Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: GSV '28

Jean Nijsten-Sportpark, Genhout Groot Genhout (GSV '28)

Netherlands, province: Limburg

30 III 2025 / GSV '28 - RKVV Volharding 4-0 / Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1E (= NL level 6)

Timeline

1928 / Foundation of a football club in Groot Genhout, a hamlet in the municipality of Beek in Limburg, which takes on the name (RKVV?) Grootgenhout. A first pitch is laid out for the club on a plot of farmland owned by the Stassen family, referred to locally as Terrein ‘t Gebösjelke (or Gebusselke).
1930 / (RKVV?) Grootgenhout changes its name to become Genhoutsche Sportvereeniging (GSV). That same year, the club becomes a member of the so-called Roomsch-Katholieke Limburgsche Voetbalbond (RKLVB), the Limburg sub-branch of the RKF (Roomsch-Katholieke Federatie), the Netherlands’ Roman-Catholic football association. It is unclear if the club still played at Terrein ‘t Gebösjelke at the time, or if it had already moved to a pasture also owned by the Stassen family at the back of their farmstead at Grootgenhoutschestraat 99.
1933 / GSV ceases its activities for the time being.
1934 / Refoundation of GSV after one year of inactivity, with the club being readmitted by the RKLVB.
1940 / As the RKF and all its sub-branches fold to be absorbed into the Netherlands’ official Football Association (KNVB, renamed NVB after the German oppression of the Netherlands) at the behest of German occupation authorities, GSV is placed in Afdeling Limburg (Sunday) Division 1 for the 1940-41 season – Afdeling Limburg being the NVB’s Limburg sub-branch.
1941 / Given that the name GSV has already been adopted by several other NVB member clubs, the association orders GSV in Genhout to adapt its name. In February 1941, the club becomes GSV 1934, but, one month later, the decision is taken to use the year of foundation of the original (RKVV?) Grootgenhout, 1928, with the club thus taking on the name GSV ’28.
1945 / At its own request, GSV ’28 is retrograded from Afdeling Limburg Sunday Division 1 to Division 2.
1946 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Limburg Sunday Division 2 following a tie-break match against vv Caesar Reserves (1-0), GSV ’28 manages an immediate return to Division 1.
± 1950 / Moving away from Terrein Stassen (at Grootgenhoutsestraat), GSV ’28 has a pitch laid out for itself on a plot of farmland at the crossroads of Grootgenhoutsestraat and Printhagen, owned by a local smallholder called Mr Vrencken.
1961 / GSV ’28 drops back from Afdeling Limburg Sunday Division 1 to Division 2 after fifteen years.
1966 / In the face of the looming danger of being forbidden to take further part in Afdeling Limburg competitions due to the absence of dressing rooms at their ground, GSV concludes an agreement with Beek’s municipal authorities to create new facilities for the club at Op den Hoogen Boom in Groot Genhout.
1970 / Inauguration of the newly laid-out Sportpark Genhout at Op den Hoogen Boom in Groot Genhout, the new park of GSV ’28, which consists of one pitch only. Moreover, a wooden clubhouse has been erected.
1976 / Champions in Afdeling Limburg Sunday Division 2, GSV ’28 wins promotion to Division 1 after an absence of fifteen years at that level. The successful coaching duo consists of Ger Bruynen and Pierre Stassen.
1985 / Champions in Afdeling Limburg (Sunday) Division 1D, GSV ’28 wins promotion to KNVB District South II’s Sunday League 4 for the first time. The successful coach is Hay Halmans.
1989 / GSV ’28 finishes as runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 4B, 2 points behind champions RKSV Wit Groen VC.
1991 / Replacing its wooden predecessor, a new clubhouse is erected in stone at Sportpark Genhout, with Beek’s mayor Bert van Goethem laying the foundation stone. The construction has been designed by architects J. Wehrung and R. Swelsen.
1992 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 4B, 3 points ahead of closest rivals SV Simpelveld, GSV ’28 wins promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time. The successful coach is John Vrancken.
1993 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 3A, 5 points ahead of runners-up vv Bunde, GSV ’28 wins its second promotion in a row, acceding to Sunday League 2 for the first time. The successful coach is Ed Smeets.
1998 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2G, 6 points behind champions RKSV Groene Ster, GSV ’28 manages to win a historic promotion to Sunday League 1 in the play-offs. The successful coach is Rob van Barneveld.
± 1999 / A training pitch is added to the set-up at Sportpark Genhout.
2003 / GSV ’28 celebrates its 75th anniversary with a gala match against professional league side Roda JC.
2005 / In the best season in club history so far, GSV ’28, coached by Jean Hoedemakers, finishes in third place in Sunday League 1D, 5 points behind champions SV Panningen. The club reaches the play-offs, but no promotion is achieved.
2006 / Repeating the achievement of the previous season, GSV finishes in third place in Sunday League 1D, 7 points behind champions RKSV Groene Ster. In the promotion play-offs, the club is eliminated by SV Deurne.
2008 / In the summer of 2008, Sportpark Genhout is renamed Jean Nijsten-Sportpark in honour of longtime club chairman Jean Nijsten, who had fallen fatally ill and would pass away in October of that same year.
2012 / Michel Haan becomes the head coach at GSV ’28. Haan is a former professional league striker who had spells at Roda JC, KSC Hasselt, SC Heracles ’74, and VVV, before bowing out into non-league at FC 1910 Germania Teveren in 1994.
2013 / Coached by Michel Haan, GSV ’28 finishes in second-last place in Sunday League 1D, failing to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by SVC 2000 (2-2 aggr. & penalty shoot-out). As such, GSV ’28 drops back into Sunday League 2 after fifteen years, along with HVV Helmond and bottom club vv Caesar.
2014 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2G, 6 points behind champions RKSV Minor, GSV ’28 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by RKVV Erp (5-4 aggr.). Following the 2013-14 season, Michel Haan leaves the club. Also in 2014, the main pitch at the Jean Nijsten-Sportpark is laid out anew as a 3G.
2017 / GSV ’28 merges its youth academy with neighbour club RKVV Schimmert.
2018 / Finishing in fourth place in Sunday League 2G, GSV ’28 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by RKVV Venlosche Boys (4-1).
2020 / As GSV ’28 finds itself in a race for the Sunday League 2G title, only 1 point below leaders RKSV Heer and FC Geleen Zuid, the 2019-20 season is cut short due the first COVID lockdown. No promotion and relegation is carried through following the season.
2023 / GSV ’28 and RKVV Schimmert conclude an agreement with SV Hulsberg to field combined U15, U17, and U19 teams.
2024 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2F, 21 points behind runaway champions RKSV Bekkerveld, GSV ’28 qualifies for the promotion-relegation play-offs. Drawing a bye in R1, the club knocks out vv Handel in R2 to reach the final, played at RKSV De Ster’s Sportpark ‘t Hetjen in Stein. On the day, GSV ’28 defeated SHH, 2-1 (goals by Thom Brinkhof & top scorer Per Hendrix), resulting in the club returning to Sunday League 1 after an absence of eleven seasons.