NETHERLANDS: vv Den Ham

Sportpark De Rohorst, Den Ham (vv Den Ham)

Netherlands, province: Overijssel

22 XI 2025 / vv Den Ham - SV LONGA '30 0-2 / Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1G (= NL level 6)

Timeline

• ± 1940 / As the Netherlands is occupied by the German armed forces, with travel restrictions being put in place, youths from the village of Den Ham in Overijssel get together to play local football matches during the summer months. Improvised teams are formed, notably Velocitas (from the Magele neighbourhood), who play their matches at Terrein Geerdijk, a plot of arable land owned by Jan Voors; and Hammer Boys, who play their matches at Terrein Vrettekamp (near Daarleseweg). 
• 1945 / A sports club is formed in Den Ham, which is given the name Sportvereniging (SV) ’45 Den Ham, with branches for gymnastics and netball. Football is not part of the myriad of activities yet.
• 1946 / A football club is formed in Den Ham, vv Den Ham, officially being the football branch of SV ’45 Den Ham in the early years – it is unclear when vv Den Ham officially broke away from the omnisport club. Upon foundation, the club joins the so-called Twentsche Voetbalbond (TVB), the Eastern Overijssel sub-branch of the official Netherlands’ Football Association (KNVB), although there is no talk of taking part in any league football yet, mainly due to the problem of not having at its disposal a proper pitch. With no suitable plot of land being found in Den Ham proper, the club initially settles in the gardens of Eerde Castle, in the eponymous hamlet to the northwest of Den Ham. Due to TVB authorities deigning this pitch unfit for football, the club moves to the Quaker School, also in Eerde, some time in late 1946 or early 1947. 
• 1947 / With the Quaker School pitch having been given the green light by TVB authorities, vv Den Ham makes its debut as a competitive club in TVB Saturday Division 3. From its foundation onwards, vv Den Ham has never taken part in Sunday football due to religious objections – the village being part of the so-called Bible Belt, a strip of land in the Netherlands with a high concentration of conservative orthodox Protestants.
• 1948 / In its first season as a competitive club, vv Den Ham manages a second place in TVB Saturday Division 3, behind derby rivals vv Vroomshoopse Boys Reserves.
• 1949 / Champions in TVB Saturday Division 3 following a 4-1 win over vv DES 4, vv Den Ham qualifies for the championship play-offs, in which a 3-1 victory against vv DES 3 seals the club’s promotion to TVB Saturday Division 2. Also in 1949, on September 17th of that year, as vv Den Ham moves away from the pitch at the Quaker School in Eerde, the so-called Veld van Harwig in Den Ham proper is inaugurated – i.e. pitch 5 of modern-day Sportpark De Rohorst.
• 1952 / vv Den Ham descends from TVB Saturday Division 2 back into D3 following a 4-3 defeat at the hands of vv Voorwaarts Reserves.
• 1953 / Clinching the title in TVB Saturday Division 3 following an empathic 10-1 win over vv Daarlerveen, vv Den Ham qualifies for the championship play-offs. With a 4-1 win over vv DETO Reserves, the club manages an immediate return to TVB D2.
• 1956 / Title winners in TVB Saturday Division 2 following an 8-1 win over vv Rijssen Vooruit, vv Den Ham qualifies for the championship play-offs. With a 3-2 win over CVV Sparta Enschede Reserves, the club accedes to TVB Saturday Division 1 for the first time.
• 1957 / As the club suffers a 12-3 drubbing at the hands of Sportclub Denekamp in the decisive match of the season, vv Den Ham drops back from TVB Saturday Division 1 into D2 of the said league system.
• 1966 / Clinching the title in TVB Saturday Division 2, vv Den Ham wins promotion to D1 of the said league system. The decisive points are obtained in a 9-2 win over BCSV Reserves.
• 1967 / As the club wins the title in TVB Saturday Division 1, vv Den Ham wins back-to-back promotions, acceding to KNVB District East’s Saturday League 4 for the first time.
• 1968 / As an extra playing field is added to the set-up, the so-called Veld van Herwig is renamed Sportpark De Rohorst. In the following year, the underground of this new main pitch proves extremely humid, leading to many matches being called off due to a waterlogged pitch in the following years. 
• 1969 / As extra promotion places are at stake, vv Den Ham, finishing in a joint third place in District East’s Saturday League 4C with BCSV, 2 points behind champions CVV Sparta Enschede and 1 point behind runners-up vv DETO, both of which accede to Saturday League 3 automatically, goes on to suffer defeat against the club from Borne in a tie-break match for the third promotion spot (4-3).
• 1970 / Finishing in joint first position in District East’s Saturday League 4C with vv SVVN, vv Den Ham meets the club from Nijverdal in a tie-break match, played at vv DETO’s Sportpark Het Midden in Vriezenveen. In spite of losing this encounter (3-1) – and the title – vv Den Ham wins promotion to Saturday League 3 for the first time due to extra promotion places being available.
• 1972 / After extensive deliberation, an initial plan for a shared sports complex for RKVV Sportlust, vv Vroomshoopse Boys, and vv Den Ham, to be located midway between Den Ham and Vroomshoop, is rejected by the two Vroomshoop clubs. Subsequently, a design is drawn up by municipal authorities for a new sports complex, Sportpark De Bosrand, for Sportlust and the Boys on Flierdijk, outside the built-up area on the western side of Vroomshoop, with vv Den Ham remaining at Sportpark De Rohorst.
• 1973 / Finishing bottom of the table in District East’s Saturday League 3B, vv Den Ham drops back into Saturday League 3 along with the team in second-last position, SV AWC (za). Also in 1973, a new clubhouse as well as a third pitch are inaugurated at Sportpark De Rohorst by Den Ham’s mayor, Arnold van Walsum.
• 1974 / Finishing bottom of the table in District East’s Saturday League 4B, vv Den Ham suffers back-to-back relegations, dropping back into TVB Saturday Division 1.
• 1976 / Champions in TVB Saturday Division 1A, 6 points ahead of closest followers Sportclub Rijssen, vv Den Ham wins promotion to Saturday League 4.
• 1978 / A fourth pitch is added to the set-up at Sportpark De Rohorst. This pitch, which has been the main pitch until the present day, was inaugurated with a gala match between SC Heracles ’74 and Go Ahead Eagles.
• 1981 / A new clubhouse with dressing rooms are inaugurated at Sportpark De Rohorst.
• 1983 / Runners-up in District East’s Saturday League 4D, 4 points behind champions vv Daarlerveen, vv Den Ham goes on to win a tie-break match for one extra promotion place against SV Excelsior Zetten, the runners-up in Saturday League 4A (2-1). As a result, the club manages a return to Saturday League 3 after an absence of ten years at that level.
• 1984 / Finishing bottom of the table in District East’s Saturday League 3B, vv Den Ham drops back into Saturday League 4 after just one season, along with the club in second-last place, SVV ’56. Also in 1984, a covered stand is added to the set-up of the main pitch at Sportpark De Rohorst.
• 1986 / As vv Den Ham celebrates its fortieth anniversary, the club receives AFC Ajax for a gala match at Sportpark De Rohorst. Coached by Johan Cruijff, Ajax counts several Netherlands’ international players in its squad taking on vv Den Ham, including the likes of Ron Spelbos, Sonny Silooy, Frank Rijkaard, Danny Blind, Marco van Basten, and Jan Wouters. The man taking centre-stage that day, though, is John Bosman, who scores six goals in a match in which vv Den Ham suffers a 13-0 rout in front of a crowd of some 3,000.
• 1990 / 35-year-old former professional league midfielder, Scotsman Jimmy Calderwood, joins vv Den Ham’s squad – it is unclear for how long he featured in the club’s first team. As a player, Calderwood had had spells at Birmingham City FC, Cambridge United FC, Sparta Rotterdam, Willem II, Roda JC, and SC Heracles ’74. Later on, from 1996 onwards, he had a new career as a coach at Willem II, NEC, Dunfermline Athletic FC, Aberdeen FC, Kilmarnock FC, Ross County FC, Go Ahead Eagles, and BV De Graafschap. Calderwood passed away in 2025 at the age of 69.
• 1992 / Runners-up in District East’s Saturday League 4D, 2 points behind champions SDC Putten, vv Den Ham goes on to win the promotion play-offs, seeing off WZC in the final (1-0, goal by Harry Kunst).
• 1994 / A new clubhouse is inaugurated at Sportpark De Rohorst.
• 1996 / In spite of only finishing in seventh place in District East’s Saturday League 3B, vv Den Ham is placed in Saturday League 2 for the new season in a reorganisation of the non-league pyramid, which sees the introduction of a Zaterdag Hoofdklasse as the new top level of the Saturday pyramid.
• 1997 / Champions in Saturday League 2J, 5 points ahead of closest followers vv DOS ’37, vv Den Ham wins promotion to Saturday League 1. Also in 1997, vv Den Ham receives SC Heracles ’74 in a pre-season friendly, holding the professional league siders to a 2-2 stalemate at Sportpark De Rohorst.
• 1998 / In the best season in club history, vv Den Ham finishes as runners-up Saturday League 1D, 3 points behind champions vv AVW ’66. Also in 1998, the club's talented 23-year-old winger Dennis van Dijk, who had previously had a spell in FC Zwolle's youth academy, earns himself a transfer to SV Werder Bremen. Never reaching further than the German powerhouse's second team, Van Dijk returns to the Netherlands, signing for Heracles Almelo one year later, eventually bowing out into non-league in 2002 with vv HSC '21 and later SVZW.
• 2000 / Finishing in second-last place in Saturday League 1D with coach Peter Schulte, vv Den Ham descends into Saturday League 2 along with bottom side vv AVW ’66.
• 2004 / Finishig in third-last place in Saturday League 2J with coach Johan Warmelink, vv Den Ham goes on to suffer a 4-0 defeat in a relegation play-off against derby rivals vv Vroomshoopse Boys. As such, the club drops back into Saturday League 3 along with CVV Oranje Nassau Almelo and bottom side CVV Achilles.
• 2005 / Finishing in joint first place in District East’s Saturday League 3C with vv KHC and vv SVI, vv Den Ham goes on to meet the clubs from Kampen and Zwolle in a tie-break competition, in which it suffers defeats against both clubs (3-2 away at KHC, 0-2 at home against SVI), thus missing out on promotion.
• 2007 / vv Den Ham finishes as runners-up in District East’s Saturday League 3C, 1 point behind champions SV Hatto Heim.
• 2008 / vv Den Ham finishes as runners-up in District East’s Saturday League 3C for the second year in a row, 9 points behind champions IJVV.
• 2009 / The clubhouse at Sportpark De Rohorst is renovated, seeing a further extension being carried out.
• 2011 / Runners-up in District East’s Saturday League 3D, 3 points behind champions vv Drienerlo, vv Den Ham qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Edging past vv Hellendoorn in R1 (4-3 aggr.) and FC Eibergen in R2 (3-2 aggr.), the club wins promotion to Saturday League 2. The successful coach is Henk Mennegat.
• 2015 / The main pitch at Sportpark De Rohorst is laid out anew with a synthetic surface.
• 2018 / Runners-up in Saturday League 2H, 3 points behind champions vv Enter Vooruit, vv Den Ham qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Knocking out vv AVW ’66 in R1 (4-0) and derby rivals vv Vroomshoopse Boys in R2 (1-3 A.E.T.), the club ultimately misses out on promotion due to suffering defeat in the final, away against Go-Ahead Kampen (3-2 A.E.T.). For the start of the 2018-19 season, vv Den Ham signs former FC Groningen, FC Zwolle, and BVO Emmen professional league defender (1986-2004) Claus Boekweg as its head coach. However, Boekweg’s stay at Sportpark De Rohorst for several months only, leaving the club in mid-November of the same year, being replaced by his own predecessor, Jurgen Kok.
• 2023 / Finishing in eleventh place in Saturday League 2J, vv Den Ham has to stave off relegation in a set of promotion-relegation play-offs. Drawing a bye for R1, the club goes on to have the better of CSV Be Quick ’28 in R2 (2-3) and ESA Rijkerswoerd in R3 (1-2). In the final, played at SV Excelsior ‘31’s Sportpark De Koerbelt, the club meets vv Enter Vooruit, eventually winning the encounter after a penalty shoot-out (1-1 A.E.T.) and thus ultimately staying up in Saturday League 2.
• 2025 / Champions in Saturday League 2H, 5 points ahead of runners-up vv Vroomshoopse Boys, vv Den Ham manages a return to (Combined Sunday &) Saturday League 1 after an absence of 25 years at that level. The successful coach is Tim Nijzink.
• 2026 / Finishing in eleventh place in Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1G, vv Den Ham fails to holds its own in the promotion-relegation play-offs, suffering defeat against CSV '28 in R1; as such, the club descends into League 2 after one season, alongside CVV Sparta Enschede and bottom club vv DOS '37.

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

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).
• 2026 / Finishing in second-last place in  Sunday League 1E, vv EFC suffers relegation into League 2 after seven years, alongside RKSV De Ster, RKVV Volharding, and bottom club RKSC Susteren.

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

NETHERLANDS: SV Houten

Sportpark Oud Wulven, Houten (SV Houten)

Netherlands, province: Utrecht

15 XI 2025 / SV Houten - vv Gilze 6-2 / Combined Sunday & Saturday League 1D (= NL level 6)

Timeline

• 1933 / Foundation of a Roman Catholic football club in Houten, a village in the Province of Utrecht. The new club, which is given the name RKHVV or Roomsch-Katholieke Houtensche Voetbalvereeniging, settles on a pitch laid out on a plot of land at Vlierweg – halfway between the railway line and the non-confessional cemetery – put at the disposal of the club by a local smallholder, Arie Sturkenboom. 
• 1934 / Joining the so-called Roomsch-Katholieke Utrechtsche Voetbalbond (RKUVB), a sub-branch of the Netherlands’ Roman-Catholic Football Federation (RKF), RKHVV is placed in RKUVB Division 3 for the 1934-35 season.
• 1935 / Clinching the title in RKUVB Division 3, RKHVV accedes to Division 2 of the said league system. Also in or around 1935, the club settles on a newly laid-out pitch, also situated at Vlierweg (near the crossroads with Kerksteeg), a stone’s throw away from the old location.
• 1940 / As the Netherlands is overrun by the German army in May 1940, all other football associations save the official Netherlands’ FA (KNVB, renamed NVB for the duration of the war) cease their activities, including the RKF and all its sub-branches. Given the choice between folding and making the leap to the NVB competitions, RKHVV chooses the latter option, being placed in (Sunday) Division 2 of the FA’s Utrecht’s sub-branch, officially called Afdeling Utrecht, but usually referred to with its pre-1940 name, Utrechtse Provinciale Voetbalbond (UPVB). Also in or around 1940, RKHVV moves away from Vlierweg, settling on a newly laid-out pitch on a plot of land owned by W. Sturkenboom at Veerwagenweg (at the crossroads with Schalkwijkseweg).
• 1941 / Clinching the title in UPVB Sunday Division 3, RKHVV wins promotion to D2 of the said league system. That same year, the club changes its name to become RKVV Houten at the behest of NVB authorities, who are keen to avoid confusion with an older club from Huissen using the same abbreviation.
• 1942 / Champions in UPVB Sunday Division 2, RKVV Houten wins back-to-back promotions, acceding to D1 of the said league system.
• ± 1943 / Moving away from Terrein Veerwagenweg, RKVV Houten moves back to Vlierweg – but on a new location, a pasture hemmed in between Vlierweg and Lobbendijk, only a stone’s throw away from the pitch used by the club in the second half of the 1930s. 
• 1947 / RKVV Houten suffers relegation from UPVB Sunday Division 1 to Division 2.
• 1949 / Moving away from Terrein Vlierweg, RKVV Houten settles on a pitch laid out at Loerikseweg – a sheep meadow with makeshift wooden dressing rooms.
• 1952  / Suffering relegation from UPVB Sunday Division 2, RKVV Houten descends into D3 of the said league system for the first time.
• 1960 / After eight years, RKVV Houten wins promotion from UPVB Sunday Division 3 to D2 of the said league system.
• 1962 / RKVV Houten changes its name to become Sportvereniging (SV) Houten, giving up its exclusively Roman Catholic identity and enabling non-Catholics to join.
• 1965 / Suffering relegation from UPVB Sunday Division 2, SV Houten descends into D3 of the said league system.
• 1966 / Champions in UPVB Sunday Division 3, SV Houten manages an immediate return to D2 of the said league system.
• 1968 / Moving away from Terrein Loerikseweg, SV Houten settles on a newly laid-out park, Terrein Flierplan – later renamed Sportpark De Flier – in the Heemlanden area, to the north of the village centre.
• 1973 / Suffering relegation from UPVB Sunday Division 2, SV Houten drops back into D3 of the said league system after seven years.
• 1975 / Champions in UPVB Sunday Division 3, SV Houten manages a return to D2 of the said league system after two years.
• 1979 / Champions in UPVB Sunday Division 2, SV Houten manages a return to D1 of the said league system after an absence of 32 years at that level.
• 1980 / Champions in UPVB Sunday Division 1, SV Houten wins back-to-back promotions, acceding to UPVB Zondag Hoofdklasse – the recently introduced top division of the UPVB Sunday pyramid – for the first time.
• 1982 / Gaining promotion from UPVB Zondag Hoofdklasse, SV Houten accedes to District West I’s Sunday League for the first time in club history. That same year, the club abandons Sportpark De Flier after fourteen years, settling at the newly laid-out Sportpark Oud Wulven, at the far northern edge of the ever expanding agglomeration of what can by now with justice be referred to as the town of Houten.
• 1983 / In its first-ever season at the regular non-league level, SV Houten manages a more than respectable second place in District West I’s Sunday League 4H, 5 points behind champions vv CDN.
• 1985  / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4H, 4 points ahead of closest rivals CVV Vriendenschaar, SV Houten wins promotion to Sunday League 3 for the first time.
• 1988 / Finishing in second-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3D, SV Houten drops back into Sunday League 4 along with bottom club vv Maarssen.
• ± 1990 / A covered stand is added to the set-up of the main pitch at Sportpark Oud Wulven.
• 1992 / Finishing in third place in District West I’s Sunday League 4H, SV Houten goes on to clinch promotion to Sunday League 3 in the ensuing play-off rounds.
• 1994 / Finishing in third-last place in District West I’s Sunday League 3D, SV Houten goes on to suffer defeat in a relegation play-off, thus dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with vv SEC and bottom club SV Rivierwijkers.
• 1995 / Runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 4G, 1 point behind champions SV Zeist, SV Houten goes on to win promotion to Sunday League 3 in the play-off. That same year, part of the membership of SV Houten, disgruntled with the alleged lack of interest in recreational football within the club, breaks away, founding a new rival club, FC Delta Sports ’95. 
• 1998 / Finishing in sixth place in District West IV’s Sunday League 3D, SV Houten goes on to win the promotion play-offs, thus acceding to Sunday League 2 for the first time in club history. That same year, two eighteen-year-old former SV Houten youth academy midfielders make their professional league debut at FC Utrecht; Ruud Berger – son of professional league coach Han Berger – and Jordi Zuidam. Berger goes on to have spells at Cambuur Leeuwarden, BVO Emmen, FC Zwolle, and RKC Waalwijk, hanging up his boots in 2010. Zuidam, on the other hand, leaves FC Utrecht for Go Ahead Eagles, going on to defend the colours of FC Zwolle and RBC Roosendaal, ultimately bowing out into non-league in 2011 at vv Katwijk and later vv De Meern.
• 2000 / Finishing in third-last place in Sunday League 2B with coach Peter Dussenbroek, who had replaced Bert Trappel in the course of the season, SV Houten goes on to suffer defeat in a relegation play-off, thus dropping back into Sunday League 3 after two years, along with SC Neerlandia-SLTO and bottom club vv Osdorp/SPORT.
• 2001 / Coached by Peter Dussenbroek, SV Houten suffers back-to-back relegations, finishing bottom of the table in District West I’s Sunday League 3D and dropping back into Sunday League 4 along with the team in second-last place, SC Muiderberg.
• 2002 / Champions in District West I’s Sunday League 4H, 4 points ahead of closest followers VSV Vreeswijk, SV Houten manages an immediate return to Sunday League 3. The successful coach is Peter Dussenbroek.
• 2004 / SV Houten finishes as runners-up in District West IV’s Sunday League 3D, 13 points behind runaway champions VSV Vreeswijk.
• 2008 / SV Houten finishes as runners-up in District West I’s Sunday League 3D, 6 points behind champions vv De Meern.
• 2009 / Finishing in fourth place in District West I’s Sunday League 3D, SV Houten gains promotion to Sunday League 2 via the play-offs. In the final, played at Sportpark Zonnegloren, the ground of VVZ '49 in Soest, the club has the better of AFC Quick 1890 (3-2; Houten's goals by Pascal Hoogland, Kris Daalhuizen, and Ludo Veldhuizen). The successful coach is René Versteeg.
• 2010 / Former SV Houten youth academy striker Leon de Kogel makes his professional league debut at the age of 18 with FC Utrecht, going on to have spells at VVV-Venlo, Almere City FC, Go Ahead Eagles, and UE Cornellà, ultimately hanging up his boots in 2018 and returning to SV Houten as a youth academy coach.
• 2013 / Finishing in eleventh place in Sunday League 2B with coach Pascal Hoogland, SV Houten goes on to suffer defeat in R1 of the promotion-relegation play-offs against BVC Bloemendaal (5-4 aggr.); as such, the club drops back into Sunday League 3 along with vv OSM ’75, RKDES, and bottom club LVV Roda ’46. Also in 2013, 21-year-old former SV Houten youth academy goalkeeper Benjamin van Leer, who had moved from his childhood club to USV Elinkwijk, and later PSV and FC Eindhoven, makes his professional league debut at Jong PSV. In subsequent years, Van Leer would go on to defend the colours of Roda JC Kerkrade, AFC Ajax, Jong AFC Ajax, NAC Breda, and Sparta Rotterdam, ultimately hanging up his boots in 2022.
• 2014 / Finishing in third place in District West I’s Sunday League 3D, SV Houten qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out AGB in R1 (4-2 aggr.), going on to comfortably sail past SV Hillegom in the final (5-1 aggr.). As a result, the club finds its way back to Sunday League 2 immediately. The successful coach is Herman Wallenburg. That same year, former SV Houten youth academy defender Jordi Balk, who had left the club to join FC Utrecht's academy as an apprentice some years previously, makes his professional league debut at Ross County FC, going on to have spells at FC Oss and St Patrick’s Athletic FC, bowing out into Dutch non-league in 2018 at FC Lienden – and later at vv DUNO, vv DOVO, and ZSV Sportlust ’46. 
• 2015 / Finishing in fourth place in Sunday League 2B, SV Houten qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out LSVV in R1 (3-2 aggr.), only to suffer elimination in R2 at the hands of SV Fortuna Wormerveer (6-2 aggr.).
• 2016 / Finishing in eleventh place in Sunday League 2B with coach Peter Dussenbroek, SV Houten fails to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs, bowing out in R1 against SV DSOV (6-1 aggr.). As such, the club drops back into Sunday League 3 along with FC Weesp and bottom club VVA-Spartaan.
• 2017 / Finishing in joint first place in District West I’s Sunday League 3D with CVV Vriendenschaar, SV Houten goes on to meet the club from Culemborg in a tie-break match, played at Sportpark Galecop, home of JSV Nieuwegein. Suffering a 2-1 defeat in this encounter, the club fails to book a ticket for Sunday League 2. In the subsequent promotion play-offs, the club is eliminated in R1 by AFC DWS (6-5 aggr. A.E.T.). The result of both of these matches made little difference to the course of club history, though, as by then the decision had been taken by SV Houten’s board to discontinue a tradition of more than eighty years of Sunday football, with first team football being moved to the Saturday League pyramid from the 2017-18 season onwards, with SV Houten starting at the bottom of the Saturday pyramid (League 4). 
• 2018 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 4G, 6 points ahead of USV Hercules (za), SV Houten wins promotion to Saturday League 3. The successful coach is Mustapha Talha. That same year, former SV Houten youth academy midfielder, Mohammed Ihattaren, makes his professional league debut at the age of sixteen at Jong PSV. The Moroccan, recognised as a talented yet mercurial player, went on to have spells at PSV, Juventus FC, UC Sampdoria, Jong AFC Ajax, AFC Ajax, SK Slavia Praha, RKC Waalwijk, and Fortuna Sittard.
• 2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short due to the first COVID lockdown in March 2020, SV Houten finds itself in joint first place in District West I’s Saturday League 3D with vv Jonathan after 17 of 26 matches, but neither club is admitted to League 2 for the new season.
• 2021 / The main pitch at Sportpark Oud Wulven is laid out anew with a synthetic surface.
• 2022 / Runners-up in District West I’s Saturday League 3D, 12 points behind runaway champions UCS EDO, SV Houten qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club knocks out vv TOV in R1 (2-1), only to be eliminated in R2 by COV DESTO (0-1).
• 2023 / Champions in District West I’s Saturday League 3D, 2 points ahead of runners-up SV Nieuw Utrecht, SV Houten wins promotion to Saturday League 2. The successful coach is Kevin Reinhard.
• 2024 / Finishing in eleventh place in Saturday League 2G, SV Houten has to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs, in which the club draws a bye in R1, going on to edge past vv Rijsoord in R2 (0-1) and vv De Jonge Spartaan in R3 (5-4). Eventually, the club manages to stay up thanks to a 3-1 win in the final against vv SVW, played at LRC Leerdam’s Sportpark Glaspark.
• 2025 / Champions in Saturday League 2F, 4 points ahead of closest rivals vv NIVO Sparta, SV Houten manages a historic promotion to combined Sunday & Saturday League 1. The successful coach is Mohammed Touch.

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