Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: vv EFC

Sportpark De Dieprijt, Eersel (vv EFC)

Netherlands, province: North Brabant = Noord-Brabant

16 XI 2025 / vv EFC - RKSV Nuenen 0-2 / Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1E (= NL level 6)

Timeline

1923 / Foundation of a football club in Eersel, a village in the Province of North Brabant, close to the border with Belgium to the south of Eindhoven. At the initiative of the local cobbler, Jan Senkeldam, a group of youngsters gets together to form RKVV EFC, i.e. Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalvereeniging Eerselsche Football Club. The new club, which joins the Kempensche Voetbalbond, a local league association not affiliated to the official Netherlands’ FA (NVB, later renamed KNVB), settles on a pitch at Rosheuvel, to the south of the village.
1925 / With Terrein Rosheuvel being temporarily unavailable, RKVV EFC temporaritly switches to another pitch, Terrein Kools Bos.
1926 / Abandoning Terrein Kools Bos, RKVV EFC returns to Terrein Rosheuvel.
1930 / Abandoning Terrein Rosheuvel, RKVV EFC settles on a plot of farmland at Nieuwstraat, put at the disposal of the club by a local smallholder, Mr Van Gils.
1931 / In a meeting held in Eersel, virtually all clubs of the Kempensche Voetbalbond, including EFC, take the decision to allow their association to be absorbed into the Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalbond (RKVB) Den Bosch, the North Brabant sub-branch of the Netherlands’ Roman Catholic Football Federation (RKF).
1937 / Winning the title in RKVB Division 1, RKVV EFC fails to clinch promotion to IVCB Division 3, the lowest division of the Roman Catholic national league system, in the subsequent round of championship play-offs – IVCB standing for Interdiocesane Voetbalcompetitiebond.
1938 / Obtaining the title in RKVB Division 1 for the second year running, RKVV EFC now manages to clinch a ticket for IVCB Division 3 in the subsequent round of championship play-offs.
1939 / In its best pre-war season, RKVV EFC finishes in third place in IVCB Division 3.
1940 / Upon the occupation of the Netherlands by German forces, all football associations merge into the KNVB – renamed NVB to avoid association with the Orange family (‘Koninklijk’) for the duration of the war. RKVV EFC, unofficially - but universally - renamed vv EFC at some point, also makes the step to the ranks of the non-confessional association, being placed in Sunday Division 4.
1952 / In its best season in the early post-war years, vv EFC manages a second place in District South I’s Sunday League 4B, 2 points behind champions BVV Dorplein. That same year, the club temporarily has to play its matches as groundsharers at RKVV DOSKO ’32 in Duizel and vv Steensel in Steensel due to Terrein Nieuwstraat no longer being available.
1953 / After one year without its own ground, vv EFC settles on a newly laid-out pitch in Eersel proper, Terrein Stokkelen, although it proves little more than a temporary arrangement.
1954 / Moving away from Terrein Stokkelen after one year only, vv EFC settles on a newly laid-out pitch at Laaghuis.
1955 / Moving away from Terrein Laaghuis after one year only, vv EFC settles on a newly laid-out pitch at Rosheuvel, possibly coinciding with the location where the club played its football during two spells in the early years of its existence.
1960 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, vv EFC descends into the ranks of Afdeling Noord-Brabant – alternatively referred to as Brabantse Voetbalbond (BVB) – the association organising football in the Province of North Brabant below the level of Sunday League 4, for the first time in club history.
1962 / Moving away from Terrein Rosheuvel after seven years, vv EFC settles on a newly laid-out pitch at Drietip.
1966 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant (Sunday) Division 1, vv EFC manages a return to Sunday League 4 after an absence of six years at that level. That same year, while works get underway on a new ground for the club at Postelseweg, vv EFC has to move away from Terrein Drietip after four years, temporarily moving its first team football to the pitch of the local boys’ school, the Rythoviuscollege, while all other teams are moved to a makeshift ground at Molenakkers.
1968 / After two years of works, the newly laid-out Sportpark De Dieprijt at Postelseweg is inaugurated, with all of vv EFC’s activities moving to this new location, which has remained the club’s home ground until the present day.
1977 / Coached by Nico van Diessen, vv EFC finishes bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, thus dropping back into Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 1 along with the club in second-last place, vv Veloc.
1979 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Division 1, vv EFC manages a return to Sunday League 4 after two years. The successful coach is Nico van Diessen.
1980 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, 5 points ahead of closest followers vv Hoogeloon, vv EFC wins promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time in club history. The successful player-coach is Piet Corstiaans.
1982 / vv EFC finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday Laegue 3A, 1 point behind champions – and derby rivals – RKVV DOSKO ’32.
1988 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 3A, vv EFC drops back into Sunday League 4 along with the club in second-last place, RKVV Brabantia.
1991 / vv EFC finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, 1 point behind champions vv De Spechten.
1993 / Finishing in third-last place in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, vv EFC goes on to suffer defeat in a relegation play-off, thus dropping back into the ranks of Afdeling Noord-Brabant along with EVV Eindhoven (AV) and bottom club RKSV Woensel.
1994 / Finishing in fifth place in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Zondag Hoofdklasse, vv EFC goes on to have a successful round of promotion play-offs, with the club defeating vv Beerse Boys in the final, played at Sportpark De Smeel in Casteren (1-0). As a result, EFC manages an immediate return to Sunday League 4. The successful coach is Kees Bierens.
1995 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 4D, vv EFC drops back into the ranks of Afdeling Noord-Brabant.
1996 / As Afdeling Noord-Brabant and all other KNVB sub-branches are abolished in a thorough reorganisation of the Netherlands’ non-league pyramid, vv EFC is placed in District South I’s Sunday League 5. In the course of the 1996-97 season, a covered stand is inaugurated at Sportpark De Dieprijt.
1998 / vv EFC wins promotion from Sunday League 5 to Sunday League 4.
1999 / Finishing in second-last place in District South I’s Sunday League 4I, vv EFC drops back into Sunday League 5, along with bottom club RKVV DOSKO ’32.
2000 / Finishing in third place in District South I’s Sunday League 5I, vv EFC goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus managing an immediate return to Sunday League 4.
2002 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 4H, 5 points ahead of closest followers vv Acht, vv EFC manages a return to Sunday League 3 after an absence of fourteen years at that level. The successful coach is Piet Corstiaans.
2007 / Former EFC prodigy midfielder Mike Thijssen, who had moved away to Willem II's youth academy some years previously, makes his professional league debut at the age of 21 with TOP Oss, going on to defend the colours of FC Oss, K Overpeltse VV, KFC Zwarte Leeuw, vv Gestel, and KVV Vosselaar, before returning to vv EFC in the summer of 2015.
2008 / vv EFC finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 3D, 1 point behind champions vv SBC.
2009 / Champions in District South I’s Sunday League 3D, 8 points ahead of closest followers vv Bladella, vv EFC wins promotion to Sunday League 2 for the first time in club history. The successful coach is Eric van der Palen.
2010 / Finishing in third place in its first season in Sunday League 2F, vv EFC qualifies for a tie-break match for one extra direct promotion place against the number three in Sunday League 2E, EBOH. With the match taking place at Sportpark aan de Duinweg, RKDVC’s ground in Drunen, EFC eventually wins out via a penalty shoot-out (0-0 A.E.T.). As a result, the club wins a historic promotion to Sunday League 1. The successful coach is Gerben Demin.
2012 / In the best season in club history, vv EFC finishes in third place in Sunday League 1C, however missing out on the promotion play-offs.
2015 / Coached by Guillaume van Wilgen, vv EFC finishes in second-last place in Sunday League 1C, thus dropping back into Sunday League 2 after five years, along with RKVV Erp, vv DESK, and bottom club TSV LONGA.
2016 / Finishing in fifth place in Sunday League 2F, vv EFC qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club successively knocks out vv Rijen (6-3 aggr.) and vv RPC (3-2 aggr.) to qualify for the final, in which the club stumbles over SV Someren (1-1 A.E.T. & penalty shoot-out).
2017 / Finishing in sixth place in Sunday League 2H, vv EFC qualifies for the promotion-relegation play-offs, in which the club knocks out SV Someren in R1 (2-1 aggr.), only to be eliminated in R2 (final) by RKVV Venlosche Boys (3-2 aggr.).
2018 / Runners-up in Sunday League 2F, 1 point behind champions RKVV Heeze, vv EFC qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club suffers elimination in R1 at the hands of vv Madese Boys (3-5).
2019 / Finishing in third place in Sunday League 2F, vv EFC qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club bows out in R1 against FC Tilburg (1-0).
2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short due to the first COVID lockdown in March 2020, vv EFC found itself top of the table in Sunday League 2F after 17 of 26 matches played, 7 points ahead of closest followers SV Marvilde. On that basis, the club is placed in Sunday League 1 for the new season. The successful coach is Ronald Schuermans.
2023 / Equalling the best season in club history, eleven years previously, vv EFC finishes in third place in Sunday League 1C. In the promotion play-offs, the club knocks out WVV 1896 in R1 (3-1), only to be eliminated in R2 by RKVV Best Vooruit (0-1).
2024 / Finishing in fourth place in Sunday League 1E, vv EFC qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by SC Kruisland (1-0).