Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: RKZSV (1966-1978) / vv ZSV (1978-)

Sportpark De Kranenmortel Oost, Deurne (vv ZSV, formerly RKZSV)

Netherlands, province: North Brabant = Noord-Brabant

21 XII 2025 / vv ZSV - vv RPC 0-3 / Sunday League 2D (= NL level 7)

Timeline

1926 / Foundation of a football club in Zeilberg, a hamlet not far from Deurne in North Brabant (and in fact absorbed into the agglomeration of Deurne later in the 20th century), which is given the name ZVV, i.e. Zeilbergsche Voetbalvereeniging. Whereas it is unclear where the pitch of ZVV was situated, it can be stated with clarity that the club joined the RKVB (Roomsch-Katholieke Voetbalbond) Den Bosch, a sub-branch of the Roman Catholic Football Federation (RKF).
1930 / Complaining about players not attending Sunday mass and a questionable mentality displayed by ZVV’s membership in general, the village priest, Fr Piggen, orders the club to be wound up after an existence of six years.
1953 / 22 years after the demise of ZVV, a new club is formed in Zeilberg, with the name RKZSV being adopted, i.e. Rooms-Katholieke Zeilbergse Sportvereniging – although the official foundation is declared in 1954. Tiny van der Kruys is chosen as the first chairman. A plot of very poor peatland at Hanenbergweg is found to lay out a pitch.
1954 / With RKZSV joining the Netherlands’ Football Association (KNVB), the club is placed in Sunday Division 2 of Afdeling Noord-Brabant, which organises football in the Province of North Brabant below the level of League 4. Also in 1954, the new Sportpark aan de Veghel at Hanenbergweg is inaugurated by Fr Donkers, the village priest, with an inaugural match being played against local rivals RKSJVV subsequently. Locals hardly ever call the park by its official name, referring to it as Sientje’s Hei instead – Sientje being the nickname of the farmer who ceded the plot of land to have a pitch laid out.
1963 / The original wooden shed, the only facility at Sportpark aan de Veghel, is replaced by a set of dressing rooms erected in concrete. Moreover, a small canteen is added to the set-up.
1964 / The first tangible success in club history, RKZSV finishes in joint first position in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 2 with RKSV Liessel Reserves, going on to win a tie-break match for the title against this team (3-2 A.E.T.). The decisive goal was scored by the successful player/coach, Harrie van de Ven. As such, RKZSV wins promotion to Division 1 of the said league system.
1966 / Moving away from Sportpark aan de Veghel after twelve years, RKZSV settles at the newly laid-out Sportpark De Kranenmortel – although it should be pointed out that the main pitch at the time was not in the position where it is now. The original main pitch was situated further to the south, possibly more or less coinciding with the current 3G side-pitch, with the future main pitch being a training pitch.
1969 / Coached by Wim Stoker, RKZSV drops back from Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 1 into Division 2. The relegation follows after defeat in a tie-break match against vv Bavos, played at a neutral venue, the ground of RKVV Rood-Wit in Helmond. Painfully, the only goal of the match is scored (in extra time) by former RKZSV striker Michel Buijtenweg, who had changed to vv Bavos the year before.
1973 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 2 following a 3-0 away win at WVVZ, RKZSV manages a return to Division 1 of the said league system after an absence of four years. The successful coach is Joop Minnaar.
1974 / RKZSV finishes as runners-up in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 1 behind champions vv Dijkse Boys. Also in 1974, the club signs Miel d’Hooghe, former cornerstone player of PSV (1940-58: 330 matches!) as its head coach. D’Hooghe would only stay on in Zeilberg for one season.
1976 / Sportpark De Kranenmortel is completely refurbished, with a new main pitch having been laid out – giving it the position it still has today. Moreover, a fully-fledged clubhouse is erected, which is inaugurated by Deurne’s mayor, Frans Hoebens.
1977 / Finishing in joint first place in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 1, Group 106, with SV Someren, RKZSV meets its rivals for a tie-break match played at Sportpark Het Molenpark in Liessel in front of a baffling crowd of over 5,000 spectators. The first encounter finishes in 1-1, however, as a result of which a second match is organised on the same location. As this also finished in a stalemate (2-2), a penalty series followed, in which RKZSV walked away as winners. As such, the club wins promotion to Sunday League 4 for the first time. The successful coach is Ben de Bode.
1978 / In its first season in District South I’s Sunday League 4C, RKZSV manages a respectable third place behind vv Boskant and RKSV Mierlo-Hout. Also in 1978, shedding the reference to its Roman Catholic origins, the board of RKZSV officially changes the name of the club to become vv ZSV.
1979 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 4C, vv ZSV drops back into the ranks of Afdeling Noord-Brabant after two years. Also in 1979, ormer RKZSV midfielder Mario Verlijsdonk, who had left the club at the age of twenty the year before to join the reserves’ team of FC VVV, makes his professional league debut for the club from Venlo. In the following ten years, Verlijsdonk goes on to wear the colours of VVV, EVV Eindhoven, and SC Eindhoven, ultimately hanging up his boots in 1989.
1980 / Moving away from Sportpark De Leeuwkensbroek in the hamlet of Walsberg, village rivals SV Deurne also settle at Sportpark De Kranenmortel, as a new park is laid out for this club to the west of the facilities of vv ZSV. The two clubs have been neighbours ever since.
1981 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 1, vv ZSV manages a return to Sunday League 4 after an absence of two years. The decisive points are clinched in a 4-0 home win over SSE. The successful coach is Wim van Dijnen, who was assisted by former RKZSV youth prodigy – and FC VVV professional league midfielder at the time – Mario Verlijsdonk.
1982 / vv ZSV finishes as runners-up in District South I’s Sunday League 4C, 3 points behind champions RKSV Nuenen. In the 1982-83 season, the club meets village rivals SV Deurne in a competitive match for the first time, with the first encounter ending in a 1-0 home defeat.
1983 / Finishing in second-last place in District South I’s Sunday League 4C with coaches Wim van Dijnen and Mario Verlijsdonk, vv ZSV drops back into the ranks of Afdeling Noord-Brabant along with bottom club RKVV Mifano.
1984 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 1 following a decisive win over SPV, vv ZSV manages an immediate return to Sunday League 4. The successful coach is Harrie Bouwmans.
1988 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 4C with coach Tonnie van Berlo, vv ZSV drops back into the ranks of Afdeling Noord-Brabant along with the club in second-last place, SC Helmondia ’55.
1989 / Coached by Piet van de Manakker, vv ZSV suffers back-to-back relegations, descending into Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 2.
1990 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 2, vv ZSV manages an immediate return to Division 1 of the said league system. The successful coach is Piet van de Manakker.
1992 / Former professional league midfielder and ZSV clubman Mario Verlijsdonk serves as caretaker head coach at the Zeilberg club for the 1992-93 season. Meanwhile, Verlijsdonk also had a career as a professional league coach in the 1990s at SC Eindhoven and Helmond Sport.
1994 / Clinching the title in Afdeling Noord-Brabant Sunday Division 1, vv ZSV accedes to Sunday League 4 after an absence of six years at that level. The successful coach is Mart Verlijsdonk, Mario’s brother.
1996 / Finishing in third place in District South I’s Sunday League 4C, vv ZSV goes on to win a set of promotion play-offs, thus booking a ticket for Sunday League 3 for the first time.
1997 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 3D, vv ZSV drops back into Sunday League 4 after just one season, along with vv Valkenswaard and NWC.
1999 / Finishing bottom of the table in District South I’s Sunday League 4H, vv ZSV descends into Sunday League 5 – a newly introduced league level following the abolition of Afdeling Noord-Brabant and all other KNVB sub-branches in 1996 – along with the club in second-last place, RKSV Liessel.
2001 / Finishing in third-last place in District South I’s Sunday League 5I, vv ZSV descends into Sunday League 6 along with vv Nijnsel and bottom club vv Elsendorp.
2002 / Champions in District South II’s Sunday League 6E, 2 points ahead of closest rivals SV Helenaveen, vv ZSV manages an immediate return to Sunday League 5. The successful coach is René van de Wouw.
2004 / Runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 5E, 7 points behind champions HVV Helmond, vv ZSV goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus managing a return to Sunday League 4. The successful coach is Hans van Beek.
2006 / Striker Jean Black, an asylum seeker from the Republic of Congo (Zaïre), who had had spells in the youth academies of FC ODA and vv ZSV, makes his professional league debut at the age of seventeen at FC Eindhoven, going on to have an adventurous career at Jong NEC, TOP Oss, SV De Treffers, KFC Turnhout, Krabi FC, CD Huíla, RWDM, RKVV EVV, FC Esperanza Pelt, K Achel VV, and SV Herkol.
2010 / Finishing in joint first place in District South II’s Sunday League 4F with RKVV Mifano, vv ZSV goes on to defeat the club from Mierlo in a tie-break match (3-0) in Helmond (exact location unknown). As such, the club wins promotion to Sunday League 3 after an absence of fourteen years at that level. The successful coach is John Elbers.
2011 / Runners-up in District South II’s Sunday League 3C, 6 points behind champions vv Helden, vv ZSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by RKSV Mierlo-Hout (5-3 aggr.).
2012 / Runaway champions in District South II’s Sunday League 3C, 11 points ahead of closest followers IVO, vv ZSV accedes to Sunday League 2 for the first time in club history. The successful coach is John Elbers.
2013 / vv ZSV signs Marty van de Tillaar as its new head coach, a former professional league defender at PSV, FC VVV, KVV Overpelt Fabriek, KVV Turnhout, and KSV Mol (1968-84). Van de Tillaar would stay on in Zeilberg for one season only.
2014 / Finishing in third place in Sunday League 2H, vv ZSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out RKSV De Ster in R1 (4-2 aggr.), only to suffer defeat against NWC in the final after a penalty shoot-out (2-2 aggr.). On the upside, ZSV reaches the semis of District South II’s Regional Cup (Districtsbeker) after knocking out non-league powerhouses JVC Cuijk (3-4). As such, the club qualifies for the Netherlands’ Cup (KNVB-Beker) for the first time in history, with the club being drawn against FC Lisse in R1, resulting in a heavy defeat (0-4).
2015 / Champions in Sunday League 2H, 2 points ahead of closest rivals RKVV SSS ‘18, vv ZSV wins a historic promotion to Sunday League 1, where it meets derby rivals SV Deurne, which suffers relegation from Zondag Hoofdklasse that same season. The successful coach of ZSV is Ger Demin.
2017 / vv ZSV signs Bas Gösgens as its new head coach, a former professional league player at BVV Den Bosch and TOP (1990-93).
2018 / As Bas Gösgens leaves the club after one season only, vv ZSV signs Ömer Kaya as its new head coach. Like his predecessor, Kaya has a history as a professional league player, having had spells at RKC Waalwijk, FC Den Bosch, and FC Kufstein. Kaya would stay on in Zeilberg until 2022.
2019 / In the best season in club history, vv ZSV finishes as runners-up in Sunday League 1D, 3 points behind champions EHC. In the promotion play-offs, the club draws a bye in R1, only to be eliminated by RKSV Leonidas in R2 (0-2).
2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short in March 2020 due to the first COVID lockdown, vv ZSV finds itself in second place in Sunday League 1D, 7 points behind RKVV Chevremont, but with three matches in hand – and thus with a better average than the club from Kerkrade. Be that as it may, FA authorities award the promotion ticket to Chevremont.
2023 / Finishing bottom of the table in Sunday League 1C with coach Johan Vullings, vv ZSV descends into Sunday League 2 after eight years, along with RKVV Venlosche Boys and vv Schaesberg.
2025 / Finishing in third place in Sunday League 2D, vv ZSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by vv Alfa Sport (3-1).

Note – Part of the information above has been derived from a booklet published on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of vv ZSV in 1994: “Jubileumuitgave 40 jaar ZSV”, written by Rien van de Ven.