Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: GVAV-Rapiditas

Sportcentrum Kardinge veld 2, Groningen (GVAV-Rapiditas)

Netherlands, province: Groningen

9 VI 2025 / GVAV-Rapiditas - SV Twedo 3-1 / Districts North & East, Sunday League 2 - relegation play-off (= NL level 7)

Timeline

1915 / Foundation of a football club in the city of Groningen, which takes on the name Unitas. The club settles on a pitch laid out at the back of the laundry shop of Mr Kloppenburg at Frieschestraatweg. Unitas joins the so-called GVB or Groninger Voetbalbond, the Groningen sub-branch of the Netherlands’ Football Association NVB (later renamed KNVB).
1916 / Moving away from Terrein Kloppenburg, Unitas settles at a newly laid-out pitch at Peizerweg.
1917 / Abandoning Terrein Peizerweg after just one year, Unitas settles on a newly laid-out pitch, Terrein Keuning, situated in the southern neighbourhood Helpman. Also in 1917, an athletics club sees the daylight in Groningen, Groningsche Athletiekvereeniging (GAV) Rapiditas. This club was a breakaway of another athletics club, GRA Groningen. GAV Rapiditas had a football branch which played in the GVB under the name Rapid.
1919 / Either in 1919 or 1917 – the available sources present conflicting information – Unitas changes its name to become Groningsche Voetbal- en Athletiekvereeniging, abbreviated as GVAV. According to the (ostensibly) most reliable source, the club had to change its name when it won promotion from the ranks of GVB to NVB District North’s (Sunday) League 3, which was in 1919. Also in 1919, GVAV as well as GAV Rapiditas move to Terrein Stadspark, a vast recreational area newly laid out by Groningen’s city-council on the southwestern outskirts of the city.
1920 / In its first season in District North’s League 3, GVAV manages a respectable second place, 4 points behind a side from Assen called Attila.
1921 / In its last season as an independent club, GVAV finishes in fourth place in District North’s League 3. In mid-1921, GVAV and GAV Rapiditas conclude a merger, resulting in the foundation of Groningsche Sportvereeniging (GSV) GVAV-Rapiditas, with A.J.G. Strengholt being the new club’s first chairman. Football and athletics are not the only two branches of sports of the new merger club, with swimming, gymnastics, and walking sports also being part of the myriad of activities. Due to the football branch taking over the place of GVAV in League 3, locals hardly ever use the full club name GVAV-Rapiditas when referring to the football team.
1922 / GSV GVAV-Rapiditas (referred to by its colloquial name GVAV below) finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3A, 3 points behind champions vv Warffum.
1923 / Champions in District North’s League 3A, 6 points ahead of closest followers vv Winschoten, GVAV accedes to League 2 for the first time.
1926 / Finishing in joint first place in District North’s League 2B with vv Bato, GVAV meets the club from Winschoten in a tie-break match, played at HSC’s Terrein Achter Hommes in Sappemeer. Going on to win the match 2-1 (goals by Teun Prins & Fré van der Velde), GVAV qualifies for the championship play-offs against vv Sneek and the aforementioned HSC. Proceeding to win this competition, with a 2-1 home win over vv Sneek proving decisive, the club eventually wins promotion to (Sunday) League 1, the top division of the Netherlands’ football pyramid at the time. In the following years, GVAV hardly ever makes headlines, with city-rivals GV&QV Be Quick and GVV Velocitas being far more successful. Importantly, also in 1926, the footballers of GSV GVAV-Rapiditas move to the newly laid-out Veld II (Pitch 2) at Terrein Stadspark, the first football pitch to have facilities for spectators in the shape of three stands, all on one side of the ground, of which the middle one has been equipped with a roof. Until 1929, and then from 1933 onwards, GVAV shares Stadspark Veld II with GVV Velocitas. The lower teams of both clubs, as well as a smaller local club called GVV, make use of the side-pitch of Terrein Stadspark, often referred to as Terrein Renbaan (probably the pitch used by GVAV’s first team between 1919 and 1926).
1933 / At the behest of Groningen’s city-council, a new set of football pitches has been laid out at Zaagmuldersweg in the Oosterparkwijk neighbourhood on the eastern outskirts of the city-centre. At the outset, the main pitch of the so-called Oostersportpark, later referred to universally as Oosterpark, does not have any facilities for spectators. Due to this fact, the League 1 clubs in the city are reluctant to move into the new park, with lower league side BRC (Blauw Rood Combinatie, founded in 1922 as DOSKO) being the only football club to make use of the new facilities in the 1933-34 season.
1934 / Moving away from Terrein Stadspark Veld II and Terrein Renbaan, the football branch of GSV GVAV-Rapiditas moves all its activities to the Oostersportpark as groundsharers of BRC, with the athletics branch staying behind at Stadspark.
1935 / GVAV manages a second place in District North’s League 1, 4 points behind champions GVV Velocitas.
1937 / GVV Velocitas star striker Otto Bonsema joins GVAV after a brush with KNVB authorities due to allegedly having accepted payment for his activities as a footballer – an almost deadly sin in the days when professional league football was strictly forbidden in the Netherlands. Having won his first cap for the Netherlands’ national side in 1932 and having received several more call-ups in subsequent years, Bonsema goes on to add one more cap to his tally during his time at GVAV, being part of his country’s squad in a 2-3 home defeat at the hands of Belgium in 1939. Bonsema would play a pivotal part in GVAV’s first League 1 title in 1940, while remaining at the club as a coach after his playing career.
± 1938 / Earthen ramparts are added to the Oostersportpark as a first facility for spectators. However, it would take until the post-war years before the ground would be recreated, step by step, as a veritable stadium.
1940 / Sensationally, after years of being dominated by city-rivals GVV Velocitas, GVAV manages its first and only title in District North’s League 1, 9 points ahead of closest followers HSC and vv Veendam. The decisive points are clinched in a 4-2 home win over vv Heerenveen. Due to the occupation of the Netherlands by the German army in May 1940, the nationwide title competition has to be postponed by two months. Eventually, GVAV finishes in last place in this competition, far behind winners RVV Feijenoord, with ASV Blauw-Wit, AVC Heracles, and V&AV Juliana being the other participants.
1942 / GVAV finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 1, 15 points behind runaway champions vv Heerenveen.
1945 / BRC, the club with which GVAV shares the Oostersportpark, concludes a three-way merger with Groen Wit (founded in 1933) and Oostelijke Boys (founded as Velox in 1930), resulting in the foundation of vv Oosterparkers.
1946 / GVAV finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 1, 6 points behind champions vv Heerenveen.
1950 / GVAV finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 1, 13 points behind runaway champions vv Heerenveen.
1954 / As the Netherlands’ FA finally gives in to the pleas to allow professional league football, GVAV is one of two clubs from Groningen to take the leap, along with GV&QV Be Quick (renamed GSV Be Quick that same year). One year later, GVV Velocitas and vv Oosterparkers would follow suit. For a full survey of GVAV’s professional league adventures, check the article dedicated to successor club FC Groningen / Stadion Euroborg.
1957 / The first stone of the new-to-be-built B ground of GVAV, the so-called Van Starkenborghcomplex, is laid by GVAV founding father Jac. Haccou on January 27th, 1957, with the ground being inaugurated on May 11th of the same year by Groningen’s mayor Jan Tuin. In the following years, this ground was used by GSV GVAV-Rapiditas’ lower teams.
1963 / With the professional league club GVAV suffering under an ever-increasing amount of debt, GSV GVAV-Rapiditas receives the support from Groningen’s city-council and a collective of local entrepreneurs, with each of the three parties taking over one-third of the ownership of a new foundation, separating the professional league football club from GSV GVAV-Rapiditas under the official name Stichting Betaald Voetbal (SBV) GVAV. Now that the professional leaguers have become a separate entity, GSV GVAV-Rapiditas files a request to the Netherlands’ FA to be allowed to enter GVAV’s former third team as its regular first team in the non-league pyramid, but no permission is given as yet, due to FA authorities still considering GSV GVAV-Rapiditas and SBV GVAV as one and the same club.
1964 / After failed merger talks between SBV GVAV and GSV Be Quick, the latter club voluntarily withdraws into non-league, leaving GVAV as the only professional league club in Groningen.
1965 / After two years of fruitless pleas following the creation of the separate entity SBV GVAV, the club’s third team is finally allowed into the non-league pyramid under the ‘old’ club name GVAV-Rapiditas (without the ‘old’ prefix GSV), being placed in Sunday League 4. GVAV-Rapiditas plays its home matches at the Van Starkenborghcomplex.
1966 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 4D, 7 points ahead of closest followers vv Gruno, GVAV-Rapiditas crowns its first season as a non-league club with promotion to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Jan Hardenbol.
1968 / GVAV-Rapiditas finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3B, 4 points behind champions vv Helpman.
1969 / GVAV-Rapiditas finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3B for the second year running, 6 points behind champions vv Harkema-Opeinde.
1970 / GVAV-Rapiditas finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3B for the third year running, 3 points behind champions vv Roden. In September 1970, as GVAV-Rapiditas still finds itself burdened by the debts incurred prior to the creation of SBV GVAV in 1963, the non-league club announces its withdrawal from the joint venture once and for all as of mid-1971.
1971 / As the separation between GVAV-Rapiditas and SBV GVAV has now been completed, the latter chooses to take on the new name FC Groningen. That same year, GVAV-Rapiditas is joined at the Van Starkenborghcomplex by another club, DIO-Groningen, which is allowed to use the pitch farthest away from the ground’s clubhouse as its main pitch.
1972 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 2 points ahead of runners-up vv Helpman, GVAV-Rapiditas wins promotion to Sunday League 2. The decisive points are obtained in a 3-2 away win at vv Rolder Boys. The successful coach is Jan de Grooth.
1976 / Coached by Gabe Westerdiep, GVAV-Rapiditas finishes in second-last place in District North’s Sunday League 2A, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 along with bottom club vv Dokkum.
1977 / GVAV-Rapiditas finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3D, 5 points behind champions vv Musselkanaal.
1981 / The facilities of GVAV-Rapiditas’ athletics branch at Sportpark Stadspark are completely renovated and upgraded.
1984 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 3B, 1 point ahead of closest rivals SV Olyphia, GVAV-Rapiditas manages a return to Sunday League 2 after an absence of eight seasons. The decisive points are clinched in a 1-0 away win at SV Marum. The successful coach is Henk Polman. After the season, the team’s talented top scorer, 20-year-old Willem van der Ark, is signed by professional league side SC Cambuur. Van der Ark would go on to have spells at Willem II, Aberdeen FC, FC Utrecht, and ADO Den Haag, ultimately hanging up his boots in 1996.
1988 / Following a thorough renovation, the new clubhouse of the Van Starkenborgcomplex is inaugurated by Otto Roffel, a legendary former GVAV player who defended the goal of the club’s first team for seventeen seasons (1947-64).
1989 / Having spent its entire history at the Oosterparkstadion, vv Oosterparkers, former professional league side and groundsharers with FC Groningen at the stadium, now move into the Van Starkenborghcomplex as groundsharers of GVAV-Rapiditas and DIO-Groningen. As its two neighbours, vv Oosterparkers has the luxury of its own main pitch at the ground.
1991 / Former GVAV-Rapiditas youth academy striker Martin Drent makes his professional league debut at FC Groningen at the age of 21. Drent would go on to have spells at FC Groningen and two other northern clubs, BV Veendam and BVO Emmen, eventually hanging up his boots in 2007, having scored 110 goals.
1992 / Finishing bottom of the table in District North’s Sunday League 2A, GVAV-Rapiditas drops back into Sunday League 3 along with the club finishing second from bottom, vv Harkema-Opeinde. Also in 1992, works get underway on a new-to-be laid-out recreation facility on the northeastern outskirts of Groningen, Sportcentrum Kardinge, hemmed in between the Beijum and Lewenborg neighbourhoods.
1993 / Former GVAV-Rapiditas youth academy defender Arjan Ebbinge makes his professional league debut at FC Groningen at the age of 18. Ebbinge would go on to have spells at BV Veendam, SC Heerenveen, Helmond Sport, NEC, RBC Roosendaal, and FC Den Bosch, ultimately hanging up his boots in 2009. Also in 1993, the newly laid-out Sportcentrum Kardinge is inaugurated, with a covered ice rink being the focal point of the new facility. An ice hockey hall and swimming pool would be added in the following years. Football pitches are not part of the set-up yet.
1994 / Finishing in seventh place in District North’s Sunday League 3D, GVAV-Rapiditas qualifies for the promotion play-offs, being drawn in a group with FC Lewendorp and vv Wildervank. In the end, the promotion spot eludes GVAV-Rapiditas on goal difference, with vv Wildervank drawing the lucky straw.
1995 / Runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3B, 8 points behind champions vv GOMOS, GVAV-Rapiditas qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Having the better of vv ONB in R1 (0-1) and vv Oerterp in R2 (11-2!), the club eventually stumbles over vv Akkrum in the final, played in Drachten (3-2).
1996 / Former GVAV-Rapiditas youth academy wingback Kurt Elshot makes his professional league debut at FC Groningen at the age of 19. Elshot would stay with FC Groningen for nine seasons, following which he spent another five years at NAC Breda, eventually hanging up his boots in 2010.
1998 / GVAV-Rapiditas finishes as runners-up in District North’s Sunday League 3B, 12 points behind champions vv Harkema-Opeinde.
1999 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 3C, 6 points ahead of closest followers vv Roden, GVAV-Rapiditas wins promotion to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Dick Scholtens. Also in 1999, with the Van Starkenborghcomplex being abandoned by GVAV-Rapiditas along with DIO-Groningen and vv Oosterparkers, the three clubs settle at the newly laid-out football pitches of Sportcentrum Kardinge, with each having its own clubhouse as well as its own main pitch. With vv Oosterparkers settling on pitch 1 and DIO-Groningen on pitch 6, the first team of GVAV-Rapiditas plays its matches on pitch 2. The Van Starkenborghcomplex is removed to make way for housing.
2000 / Coached by Martin Koops, GVAV-Rapiditas finishes in second-last place in Sunday League 2L, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 after just one season, along with bottom club vv Oerterp. Also in 2000, former GVAV-Rapiditas’ youth academy defender Said Bakkati makes his professional league debut at SC Heerenveen at the age of 18. Bakkati would go on to have spells at ADO Den Haag, Go Ahead Eagles, PEC Zwolle, and FC Emmen, ultimately hanging up his boots in 2009.
2001 / Finishing in third place in District North’s Sunday League 3C, GVAV-Rapiditas proceeds to win the promotion play-offs, thus acceding to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Fred Schreuder.
2003 / The athletics branch of GVAV-Rapiditas breaks away from its mother club to conclude a merger with ARGO ’77, resulting in the foundation of Groningen Atletiek. All athletics activities take place at Sportpark Stadspark. As such, GVAV-Rapiditas has been a pure football club from this moment on, with all activities taking place at Sportcentrum Kardinge.
2005 / Coached by Freddy Strating, GVAV-Rapiditas finishes in second-last place in Sunday League 2L, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 along with bottom club vv Ruinerwold.
2008 / Champions in District North’s Sunday League 3C, 7 points ahead of closest followers SC Gronitas, GVAV-Rapiditas wins promotion to Sunday League 2. The successful coach is Jacob Bosman.
2009 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2K, 6 points behind champions SC Gronitas, GVAV-Rapiditas goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus managing a second promotion in a row and acceding to Sunday League 1 for the first time since the club’s return to non-league football in 1965. The successful coach is Jacob Bosman. Also in 2009, former GVAV-Rapiditas’ youth academy midfielder Leandro Bacuna makes his professional league debut at FC Groningen at the age of 18. Bacuna goes on to have spells at Aston Villa FC, Reading FC, Cardiff City FC, and Watford FC, eventually returning to FC Groningen in 2023. Moreover, Bacuna also represents Curaçao at an international level.
2010 / While the focus remains firmly on Sunday football, GVAV-Rapiditas enters a team into the Saturday league pyramid for the first time, which is placed in District North’s Saturday League 6C for its first season.
2011 / Finishing in sixth place in Sunday League 1F, GVAV-Rapiditas qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by vv Rigtersbleek (3-1 aggr.).
2015 / Finishing in eleventh place in Sunday League 1F with coach Jans Deenen, GVAV-Rapiditas has to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs, but the club bows out in R1 against vv Hoogezand (5-3 aggr.). As such, GVAV-Rapiditas drops back into Sunday League 2 after six years.
2018 / Having spent eight seasons in the lower reaches of the Saturday pyramid, with two seasons in League 4 as the highlight, GVAV-Rapiditas’ Saturday team withdraws from regular league football.
2022 / Champions in Sunday League 2L, 5 points ahead of closest followers vv Valthermond, GVAV-Rapiditas manages a return to Sunday League 1 after an absence of seven seasons. The successful coach is Bas Veldman.
2023 / In the best season since the club’s return to non-league in 1965, GVAV-Rapiditas finishes in fourth place in Sunday League 1. Qualifying for the promotion-relegation play-offs, the club is knocked out in R1 by RKVV EVV (4-1).
2024 / Finishing in tenth place in League 1J with coach Dennis van den Driessche in the first season of Sunday and Saturday teams being combined into League 1, GVAV-Rapiditas has to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs. Cruising past vv Valthermond in the first match (3-0), the club is eliminated in the following round by SC Stiens (2-2 A.E.T. & penalty shoot-out). As such, GVAV-Rapiditas drops back into League 2 along with vv Hoogezand and bottom club WKE ’16.
2025 / Coached by Anne Semplonius, GVAV-Rapiditas finishes in eleventh place in Sunday League 2H, having to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs. Defeating SV Twedo in the first match (3-1), the club qualifies for the final against SC Stadspark, played at Sportpark Noorden veld 2, the pitch of vv Groningen. Going on to win that all-important encounter handsomely (5-2), GVAV-Rapiditas assures itself of at least one more season in Sunday League 2.

Note – Part of the information above has been derived from two anniversary books of (GSV) GVAV-Rapiditas: “GVAV-Rapiditas 1921-1951”, by J. Hekman (ed. Oppenheim, Groningen 1951) and “GVAV-Rapiditas Groningen 1951-1996”, by Piet Goed, Klaas Sants & Harry Weitering (ed. GVAV-Rapiditas, Groningen 1996). Thanks to the board of GVAV-Rapiditas for allowing me to use these two important sources.