Ajax USA  

FC Den Bosch

TO THE FIRST DIVISION AND BACK AGAIN

The western provinces are Holland's most densely populated, yet no other Dutch province has so many professional football clubs as Noord-Brabant. No less than eight clubs in the two professional divisions of Dutch football hail from the central-southern province, known for its industries, but also its exuberant cuisine and beer-drenched carnival celebrations. Noord-Brabant is close to Flanders. It's where the pleasant influences of the 'Burgundian' lifestyle are starting to manifest themselves in Dutch culture.

However, eight professional football clubs, fishing in the same regional pond of supporters and sponsors, can impossibly prosper at the same time. Brabant's largest cities (Eindhoven, Tilburg and Breda) each have established, big clubs with a large following. Two clubs from small towns (RBC Roosendaal and RKC Waalwijk) also managed to become steady Eredivisie outfits. The smaller Brabant clubs, however (Helmond Sport, TOP Oss, Eindhoven), seem inevitably condemned to a low-key existence in the First Division.


FC Den Bosch, First Division champions 2004.
But: how long will they stay in this time?

And then there's FC Den Bosch, a club that seems to be unable to do better than hovering between the two realities described above. Established in 1964 as a merger of local outfits BVV and Wilhelmina , FC Den Bosch went down from the Eredivisie five times and roughly spent two-thirds of its existence in the First Division. Which is odd, given the fact that Den Bosch is the mundane capital of the province and a considerably larger town than Waalwijk or Roosendaal. RKC, from the small town of Waalwijk (only a few miles down the road from Den Bosch) became a rock-solid Eredivisie club in its even shorter existence.

Apart from the relatively glorious 1980s - in which the blue and white almost constantly performed in the upper half of the Eredivisie table, regularly beat one of the 'Big Three' and eventually reached the Dutch Cup final in 1991 (lost 1-0 to Feyenoord) - the history of FC Den Bosch is one of relegations, promotions and, throughout club history, financial misery. More than just once the club survived only thanks to donations from the Den Bosch city council. A couple of formal bankruptcies and re-foundations were necessary, which explains why the club's official name was BVV Den Bosch for a few years.

It was almost over for the 'Blue Dragons' in 1999 and 2000, after which the club finally discovered a dim, distant light at the end of the tunnel. The club returning to the Eredivisie in 2004 is an optimistic one, determined to make 2004 the start of a new, better era. The new ground - which replaced 'good old' De Vliert stadium many years ago, but looked like a barren construction-site for years - has now actually developed into a nice little stadium. Survival in the Eredivisie is the first goal.


Ruud van Nistelrooy: it started at Den Bosch...

The local fans will always believe in a better future, optimistic as they are. They actually make the unlikely happen once every year, during the traditional Roman-Catholic carnival celebrations, during which Den Bosch goes by its bogus name of Oeteldonk, a town where everything is turned upside down: bosses become employees, employees become bosses, etcetera. No wonder that Den Bosch was the place where an Eredivisie goalkeeper scored a goal for the first time. In 1986 lanky, red-haired goalkeeper Jan van Grinsven stormed forward in the final minutes against Roda JC - and became a living legend by hammering home for the last-gasp equalizer. Last but not least: FC Den Bosch gave the world Ruud van Nistelrooy, although admittedly (and perhaps typically) he wasn't much of a goalscorer in his Den Bosch days. He started scoring at Heerenveen, became a star at PSV and, ultimately, a phenomenon at Manchester United. Developing him is perhaps FC Den Bosch's most noteworthy achievement. (MP)

FC DEN BOSCH FACTS

Founded: 18 August 1965 as FC Den Bosch/BVV (continuation of BVV). Name changed into FC Den Bosch on 01 August 1967 after merger with Wilhelmina. Officially named BVV Den Bosch between 1988 and 1992.
City: Den Bosch (official city name: 's-Hertogenbosch)
Stadium: FC Den Bosch Stadium
Capacity: 8,500
Official website: www.fcdenbosch.nl

Honors:

  • Dutch champions: 1948 (BVV)
Recent history: Ajax vs FC Den Bosch