NETHERLANDS: HFC Spaarnestad (1963?-2004) / vv Young Boys (2004-2006)

Sportpark Overhout Zuid, Haarlem (formerly HFC Spaarnestad & vv Young Boys)

Netherlands, province: North Holland = Noord-Holland

November 2025 / no match visited

Timeline

• 1921 / Foundation of a football club in Haarlem, which takes on the name IDO. It is unclear what this abbreviation stood for – and neither is it clear when this club, which did not have any religious background, joined the official Netherlands’ Football Association (NVB, later renamed KNVB) and its Haarlem sub-branch, the HVB or Haarlemsche Voetbalbond.
• 1922 / IDO changes its name to become Haarlemsche Football Club (HFC) Spaarnestad – Spaarnestad (‘City on the River Spaarne’) being the nickname of Haarlem. The history of HFC Spaarnestad has been poorly documented, but it is clear that the club never reached the level of Sunday League 4 in the first 70 (!) years of its existence.
• ± 1963 / It is unclear when HFC Spaarnestad moved into Sportpark Overhout (Zuid) at Noord Schalkwijkerweg, but it may have coincided with RKSV TYBB settling at the adjoining Sportpark Overhout (Noord) in 1963. No information is available about the previous grounds used by HFC Spaarnestad.
• 1991 / Gaining promotion from HVB Zondag Hoofdklasse, HFC Spaarnestad accedes to District West I’s Sunday League 4 for the first time in club history.
• 1995 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, HFC Spaarnestad drops back into the ranks of the HVB along with the club in second-last place, vv Van Nispen.
• 1996 / As the HVB and all other KNVB sub-branches are abolished in a thorough reorganisation of the Netherlands’ non-league pyramid, HFC Spaarnestad is placed in District West I’s Sunday League 5.
• 1999 / Finishing in third place in District West I’s Sunday League 5, HFC Spaarnestad wins promotion to Sunday League 4 via the play-offs.
• 2000 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 4C, HFC Spaarnestad drops back into Sunday League 5 after just one season, along with the club in second-last place, SV Wijk aan Zee.
• 2001 / Coached by Jan van Densen, HFC Spaarnestad finishes bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 5A, thus descending into Sunday League 6.
• 2002 / In its last full season in regular first team football, HFC Spaarnestad finishes in seventh place in District West I’s Sunday League 6D. In the following two years, the club has to withdraw most of its teams due to grave misconduct by players and supporters in multiple matches.
• 2004 / Following a particularly disastrous 2003-04 season, in the course of which the remaining two (recreative) HFC Spaarnestad teams had had to pull out of their respective leagues, a merger is concluded between HFC Spaarnestad and another non-league club from Haarlem, vv EHS (‘Eendracht Houdt Stand’, founded in 1917 as Unitas and renamed vv EHS two years later). The new club takes on the name vv Young Boys, with all activities moving to HFC Spaarnestad’s Sportpark Overhout (Zuid). Coached by former Telstar and FC Den Bosch professional league player Radjin de Haan, vv Young Boys starts its life as a competitive club in District West I’s Saturday League 5. Making no secret of its amibitions, the club, sponsored by Haarlem coffeeshop owner Kris J., signs several high profile players.
• 2005 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 5B, 6 points ahead of closest rivals SC Nieuwendam – and without losing a single point all seasons (48 points from 16 matches, goal difference +127), vv Young Boys wins promotion to Saturday League 4.
• 2006 / Runaway champions in District West I’s Saturday League 4E, 12 points ahead of closest followers CVV Jong Hercules (58 points from 60 matches, goal difference +116), vv Young Boys wins back-to-back promotions, acceding to Saturday League 3. Meanwhile, in the early months of 2006, a merger is concluded between no fewer than four Haarlem non-league clubs; RKSV TYBB, HFC DCO, DSC ’74, and HIS – the last-mentioned club focusing on football for the disabled – resulting in the foundation of vv Olympia Haarlem (renamed SV Olympia Haarlem two years later). All activities of the new club move to Sportpark Overhout (Noord), home of RKSV TYBB. As a result, Sportpark Schalkwijk, the ground of HFC DCO – just across the road from Sportpark Overhout (Zuid) – becomes available, with vv Young Boys moving to this ground, where it has the luxury of having two (rather than just one) pitches at its disposal. From that time onwards, the former HFC Spaarnestad pitch has been in use as a lower team and training pitch by neighbour clubs SV DIO and vv / SV Olympia Haarlem.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author