Extreme Football Tourism: NETHERLANDS: HPSV (1936-1950, 1951-2024, 2025, 2026)

Sportcomplex Zuiderpark West, The Hague = Den Haag = 's-Gravenhage Zuiderpark (formerly HPSV)

Netherlands, province: South Holland = Zuid-Holland

23 V 2026 / HPSV - SC REMO 6-2 / District West II, Saturday League 5C (= NL level 10)

Timeline

1919 / Foundation of a football club for the constabulary in The Hague, with the club being given the name Haagsche Politiesportvereniging – abbreviated as HPSV – with M. Spetter becoming the new club’s first chairman. Football is not the only sport practiced by club members, as branches for athletics, swimming, and fencing are also formed; in the following years, horse riding, walking sports, rifle shooting, and cycling are added to the myriad of activities. Upon its foundation, the football branch of HPSV joins the so-called Kantoren- en Veteranenelftallenbond (KEVEB), a football association for corporate teams in The Hague, with teams competing in the Kantoren- en Veteranenelftallenafdeeling (KEVEA). Initially, the club plays its home matches as groundsharer at various venues, notably Terrein Loosduinschweg of HSV VUC. Training sessions are held at Stokroosstraat, at the back of a secondary school, the Haagsch Lyceum.
1920 / In the club’s first documented match, HPSV manages a 3-1 away win against a team of Haarlem constables on March 6th, 1920.
1923 / HPSV wins the KEVEA Cup (KEVEA-Beker) for the first time.
1926 / The flagship team of HPSV joins the so-called Westelijke Politiesportbond (WPSB), which had been founded one year previously as the sports association for constabularies from the three western provinces (North Holland, South Holland, and Utrecht). The recreational teams of HPSV continue to compete in the KEVEA divisions.
1929 / After ten years of groundsharing at various other clubs in The Hague, the football branch of HPSV acquires a pitch of its own on the eastern edge of the so-called Zuiderpark, a park area which is in the process of being laid out in those years. The club moves into the new location, situated to the north of the Zuiderparkstadion of ADO, in a ceremony, attended by the mayor of The Hague, Mr Patijn, chief constable Van ‘t Sant, and HPSV chairman Roza.
1930 / Clinching the title in WPSB District South (Afdeeling Zuid), HPSV goes on to suffer defeat in the final against District North champions APGS (6-1 aggr.), thus missing out on the nationwide police title.
1931 / HPSV wins its second title in a row, clinching first place in WPSB District West following a 3-2 win against Delftsche Politie. No nationwide title competition is organised this season.
1934 / Clinching the title in WPSB District II, HPSV goes on to win the nationwide police title following positive results against the police team from Amersfoort (9-1 & 3-3) and PSV Hermandad (Rotterdam, 10-2).
1935 / HPSV wins the nationwide police title for the second time in a row, managing first place in WPSB Hoofdklasse following a win against Utrecht side UPS. Also in 1935, the club wins its second KEVEA Cup thanks to a convincing 5-0 win over SVV Scheveningen Veterans.
1936 / HPSV wins the nationwide police title for the third time in a row, managing first place in WPSB Hoofdklasse following a 3-1 home win over PSV Hermandad on May 19th, 1936. This win also happens to be the club’s first-ever match on its new pitch at the western edge of the Zuiderpark, where it was due to spend the remainder of its existence; the new location marked an improvement as compared to the old situation, as HPSV’s pitch on the other side of the park was often water-logged. Also in 1936, HPSV wins its third KEVEA Cup, defeating HSV Kranenburg Veterans in the final (1-0).
1937 / HPSV wins its fourth KEVEA Cup, defeating ADO Veterans in the final (5-2).
1938 / HPSV wins the title in WPSB District West, but the ensuing title play-offs remain unfinished. Also in 1938, HPSV wins its fifth KEVEA Cup – and its fourth in a row – defeating ODIS in the final (3-2); following this fifth win, HPSV is allowed to keep the trophy in its cabinet for good.
1939 / HPSV wins the title in WPSB District West B. No title play-offs are held at the end of the year, with the 1939-40 season being called off altogether following the mobilisation of the Netherlands’ armed forces in August 1939.
1940 / As all competitions except for the official Netherlands’ Football Association (KNVB, renamed NVB for the duration of the war) are abolished following the German occupation of the Netherlands, the flagship team of HPSV is placed in Sunday Division 2 of Afdeling Den Haag, as the (K)NVB sub-branch in The Hague is officially renamed; officiously, however, its old name, HVB (Haagse Voetbalbond) would remain in use almost universally.
1941 / Clinching the title in HVB Sunday Division 2A, HPSV wins promotion to Division 1 of the said league system.
1942 / Champions in HVB Sunday Division 1A without suffering a single defeat (11 wins, 1 draw), HPSV goes on to win the ensuing round of championship play-offs in a group against FZC, HVV Laakkwartier IV, KRVC, HV&CV Quick IV, and VSV Tonegido Reserves. As such, the club accedes to District West II’s Sunday League 4, the fourth tier of the Netherlands’ football pyramid at that time. Meanwhile, HPSV’s reserves’ team withdraws from the KEVEA competition due to a lack of players. Also in 1942, the pitch of HPSV is surrounded by concrete posts, allowing a rope to be tied between the pitch itself and the spectators’ area.
1943 / HPSV wins its third title in a row, finishing top of the table in District West II’s Sunday League 4F. The decisive points are clinched in a 3-1 win over runner-up vv Saturnus. Due to the war situation no championship play-offs are organised, with the club thus being deprived of the opportunity to try to win promotion to League 3.
1944 / Finishing in joint first place in District West II’s Sunday League 4F with vv Saturnus, HPSV goes on to win a tie-break match against the club from Rotterdam (6-1). Thus crowning themselves champions for the fourth time in a row, the club goes on to compete in the championship play-offs against SV Slikkerveer and vv Moordrecht, having to settle for second place behind the former and thus missing out on promotion. No league football is played in the 1944-45 season.
1945 / As regular football is resumed following the liberation of the Netherlands from the German yoke, the reserves’ team of HPSV resumes its activities after three years – not in the KEVEA competition, which was probably never resumed after the war, but in the WPSB – continuing to do so for the following 55 odd years, clinching various titles in WPSB Hoofdklasse.
1946 / Finishing in joint first place in District West II’s Sunday League 4C with RVC Celeritas, HPSV takes on the club from Rijswijk in a tie-break match, played at ADO’s Zuiderparkstadion in front of a crowd of 7,000 (!). However, the club has to leave the honours to its adversaries following a 2-1 (A.E.T.) defeat.
1947 / Finishing in joint first place in District West II’s Sunday League 4C with SMV, HPSV goes on to defeat this club in a tie-break match for the title (4-2). In the ensuing championship play-offs, HPSV suffers defeat against vv Texas (3-2), thus missing out on promotion.
1948 / Runaway champions in District West II’s Sunday League 4B, 11 points ahead of closest rivals VDS, HPSV goes on to win the ensuing round of championship play-offs against vv Alphia and SV ASC. As such, the club wins promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time.
1949 / HPSV finishes as runner-up in District West II’s Sunday League 3D, 3 points behind champions The Rising Hope.
1950 / Besides a Sunday team in League 3, HPSV now enters with a second first team in the Saturday pyramid of Afdeling Den Haag, i.e. the HVB, with HPSV (za) being placed in HVB Saturday Division 3A for its first season. Also in 1950, HPSV’s Sunday team is placed under the tutelage of coach Wim Tap, former striker of ADO, who won 33 caps for the Netherlands (17 goals!) between 1925 and 1931.
1951 / HPSV (za) wins the title in HVB Saturday Division 3, thus winning promotion to Division 2 of the said league system. In the second half of the 1950-51 season, HPSV has to play its home matches as groundsharer at Terrein Fruitweg of vv Ter Laak due to its own pitch at Zuiderpark being rendered unplayable due to heavy rainfall. The club returns to its ground following extensive drainage works in the summer of 1951.
1952 / Coach Wim Tap leaves the club after two seasons. Wim Tap would pass away in 1979 at the age of 75.
1954 / Finishing in joint last place in District West II’s Sunday League 3B with RKSV GDA and vv Hoek van Holland, HPSV goes on to meet these two clubs in a tie-break competition. Finishing in second place behind GDA, HPSV just saves its skin, with vv Hoek van Holland dropping back into League 4.
1955 / HPSV is joined by coach Ben Peeters, who takes charge of the club’s Sunday team in the following years beside his work for larger clubs HV&CV Quick (1953-56), HFC Haarlem (1956-59), and HBS (1959-60).
1956 / HPSV’s Saturday team finishes in joint first place in HVB Saturday Division 2 with vv BIZON, going on to suffer defeat against that club in a tie-break match (2-1 A.E.T.) and thus missing out on promotion.
1958 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West II’s Sunday League 3A with coach Ben Peeters, HPSV drops back into Sunday League 4 after ten years.
1961 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West II’s Sunday League 4B with only 6 points (1 win, 4 draws), HPSV drops back into HVB Sunday Division 1. Coach Ben Peeters leaves the club after six years to work as a youth academy coach at RVV Feijenoord. Peeters would go on to have spells as head coach at RVV Feijenoord (1967-69), NAC (1971-73), and RV&AV Excelsior (1973-75).
1962 / Finishing bottom of the table in HVB Sunday Division 1A, HPSV drops back into Division 2 of the said league system. However, following the 1961-62 season, HPSV withdraws from regular first team football in the Sunday divisions, continuing with just its Saturday team in HVB Saturday Division 2.
1963 / Champions in HVB Saturday Division 2A, HPSV wins promotion to Saturday Division 1 of the said league system.
1964 / The Sunday branch of HPSV is wound up, as all competitive activities of the football club take place on Saturdays from now on.
1971 / Finishing in the top half of HVB Saturday Division 1A, HPSV is placed in the newly created HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse.
1973 / Finishing bottom of the table in HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse A, HPSV descends into Saturday Division 1 of the said league system. Also in 1973, an indoor football branch is added to the set-up at HPSV.
1975 / Finishing in joint first place in HVB Saturday Division 1A with SV De Jagers, HPSV goes on to meet that club in a tie-break match for the title. In spite of suffering defeat (3-2), HPSV wins promotion to HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse due to extra promotion places being available. The successful coach is Albert Boek.
1976 / After building works which took about a year, the new clubhouse and dressing rooms, erected in stone, are inaugurated at Sportcomplex Zuiderpark West, replacing a wooden predecessor as well as tents serving as changing rooms. That same year, a new floodlight installation is installed as well, replacing its weaker predecessor, which had been put in place in 1972. The new facility is inaugurated with a gala match against the third team of FC Den Haag, which included future FC Den Haag, FC Bayern München, FC Twente, West Bromwich Albion FC, Coventry City FC, and Netherlands’ international defender Martin Jol.
1977 / Finishing in joint first place in HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse with SEV, HPSV goes on to defeat that club in a tie-break match for the title (3-1, goals by Joop van der Krogt, Rob Bol, and Ron Baay). As such, the club wins promotion to District West II’s Saturday League 4. The successful coach is Sicco Kuiper.
1978 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West II’s Saturday League 4A with coach Sicco Kuiper, HPSV drops back into HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse after just one season, along with the club in second-last place, HVV Te Werve.
1980 / Champions in HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse, 2 points ahead of closest rivals HVV Te Werve, HPSV wins promotion to Saturday League 4 after an absence of two years at that level. The successful coach is Sicco Kuiper. Also in 1980, a thorough renovation of Sportcomplex Zuiderpark West is undertaken, with the 38-year-old concrete posts around the pitch being replaced by iron fencing, as well as barrier nets and an entrance gate being added to the set-up.
1982 / Arie Pronk, part of the extremely successful first team of HPSV in the 1940s, succumbs to a heart-attack on the pitch in a veterans’ match on October 30th, 1982, passing away at the age of 62. In total, Mr Pronk wore the colours of HPSV in some 1,500 matches for the flagship team as well as recreational teams.
1983 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West II’s Saturday League 4A with coach Willem van der Zant, HPSV drops back into HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse, along with the club in second-last place, vv DORR.
1985 / Runner-up in HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse, HPSV wins promotion to Saturday League 4 under the aegis of coach Frans Peeters. That same year, a corridor is constructed to connect the clubhouse and the dressing rooms at Sportcomplex Zuiderpark West.
1986 / HPSV appoints Maarten Rog as its new head coach. Rog, a former professional league player of Feyenoord Rotterdam Reserves and SC Veendam, would be at the helm of the club’s first team in two long spells (1986-91, 2000-05).
1987 / Finishing in second-last place in District West II’s Saturday League 4A with coach Maarten Rog, HPSV descends into HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse alongside bottom club vv DORR.
1988 / Finishing in joint first place in HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse with RVV Semper Altius, HPSV goes on to win a tie-break match against the club from Rijswijk (3-2, two goals by Peter Vogelzang, one by Henk van der Woude). As such, HPSV manages an immediate return to Saturday League 4.
1989 / On the club’s seventieth anniversary, HPSV receives FC Den Haag in a gala match at Sportcomplex Zuiderpark West. In a rather unusual encounter, with the professional league side’s idiosyncratic coach Co Adriaanse letting his team play with ten (first half) and nine (second half) players, the final score is 2-3.
1991 / Coached by Maarten Rog, HPSV finishes bottom of the table in District West II’s Saturday League 4A, thus descending into HVB Hoofdklasse, with the other drop-out being the club in second-last place, SV DSO.
1993 / As the constabulary of The Hague is incorporated into the Haaglanden Regional Police, Sportcomplex Zuiderpark West is purchased by this new entity from the municipality of The Hague. That same year, the clubhouse is renovated.
1995 / Finishing in third place in HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse, HPSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club finishes bottom of the table in a group with SV Duinoord, vv Postalia, and HVV BMT. Also in 1995, two years after the foundation of the Haaglanden Regional Police, HPSV officially changes its name from Haagse Politiesportvereniging to Haaglandse Politiesportvereniging – with the abbreviated name remaining untouched as a result.
1996 / Finishing in second-last place in HVB Zaterdag Hoofdklasse, HPSV is placed in the newly created Sunday League 5 of District West, with Afdeling Den Haag (HVB) and all other KNVB sub-branches being abolished.
1997 / Runner-up in District West III’s Saturday League 5C, 4 points behind champions RVV Semper Altius, HPSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated following defeats in the group stage against vv Schipluiden (1-4) and HVV Te Werve (1-0).
1998 / Champions in District West III’s Saturday League 5B, 1 point ahead of closest rivals vv PGS, HPSV wins promotion to Saturday League 4 after an absence of seven years at that level. The promotion is secured in large part thanks to 35 goals being scored by former vv DHC striker Weng Tung. The successful coach is Nico van der Meer.
2000 / Finishing in third place in District West III’s Saturday League 4B, HPSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club wins the group stage. In the final, a defeat is suffered against MVKV (4-0), but promotion to Saturday League 3 is secured nonetheless thanks to one extra promotion place turning out to be available. The successful coach is Nico van der Meer.
2001 / Finishing in joint eleventh place in District West III’s Saturday League 3B with SV Loosduinen, HPSV goes on to suffer defeat in a tie-break match against that club. Thus having to stave off relegation in a set of play-offs, HPSV ultimately manages to stay up, defeating SCS TAC ’90 in the final.
2002 / Finishing in tenth place in District West II’s Saturday League 3A, HPSV has to secure its place at that level in a set of promotion-relegation play-offs. Seeing off vv Koudekerk in R1, the club ultimately suffers defeat in R2 against RKSV Blauw-Zwart. As such, the team of coach Maarten Rog is retrograded into Saturday League 4.
2003 / Finishing in fifth place in District West II’s Saturday League 4B, HPSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in the final by PEC Den Haag.
2005 / Finishing in eighth place in District West II’s Saturday League 4C, HPSV qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in the final by PEC Den Haag.
2007 / Finishing in joint tenth place in District West II’s Saturday League 4C with Real Parbo, HPSV secures its place at that level in the promotion-relegation play-offs, defeating SCS TAC ’90 in the final.
2018 / The indoor football branch of HPSV is wound up after an existence of 45 years.
2020 / HPSV is joined by coach Winston Faerber, former professional league defender at FC Den Haag, ADO Den Haag, Cardiff City FC, and FC Den Bosch (1994-2004). Faerber would stay with the club for one year only, with the 2020-21 season being broken off due to the second COVID lockdown in October/November 2020.
2023 / Finishing bottom of the table in District West II’s Saturday League 4C, HPSV drops back in the newly resuscitated Saturday League 5 alongside RKVV Quick Steps and RVV Semper Altius.
2024 / Due to grubs – and birds preying on them – ravishing in the surface of HPSV’s sole pitch at Sportcomplex Zuiderpark West, the club has to move away home matches from its ground in early November 2024, playing the remainder of the season groundsharing with RKVV Quick Steps at Nijkerklaan.
2025 / Starting the 2025-26 season back at its home ground, HPSV sees its playing surface being destructed again for the same reason as the previous season, having to move away to RKVV Quick Steps from the fall of 2025 onward.
2026 / In a combined effort by the club and municipal authorities of The Hague, the pitch at Sportcomplex Zuiderpark West is rendered playable again for the last two home matches of HPSV in May 2026 (the last of which being the subject of the pictures below). Finishing in tenth place in District West II’s Saturday League 5C, the football branch of HPSV is wound up, ceasing all activities after an existence of 107 years. Other branches of the club, notably its fishing sport branch, continue their life unimpeded. It is as yet unclear what the future will hold for the football pitch in the Zuiderpark, still owned by the Haaglanden Regional Police.

Note – The main source of information for this write-up is a book, published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of HPSV:“Waakzaam, dienstbaar en 100 jaar aan de bal. Een eeuw HPSV Voetbal (1919-2019)”, by John Mulder, ed. Nederlandse Sportboekenclub: Voorburg 2019. Thanks to John Mulder for putting at my disposal a copy of this excellent book.