Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RKSV Erix (1969-1976, 1977-±1998) / vv Erix (± 1998-)

Sportpark Del Akker, Lievelde (vv Erix, formerly RKSV Erix)

Netherlands, province: Guelders = Gelderland

17 IV 2025 / vv Erix - SV Basteom 1-1 / District East, Sunday League 4C (= NL level 9)

Timeline

1934 / Foundation of a football club in Lievelde, a village in the rural eastern part of Guelders; the new club takes on the name Voetbalvereeniging (vv) Zwaluwen. It is unclear where the club’s pitch was situated.
1936 / Two years after its foundation, vv Zwaluwen joins the RKUVB (Rooms-Katholieke Utrechtse Voetbalbond), a sub-branch of the Netherlands’ Roman-Catholic Football Association RKF (Rooms-Katholieke Federatie), possibly not with its own name, but simply as (RK)VV Lievelde, although no certainty is to be had on this matter.
1939 / Due to the mobilisation of the Netherlands’ armed forces in the summer of 1939, not enough players are available to sustain a competitive team – and, as such, the board of vv Zwaluwen takes the decision to disband the club in December 1939.
1944 / Foundation of a new football club in Lievelde, which takes on the name Rooms-Katholieke Voetbalvereniging (RKVV) Sparta. J. Sonderen is appointed as the new club’s first chairman. The club’s first ground is situated on a plot of farmland owned by a local smallholder, Mr Baks, at Flierdijk.
1945 / After war’s end, RKVV Sparta applies for membership of the Netherlands’ Football Association (KNVB) – the RKF and its sub-branches having folded shortly after the German occupation of the Netherlands in 1940 – being admitted under the condition that the club takes on a new name (given that ‘Sparta’ had already been chosen as an epithet by several other clubs). The situation being such, the club joins with the name RKVV Lievelde. That same year, the club moves away from Terrein Flierdijk to a newly laid-out pitch at Papenweg, on the farmland of Mr Te Brake. For the 1945-46 season, RKVV Lievelde is placed in KNVB Afdeling Gelderland’s Sunday Division 2.
1946 / Champions in Afdeling Gelderland’s Sunday Division 2, RKVV Lievelde accedes to Sunday Division 1 of that same league system – i.e. the level right below District East’s Sunday League 4. Also in 1946, RKVV Lievelde changes its name to become RKVV Erix. According to the club’s website, the name ‘Erix’ was derived from a Greek word meaning ‘invincible’, but that is clearly incorrect. The name must have been derived from the Greek Ἔρυξ (Eryx), the name of a mythological figure who was defeated and killed by Hercules – and who also gave his name to the Greek colony of Eryx on Sicily (modern-day Erice).
1948 / As handball is added to the myriad of activities of RKVV Erix, the club changes its name to become RKSV (Rooms-Katholieke Sportvereniging) Erix.
1953 / RKSV Erix suffers relegation from Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 1 to Division 2.
1954 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2N, RKSV Erix fails to win promotion to Division 1 in the subsequent round of championship play-offs.
1956 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2N, RKSV Erix goes on to win the championship play-offs, thus managing a return to Division 1 after an absence of three seasons.
1957 / RKSV Erix drops back into Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2 after just one year.
1959 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2, RKSV Erix suffers two defeats (twice 3-2) against vv MEC in the championship play-offs, thus missing out on promotion.
1960 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2, RKSV Erix goes on to win its home tie against DVOA in the championship play-offs (3-0), only to lose the away match (2-1). As goal difference played no role in determining the outcome in those days, a tie-break match was organised between the two clubs, held at SV LONGA ’30’s Sportpark De Treffer. Going on to win this third match (4-2), RKSV Erix wins promotion to Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 1.
1965 / RKSV Erix suffers relegation to Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2 following defeat in a tie-break match against SV Bredevoort, played at SV LONGA ‘30’s Sportpark De Treffer.
1969 / Following a decisive 3-1 win over RKZVC, RKSV Erix clinches the title in Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2, thus winning promotion to Division 1. In September 1969, RKSV Erix moves away from Terrein Te Brake after 24 years, settling on a newly laid-out park at Lievelderweg, where the club has two pitches at its disposal – with first team football being played on the easternmost of the two, situated farthest away from the road. The inaugural match at Terrein Lievelderweg ends in a 3-2 defeat at the hands of SV Bredevoort.
1970 / RKSV Erix suffers relegation to Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2.
1973 / As the new clubhouse is inaugurated at Terrein Lievelderweg, the ground is officially renamed Sportpark Del Akker (also spelled occasionally as Delakker). Quirkily, for first team matches, the players have to walk past Pitch / Veld 2 of the park, which is adjacent to the clubhouse, in order to reach the main pitch – a situation which has lasted until the present day.
1975 / Finishing in joint first place in Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2E with vv Diepenheim, RKSV Erix goes on to suffer defeat against that club in a tie-break match for the title, played at Sportclub Eibergen’s Sportpark De Bijenkamp (2-1). As such, the club misses out on promotion.
1976 / As works are carried out at Sportpark Del Akker, RKSV Erix has to play all its matches for the 1976-77 season on the pitch at the back of the local domestic school, while training sessions are held at Terrein De Schans, a plot of land owned by Bennie Stevens.
1977 / RKSV Erix returns to Sportpark Del Akker after an absence of one full season.
1980 / In a renovation carried out at Sportpark Del Akker, new dressing rooms are added to the set-up, whilst the park is also equipped with floodlights as well as a parking lot.
1984 / Finishing as runners-up in Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2, RKSV Erix gets to play a tie-break match against vv WWV for an additional promotion place. Going on to win the match, played at Sportpark De Baakermat of vv Baakse Boys (4-1), Erix manages a return to Sunday Division 1 after an absence of fourteen years.
1988 / RKSV Erix is retrograded to Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2 after four years.
1992 / Following a 4-0 home win against vv Lochuizen in the last match of the season, played at SV LONGA ‘30’s Sportpark De Treffer due to works being carried out at Sportpark Del Akker, RKSV Erix assures itself of the second place in Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 2, enough for promotion to Division 1 due to extra promotion places being available. The successful coach is Wim Oonk.
1993 / Various improvements are carried out at Sportpark Del Akker, including the construction of a tiled path from the dressing rooms to the main pitch.
1995 / RKSV Erix reaches the play-offs in Afdeling Gelderland Sunday Division 1, but fails to win a historic promotion to KNVB District East’s Sunday League 4.
1996 / As Afdeling Gelderland and all other KNVB sub-branches are abolished, RKSV Erix is placed in the newly created District East’s Sunday League 5.
1997 / Finishing in second-last place in District East’s Sunday League 5C, RKSV Erix descends into Sunday League 6, the lowest division in the eastern league pyramid, along with bottom club KSH.
± 1998 / As the club’s handball branch breaks away from RKSV Erix to become HV Erix, settling in Lichtenvoorde, the football club chooses to shed the reference to its Roman Catholic past, becoming Voetbalvereniging (vv) Erix.
1999 / Runaway champions in District East’s Sunday League 6E, 16 points ahead of closest followers SV Fortuna Winterswijk, vv Erix wins promotion to Sunday League 5. The decisive points are obtained in a 1-0 away win at vv MEC. The successful coach is Cees Bakker.
2000 / Finishing in tenth place in District East’s Sunday League 5C, vv Erix has to avoid relegation to League 6 in the promotion-relegation play-offs. Following a draw against vv UHC and defeat against SVO ’68, the club ultimately saves its skin by winning the decisive match against AV Cranevelt.
2001 / Finishing in third place in District East’s Sunday League 5C, vv Erix qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club achieves a historic promotion to Sunday League 4 by defeating vv AD ’69 in the final match (3-2, goals by Dimitri Reinders, Peter te Brake, and Leon Klein Tank). The successful coach is Cees Bakker.
2002 / Finishing in eleventh place in District East’s Sunday League 4C, vv Erix succeeds in saving its skin in a promotion-relegation play-off against vv Reünie, played at vv Ruurlo’s Sportpark Rikkelder (1-0).
2003 / Coached by Eddy Marwa, vv Erix finishes in second-last place in District East’s Sunday League 4C, thus dropping back into Sunday League 5 along with bottom club VVL. Also in 2003, vv Erix gives up its training pitch at Klooster Loreto, as a third pitch is laid out at Sportpark Del Akker.
2005 / Coached by Boudewijn Inia, vv Erix finishes bottom of the table in District East’s Sunday League 5C, thus suffering relegation into Sunday League 6 along with the club in second-last position, SV Bredevoort.
2008 / Finishing in third place in District East’s Sunday League 6C, vv Erix qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club reaches the final – going on to defeat SVBV in that final thanks to goals by Thijs Gotink and Peter te Brake (2-0). As such, the club, coached by George Peeters, manages a return to Sunday League 5 after three seasons.
2010 / Finishing in fourth place in District East’s Sunday League 5C, vv Erix qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is drawn in a group with RKPSC and SV De Lutte, succeeding in seeing off the former (2-0), but suffering an away defeat against the latter (2-1). As such, SV De Lutte walks away with the ticket for Sunday League 4.
2013 / Finishing in sixth place in District East’s Sunday League 5C, vv Erix qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by SV TVO (3-2 aggr. A.E.T.).
2014 / Finishing in fourth place in District East’s Sunday League 5C, vv Erix qualifies for the promotion-relegation play-offs, in which the club goes on to win its group with a win over UDI Enschede (0-4) and a draw against League 4 side vv Terborg (1-1). As such, vv Erix manages a return to Sunday League 4 after an absence of eleven years. The successful coach is Willem Spijkstra.
2015 / Finishing in twelfth place in District East’s Sunday League 4C with coach Willem Spijkstra, vv Erix goes on to suffer a comprehensive 5-1 defeat at the hands of vv DEO in the promotion-relegation play-offs. As such, vv Erix drops back into Sunday League 5 after just one season, along with SVBV and bottom club vv Zelhem.
2016 / Finishing in third place in District East’s Sunday League 5C, vv Erix goes on to win its play-off tie against vv Etten (3-3 aggr. & away goals), thus managing an immediate return to Sunday League 4. The successful coach is Willem Spijkstra.
2017 / In the best season in club history, vv Erix finishes in eighth place in District East’s Sunday League 4C.
2019 / Coached by Bjorn Zweerink, vv Erix finishes in eleventh place in District East’s Sunday League 4B, failing to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs, in which the club is eliminated by vv Hoeve Vooruit (2-3). As such, the club descends into Sunday League 5 along with Sportclub Rekken and bottom side FC Aramea.
2022 / Champions in District East’s Sunday League 5B, 3 points ahead of runners-up GSV ’63, vv Erix wins promotion to Sunday League 4. The decisive points are obtained in a 4-0 away win at vv Wolfersveen on the last day of the season. The successful coach is Mick Hermsen.
2023 / Coached by Mick Hermsen, vv Erix finishes in eighth place in District East’s Sunday League 4C, thus equalling the best achievement in club history from 2017. Ironically, though, the club has to play a set of promotion-relegation play-offs due to extra clubs having to be retrograded in a reorganisation of the league pyramid. Drawing a bye in R1, vv Erix suffers a fatal defeat at the hands of vv Twenthe in R2 (3-5). As such, the club drops back into Sunday League 5 after just one season, along with vv Keijenburgse Boys, KSV, vv Etten, and bottom club Sportclub Meddo.
2024 / Runners-up in District East’s Sunday League 5B, 1 point behind champions Sportclub Rekken, vv Erix qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club successively has the better of RKVV Ajax-B (4-2) and Sportclub Neede (8-7), resulting in the club winning promotion to Sunday League 4. The successful coach is Jeroen Stevens.

Note – Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-6 = non-matchday visit, June 2018 / pictures 7-18 = match visit, April 2025