Militaire Sportterreinen, The Hague = 's-Gravenhage = Den Haag Scheveningen (vv KSD-Marine, formerly vv KSD / vv Marine)
Netherlands, province: South Holland = Zuid-Holland
20 XII 2025 / vv KSD-Marine - RVV Semper Altius 0-5 / District West II, Saturday League 5C (= NL level 10)
Timeline
- 1931 / A group of youngsters working at the Royal Stables in The Hague decides to form a football team. Until that time, those working for the various palaces and services of the Dutch royal family had been constrained to join vv KPS (Koninklijk Paleis Soestdijk), connected to the eponymous palace in the Province of Utrecht. The new club, which officially sees the daylight on May 1st, 1931, is given the name vv KSD, an abbreviation of: Koninklijke Staldepartement. The founding fathers of the club are B. Hoogeveen, B. Koderritsch, and H. van der Touw – the last-mentioned due to serve as the club’s chairman for a total of 28 years, subdivided in three different spells. The first chairman, however, is K. Veerman. As a large part of the membership is transferred to Paleis ‘t Loo, the residence of Queen Wilhelmina in Apeldoorn, in the early summer of 1931, the first match of vv KSD takes place not in The Hague, but in Apeldoorn – on a makeshift pitch, laid out on the carriageway of the palace, the new club entertains a veterans’ team of AGOVV (1-1). Some of the further matches in the summer of 1931 on the same location are attended by none other than Prince-Consort Henry (Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin) and Crown Princess Juliana. As most of the membership are transferred back to The Hague at the approach of the winter months again, the decision is taken to join a local recreational league of corporate teams, the so-called Haagsche Kantoorvoetbalbond (HKVB). Whereas training sessions had initially taken place in the so-called Zuiderpark – not far from the eponymous stadium of HVV ADO – royal intervention makes sure that vv KSD can play their home matches in the 1931-32 season on the side-pitch of Terrein Buurtweg in Wassenaar, home ground of vv BZW. Matches are played on Sunday mornings. Although vv KSD thus settled in The Hague, the annual club celebrations are held alternately in The Hague and Apeldoorn until the outbreak of World War II.
- 1935 / Clinching the title in HKVB Division 2, vv KSD wins promotion to D1 of the said league system.
- 1940 / In September 1940, several months after the German occupation of the Netherlands, vv KSD ceases its activities for the time being – a logical decision taken by the club’s board, given that all of its members were left without a job, as the royal family had escaped abroad. Meanwhile, the Haagsche Kantoorvoetbalbond had wound up, with some of its member clubs making the leap to the official Netherlands’ FA (NVB).
- 1946 / On October 1946, nearly a year and a half after the liberation of the Netherlands, the remaining membership of vv KSD gathers for a first meeting. The decision is taken not to take part in any league championship for the time being. Meanwhile, also in The Hague, a new football club sees the daylight, MVM or MvM – an abbreviation of Ministerie van Marine. As is obvious from the choice of name, the club was formed by the personnel of the Netherlands’ Navy Department, in fact being a sub-branch of the employee association of the ministry. With A. Jongmans being chosen as MVM’s first chairman, the club starts its existence in a local recreational league of corporate teams. Training sessions and matches are played on one of the side-pitches of Stadion Zuiderpark.
- 1947 / One year after the club’s foundation, MVM joins the local sub-branch of the Netherlands’ FA (which took on its old name KNVB following the end of the war), the so-called Haagse Voetbalbond (HVB) – officially called Afdeling Den Haag. The club is placed in HVB Saturday Division 3 for the 1947-48 season, with the club finding a new home ground at Hoekwaterstraat in Voorburg. That same year, vv KSD also joins the HVB, being placed in the same division as MVM. In search of a ground for its home matches, Landgoed Raaphorst (Raaphorst Estate) seems a viable option, but after the plan to settle here falls through, the club finds a new home as subtenants at Terrein Het Hoornpark in Rijswijk.
- 1948 / Clinching the title in HVB Saturday Division 3 in its first season as a competitive club, MVM wins promotion to D2 of the said league system. Also in or around 1948, the club moves from Terrein Hoekwaterstraat in Voorburg to one of the pitches of Terrein Vredenburchweg in nearby Rijswijk.
- 1950 / Obtaining the title in HVB Saturday Division 2A, MVM accedes to D1 of the said league system, also going on to win the so-called MAVI Cup following a 3-0 win over SV Duindorp in the final, played at HTSV’s Terrein Vredenburchweg. Working with a particularly strong crop of players, MVM only narrowly misses out on promotion to KNVB District West II’s Sunday League 4 in the following year.
- 1952 / Markedly less successful than MVM in those years, vv KSD sees no other option but to withdraw from HVB Saturday Division 3 after five seasons due to a lack of players. In the following years, the club leads a dormant existence, with occasional training sessions and recreational matches being held on the side-pitches of Stadion Zuiderpark. Moreover, the membership organises cabarets and amateur dramatics in their clubhouse at Noordeinde – in the immediate vicinity of the eponymous palace – put at their disposal by the royal family.
- 1955 / After five seasons in HVB Saturday Division 1, MVM drops back into D2 of the said league system. Some time between 1956 and 1964, the club suffered a second relegation, thus tumbling into the bottom division of the Haagse Voetbalbond, D3.
- 1957 / Moving away from Terrein Vredenburchweg after some nine years, MVM settles at Sportpark Ockenburgh in Kijkduin.
- 1959 / As plans take shape to rejoin the HVB after seven years of near-inactivity, vv KSD is allowed to hold its training sessions at the so-called Garnizoenssportveld at Oude Waalsdorperweg – a military sports facility at the back of the Alexanderkazerne, a military base, at Waalsdorpervlakte, a dune area hemmed in between Scheveningen, Benoordenhout, and Wassenaar. The exact location coincides with Veld / Pitch 2 of the modern-day Militaire Sportterreinen, which comprised an even larger area than today.
- 1960 / Settling at the Garnizoenssportveld once and for all, the membership of vv KSD are allowed to build themselves facilities at the north side of their pitch – initially no more than a wooden barrack without even the most basic of facilities. Its inauguration does not take place until early 1961. After taking part in a recreational summer competition in mid-1960, the club rejoins HVB Saturday Division 3 for the 1960-61 season after an absence of eight years at that level.
- 1962 / Three years after vv KSD, MVM also settles at the Garnizoenssportveld, laying out a football pitch coinciding with the location of the modern-day main pitch of the Militaire Sportterreinen. As such, each club disposes of its own pitch, as vv KSD occupies the western side of the ground. The club, which shares the clubhouse with vv KSD for the time being, leaves Sportpark Ockenburgh after five years.
- 1964 / Marking the club’s first post-war success, vv KSD clinches the title in HVB Saturday Division 3B following a decisive win over vv GONA (za). Following a successful championship play-off, the club accedes to HVB Saturday Division 2 for the first time.
- 1965 / Clinching the title in HVB Saturday Division 3C following a 6-1 away win at vv GONA (za), MVM goes on to win a championship play-off against D3B winners CWP (2-0), thus gaining promotion to HVB D2. That same year, MVM acquires the luxury of its own clubhouse at the Militaire Sportterreinen, a wooden construction erected in the woods overlooking the eastern side of the park; the facilities include a canteen, two dressing rooms, and warm and cold showers. The inauguration ceremonty of the clubhouse is performed by P. Dregmans, the Advisory Counsel of the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defence.
- 1968 / MVM names Rob Baan as its new coach. Mr Baan, 25 years old, takes on the job at MVM while also being a coach at HSV ADO – working at the youth academy of the professional league club, while also being the assistant to the club’s trainer Ernst Happel.
- 1970 / After two years at MVM, Rob Baan leaves the club. Baan would go on to have a long career as a professional league coach at FC VVV, the Netherlands’ national team (assistant coach & caretaker for a brief spell in 1981), FC Den Haag, Roda JC, Sparta Rotterdam, Cambuur-Leeuwarden, FC Twente, SBV Excelsior, closing off his career as assistant to Dick Advocaat at PSV (1995-98) and technical manager at Feyenoord Rotterdam (1998-2003). Meanwhile, for the start of the 1970-71 season, MVM changes its name to become vv Marine, as the club becomes an independent entity, breaking away from the employee association of the Navy Department after 24 years; this enables the club to allow non-employees among its new membership as well. Also in 1970, a third club settles at the Militaire Sportterreinen, the newly founded FC Waalsdorp, which shares the western pitch of the ground with vv KSD. FC Waalsdorp starts its existence as a competitive club in HVB Saturday Division 3.
- 1971 / As a ‘Hoofdklasse’ or Top Division is introduced as the new top level of the HVB league pyramid, vv KSD and vv Marine are automatically placed in HVB Saturday Division 1 for the 1971-72 season, while FC Waalsdorp accedes to HVB Saturday Division 2.
- 1972 / Finishing in joint last place in HVB Saturday Division 1 with SV Wassenaar, vv Marine goes on to suffer defeat in a tie-break match against this club (0-1), thus descending into HVB D2.
- 1974 / vv Marine narrowly misses out on the title in HVB Saturday Division 2A following a 4-0 away defeat against CWP in the last match of the season – and thus finishing 2 points behind SVGW.
- 1975 / Clinching the title in HVB Saturday Division 2A, vv Marine wins promotion to HVB Saturday Division 1.
- 1977 / Coached by Jan Sherrif, vv Marine suffers relegation from HVB Saturday Division 1 following a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of PVS. As such, the club returns to D2 of the said league system after two years.
- 1978 / Recording the only tangible success in club history, FC Waalsdorp clinches the title in HVB Saturday Division 2A ahead of runners-up ASSO. As such, the club accedes to Division 1 of the said league pyramid.
- 1979 / Clinching the title in HVB Saturday Division 2A, vv Marine manages a return to D1 of the said league system after two years. The decisive points are clinched in a 4-2 away win at vv ANWB (2 goals by Joop Oostdam, 1 each by John Brochard and Paul Lans).
- 1980 / In a disastrous season for FC Waalsdorp and vv Marine alike, both clubs suffer relegation from HVB Saturday Division 1 – with FC Waalsdorp finishing bottom of the table and vv Marine second from bottom. The former club ceases its activities after the 1979-80 season. Most of the remaining membership of the club joins vv KSD, the club with which it had groundshared in all ten years of its existence. Also in 1980, the clubhouse of vv KSD at Militaire Sportterreinen is consumed in a fire. All activities are temporarily moved to the clubhouse of vv Marine at the other side of the park. Meanwhile, problems loom large for both clubs, as plans are unveiled to build the new Royal Military Police Barracks on the location of their ground at Oude Waalsdorperweg. Eventually, the clouds blow over, as another location is found at Van Alkemadelaan.
- 1981 / Clinching the title in HVB Saturday Division 2A ahead of runners-up DVJ, vv Marine manages an immediate return to D1 of the said league system. The decisive points are obtained in a 2-1 away win at vv Schipluiden, with Paul Lans scoring both goals. Later that same year, on October 28th, the first pole is driven for a new clubhouse of vv KSD by Claus von Amsberg, Prince-Consort of the Netherlands – not on the spot of its predecessor at the northwestern end of the ground, but alongside the clubhouse of vv Marine in the woods at the far eastern side.
- 1982 / Finishing in joint third-last place in HVB Saturday Division 1A with RKSV Blauw Zwart, vv Marine has to play a tie-break match against the club from Wassenaar. With a first encounter ending in a 1-1 draw (A.E.T.) at Sportpark Kerkehout in Wassenaar, home ground of SV Wassenaar, a second match is scheduled at ESC’s Sportpark Duyngeest. As this match results in a 3-2 win for Blauw Zwart, vv Marine descends into D2 along with bottom finishers SV De Jagers and HVV Ec-So. However, eventually the club is saved from relegation through the backdoor, as HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse team vv GONA (za) withdraws from competitive football. Meanwhile, reinforcing its ties with the royal family, vv KSD has its new clubhouse at Militaire Sportterreinen inaugurated by Queen Beatrix on August 31st, 1982 – the very construction still serving as the clubhouse of successor club vv KSD-Marine today.
- 1986 / A thorough renovation is undertaken at Militaire Sportterreinen, involving both pitches as well as the surrounding gravel track being laid out anew; moreover, the clubhouse of vv Marine is knocked down to make way for a new construction on the same location, also erected (mainly) in wood – and still standing today (used as additional dressing rooms). As the works take all of the 1986-87 season, vv Marine temporarily moves in with vv Robin Hood at Buurtweg in Wassenaar. It is unclear if vv KSD followed vv Marine to Terrein Buurtweg or if it played its matches on a different location while the works were carried out.
- 1987 / Clinching the title in HVB Saturday Division 1B, 6 points ahead of runners-up BSC ’68 and vv Escher Boys, vv Marine wins promotion to HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse for the first time in club history.
- 1991 / Clinching the title in HVB Saturday Division 1B ahead of runners-up vv Postalia, vv KSD wins promotion to HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse for the first time in club history. The successful coach is Joop Jochems. With vv Marine playing at the same level at the time, both clubs have reached just about the maximum attainable within their limited possibilities, given that each of the pitches can only be used for two matches per weekend at the behest of the Ministry of Defence, which still owns the playing fields. This means neither club can have more than four teams – entailing a maximum playing membership of some 100. Another problem is posed by the Ministry of Defence not allowing a barrier to be placed between the two pitches due to the field occasionally being used as a landing place for helicopters. Given that barriers are a prerequisite for KNVB Saturday League 4, the level above HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse, at the time, neither club would have been eligible for promotion to this level.
- 1992 / Unable to cope with the level at HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse, vv KSD drops back into HVB Saturday Division 1 after just one season.
- 1993 / Finishing in sixth place in HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse, vv Marine qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is drawn in a group with vv BMT, HTSV, and RKSV GDA (za) – with only the away match against the latter resulting in a (1-2) win and all encounters against the two former clubs ending in defeat. As such, the club misses out on promotion.
- 1993 or 1994 / Suffering relegation from HVB Saturday Division 1, vv KSD now finds itself at the bottom of the HVB league system, in Division 2.
- 1994 / Following a relatively strong season in HVB Saturday Division 2, vv Marine qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club manages to book a ticket for HVB Saturday Division 1.
- 1995 / Finishing in joint second place in HVB Saturday Division 2 with DSVV Ariston ’80, 5 points behind champions FC Zoetermeer, vv KSD misses out on promotion on goal difference, as the second promotion spot goes to the club from Delft.
- 1996 / vv KSD clinches the title in HVB Saturday Division 2, 8 points ahead of closest followers RKSV Blauw Zwart. However, no promotion is attained, as all teams from the ranks of HVB Saturday Divisions 1 and 2, also including vv Marine, are placed in the newly created KNVB District West III’s Saturday League 5. The HVB and all other KNVB sub-branches are abolished in a thorough reorganisation of the league pyramid.
- 1998 / Following a relatively strong season in District West III’s Saturday League 5A, vv Marine qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club fails to book a ticket for Saturday League 4.
- 2000 / Finishing in third place in Saturday League 5B, vv KSD qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club sees off vv Haagse Hout and SV De Jagers, thus attaining an unprecedented promotion to Saturday League 4. The successful coach is Dick Zwartepoorte.
- 2004 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West II’s Saturday League 4A with coach Dick Zwartepoorte, vv KSD drops back into Saturday League 5 after four years along with the club in second-last place, TAC ’90 (za).
- 2008 / Following a series of difficult seasons in Saturday League 5, vv Marine withdraws from first team football for the first time in its history, continuing with only recreational teams.
- 2009 / As Saturday League 5 is abolished in District West II, vv KSD wins automatic promotion to Saturday League 4.
- 2010 / After an absence of two seasons, vv Marine returns to regular first team football with a competitive team in Saturday League 4.
- 2012 / After two difficult seasons in Saturday League 4, vv Marine withdraws from first team football yet again – this time for good.
- 2013 / In its last season as an independent club, vv KSD achieves the best result in club history, finishing in third place in District West II’s Saturday League 4C. Qualifying for the promotion play-offs, the club is drawn in a group against SSV HBSS and IJVV De Zwervers. Suffering a home defeat against the former (1-3), the club goes on to inflict an away defeat on the latter (3-4) – but it is not enough for the promotion ticket; given that De Zwervers had defeated HBSS 1-4 in the first match of the play-off, the club from Rotterdam finishes in first place on goal difference. Meanwhile, the only team of vv Marine clinches the title in Saturday Reserves’ Division 8 following a 4-1 away win against vv SEV Reserves (11) – incidentally also the last-ever match in the club’s history. In the course of the 2012-13 season, the boards of vv KSD and vv Marine prepared a merger between the two clubs, resulting in the foundation of vv KSD-Marine in mid-2013. The first team, taking the place from vv KSD in Saturday League 4, plays its home matches on the former main pitch of vv Marine at the eastern side of the Militaire Sportterreinen.
- 2014 / Finishing in third place in District West II’s Saturday League 4C, vv KSD-Marine qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by DVV ’09 (4-2 aggr.).
- 2015 / For the first time in the history of the two pitches at Oude Waalsdorperweg, the grounds are equipped with a fence between the two pitches – meaning that the club no longer has to ask for dispensation from the Netherlands’ FA to be allowed to play first team football on a pitch without barriers on all four sides.
- 2019 / vv KSD-Marine is given notice by the Ministry of Defence that the club has to abandon the Militaire Sportterreinen at short notice – a move which would more than probably sound the death-knell for the club. The board of the club files a complaint at The Hague’s municipal council.
- 2022 / After three years of discussions between the club, the Ministry of Defence, and The Hague’s municipal authorities, the decision is taken to extend the club’s lease at the Militaire Sportterreinen for thirty more years. Meanwhile, HVV, a club from the nearby Benoordenhout neighbourhood, which does not have enough capacity to allow all of its youth teams to train and play at its own Sportpark De Diepput, concludes an agreement with vv KSD-Marine to move part of the activities of its youth academy to the Militaire Sportterreinen.
- 2023 / Following several less than successful seasons in Saturday League 4, vv KSD-Marine withdraws from first team football.
- 2025 / After an absence of two years, vv KSD-Marine returns with a regular first team in Saturday League 5.
All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author
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