Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RCL

Sportpark De Bloemerd, Leiderdorp (RCL)

Netherlands, province: South Holland = Zuid-Holland

18 X 2025 / RCL - Sporting Leiden 3-0 / District West II, Regional Cup (Districtsbeker) R1

Timeline

1926 / Foundation of a football club in Leiderdorp, a village in the vicinity of Leyden, Province of South Holland. The new club takes on the name ODI – an abbreviation probably meaning ‘Ontspanning Door Inspanning’, i.e. Relaxation Through Effort. After a brief spell at Terrein De Zijl, the club moved to Terrein Hoogmadeseweg, though no information is available when this move was undertaken. Terrein Hoogmadeseweg remained the location of the club until the mid-1970s, though it should be noted that the pitch was given a quarter’s turn at some point prior to 1950.
1929 / ODI wins promotion to KNVB District West II’s Sunday League 4 for the first time. No information is available concerning the club’s performance in subsequent years.
1932 / ODI changes its name to become Ons Clubje, i.e. Our Little Club.
1938 / Ons Clubje changes its name to become Racing Club Leiderdorp, abbreviated as RCL.
1948 / Abandoning the ranks of Sunday football, RCL joins the Saturday divisions of District West II, being placed in Saturday League 4A – the second-highest level in the Saturday league pyramid at that time.
1953 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 4A, 4 points ahead of closest followers HVV RAS, RCL fails to break down the door to Saturday League 3 in the championship play-offs.
1954 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 4A for the second year running, 9 points ahead of runners-up CVV De Jodan Boys, RCL wins promotion to Saturday League 3 for the first time.
1957 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, RCL drops back into Saturday League 4 after three seasons.
1959 / RCL finishes as runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 4B, 4 points behind champions ZSV Sportlust ’46.
1960 / RCL finishes as runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 4B for the second year running, 5 points behind champions SV Ornas.
1961 / RCL finishes as runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 4A, 1 point behind champions SV Loosduinen.
1962 / Clinching the title in District West II’s Saturday League 4A, RCL manages a return to Saturday League 3 after an absence of five years at that level.
1970 / Finishing in second-last place in District West II’s Saturday League 3B, RCL drops back into Saturday League 4 along with bottom club CSC Unicum.
1971 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 4A, 5 points ahead of closest rivals SV Brandweer, RCL manages an immediate return to Saturday League 3.
1972 / RCL finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Saturday League 3A, 4 points behind champions vv IJmuiden.
1973 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 3B, 4 points ahead of closest followers SV DVS ’33, RCL wins promotion to Saturday League 2 for the first time.
1974 / Moving away from Terrein Hoogmadeseweg, RCL settles at the newly laid-out Sportpark De Bloemerd, which is situated in a former farmland area incorporated into Leiderdorp as the village sees a considerable extension in the 1970s and 1980s.
1975 / RCL finishes as runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 2A, 1 point behind champions IJVV De Zwervers.
1976 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 2A, 2 points ahead of closest rivals RKAV Volendam, RCL wins promotion to Saturday League 1 – the highest level in Saturday football at that time – for the first time.
1977 / In the best season in club history, RCL finishes as runners-up in Saturday League 1A, 2 points behind champions vv DOVO.
1979 / A covered stand is added to the set-up at Sportpark De Bloemerd.
1987 / After eleven years in the top division of Saturday football, RCL now finishes in second-last place in Saturday League 1A, descending into Saturday League 2 along with bottom club vv Oostkapelle.
1988 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West II’s Saturday League 2B, RCL suffers its second relegation in a row, descending into Saturday League 3 along with the club in second-last place, ZSV Sportlust ’46.
1991 / Finishing in third place in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, RCL wins promotion to Saturday League 2 following a successful round of play-offs.
1992 / Finishing in third-last place in District West II’s Saturday League 2B, RCL drops back into Saturday League 3 along with RCVV TOGR and bottom club vv De Zwerver.
1993 / Finishing in second-last place in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, RCL descends into Saturday League 4 along with bottom club SV BVCB. It marks the return of the club at this lowly level after an absence of 22 years.
1995 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 4B, 1 point ahead of closest rivals vv KRV, RCL manages a return to Saturday League 3.
1996 / Finishing as joint runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 3A with vv Naaldwijk, 5 points behind champions ZSV Sportlust ’46, RCL wins direct promotion to Saturday League 2 due to extra promotion places being available following the introduction of a Zaterdag Hoofdklasse as the new top level of the Saturday pyramid.
1998 / Coached by Boudewijn de Geer, RCL finishes in third-last place in Saturday League 2C, thus dropping back into Saturday League 3 along with CSV Vitesse Delft and bottom club SV Soccer Boys.
2000 / Champions in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, 7 points ahead of closest followers SV DSO, RCL wins promotion to Saturday League 2. The successful coach is Wim Eilander.
2001 / RCL finishes as runners-up in Saturday League 2C, 12 points behind runaway champions Voorschoten ’97.
2002 / RCL finishes as runners-up in Saturday League 2C, 8 points behind champions vv JAC.
2004 / Coached by Bob van Bohemen, RCL finishes in second-last place in Saturday League 2C, thus dropping back into Saturday League 3 along with bottom club ZSV Sportlust ’46.
2006 / Runaway champions in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, 16 points ahead of closest followers vv SEV, RCL wins promotion to Saturday League 2. The successful coaching duo consists of Bert Kouer and Cees Verbree.
2007 / Still coached by Bert Kouer and Cees Verbree, RCL finishes in third-last place in Saturday League 2C, going on to suffer defeat in the relegation play-off – resulting in the club dropping back into Saturday League 3 along with vv WDS and bottom club SV Rohda ’76.
2008 / Still coached by Bert Kouer and Cees Verbree, RCL finishes as runners-up in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, 3 points behind champions vv Haaglandia. Thanks to a successful round of play-offs, the club manages an immediate return to Saturday League 2.
2011 / Finishing in third place in Saturday League 2A, RCL qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club manages subsequent wins over RCVV TOGR (4-2 aggr.) and SV Gouda (2-1 aggr.). As a result, the club manages a return to Saturday League 1 after an absence of 24 years. The successful coach is Frank Bloemheuvel.
2014 / Coached by Ben Kottenhagen, RCL finishes in third-last place in Saturday League 1B. In the promotion-relegation play-offs, the club sees off vv Spirit in R1 (7-4 aggr.), only to be knocked out by SV Bolnes in R2 (6-1 aggr.). As a result, RCL drops back into Saturday League 2.
2016 / Finishing in third place in Saturday League 2C, RCL qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out WV-HEDW in R1 (4-1 aggr.), only to be eliminated in R2 by RKVV Westlandia (za) (7-2 aggr.).
2017 / Runners-up in Saturday League 2C, 6 points behind champions HVV Te Werve, RCL qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out vv Hellevoetsluis in R1 (6-4 aggr.), only to suffer defeat in R2 at the hands of SV ARC (8-6 aggr.).
2018 / A new clubhouse is inaugurated at Sportpark De Bloemerd, replacing the original construction erected on the same spot in the 1970s.
2024 / Finishing in third place in Saturday League 2C, RCL qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by SV Honselersdijk (3-1).
2025 / Champions in Saturday League 2C, with an equal number of points as runners-up vv Alphia, but with a better goal difference (+38 vs. +23), RCL manages a return to Saturday League 1 after an absence of eleven years. The successful coach is Alex Redel.