Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: vv HSV

Sportpark Het Maalwater, Heiloo (vv HSV)

Netherlands, province: North Holland = Noord-Holland

26 I 2025 / vv HSV - FC Aalsmeer 4-2 / District West I, Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1A (= NL level 6)

Timeline

1921 / Foundation of a first football club in Heiloo, a predominantly Roman Catholic village in the immediate vicinity of Alkmaar. However, the new club, which takes on the name VVH (Voetbalvereeniging Heiloo) does not have a Catholic or any other religious background. VVH settles on Terrein Jac van Gemeren at Kennemerweg and joins the so-called NHVB (Noord-Hollandsche Voetbalbond), the North Holland sub-branch of the Netherlands’ official Football Association (NVB or, from 1929 onwards, KNVB).
1929 / After an existence of eight years, VVH folds, ceasing all activities due to a deficient membership. The majority of the remaining members seek affiliation with VAVV Alcmaria Victrix in nearby Alkmaar. That same year, a new football club sees the daylight in Heiloo, RODA (‘Recht Op Doel Af’), which is formed under the tutelage of the local Roman Catholic church. Piet Keeman Snr. is elected as the club’s first chairman. A plot of land at Mallevoortsdijk, owned by the local Catholic parish, is put at the club’s disposal. The pitch at Mallevoortsdijk is situated in the immediate vicinity of the local Catholic girls’ school, where players can change clothes during weekend matches – in the absence of proper dressing rooms at the ground itself. For the moment, RODA contents itself with playing matches against other recreational teams without seeking affiliation with any league association.
1930 / One year after its foundation, RODA applies for membership of the so-called Diocesaan Haarlemsche Voetbalbond (DHVB), a sub-branch of the Roman-Catholic Sports Association RKF (‘Roomsch-Katholieke Federatie). Due to the name RODA already having been taken by a club from Roelofarendsveen, RODA 1923, RODA (Heiloo) changes its name to become RKHSV (‘Roomsch-Katholieke Heilooër Sportvereeniging’).
1931 / RKHSV takes part in league football for the first time, being placed in DHVB Division 2 for the 1931-32 season.
1933 / Having had to make do with the very basic facilities in the nearby girls’ school in the first years of its existence, RKHSV now acquires the luxury of dressing rooms in situ – with the facilities being officially consecrated by the village chaplain, Fr Van Ettinger.
1934 / In a gala match at Terrein Mallevoortsdijk, RKHSV entertains a team from Surinam, Paramaribo I.
1938 / Finishing in joint first place in DHVB Division 2 with vv VIOS-W, RKHSV meets the club from Warmenhuizen in a tie-break match, played in Warmenhuizen; going on to win the match 1-2 (A.E.T.), RKHSV crowns itself champions of its division. As such, the club qualifies for the championship play-offs against RKVV REO (De Rijp) and VVW (Wervershoof) for two promotion places – and finishing in second place behind REO, RKHSV accedes to DHVB Division 1 for the first time. The successful coach is C. Hoek.
1940 / Having spent the first years of its existence in DHVB and RKF, RKHSV 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 a ‘Special Division 1’ with Roman-Catholic clubs from North Holland.
1941 / Having narrowly avoided relegation following a third tie-break match against Special Division 2 champions vv Con Zelo, played in Alkmaar (2-0), RKHSV is placed in NHVB Sunday Division 1, as the ‘Special Divisions’ for Roman-Catholics are abolished.
1946 / Clinching the title in NHVB Sunday Division 1, 3 points ahead of vv Berdos, RKHSV qualifies for the championship play-offs, in which the club defeats VVV Westzaan (7-4 aggr.). As such, RKHSV wins promotion to KNVB District West I’s Sunday League 4 for the first time. Also in 1946, the much smaller Protestant community of Heiloo forms a football club as well, Sportvereniging (SV) De Foresters. Although the majority of the membership adheres to the protestant faith, SV De Foresters joins the Sunday league pyramid rather than choosing Saturday league football. As such, from now on, RKHSV has a local derby rival, as SV De Foresters rapidly finds the way up to the regular Sunday divisions in District West I.
1951 / RKHSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4A, 11 points behind champions BKC.
1953 / Finishing 6 points ahead of closest followers vv Schagen, RKHSV crowns itself champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4A. The decisive points were clinched in a 4-2 home win over vv Schagen, with Jan Bugter scoring all four RKHSV goals. In the ensuing championship play-offs, RKHSV managed to shed off vv Monnickendam (4-2 aggr.), thus achieving promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time.
1954 / A new set of dressing rooms is inaugurated at Terrein Mallevoortsdijk, with the original facilities, dating back to 1933, being turned into a club canteen.
1955 / As professional league football is introduced in the Netherlands, RKHSV’s Piet Schuijt earns himself a transfer to the newly formed professional club Alkmaar ’54 (one of the precursors of AZ). After fours seasons at Alkmaar ’54, Schuijt would go on to spend two more years with BVV in Den Bosch before withdrawing into non-league.
1956 / With youth matches having been held at the pitch of the local Sint Willibrordusstichting, a Catholic charity organisation, in the preceding years, RKHSV now acquires the luxury of a second pitch at Mallevoortsdijk, which is inaugurated with a gala match against professional league side Alkmaar ’54 (1-4). Some years later, this B pitch is turned into the ground’s main pitch.
1960 / Coached by Arie Moolenaar, RKHSV finishes in last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 after seven seasons.
1961 / Runaway champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4B, 9 points ahead of runners-up SV De Valken, RKHSV qualifies for the championship play-offs, in which it achieves promotion to Sunday League 3 in the most confident of fashions, winning all of its six matches – two each against HFC Helder, KVV, and vv Sint Martinus. The successful coach is Arie Borst.
1962 / 23-year-old RKHSV player Jan Spaans earns himself a transfer to professional league side Alkmaar ’54, only staying with that club for one season before withdrawing into non-league.
1963 / RKHSV is given notice that it will have to move away from Terrein Mallevoortsdijk in the foreseeable future due to the location having been designated for housing.
1966 / In October 1966, a start is made with the construction of a clubhouse and a set of dressing rooms at RKHSV’s prospective new ground at Bayershoffweg. Also in 1966, 21-year-old RKHSV winger Eddy Robert earns himself a transfer to professional league side HFC Haarlem. Robert only stays in Haarlem for one season, failing to achieve his breakthrough and returning to his mother club in the summer of 1967.
1967 / In April 1967, the Netherlands’ Association for Wasteland Redevelopment (Nederlandse Heidemaatschappij) starts its works on the laying out of five pitches at RKHSV’s prospective new ground at Bayershoffweg. Later that same year, on June 17th, the symbolic foundation stone of the clubhouse is laid.
1968 / Abandoning Terrein Mallevoortsweg, RKHSV settles at the newly laid out Sportpark Bayershoffweg in August 1968, with the complex being inaugurated by Heiloo’s mayor J.A. Pesman.
1969 / RKHSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 1 point behind derby rivals SV De Foresters. That same year, floodlights are added to the set-up of the main pitch at Sportpark Bayershoffweg, with the facilities being inaugurated with a gala match against professional league side RKSV Volendam.
1970 / RKHSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday league 3A, 3 points behind champions BVV De Kennemers.
± 1971 / In 1971 or 1972, the decision is taken to drop the reference to the Roman Catholic origins of the club, as RKHSV officially changes its name to become vv HSV.
1972 / vv HSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 2 points behind champions SV Beverwijk.
1975 / 19-year-old former (RK)HSV youth academy goalkeeper Rob Tervoort signs his first professional league contract, becoming backup goalie at AFC Ajax. Eventually making his league debut in 1977, Tervoort only managed a handful of games for the Amsterdam side, eventually moving away and having spells in Belgium with KSK Tongeren (1979-83) and K Sint-Niklase SK (1984) before hanging up his boots.
1976 / Finishing in joint first place in District West I’s Sunday League 3A with SVW ’27, vv HSV meets the club from Heerhugowaard in a tie-break match for the title at RKSV AFC ‘34’s Gemeentelijk Sportpark Robonsbosweg attended by 2,200 spectators – suffering a 3-0 defeat on the day and thus missing out on promotion.
1977 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 1 point ahead of closest rivals LSVV, vv HSV achieves a historic promotion to Sunday League 2. The decisive points are clinched in a 3-0 home win over vv Alkmaarse Boys. The successful coach is Hans Michels. Also in 1977, a covered stand is added to the set-up at Sportpark Bayershoffweg.
1981 / Coached by Siem Tijm, vv HSV finishes in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 2A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 after two years, along with bottom club SV Ilpendam.
1985 / Former vv HSV youth academy midfielder Fons van Haastrecht signs his first professional league contract with AZ ’67 at the age of twenty. Van Haastrecht goes on to play for the Alkmaar club (renamed AZ in 1986) for four seasons, adding one more year at Telstar to his professional league career before returning to vv HSV in 1990.
1990 / Coached by Piet van Houwelingen, vv HSV finishes bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last place, SV Ilpendam. Also in 1990, former vv HSV youth academy player, winger John Beelen, makes his debut as a professional league player with AZ, defending the colours of the Alkmaar side for four years before withdrawing into non-league with RKSV AFC ’34.
1991 / Finishing in joint first place in District West I’s Sunday League 4B with SV De Foresters, vv HSV meets its derby rivals in a tie-break match played at its own Sportpark Bayershoffweg – going on to win the encounter 2-0, and thus winning promotion to Sunday League 3.
1994 / Finishing in joint first place in District West I’s Sunday League 3B with WSV ’30, vv HSV meets the club from Wervershoof in a tie-break match, in which it suffers a 2-0 defeat. However, the club succeeds in achieving promotion via the backdoor of the play-offs subsequently, thus acceding to Sunday League 2 after an absence of thirteen years at that level.
1995 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 2A, vv HSV descends into Sunday League 3 along with bottom club SV Geel-Wit ’20.
1996 / vv HSV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 6 points behind champions vv Duinrand S.
2000 / Finishing in fourth place in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, vv HSV goes on to win the play-offs, thus achieving promotion to Sunday League 2 after an absence of five seasons.
2005 / With the main pitch of Sportpark Bayershoffweg having to make way for housing after 37 years, a new clubhouse is constructed for the club alongside Pitch D of the park, which becomes the main pitch – and is equipped with a synthetic surface that same summer. The entrance of the ground is moved from Bayershoffweg to Het Maalwater, with the name of the ground being adapted to Sportpark Het Maalwater as a result.
2006 / Coached by Gerrit Boerman, vv HSV finishes bottom of the table in Sunday League 2A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 along with the club finishing in second-last position, vv ZAP.
2008 / On a pre-season training week in Heiloo, Sheffield Wednesday FC plays friendlies against HFC Haarlem (2-0) and SC Telstar (3-0) on the main pitch of vv HSV’s Sportpark Het Maalwater.
2010 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, 3 points behind derby rivals SV De Foresters, vv HSV achieves direct promotion to Sunday League 2 due to extra promotion places being available following the introduction of a Zondag Topklasse as the new top level of the Sunday pyramid. The successful coach is Edwin Veenstra.
2011 / Coached by Edwin Veenstra, vv HSV finishes bottom of the table in Sunday League 2A, thus being retrograded to Sunday League 3 along with the club finishing in second-last place, vv Kolping Boys.
2012 / Coached by Edwin Veenstra, vv HSV finishes in twelfth place in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, as a result of which the club has to save its skin in a relegation group against vv Texel ’94 and SV Always Forward. Due to losing the encounter against SV Always Forward, vv HSV finishes in second place in the group only, thus suffering relegation to Sunday League 4 for the first time in the new century, along with the two direct drop-outs from League 3B, SV Beemster and bottom club vv ZTS.
2013 / Finishing in third place in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, vv HSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out SV Spaarnwoude in R1 (6-2 aggr.) before being eliminated in R2 by SV DSOV (4-3 aggr. A.E.T.).
2014 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, 5 points ahead of runners-up SV Beemster, vv HSV achieves promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Edwin Veenstra.
2016 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, 4 points behind champions vv Kolping Boys, vv HSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by SVW ’27 (2-2 aggr. & penalty shoot-out).
2017 / Runaway champions in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, 12 points ahead of closest followers SV DTS, vv HSV wins promotion to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Edwin Veenstra, who would stay with the club for an impressive run of thirteen consecutive seasons before moving away in 2021. Also in 2017, former HSV youth academy player, 19-year-old Mees Kaandorp, makes his professional league debut with Jong AZ. In subsequent years, Kaandorp goes on to defend the colours of Almere City FC, BV De Graafschap, and SC Telstar.
2018 / vv HSV’s first team, title contenders in Sunday League 2A, is deducted four points for unsportsmanlike conduct, thus not only missing out on the title, but also on the promotion play-offs. Also in 2018, former HSV youth academy goalkeeper Mees Bakker makes his professional league debut at Jong AZ. In subsequent years, Bakker goes on to defend the colours of AZ, BV De Graafschap, and FC Den Bosch.
2019 / Abandoning Sunday football after 73 years, vv HSV’s eternal derby rivals SV De Foresters move away to the Saturday League pyramid. The last league match between the two teams, played at SV De Foresters’ Sportpark Het Vennewater on March 2nd, 2019, was won by vv HSV (0-3).
2023 / Finishing in third place in Sunday League 2A, vv HSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club defeats AVV SDZ in R1 (0-2) before being knocked out by JVC (Julianadorp) in R2 (1-0).
2024 / Runaway champions in Sunday League 2A, 11 points ahead of closest followers KFC, vv HSV manages an unprecedented promotion to League 1. The successful coach is René van Elsland.

Note – Much of the information above has been derived from a booklet which was published by vv HSV on the occasion of the club’s sixtieth anniversary in 1990: “Heilooër Sportvereniging 60 jaar”, by Fred Admiraal / Marcel Fleur / Edward Geesken / Nico Meyer / Hans Spaans / Hein Spaans / Henk Spaans / Jeroen Tromp. Thanks to HSV’s ultimate clubman Hans Ursem for putting a copy of this booklet at my disposal – as well as for providing essential additional information, which has also been included in the article above.