RKVV Brabantia (Holland)

Rooms-Katholieke Voetbal Vereniging Brabantia, or RKVV Brabantia as they are more commonly known is an amateur football club from Eindhoven in The Netherlands. The club were registered on March 1^st1922 as Olympia to give boys from the Strijpse district of the city a way to play as street football was banned. The club established its home ground at Sportpark De Hurk.

Once the club joined the Brabantse Voetbal Bond (BVB) in 1924 and had to change their name as there was already a club registered as Olympia. RKVV was eventually selected in 1929 to reflect the clubs catholic links as they played in the RVK’s IVCB competition.

The 1930’s saw great success for ‘d'n Brab’ as in 1936 and 1937 they were crowned IVCB national champions. At the time Brabantia were great rivals with their city neighbours PSV as they battled for supremacy. The RKV merged with the KNVB soon afterwards.

1954 saw the advent of professional football in Holland, which Brabantia tried for the first season before the board under Chairman Paul van Loenhout took the decision to revert to amateur status. The next thirty years saw d’n Brab win several promotions as well as suffer relegations, mainly in the Derde (third) and Tweede (second) Klasse divisions, with an occasional visit to the second tier of amateur football, the Eerste Klasse.

The club continued its ethos of social activity and equality when a women’s team was added in 1975.Meanwhile, the first team suffered a major downturn between 1987 and 1990 as they found themselves down in the Vierde (fourth) Klasse.

Under the guidance of former Dutch international Jan Poortvliet, Brabantia climbed their way back all the way to Eerste Klasse football by 1999. However, following his departure they back down to Derde Klasse within six years.

 

Gradually the team and club regrouped leading to Brabantia reaching their highest level of football as they reached the Sunday, Zontag Hooffdklasse for the 2012-13 season. Unfortunately their spell lasted just one season as they finished second from bottom and were relegated back to the Eerste Klasse.

RKVV Brabantia will play in Eerste Klasse Zontag – Zuid I (First Class Sunday – South I) in the 2013-14 season.

My visit

Tuesday 21st January 2014

My long weekend around Holland was just about to finish. It had been a brilliant trip, although I was now struggling as I’d done so much walking. My final call was to Brabantia after I’d been just outside Eindhoven to Veldhoven to visit the home of VV UNA. My planning once more did me a favour as I jumped out off the bus at the Cederlaan stop.

A ten minute walk through Brabantia’s traditional heartland saw me on Rijstenweg and walking through the gates to the Sportpark de Hurk.

A large car park stood behind the goal of the main pitch. The outstanding feature was what I considered a brilliant piece of modern architecture. The stand was raised with lots of facilities underneath. Its shape and make was not unlike the Media Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground. There were some open seats looking down on the pitch, as well as glassed in areas. The other side of the structure looked down on the minor pitches. The rest of the main arena had hard standing all the way around the artificial pitch, with plentiful high fencing and advertising boards, as well as a scoreboard in the corner.

Some lads were having a kick around on the main pitch. They looked concerned when they saw me. I’m not sure if they were meant to be there, but a wave and a smile soon put everyone at ease. There lied the beauty of such pitches. Casual kick abouts would not ruin the surface. Surely that had to be good if more got involved in exercise?

I was delighted with my endeavours over the four or five days and Brabantia was an excellent place to finish. I walked round the corner as the no.13 bus was due back into the city centre from the Zeelsterstraat stop.

After alighting to take photos of the ornamental gates of Philips Stadion it was time for a quick snack from the vending machine on the station. The meat fritter was a lovely but belated find. I certainly marked that down for any revisit.

I was soon at the airport for my 3pm flight back to Stansted. It had been a great adventure. I would definitely not right off watching a game from that brilliant stand at Sportpark de Hurk, perhaps as a Sunday double header?

VV UNA (Holland)

VV UNA, or Voetbalvereniging UNA, to give their full title are a semi professional football club from the Zeelst area of the town of Veldhoven, which is located close to the south west of Eindhoven in The Netherlands.

A previous club called de Kemphanen had been formed in 1924, but their existence was short lived. On November 7^th 1929 a new club was born, with UNA being chosen as the name as it was translated to ‘United’ from Latin. Jan Spelbrink became the clubs first chairman.

UNA joined the Eindhoven leagues and by the end of their first decade had reached the Eerste Klasse (first class) level. Players had to leave the club to work in Germany as Holland was occupied but tit didn’t stop UNA winning the league title following championship matches against Dosko of Duizel in the 1940-41 season to lift club to the KNVB Vierde (fourth) Klasse.

Promotion meant that the Hagendorenseweg ground was unsuitable, so the club managed to acquire land on Hoogstraat behind café De Kleine Man. The new ground was officially blessed by Father van Wely in 1948.

UNA won promotion in 1953 following victory over VV Gemert to reach the third tier of amateur football. The club appealed door to door to the local residents of Zeelst as the club struggled financially in July 1955. Further upheaval came when the land at Hoogstraat was required for new housing. The meant UNA moving once again, this time a hundred metres south, to the new Sportpark Zeelst on Sportlaan. The new ground was opened on August 24^th1958 by Mayor Ras.

In 1962-63 the team under coach Harrie van Elderen won the championship and were promoted to the second level Tweede Klasse. The 1964-65 campaign was the clubs most successful yet, as not only did UNA’s first team win another title to join amateur football’s elite Eerste Klasse, their second and seventh teams also win their championships. In 1966 seating and standing areas were added to Sportpark Zeelst, while a year later the clubhouse was opened.

In 1969 the club suffered its first relegation as UNA went back down to the second tier. By 1974 the team won promotion once again to regain its status as membership grew to six hundred. Head coach Meeuwissen led the club to further glory in 1976 when victory over the Breda club Baronie took UNA up to the Hoofdklasse.

The team suffered relegation, but went back up in May 1981 under the coaching of Guus de Graef. However, their spell lasted just one season before being demoted back to the Eerste Klasse. It was agreed to re-organise the club in November 1982 to spread the responsibilities and to give its senior, junior and women’s sections given equal status.

The 1984-85 season saw UNA suffer another demotion back to the Tweede Klasse, third grade of the amateur game. By 1989 a new clubhouse was opened, and eight years after the grandstand was replaced with a new structure. Further developments arrived in the consequent years in the form of a new boardroom and sponsors facilities.

On the pitch UNA won promotion under Theo Raymakers in 1990, but were relegated once more to the third tier Tweede Klasse two years later. Victory over RKSV Neunan saw Piet Corstiaans’ side go back up at the first attempt. In 2000 coach Eus Marijnissen led UNA to another title to regain Eerste Klasse status before going on to the Hoodklasse soon after.

Having Hoofdklasse allowed UNA to enter the KNVB Cup. The 2002 season saw fine wins against Geldrop and FC Den Bosch in the group stages led to a first round home game against Eredivisie leaders RKC Waalwijk. The game was moved to the Jan Louwers Stadion in Eindhoven as Sportpark Zeelst didn’t have sufficient lighting. UNA put in a fine display before going out 2-0 in front of 1,500 fans.

UNA qualified twice more for the Cup without further success, in the following years. In 2007-08 the team ended the season as runners up in their Sunday Hoofdklasse division, before winning the title in 2010-11 and being promoted to Topklasse football for the first time.

Their spell lasted just one campaign at the new status before they were relegated back to the Hoofdklasse. However, this setback didn’t deter UNA who won back their place at the first attempt under the leadership of Mark Schenning.

VV UNA will play in Topklasse Zontag (Sunday) in the 2013-14 season.

My visit

Tuesday 21^st January 2014

My adventure over a long weekend around matches and football clubs of Holland was coming to an end. My last bus ride out of Eindhoven saw me catch the no.15 service to Julianastraat in Veldhoven and then walk around the corner to Sportlaan.

The entrance to Sportpark Zeelst was unfortunately locked, but the views were still good of the impressive venue, which had hard standing all the way around as well as lots of raised advertising hoardings, which gave the impression of a well run club. The grandstand was a decent sized structure down the far side, with the clubhouse and facilities all behind the near goal.

With my task complete it was time to take the bus back from close to UNA’s former home, back towards Eindhoven and one last club before heading to the airport.

SC Oranje Zwart Helmond (Holland)

SC Oranje Zwart Helmond, or Sportclub Oranje Zwart Helmond is an amateur football club from the small city of Helmond in the south east of The Netherlands. The club were formed on August 1^st 1970, joining regional Sunday football.

SC Oranje Zwart Helmond will play in Vijfde Klasse Zontag – Zuid II (Fifth Class Sunday – South II) in the 2013-14 season.

My visit

Tuesday 21st January 2014

My visit to see the stadium of Helmond Sport was paying dividends. I noted that the Stadion De Braak had other pitches around it from my research on Google Maps, but I presumed that they were just training pitches for the club. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that at least a couple were homes to other amateur outfits.

I’d already come across SC Helmondia and the main stadium and was heading back to the railway station, when I found the final pitch at the Sportpark De Braak complex.

The grass pitch was railed and had hard standing down the side, where the changing rooms and clubhouse were also located. A sign on the outside of the building revealed it was the home of Oranje Zwart, which translated is orange and black to reveal the clubs colours.

Most satisfied with my visit I decided to try and take a shortcut and maybe see the city centre. Instead I found lots of newish low cost identical housing in what to be honest, was a pretty uninspiring place.

Helmond Sport (Holland)

Helmond Sport is a professional football club from the textile city of Helmond in the south east of Holland, located a few miles from Eindhoven. The club were formed on July 27^th 1967 to take on the professional license on from SC Helmondia '55, who were bankrupt, and reverted to amateur status.

Sport’s first season was celebrated with promotion to the Eerste Divisie as a goal from Arie Meeuwsen proved decisive in the decider against Vlaardingen. Helmond remained at that level until 1982 when they won a place in the top flight Eredivisie following a draw against FC Den Bosch.

The clubs spell lasted two seasons before they were relegated, but the disappointment was tempered somewhat in 1985 as they reached the KNVB Cup Final but went down to the only goal of the game, in the last minute against FC Utrecht at Galgenwaard.

The team under Louis Coolen reached the end of season play offs in 1998-99 but failed to win promotion. In 2002-03 Jan van Dijk’s side played fine attacking football and finished in third place, to once more reach the play offs. However, it was PEC Zwolle who proved too strong and went up.

It was a similar story in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 campaigns for the club as the team went down first 2-1 to Sparta Rotterdam in the play off decider and then lost out to FC Volendam at the same stage the season after. The former Dutch international Gerald Venenberg arrived at Stadion De Braak to try and clinch the elusive Eredivisie position.

Unfortunately it was not to be, and following a disappointing season Vanenberg was replaced by another former international; Jan Poortvliet in the summer of 2007. Other coaches came and went before Sport once again lost to Sparta in the play off decider in 2009-10.

Helmond Sport continued to press for promotion with play off defeats to BV Veendam in 2010-11 and VVV-Venlo in 2011-12 thwarting the clubs dreams. Once more they fell short in 2012-13, again to Sparta Rotterdam under head coach Eric Meijers.

Helmond Sport will play in the Eerste Divisie in the 2013-14 season.

My visit

Tuesday 21^st January 2014

My Dutch long weekend adventure was drawing to a close, but I wanted to cram in a visit to a last few clubs before my afternoon flight from Eindhoven airport. Research had shown me that Helmond was not too far away and just over ten minutes on the train.

It’s strange how Google Maps can create an image in the mind of how a town may look, yet it be very wide of the mark. This was definitely the case in Helmond. My laptop had shown me avenues with canals side by side, and an oasis of green around the stadium. In fairness the weather was dull and cold, almost making everything look as though it had been painted in black and white, but it was definitely what I had in mind.

The walk to the large sports complex took far longer than I thought it would from the railway station, which was in mid redevelopment, along a dual carriageway and then up a wide road separating dull low cost housing.

I must confess to not getting inside Stadion De Braak, but I was just a wire fence away. I got lots of excellent views of the players training on the artificial surface. It was an ideal venue for a club of Helmond’s stature. It had three raised seated stands, two facing each other across the pitch, with another behind the far goal. The final end had a wall topped by high fencing and advertising boards.

It was also nice to come across the home of SC Helmondia, just across the car park from the main stadium entrance; especially as that club formed such a vital part of Sport’s history. It was certainly a venue that I’d consider revisiting to watch a match.

SC Helmondia (Holland)

SC Helmondia is an amateur football club formed on October 16^th 1916 in the town of Helmond, located between Eindhoven and the German border in the east of The Netherlands.

In 1955 a merger took place with another local club SDW Kolping who had been established in 1927 to become RKSV Helmondia '55. The club competed in the second tier Eerste Divisie for four seasons before being relegated. A runners up place in Tweede Divisie in 1964-65 just failed to win the club promotion.

In 1967 the club separated, with the professional arm becoming Helmond Sport, with the amateur section dropping down to regional football. In 1985 the club changed its name to SC Helmondia '55, before reverting to SC Helmondia in 2001.

SC Helmondia will play in the Derde Klasse Zontag Zuid II (Third Class Sunday – South II), in the 2013-14 season.

My visit

Tuesday 21^st January 2014

My final few hours on my epic travels on a long weekend in Holland, gave me the opportunity to visit Helmond from my base in Eindhoven. My intended target was the Eerste Divisie club; Helmond Sport, but to be pleasant surprise I also came across another couple of venues at Sportpark De Braak.

One of these was behind the main entrance to the home of Sport. The SC clubhouse was in the corner of the ground along with the changing rooms. The pitch was surrounded by hard standing and grass and had a fine small seated stand on the half way line on the far side.

As ever, it was good to come across a club I’d no previous knowledge of; especially one who formed a vital part of another larger clubs history.

sv Blauw Geel ’38 (Holland)

sv Blauw Geel ’38 is an amateur football club from the town of Veghel, near Eindhoven in the west of The Netherlands. The club, which translated means ‘Blue Yellow’ were formed on June 21^st 1938.

While the clubs history is difficult to detect, they are an amateur club of substance, being members of the top Sunday Hoofdklasse divisions for many years, with the supermarket giant chain Jumbo becoming partners.

sv Blauw Geel ’38 will play in Zondag (Sunday) Hoofdklasse B in the 2013-14 season.

My visit

Monday 20^th January 2014

My final call before relaxing in Eindhoven, my overnight terminus on my travels around the football clubs of Holland saw me arrive on the outskirts of Veghel at the Hintelstraat stop, after taking the no.160 service from Uden.

 

I was taking the full advantage of the excellent 9292 travel app and my £5 daily unlimited internet on my phone. It had paid real dividends throughout my trip in terms of walking and time. My route to my destination took me by the side of several canals and new housing developments. I must confess that it was further than I thought, but I did take one last shortcut down a lane past several pitches and through some hazardous mud before finding the entrance to the Prins Willem Alexander Sportpark.

Although I was tired, weary and really struggling, the sight of a new ground of a decent standard added new enthusiasm to my body. The ground was naturally painted in blue and yellow and had a significant raised seated grandstand on the far side. The near touchline had a full length open terracing. There was a hard standing path all the way around the pitch and grass beyond. The clubhouse and changing rooms were behind the goal at the entrance end, with pitches of grass and artificial surfaces beyond to cater for all the many teams that represented the club.

My map didn’t massively comfort me when I saw how far it was to the town centre. However, someone was looking down at me, because I found the Middlegaal bus stop with the hourly 158 service due in three minutes. Needless to say I took that option! Even further luck fell my way as on arrival at the bus station, the Eindhoven service arrived.