Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: HC&FC Victoria

Sportpark Loosdrecht "Zuid", Nieuw-Loosdrecht (HC&FC Victoria)

Netherlands, province: North Holland = Noord-Holland

8 III 2025 / HC&FC Victoria - vv Hierden 1-0 / District East, Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1F (= NL level 6)

Timeline

1893 / Foundation of a football club in Hilversum, which is given the name Hilversumsche Football Club (HFC) Victoria, by Nico Schröder, Antoine Dekker, and Herman Groskamp – primary schoolboys no older than seven or eight, who form a team with their classmates. HFC Victoria is not the oldest football club in Hilversum, as a short-lived HFC (Hilversumsche Football Club) had been formed in 1889. Initially, the boys of HFC Victoria stick to playing friendly matches on makeshift pitches, mostly at the back of the villas of their parents – as all members of the club belonged to the upper layer of Hilversum society, finding a suitable location never was a problem. One of the pitches was situated at the back of the Schröder family’s villa.
1898 / HFC Victoria moves to the back garden of a local banker, B.W. Blijdenstein, at his country house, Villa Vogelenzang.
1900 / Moving away from Villa Vogelenzang, HFC Victoria settles on a pitch situated in a local park, the Corversbosch, at Groenelaan. The pitch has been put at the disposal of the club by a local entrepreneur, Geert van Mesdag.
1902 / After nine years of sticking to playing friendly matches, HFC Victoria joins the UPVB (Utrechtsche Provinciale Voetbalbond), the sub-branch of the Netherlands’ Football Association (NVB) organising league football below the national divisions in Utrecht and ‘t Gooi.
1903 / Winning the UPVB title in its first season as a competitive club – not least thanks to the goals of top scorer Eetje van Blommesteyn – HFC Victoria accedes to NVB District West’s (Sunday) League 2.
1905 / HFC Victoria reaches the final of the Netherlands’ Cup (NVB-Beker), in which it is eliminated by HBS Reserves. Victoria’s star player Toine van Renterghem leaves the club following the 1904-05 season, signing for the aforementioned HBS in The Hague. Van Renterghem would go on win three caps for the Netherlands’ national team (1906-07), while also being an unused sub in his country’s squad which conquered a bronze medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. Van Renterghem also made it to the Netherlands’ national cricket team. After working as a dentist in Utrecht for many years, Van Renterghem emigrated to the United States in 1953, where he passed away in Santa Monica, Ca., in 1967 at the age of 81.
1907 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West’s League 2A, HFC Victoria descends into League 3. In this annus horribilis for the club, HFC Victoria also had to leave its ground at Groenelaan after some brats had committed arson on the pitch – upon which owner Geert van Mesdag forbade the club further use of the location. Thereupon, a local notary, K.J. Perk, also a member of HFC Victoria, put his back garden at Wernerlaan at the disposal of the club – large enough to lay out not one, but two pitches. With no dressing rooms being available in situ, the players change clothes at nearby Hotel Het Gooiland, then walking down Emmastraat to the main pitch at Wernerlaan. The facilities at the ground included a covered stand.
1908 / HFC Victoria finishes as runners-up in District West’s League 3D, 3 points behind DVV, a club from The Hague.
1909 / Champions in District West’s League 3B, 3 points ahead of AVV from Amsterdam, HFC Victoria wins promotion to League 2.
1912 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West’s League 2C, HFC Victoria drops back to League 3 after three seasons.
1914 / Champions in District West’s League 3F, 3 points ahead of town rivals HVV ‘t Gooi, HFC Victoria wins promotion to League 2.
1918 / Absorbing local cricket club HCC (Hilversumsche Cricketclub), HFC Victoria takes on the adapted name Hilversumsche Cricket & Football Club (HC&FC) Victoria.
1919 / HC&FC Victoria manages a third place in District West’s League 2A, the best result of the club of all times in Sunday football. Also in 1919, HCC breaks away from the merger concluded only one year previously. In spite of losing its cricket branch, HC&FC Victoria sticks to its prefix, not changing its name as a result of the split.
1920 / Moving away from Terrein Wernerlaan after thirteen years, HC&FC Victoria is allowed to move into the newly laid-out municipal sports park in Hilversum, the Gemeentelijk Sportpark at Soestdijkerstraatweg, which it shares with town rivals HVV ‘t Gooi and FC Hilversum. The ground sports a striking new wooden stand, designed by Hilversum’s municipal architect Willem Dudok.
1923 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West’s League 2B, HC&FC Victoria drops back into League 3.
1926 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s League 3D, HC&FC Victoria drops back into League 4 for the first time.
1929 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s League 4C, HC&FC Victoria manages to stave off relegation in the ensuing play-off rounds.
1930 / Only through the intervention of Victoria member Harry David, a dissolution of the club is avoided. At the time, HC&FC Victoria only has an active membership of eleven.
1931 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s League 4D, HC&FC Victoria manages to stave off relegation in the ensuing play-off rounds. That same year, former Victoria player Jan Schubert makes his debut in AFC Ajax’s first team. The midfielder would go on to play 202 matches for the Amsterdam side in the following twelve years, while also winning two caps for the Netherlands in 1939.
1932 / HC&FC Victoria appoints its first coach, W. Rosenbaum.
1933 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s League 4E, HC&FC Victoria manages to stave off relegation in the ensuing play-off rounds.
± 1935 / In 1935 at its latest, HC&FC Victoria moves away from its groundshare with HVV ‘t Gooi and FC Hilversum at Gemeentelijk Sportpark Soestdijkerstraatweg, settling on a newly laid-out pitch at Slangeweggetje, situated in the vicinity of the Zonnestraat Sanatorium Estate. A clubhouse is erected on the site – in fact the former clubhouse of Hilversum’s hockey club HMHC – which has the luxury of two dressing-rooms.
1937 / HC&FC Victoria finishes as runners-up in District West I’s League 4G, 3 points behind champions BVC.
1939 / Managing its first title in 25 years, HC&FC Victoria finishes top of the table in District West I’s League 4E, 6 points ahead of closest followers AVV ZSGO. The successful coach is W. Anderiessen.
1944 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3E, HC&FC Victoria manages to stave off relegation in the ensuing play-off rounds.
1947 / Coached by W. Eybers, HC&FC Victoria finishes bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3F, going on to suffer defeat in the relegation play-offs. As a result, the club drops back into Sunday League 4.
1950 / Coached by J.E. Wolzak, HC&FC Victoria finishes in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 4J, going on to suffer defeat in the relegation play-offs. As a result, the club drops back into Afdeling Utrecht (UPVB, UVB), after 47 years of regular league football, along with bottom club PVC.
1957 / Coached by G. Dijksma, HC&FC Victoria manages a return from UVB Sunday Division 1 to District West I’s Sunday League 4.
1961 / A first set of floodlights as well as showers are added to the set-up at Terrein Slangeweggetje.
1962 / HC&FC Victoria manages a second place in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, 3 points behind champions SC Muiderberg.
1964 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, 3 points ahead of runners-up vv NSC, HC&FC Victoria wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is E. Sterk.
1965 / Former Netherlands’ international Rinus Schaap, who had spells as a player with Toulouse FC, RC Paris, HVV ‘t Gooi, and SC Enschede, becomes head coach at HC&FC Victoria, staying on in that capacity for the following four seasons.
1967 / Moving away from Terrein Slangeweggetje after more than three decades, HC&FC Victoria settles at the newly laid-out Sportpark Crailoo, on the northern outskirts of Hilversum. The clubhouse is designed by club member and professional architect Ton Maas. Also in 1967, former Victoria player Jan van Beers signs a professional league contract with AFC Ajax. However, Van Beers fails to make his breakthrough in the star-studded Ajax team of Rinus Michels, withdrawing into non-league with AFC Quick – eventually returning to HC&FC Victoria in his later years.
1969 / HC&FC Victoria is joined at Sportpark Crailoo by FC Hilversum, which withdraws into non-league after a professional league adventure of thirteen years, abandoning Gemeentelijk Sportpark Soestdijkerstraatweg, which is left to sole users SC Gooiland – the epigons of HVV ‘t Gooi.
1971 / Coached by R. van Leuffen, HC&FC Victoria finishes bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last place, VVA.
1973 / Coached by W. Brouwers, who had replaced K. ter Horst in the course of the season, HC&FC Victoria finishes bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, thus dropping back into Afdeling Utrecht after sixteen years.
1975 / Coached by Anton van Zeegen, HC&FC Victoria manages to win promotion from Afdeling Utrecht to District West I’s Sunday League 4 after an absence of two seasons.
1976 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, 3 points ahead of derby rivals RKVV SDO, HC&FC Victoria manages its second promotion in a row, acceding to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Anton van Zeegen.
1977 / Moving away from Sportpark Crailoo, which is left to FC Hilversum, HC&FC Victoria settles at the newly laid-out Sportpark Loosdrecht, situated at Jagerspaadje in Nieuw-Loosdrecht, on the southern outskirts of Hilversum. Victoria occupies the southern part of Sportpark Loosdrecht, with other football clubs settling on the park as well (notably vv Hilversumsche Boys and HFC Bloemenkwartier 1921). Yet again, the pavilion, with dressing rooms on the ground floor with a clubhouse on top of it, is designed by architect and Victoria member Ton Maas.
1983 / HC&FC Victoria finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3D, 4 points behind champions SV Zwaluwen Vooruit.
1987 / Coached by Anton van Zeegen, who had returned to the club after his successful spell in the 1970s, HC&FC Victoria finishes bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3D, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last place, vv Stichtse Boys.
1988 / HC&FC Victoria creates a tennis branch.
1993 / Finishing in tenth place in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, HC&FC Victoria has to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs, eventually managing to stay up in a tie-break match against an unknown opponent played at VVOG’s Sportpark De Strokel in Harderwijk.
1994 / Coached by J. Krikke, HC&FC Victoria finishes bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, thus dropping back into Afdeling Utrecht Zondag Hoofdklasse – renamed District West I’s Sunday League 5 in 1996 – along with the club in second-last place, SV Saestum.
2001 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 5A, 6 points behind champions VVIJ, HC&FC Victoria manages to win promotion to Sunday League 4 in the ensuing play-off rounds. The successful coach is Rens van Dinter.
2005 / Coached by Peter van Boeijen, HC&FC Victoria finishes in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 4H, thus dropping back into Sunday League 5 along with bottom club ASC Nieuwland.
2006 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 5H, 9 points ahead of closest followers vv ‘t Goy, HC&FC Victoria manages an immediate return to Sunday League 4 with player-trainer Saban Aksit.
2007 / Finishing in third place in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, HC&FC Victoria manages to win promotion to Sunday League 3 in the ensuing play-off rounds. The successful coach is Saban Aksit. Also in 2007, the main pitch at Sportpark Loosdrecht (Zuid) is laid out anew as a 3G.
2009 / Coached by Saban Aksit, HC&FC Victoria finishes in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3D, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club SV De Vecht.
2013 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, 1 point ahead of derby rivals SV ‘s-Graveland, HC&FC Victoria wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The decisive points are clinched in a direct confrontation with ‘s-Graveland. The successful coach is former Victoria player Stijn van ’t Hooft.
2014 / HCC, the cricket club which had broken away from HC&FC Victoria in 1919, joins Victoria at Sportpark Loosdrecht.
2015 / In its last season in Sunday football, HC&FC Victoria finishes in sixth place in District West I’s Sunday League 3D. In the following season, the club chooses to be placed in Saturday League 4, the bottom level of District West I’s Saturday pyramid.
2016 / Runners-up in District West I’s Saturday League 4E, 8 points behind champions SC Buitenboys, HC&FC Victoria qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club eases to a 16-1 aggregate win over vv Cobu Boys – enough to break down the door to Saturday League 3. The successful coach is Stijn van ‘t Hooft. In Saturday League 3, the club meets FC Hilversum in a competitive match for the first time in 94 years.
2017 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 3C, 5 points ahead of closest rivals vv Altius, HC&FC Victoria wins promotion to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Stijn van ‘t Hooft.
2018 / Runners-up in Saturday League 2B, 4 points behind champions SV Geinoord, HC&FC Victoria qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club manages successive wins over vv ZOB (2-1) and FC Almere (0-2). As such, the club, still coached by Stijn van ‘t Hooft, manages a historic third promotion in a row, acceding to Saturday League 1 for the first time.
2019 / Finishing bottom of the table in Saturday League 1A, HC&FC Victoria descends into Saturday League 2 after just one season, along with FC Aalsmeer and CSW. Following the relegation, Stijn van ‘t Hooft relinquishes his place as head coach, being replaced by Robert Roest, former professional league defender at FC Utrecht, KSK Beveren, Fortuna Sittard, and AGOVV Apeldoorn (1988-2006), who joins the club from vv Almkerk.
2023 / Finishing in third place in Saturday League 2B, HC&FC Victoria qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club manages successive wins over CSW (4-0), SV De Valleivogels (0-2), vv Nunspeet (2-4), and CSV Jong Holland (1-3). As such, HC&FC Victoria manages a return to Saturday League 1 after four seasons. The successful coach is Renato Dijksterhuis, who had replaced Robert Roest in the course of the season. On October 7th, 2023, the new clubhouse at Sportpark Loosdrecht (Zuid) is inaugurated. As its predecessor, it is a two-tiered construction, but with a small, uncovered stand built into it.
2024 / In the best season in club history so far, HC&FC Victoria finishes in seventh place in Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1B.

Note – Much of the information above was derived from a book published on the occasion of the club’s 125th anniversary in 2018: “125 jaar H.C.&F.C. Victoria. De oudste en bekendste club in ’t Gooi”, by Jan Derk van den Berg / Guido Eerenberg / Jeroen Mascini. Thanks to the club for putting at my disposal a copy of this publication.