Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: IVV

Sportpark De Breek, Landsmeer (IVV)

Netherlands, province: North Holland = Noord-Holland

2 III 2025 / IVV - vv Flevo 2-1 / Sunday League 2A (= NL level 7)

Timeline

1919 / Foundation of a football club in Landsmeer, a village situated just to the north of Amsterdam. The new club takes on the name VVL (Voetbalvereeniging Landsmeer). It is unclear where this club’s pitch was situated.
1920 / Foundation of a football club in Den Ilp, a village not far from Landsmeer. The new club is given the name IVV (Ilper Voetbalvereeniging), with L. Hoogeveen becoming the first chairman.
1921 / Like VVL had done two years previously, IVV joins the so-called Noord-Hollandsche Voetbalbond (NHVB), the North Holland sub-branch of the Netherlands’ Football Association (NVB, KNVB from 1929 onwards). The NHVB organises league football in the Province of North Holland (except for the Amsterdam area) below the level of the regular NVB divisions. IVV rents a plot of farmland from a local smallholder, A. Lelie, with the pitch being inaugurated with a friendly against the third team of VVL. For the 1921-22 season, IVV is placed in NHVB (Sunday) Division 4.
1922 / IVV clinches the title in NHVB Division 4E following a draw against ZVV Zilvermeeuwen. The club accedes to NHVB Division 3 for the new season.
1923 / Following a decisive 5-1 win over RFC (De Rijp), IVV wins its second title in a row, finishing in first place in NHVB Division 3. However, no promotion is achieved – probably following an unsuccessful round of play-offs. Also in 1923, IVV moves away from the plot of land put at the disposal of the club by A. Lelie, as the farmer requires the land for his new poultry barn. Eventually, the club finds itself a new home on a plot of land at the back of Café Jan Leguit in Den Ilp.
1924 / IVV finishes as runners-up in NHVB Division 3.
1925 / Obtaining the title in NHVB Division 3, IVV accedes to NHVB Division 2.
1928 / Clinching the title in NHVB Division 2 following a 1-0 win over EVC Reserves, IVV achieves promotion to NHVB Division 1 for the first time. Also in 1928, as VVL from Landsmeer folds, ceasing all activities after an existence of nine years, some of the remaining players of that club join IVV.
1931 / IVV finishes as runners-up in NHVB Division 1 behind champions WFC III. In the fall of 1931, IVV, ambitious to achieve promotion to KNVB League 4 in the near future, moves away from its pitch at the back of Café Jan Leguit, which does not have the correct measurements for league football. The club finds itself a new pitch not in Den Ilp, but in nearby Landsmeer, at Raadhuisstraat. The inaugural match on the new pitch results in an emphatic 7-1 win over VVV Westzaan. Although the club now moves away from its cradle in Den Ilp, IVV retains the pitch at Café Leguit until after World War II.
1932 / Winning all but one of its eighteen matches and scoring more than 100 goals, IVV storms to the title in NHVB Division 1A following a 3-2 defeat of their closest followers, KVV Reserves. As such, the club achieves promotion to KNVB District West I’s (Sunday) League 4 for the first time.
1934 / IVV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s League 4C, 7 points behind champions Ahrends VC.
1939 / IVV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s League 4B, 6 points behind champions KVV. In the summer of 1939, as the Netherlands’ armed forces mobilise in view of the looming threat on its eastern border, IVV’s pitch at Raadhuisstraat is requisitioned by the army. Following the German conquest of the Netherlands in the following year, the wooden dressing rooms are knocked down at the behest of the oppressors, with the club having to save money for several years to bring together the building material for new facilities.
1942 / Clinching the decisive points in the second-last match of the season against VVV Westzaan (4-2), IVV wins the title in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, 4 points ahead of runners-up ZVV Zilvermeeuwen. In the subsequent championship play-offs against vv Schagen, VVW, and Always Forward SV, IVV finishes in joint first place with the first-mentioned club. As such, IVV and vv Schagen meet for a tie-break match at the ground of vv Alkmaarsche Boys, resulting in a 3-2 win for Schagen. As such, IVV ultimately misses out on promotion to Sunday League 3.
1943 / IVV clinches the title in District West I’s Sunday League 4H, 5 points ahead of runners-up RKWSV DOSS. The club misses out on promotion yet again, this time due to no promotion play-offs being organised in the face of the worsening conditions in the Netherlands during the second half of World War II.
1944 / Clinching the decisive points in a 2-1 defeat of RKWSV DOSS, IVV wins the title in District West I’s Sunday League 4H, 2 points ahead of closest rivals ASV Heemskerck. In its eighteen matches, IVV scores exactly 100 goals. As Terrein Raadhuisstraat proves unplayable in the early months of 1944, IVV has to play its last regular home games on the B pitch of SV De Meteoor, Terrein Melkweg. In the championship play-offs, the club fails to win promotion to Sunday League 3, suffering defeats in both of its encounters against SLTO (twice 2-1).
1946 / Runaway champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4E, 11 points ahead of closest followers vv Monnickendam, IVV qualifies for the championship play-offs. Taking on vv Assendelft, SC JHK, and RKSV Oranje-Zwart, the club succeeds in finishing top of the group following a 2-1 defeat of SC JHK. As such, IVV, coached by Henk Smit, wins promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time.
1947 / Finishing in joint first place in District West I’s Sunday League 3C with vv Schoten, IVV meets the club from Haarlem in a tie-break match, played at Gemeentelijk Sportpark Alkmaar, in which it manages a 3-2 win (two goals by S. Wals, one by D. Westerveld), thus clinching the title. Taking on vv Alkmaarsche Boys, HFC Helder, and vv Kinheim in the championship play-offs, the club does not manage to achieve its second promotion in a row, with League 2 bottom side vv Alkmaarsche Boys saving its skin and staying up.
1949 / Following a 4-1 win over ZSV Zandvoortmeeuwen, IVV conquers the title in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, 5 points ahead of closest rivals QSC. Due to the horrific state of the pitch at Raadhuisstraat, IVV has to play its championship play-off home matches elsewhere – at AVV De Volewijckers’ ground, Terrein Het Mosveld in Amsterdam. Taking on vv Alkmaarsche Boys, FC Hilversum, and vv Zaandijk, the club misses out on its second promotion in a row. Also in 1949, IVV forms a Saturday football sub-branch to accommodate the village’s Protestant community. A Saturday regular first team is formed, which is to be found in the lower reaches of the NHVB Saturday divisions in the following decades.
1950 / Moving away from Terrein Raadhuisstraat following its last home match in the 1949-50 season on April 20th, 1950, IVV moves into its new ground, Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Breek, only a stone’s throw away from the old ground. Initially, the new facilities comprise just one pitch – modern-day Pitch/Veld 3, the easternmost pitch of the park.
1952 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, IVV drops back into Sunday League 4 after three seasons.
1953 / IVV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, 3 points behind champions SC JHK. That same year, a new second pitch is inaugurated at Sportpark De Breek – modern-day Pitch/Veld 2, the northernmost pitch of the park.
1955 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, 3 points behind champions SV De Meteoor, IVV qualifies for a round of promotion play-offs against the runners-up of the other Sunday League 4 groups in District West I due to one extra promotion place being available following the introduction of professional league football in the Netherlands – with the places having been vacated by clubs which join the professional divisions having to be filled by others. Going on to defeat both of its adversaries, vv Succes (2-5) and vv Assendelft (2-1), IVV tops the play-off group, thus achieving promotion to Sunday League 3.
1957 / Following an away draw at ZVV (2-2), IVV conquers the title in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, 3 points ahead of closest rivals QSC. In the championship play-offs, the club takes on USV Hercules, VPV Purmersteijn, and SV NFC for two spots in Sunday League 2. With VPV Purmersteijn topping the group, and SV NFC finishing bottom, IVV and USV Hercules ultimately have to battle it out in a tie-break match, played at SV NFC’s Terrein Sportlaan in Amsterdam. Suffering a 2-0 defeat, IVV has to leave the honours to their Utrecht opponents.
1961 / A new clubhouse is inaugurated at Sportpark De Breek by Landsmeer’s mayor, Gerrit Post, who doubles as IVV’s honorary president. Probably, the covered stand dates back to this period as well.
1962 / IVV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, 5 points behind champions ZVV Zilvermeeuwen.
1968 / Finishing in joint second last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3B with ASV DJK and AVV Swift, IVV has to play a tie-break competition against these two clubs to determine which two of them would stay up. Eventually, IVV saves its skin, with AVV Swift descending into League 4 along with bottom club vv Watergraafsmeer.
1969 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, IVV drops back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club AVV ZSGO.
1970 / A third pitch is added to the set-up at Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Breek – the westernmost pitch of the park. In November 1970, works get underway to build a new, two-tiered clubhouse on the northeastern side of this new pitch.
1971 / IVV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4D, 2 points behind champions ASC WMS. That same year, the new – and current – clubhouse is inaugurated by Landsmeer’s mayor, Gerrit Post. From this time on, the westernmost pitch of the park, laid out in 1970, is Sportpark De Breek’s main pitch.
1974 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 4D, IVV descends into NHVB Zondag Hoofdklasse after 42 consecutive years in Sunday Leagues 3 & 4.
1975 / Champions in NHVB Zondag Hoofdklasse ahead of runners-up vv SEW, IVV manages an immediate return to Sunday League 4. That same year, the covered stand, which had been built alongside the old main pitch in c. 1961, is moved to the new main pitch, where it is rebuilt alongside the southern touchline – where it has been until the present day. At some point in the following decades, the stand is named after Cor Dobber, canteen manager at IVV from 1963 until c. 2020.
1976 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 4D along with OFC, IVV meets the club from Oostzaan in a tie-break match. Going on to win the encounter (2-1), IVV avoids the drop, with OFC descending into NHVB Hoofdklasse along with bottom club VVZ.
1978 / IVV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4D, 4 points behind champions RKAV Volendam.
1979 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4D, 2 points ahead of closest rivals OSV, IVV wins promotion to Sunday League 3 after an absence of ten years at that level.
1980 / IVV finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 3 points behind champions RKAV Volendam. On the occasion of IVV’s sixtieth anniversary, a gala match is held at Sportpark De Breek, as IVV takes on a team of former AFC Ajax players, with professional league referee Frans Derks being invited to lead the match.
1981 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, 1 point ahead of closest rivals SV DTS, IVV accedes to Sunday League 2 for the first time in its history. The successful coach is Dick Alberts.
1982 / Coached by Dick Alberts, IVV finishes in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 2, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 along with bottom club RKAV Volendam.
1983 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3A, IVV suffers its second relegation in a row, dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last position, vv SRC. Also in 1983, the clubhouse at Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Breek undergoes a thorough renovation, involving the construction of a new set of dressing rooms as well as an extension of the canteen.
1987 / Following a 3-0 home win over RKSV TOB, IVV clinches the title in District West I’s Sunday League 4D, 1 point ahead of runners-up SV De Rijp. As such, the club wins promotion to Sunday League 3.
1988 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, IVV drops back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club SV Halfweg. The decisive defeat was suffered in an encounter with former professional league side AVV De Volewijckers.
1991 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4D, 1 point ahead of runners-up SV Geel-Wit ’20, IVV wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The decisive points were clinched in a 4-0 home win over RKVV DSS.
1994 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, IVV drops back into Sunday League 4 along with the club finishing in second-last place, BVC Bloemendaal.
1995 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4D, 5 points behind champions RKVV Velsen, IVV qualifies for the play-offs. Winning the group stage following a draw against SVA and a 2-0 win over SV Wijk aan Zee, the club qualifies for the final, played at ASC SDW’s Sportpark Spieringhorn – going on to wipe out vv DIO, 3-0. As such, IVV wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is René Stefels.
1999 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, IVV drops back into Sunday League 4.
2000 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4B, 1 point ahead of closest rivals vv Oosthuizen, IVV manages an immediate return to Sunday League 3.
2002 / Coached by Don Guezen, IVV finishes in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club vv De Brug.
2004 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, 2 points ahead of closest followers ZVV Zaanlandia, IVV wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Don Guezen.
2008 / Finishing in tenth place in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, IVV fails to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs, descending into Sunday League 4 along with direct drop-outs vv Ripperda and vv ZTS.
2011 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4D, 1 point ahead of SV Beemster, IVV wins promotion to Sunday League 3. The decisive point is obtained in a goalless home draw against OSV. The successful coach is Adri Looijen.
2012 / Finishing in third place in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, IVV qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club knocks out vv Kolping Boys in R1 (4-0 aggr.), before being eliminated by RKSV Vitesse ’22 in the final (10-5 aggr.).
2013 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3B, 11 points behind runaway champions vv Assendelft, IVV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by FC Den Helder (5-4 aggr.).
2015 / After IVV had withdrawn its Saturday first team in 1992, the club now ceases taking part in Saturday football in the reserves’ leagues as well.
2016 / Coached by Jan de Haze, IVV finishes in eleventh place in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, IVV goes on to suffer an 8-3 (aggr.) defeat at the hands of AFC DWS in R1 of the promotion-relegation play-offs, resulting in the club dropping back to Sunday League 4 along with SV De Meteoor, vv Zwanenburg, and bottom club DVC Buiksloot.
2018 / Finishing in fourth place in District West I’s Sunday League 4F, IVV qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Qualifying for the final following wins over SV Wijk aan Zee (0-4) and AVV Swift (zo) (4-1), the club goes on to defeat vv Zwanenburg in the decisive match as well (2-3). As a result, IVV, coached by Charles Loots, manages a return to Sunday League 3 after two seasons.
2019 / Finishing in third place in District West I’s Sunday League 3C, IVV qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club knocks out AFC Quick 1890 in R1 (2-4 A.E.T.) before suffering a penalty shoot-out defeat in the final against RKSV DCG (1-1 A.E.T.). However, due to one extra promotion place being available, a lucky loser competition is held, in which IVV knocks out Omni Zwaluwen Utrecht 1911 in R1 (4-2) and vv SEW in the final (2-4 A.E.T.). As a result, IVV achieves promotion through the backdoor with coach Gerrie Breugem. It marks a return of the club in Sunday League 2 after an absence of 37 years.
2022 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2B, with an equal number of points as champions SV De Meer, but with an inferior goal difference (+46 vs +43), IVV qualifies for the play-offs. Knocking out FC Den Helder (4-1) and TSV Theole (1-0 A.E.T.) in the first two rounds, the club qualifies for the final against vv HSV, played at vv ADO ‘20’s Sportpark De Vlotter. Achieving a 2-1 win (A.E.T., goals by Dylan van Os & Stefan Baars), IVV manages a historic promotion to Sunday League 1. The successful coach is Edwin Keizer.
2023 / Coached by Ton Pronk, IVV manages its best-ever result with a seventh place in Sunday League 1A. The squad includes former professional league player Emre Bilgin (formerly at SC Telstar, FC Den Bosch, and Fethiyespor Kulübü).
2024 / Finishing in second-last place in Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1A with coach Ben Vis, IVV drops back into Sunday League 2 along with bottom club SCPB ’22.

Note – Thanks to IVV’s board, notably Warner Goede, for putting at my disposal a copy of a booklet giving an overview of the club’s history, published on the occasion of IVV’s 75th anniversary in 1995: “IVV jubileumuitgave 1920-1995”, by Jan de Geus / Joop Buis / Ton van Donk / Gerrit Louweret / Sjirk Bouwman.