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KPN Eredivisie, 2000-2001: Club Profile

DE GRAAFSCHAP: 'SUPER FARMERS' - AND PROUD OF IT

'Boeren' is a word often heard in yells by Ajax fans. It means 'farmers', or 'peasants' - and since Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of The Netherlands, Ajax fans tend to use the word for almost everyone from outside the Amsterdam city limits. Some fans from other clubs feel offended by it, but those of De Graafschap don't. Quite on the contrary, really. De Graafschap is proud to come from the small town of Doetinchem, in the heart of the rural eastern area close to the German border, named De Achterhoek. De Graafschap are Holland's pugnacious *Superboeren* ('Super Farmers'). And proud of it!

The foundation of De Graafschap, coincided with what was probably the most sensational event in Dutch football history: the decision to go professional, in early 1954. As the newly founded Dutch Professional Football Association (NBVB) announced the start of an independent semi-professional league, ten clubs subscribed to the initiative that was considered depraved in Calvinist Holland - one of them was De Graafschap, in fact founded for the sole purpose of joining the professional league.

Two leagues kicked off at the same time, in the historically disorganized 1954-1955 season: NBVB's independent professional league, with De Graafschap, as well as the official, amateur First Class, with Ajax. It soon became obvious that a solution needed to be found, since the professional 'pirate clubs' started luring away the official club's best players. A significant part of the players of First Class side, Vitesse, yielded for De Graafschap's financial allurements. The rivalry between the two sides from the province of Gelderland is still there.

No matter how professional De Graafschap's plans were, they failed to qualify for the new nation-wide top class, the Eredivisie, which started in 1956-1957. And no matter how recognizable De Graafschap's kick-'n'-rush play has always been, how outstanding their club culture is and how beautiful their blue and white, horizontally striped jersey - De Graafschap has since spent most of its time in the anonymity of the First Division. They made the jump to the Eredivisie a few times, but always dropped back. Their stay in the highest division since 1995 is the longest in club history.

The official honors list of De Graafschap is still blank, but the club has some honors of its own. A number of promotions, of course, and a few remarkable facts: they were the only team to beat PSV in their impressive 2000-2001 campaign (2-1). In the same year, they beat Feyenoord in De Kuip (1-2), and they've notched a point in the ArenA a few times. Plus: former Holland national coach Guus Hiddink is a *Superboer* - and always will be.

Dutch, Creedence Clearwater Revival rockband Normaal, hailing from the Achterhoek area, was the first band to score national hit singles about provincial life, sung in the regional dialect of De Achterhoek. The band members, including famous lead singer, Bennie Jolink, composed a rocking club anthem for De Graafschap, their team of course, and the first club proudly calling itself Superboeren. Must be a pretty special area over there, you'd say. One visit to Doetinchem cosy, renovated stadium, De Vijverberg, is enough to find out that it is, indeed. (MP)

DE GRAAFSCHAP FACTS

Founded: 1 February, 1954
City: Doetinchem
Stadium: De Vijverberg
Capacity: 11,000
Official website: http://www.graafschap.nl

Honors:

• No national and international trophies won.

Ajax vs De Graafschap, the last five Eredivisie seasons: Related Links: