Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: vv Oldeholtpade

Sportpark Olpae, Oldeholtpade (vv Oldeholtpade)

Netherlands, province: Frisia = Friesland

1 III 2025 / vv Oldeholtpade - vv VKW 1-3 / Sunday League 2H (= NL level 7)

Timeline

1962 / Foundation of a football club in Oldeholtpade, which is given the simple and straightforward name vv Oldeholtpade (often referred to colloquially simply as VVO). The club finds itself a pitch at Hoofdweg, at the back of the local church (Stephanuskerk or St Stephen’s Church), flanking the farm of Zander van der Meer. The locals usually refer to the pitch simply as ‘(Terrein) Achter de Kerk’ (i.e. at the back of the church). Joining the Netherlands’ Football Association, vv Oldeholtpade starts its life in the Sunday divisions of the so-called FVB or Friese Voetbalbond, the association organising league football in the Province of Frisia below the level of District North’s League 4. Due to no football clubs existing in the neighbouring villages of Nijeholtpade, Ter Idzard, Nijeholtwolde, Oldeholtwolde, De Hoeve, and Oldelamer, the new club soon draws its membership from these hamlets as well as from Oldeholtpade proper.
1963 / Taking part in the FVB Sunday divisions for the first time, vv Oldeholtpade appoints its first coach, Mr Tienkamp.
1966 / Runners-up in FVB Sunday Division 2B, 3 points behind champions DIOW, vv Oldeholtpade accedes to FVB Sunday Division 1.
1969 / vv Oldeholtpade finishes as runners-up in FVB Sunday Division 1B, 1 point behind champions vv TFS.
1973 / Finishing in second-last place in FVB Sunday Division 1, vv Oldeholtpade drops back into FVB Sunday Division 2 along with bottom club vv Langezwaag.
1976 / Champions in FVB Sunday Division 2B, 3 points ahead of closest rivals vv Langezwaag, vv Oldeholtpade manages a return to FVB Sunday Division 1. The successful coach is Geert van der Wal. That same year, a second pitch is laid out at Terrein Achter de Kerk.
1978 / Champions in FVB Sunday Division 1, 2 points ahead of closest followers vv Sport Vereent, vv Oldeholtpade wins promotion to KNVB District North’s Sunday League 4 for the first time.
1979 / Finishing bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 4B, vv Oldeholtpade drops back into FVB Sunday Division 1 after just one season.
1981 / Finishing in third place in FVB Sunday Division 1, vv Oldeholtpade accedes directly to Sunday League 4 along with champions SC Boornbergum ’80 and runners-up vv Warga due to extra promotion places being available.
1988 / Finishing bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 4B, vv Oldeholtpade drops back into FVB Sunday Division 1 (becoming FVB Zondag Hoofdklasse from 1989 onwards).
1994 / Finishing in sixth place in FVB Zondag Hoofdklasse, vv Oldeholtpade manages to win promotion to Sunday League 4 following a successful round of play-offs.
1995 / Coached by H. Bijlsma, vv Oldeholtpade finishes in second-last position in District North’s Sunday League 4B, resulting in the club dropping back into FVB Zondag Hoofdklasse – renamed District North’s Sunday League 5 in 1996 following the abolition of the FVB as well as all KNVB sub-branches – along with bottom club SV Donkerbroek. Also in 1995, after having spent the first 33 years of its existence at Terrein Achter de Kerk, vv Oldeholtpade moves into a purpose-built, new ground at Hamersweg, renamed Sportpark Olpae at some point (Olpae being the local pronunciation of Oldeholtpade). At Hamersweg, the club has two official pitches at its disposal, as well as two smaller training pitches.
1999 / Two extra dressing rooms are added to the set-up at Sportpark Olpae, bringing the total up to four.
2001 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 5B, 3 points ahead of runners-up vv Steenwijker Boys, vv Oldeholtpade wins promotion to Sunday League 4. The successful coach is Dirk Bijl.
2002 / Coached by Geert Lanjouw, vv Oldeholtpade finishes in second-last place in District North’s Sunday League 4C, dropping back into Sunday League 5 along with bottom club vv Smilde ’94.
2004 / vv Oldeholtpade finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 5A, 2 points behind champions vv Read Swart.
2005 / vv Oldeholtpade finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 5B, 5 points behind champions SV Olyphia.
2010 / Finishing in District North’s Sunday League 5B, vv Oldeholtpade qualifies for the promotion play-offs, being drawn in a group with vv CAB and SV Donkerbroek, but the club suffers defeats against both (1-0 and 3-4 respectively) – thus missing out on a return to Sunday League 4.
2014 / A completely renovated clubhouse is inaugurated at Sportpark Olpae.
2017 / Finishing in joint first place in District North’s Sunday League 5C with vv TLC, vv Oldeholtpade meets the club from Leek in a tie-break match, played at DIO Oosterwolde’s Sportpark Oostenburg. With vv TLC winning the match 2-0, and thus clinching the title, vv Oldeholtpade has to achieve promotion via the play-offs, succeeding in doing so by knocking out vv Bareveld (7-4 aggr.). As such, the club manages a return to Sunday League 4 after an absence of fifteen seasons. The successful coach is Klaas Jongsma.
2018 / Runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 4E, 3 points behind champions SV VENO, vv Oldeholtpade qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club has the better of OVC ’21 (5-0). As such, vv Oldeholtpade accedes to Sunday League 3 for the first time. The successful coach is Klaas Jongsma.
± 2021 / The main pitch at Sportpark Olpae is equipped with a floodlight installation.
2022 / Runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 8 points behind champions SV HODO, vv Oldeholtpade qualifies for the play-offs, in which the club eases past SV Twedo (5-0) and vv Gruno (2-7) successively. As a result, vv Oldeholtpade achieves promotion to Sunday League 2 for the first time. The successful coach is Klaas Jongsma.
2023 / Finishing in fourth place in Sunday League 2J, vv Oldeholtpade qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by SV Bon Boys (6-0).

Note – Part of the information above has been derived from a booklet published by the club on the occasion of vv Oldeholtpade’s 40th anniversary in 2002: “VVO 1962-2002 40 jaar”, by Mark de Vries / Freddie de Vries / André de Vries / Otto Kuipers / Anja Binnema. Thanks to vv Oldeholtpade board member Jan Vaartjes for enabling me to use this source material.