, RKVV Vianen Vooruit finishes in third place in District South II’s Sunday League 6F, going on to win promotion to League 5 via the play-offs.
2010 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 5G, 8 points ahead of runners-up VCA, RKVV Vianen Vooruit wins promotion to Sunday League 4 for the first time in club history.
2012 / Coached by Marco Bennehey, RKVV Vianen Vooruit finishes in second-last place in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, thus dropping back into Sunday League 5 along with bottom club RKSV Juliana.
2013 / Runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 5G, 12 points behind runaway champions FC Uden, RKVV Vianen Vooruit qualifies for the promotion play-offs, finishing in last place in a group against WVV Constantia and the eventual winners of the promotion ticket, RKSV Juliana. In a subsequent lucky loser round, the club has no more luck, suffering a hammering from vv Ollandia (1-7) and thus staying put in Sunday League 5.
2014 / Coached by Dennis Kroes, RKVV Vianen Vooruit clinches the title in District South II’s Sunday League 5H, 2 points ahead of closest followers vv Heijen. As such, the club manages a return to Sunday League 4 after an absence of two years.
2015 / Still coached by Dennis Kroes, RKVV Vianan Vooruit achieves an impressive third place in District South II’s Sunday League 4G, qualifying for the play-offs, in which the club manages successive victories over RKSV Cito (4-2 aggr.) and RKSV Juliana (8-5 aggr.). As a result, the club wins promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time. Also in or around 2015, the clubhouse is thoroughly refurbished, becoming a two-tiered construction with the dressing rooms partly sunk away below ground level – and the canteen on top. In the new set-up, a small open terrace has been included as well.
2016 / Finishing in twelfth place in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, RKVV Vianen Vooruit has to play a promotion-relegation play-off against derby rivals HBV, managing a 3-1 aggregate win and thus saving its skin in League 3.
2017 / RKVV Vianen Vooruit concludes an agreement with neighbour club HBV from Beers, involving the merger of the two clubs’ youth academies. Henceforth, youth teams take part in KNVB competitions under the name SJO (Samenwerkende Jeugdopleidingen) Vianen Vooruit-HBV.
2018 / Coached by Niels Voet, RKVV Vianen Vooruit clinches the title in District South II’s Sunday League 3D, 2 points ahead of closest rivals RKSV Sparta ’25, thus achieving a historic promotion to Sunday League 2.
2019 / RKVV Vianen Vooruit finishes in fourth place in Sunday League 2H, the best result in club history.
2022 / Coached by Joost Janssen, RKVV Vianen Vooruit finishes bottom of the table in Sunday League 2F, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 along with EVVC and RKSV Venhorst.

Note – Much of the information above has been derived from a booklet published on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of RKVV Vianen Vooruit: “75 jaar Voetbalvereniging Vianen Vooruit”, by Piet Kempen (†) & Ruud Pluk (2007).