vv ATC '65 is an amateur football club based in the north of the town of Hengelo in the north east of The Netherlands, who were formed in 1965. The ATC in the club name is from the Latin ‘A Triginta Conditum’ which when translated means ‘from thirty arise’. As the club was formed by thirty members, the name seemed fitting.
The club started out on pitches by Stadium Veldwijk, which in time would become the training centre for FC Twente with Cees Krijnsen as club president. In 1973 ATC moved to Great Driene to deal with their expanding club.
In 1995 the future FC Twente owner Joop Munsterman became president. The ambitions of ATC grew as several sides represented the club as well as the formation of a women’s team and a basketball side. ATC moved to Sportpark Slangenbeek in Hengelo Torenlaan.
ATC progressed to Erste Klasse, which is the third highest amateur grade in the country as a fine new stand was erected at the ground. However the club was relegated at the end of the 2008-09 campaign.
vv ATC '65 will play in the Tweede Klasse Zontag Oost (Second Class Sunday – East) in the 2013-14 season.
My visit
Saturday 18th January 2014
I had stayed overnight in the centre of Hengelo on the previous evening to attend the local derby between FC Twente and Heracles. Being in the area and having spare time I also wanted to see what the clubs lower down the pecking order had to offer, so after visiting three amateur clubs in nearby Enschede, I found myself boarding the no.11 bus from Hengelo station to Roershoek bus stop.
The area was at the far side of the A1 motorway and relatively newly built. My pre printed map did me massive favours as I cut through lots of neat residential streets and then around a lake to bring me out by the entrance to Sportpark Slangenbeek.
There were several football pitches, including a couple with artificial surfaces. Twente Hockey Club stood next door with three all weather pitches of their own. It really was a sporting paradise. Plenty of the clubs youngsters were getting invaluable training, while a match was going on one of the ‘out’ pitches.
The main pitch was synonymous with so many that I came across on my brief visit. It had an excellent main seated stand. ACT’s was slightly bigger than most. The rest of the ground had hard standing and then grass surrounding it in parts. Advertising boards gave the venue an enclosed feel as they were raised above the hard standing. An impressive two storey clubhouse was stood back behind the entrance end goal.
Yet another ground and general set up had impressed me. I walked towards my next port of call along Torenlaan, only to discover that that the two football pitches nearest the road had an artificial cricket wicket between them, with the fine pavilion of Hengelo Cricket Club in the far corner.
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