This is the place for general discussions about our opponents in Dutch competition.

Nine more games to go for the 18 Eredivisie sides. The 18 clubs of the Gouden Gids Divisie ('Yellow Pages Division', which everyone still refers to as the First Division) have eight more games to go. The end is getting nearer, so it's interesting to take a look at who will go down and who will go up.

For your information: only the bottom team of the Eredivisie will get relegated directly and will (of course) be replaced by the First Division champion. Numbers 17 and 16 of the Eredivisie will have to fight for survival in the play-offs.

The First Division seasions is divided in four so-called 'period championships': two of eight games and two of nine games (total: 34 games). The four winners of a 'period championship' qualify for the play-offs. The first three 'priod championships' were won by ADO Den Haag, FC Den Bosch and Emmen. They are qualified for the play-offs. If one of the four 'period championship' winners finished tops and gets promoted directly (which is almost per definition the case for one of the period championship winners), their play-off spot will be taken by the highest team on the First Division table without a period championship.

Understand?

The play-offs consist of two groups, each with one Eredivisie side in it (#17 or #16) and two period championship winners from the First Division. Those two groups of three teams play a full competition (home and away). The teams finishing tops in their play-off group will play in the Eredivisie next season.

So - what's the situation?

Check the Eredivisie table:
http://teletekst.nos.nl/gif/651-01.html

It seems to me like RBC Roosendaal will be okay. There is a five point gap between them and FC Groningen. Numbers 14 to 18 are in real trouble and it's really tight. Normally, I suppose De Graafschap, FC Zwolle and Excelsior will finish below the 'line'. I just can't imagine FC Groningen or Vitesse dropping out. I hope FC Zwolle will drop out directly - and I think they will. They are the weakest side around, from what I've seen.

Now, let's take a look at the First Division:
http://teletekst.nos.nl/gif/653-01.html

I think this weekend saw the decisive defeat for the runner-up (Emmen), who lost 2-1 at FC Eindhoven. ADO Den Haag beat Cambuur Leeuwarden 3-2 and are now eight points clear with eight games to go. Should be enough for them, especially since they lost only twice so far. So, ADO Den Haag will return. They were always in the Eredivisie when I was a kid (1980s) and I still feel they belong there. They've been gone for about ten, twelve years or so. The average hooligan in Holland will be delighted, the police and the average mayor definitely won't be, as ADO Den Haag is (hooligan-wise) the Dutch equivalent of Millwall. I think it's kind of cool that they're back, because it's a real club from a real city.

Out of all the period championship winners and higher teams on the table, I think Emmen is the only one that would stand a serious chance of winning its play-off group and surviving in the Eredivisie. All the others...? Naaahhh. Not really.

My prediction: ADO Den Haag (champion) and Emmen (play-off) go up. FC Zwolle (directly) and Excelsior (play-off) drop out. De Graafschap will manage to save its ass in the play-offs.

From footballnl.com, not hte most reliable source but this sounds true.

"Utrecht's Belgium bull terrier Stijn Vreven has signed a three year deal with German side Kaiserslautern and all that remains is for both clubs to reach a final agreement to allow the defender to apply his trade in the German Bundesliga next season."

As they say: good riddins (don't know if you spell it like that..)

Without him maybe a couple of fewer injuries a season will occur.

ADO Den Haag can secure its First Division championship and promotion to the Eredivisie next weekend. It could already have happened this week, but runner-up Emmen also won its game. If ADO Den Haag win next week, they're officially back.

BTW: the city of Deventer, home of the great Go Ahead Eagles, has the honour to host ADO Den Haag's promotion/championship party next weekend (Sunday, 14:30 CET). It will be heaving with green and yellow The Hague fans... I've always had a soft spot for the Eagles, by the way. Cosy ground, English atmosphere, beautiful old club, great colours (yellow and red). It will be great to have ADO Den Haag back in the Eredivisie. Hopefully, Go Ahead Eagles will follow them next season!

The KNVB has just done robin van pussy a settlement proposal of four games' suspension. The feienerd was sent off in the game at FC Utrecht for kicking Utrecht's Stijn Vreven with both legs stretched forward. He came flying in like a Scud missile. Not that I care: it's usually Vreven himself who does this. Luckily he's off to Germany next season.

Anyways: this is looking good. We don't really seem to miss Zlatan these days (the team scores more easily than ever, so it seems: sixteen in the last four Eredivisie games). But it seems like feienerd will have to play RKC and p$v without both van hooidonk and van persie!

Looks like all hands are abandoning ship at THUG-trecht. 40 million in the red.Wapenaar, Franken-stijn, Kuit, etc.. leaving. OUCH!

Ladies and gentlemen, it's official: the final whistle of VVV vs ADO Den Haag has just sounded and the final score is 0-3 to the The Hague side. They are officially the champions of the First Divisions. Their return to the Eredivisie comes exactly fifteen years after their relegation in 1988:
http://www.ajax-usa.com/ajax/15years/1988/may.html

As discussed before: not everyone will be happy to see ADO Den Haag - or more precisely: their Mid-North Side - return to he highest level. I am, though. ADO Den Haag is a beautiful, real club, with a great history, from Holland's third city in size. They belong in the Eredivisie and I look forward to playing them again.

Welcome back, ADO. Congratulations.

I wholeheartedly echo Menno's sentiments. Congrats and welcome back Den Haag. There are bad apples among the support of many clubs,including Ajax, so I'll let the fan issue be and just say that I too am looking forward to some spirited matches between Ajax en Den Haag.

After being dispatched by the F-word 3:1 today, Roda will need that same Rottendam side to dispatch [40 million euro-indebted,players are deserting like rats from a sinking ship,council agrees to 25 million euro loan if 7.5 million loan paid off ,play the man not the ball] Ugh-trecht in the Cup Final June 1 in order to make the UEFA draw.

By virtue of away wins today the NAC-NEC twins guaranteed their spots in UEFA;joining....how sweet it is,no CL 4 you...F-word.

Pee Air Van Hooijdonk seems to be on his way to Fulham for a £60000 bill.

I'm quite happy to see him leave, no more beautifully curled free kicks in our nets

Couldnt open a new thread, so posted info here.

It appears that the first game in the Eredivisie is away to Vitesse on the 15th August. PSV away is on the 26 October.

Couldnt find any further info.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Bertrand
Pee Air Van Hooijdonk seems to be on his way to Fulham for a £60000 bill.

I'm quite happy to see him leave, no more beautifully curled free kicks in our nets

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__________________
GREENFOX

A huge fan of JUVENTUS

Holland's professional football clubs (all 37 of 'em) are ready for the 2003-2004 season!

Every summer all clubs have to send the KNVB their estimates/figures for the upcoming season. All expenses have to be covered. The clubs have to be financially 'healthy' in order to be granted a license to play. Also, their home grounds have to meet the safety conditions.

There were more doubtful cases than ever, but the last two clubs (Excelsior and newcomers to professional football, AGOVV) were granted a license today. Which means that all clubs have official permission from the KNVB to play professional football.

Holland Casino Eredivisie
1. Ajax (Amsterdam)
2. feienerd (rotterdam)
3. p$v (eindhoven)
4. FC Utrecht (Utrecht)
5. SC Heerenveen (Heerenveen)
6. FC Twente (Enschede)
7. Vitesse (Arnhem)
8. NAC Breda (Breda)
9. Willem II (Tilburg)
10. RBC Roosendaal (Roosendaal)
11. ADO Den Haag (The Hague)
12. FC Groningen (Groningen)
13. Roda JC (Kerkrade)
14. NEC (Nijmegen)
15. FC Volendam (Volendam)
16. FC Zwolle (Zwolle)
17. RKC Waalwijk (Waalwijk)
18. AZ (Alkmaar)

Gouden Gids Divisie/First Division
19. Emmen (Emmen)
20. De Graafschap (Doetinchem)
21. Excelsior (rotterdam)
22. Cambuur Leeuwarden (Leeuwarden)
23. FC Den Bosch (Den Bosch)
24. Go Ahead Eagles (Deventer)
25. MVV (Maastricht)
26. Fortuna Sittard (Sittard)
27. Sparta Rotterdam (rotterdam)
28. SC Veendam (Veendam)
29. AGOVV (Apeldoorn)
30. FC Haarlem (Haarlem)
31. Stormvogels Telstar (Velsen/IJmuiden)
32. FC Dordrecht (Dordrecht)
33. Heracles Almelo (Almelo)
34. VVV (Venlo)
35. Helmond Sport (Helmond)
36. TOP Oss (Oss)
37. FC Eindhoven (eindhoven)

This may be a nice idea...

Below is an overview of the clubs coming from each of Holland's twelve provinces. Provincial derby's are usually 'something extra'. Here goes:

Friesland (or, in their own official language, Fryslân)
SC Heerenveen
Cambuur Leeuwarden
(This used to be a supreme grudge game in the past. Now they hardly ever play each other anymore.)

Groningen
FC Groningen
SC Veendam
(Same story as in the Friesland province: two clubs, but they hardly play each other these days. And, for some reason, there doesn't seem to be any real rivalry. Not as much as between Heerenveen and Cambuur anyway).

Drente
Emmen

Overijssel
FC Zwolle
FC Twente
Heracles Almelo
Go Ahead Eagles
(Number one Overijssel 'grudge game' is Zwolle vs Eagles, like ion this summers play-offs)

Gelderland
Vitesse
NEC
De Graafschap
AGOVV
(Vitesse vs NEC is probably Holland's number two derby, after Ajax vs feyenoord. Arnhem and Nijmegen hate each other with a vengeance. Tremendous rivalry. De Graafschap really hates Vitesse as well, by the way.)

Utrecht
FC Utrecht
(No provincial derby there. Utrecht hates Ajax.

Noord-Holland
Ajax
FC Haarlem
Stormvogels Telstar
AZ
FC Volendam
(Grudge games: AZ vs Ajax, from the Alkmaar side that is. Amsterdammers don't give a crap about it. And Haarlem vs Stormvogels Telstar, which can get pretty nasty sometimes).

Zuid-Holland
feyenoord
ADO Den Haag
Sparta Rotterdam
Excelsior
FC Dordrecht
(feyenoord vs Sparta is the rotterdam city derby and has a long tradition. For some reason there isn't too much going on between Rotterdam and The Hague. They have a common enemy: Amsterdam).

Noord-Brabant
p$v
Willem II
NAC Breda
RBC Roosendaal
FC Den Bosch
RKC Waalwijk
Helmond Sport
TOP Oss
FC Eindhoven
(Not the largest, or most densely populated province, but Brabant has always had the most football clubs. Grudge games: NAC vs RBC, RKC vs Den Bosch, from the Waalwijk side mainly, and Willem II vs NAC. The Eindhoven city derby, Eindhoven vs p$v, is nothing too serious).

Limburg
Roda JC
Fortuna Sittard
MVV
VVV
(Interesting province. VVV is from the northern part and a complete outsider. All Limburg teams hate MVV from the capital of Maastricht. Roda vs Fortuna is the 'mine area' derby and the province's number one rivalry).

Zeeland
No professional football clubs. VC Vlissingen has a short stay in the the First Division in the early 1990s. They went bankrupt immediately, tried it again under the name of VCV Zeeland, but went bankrupt again. The adventure brought Dutch football Peter van Vossen... that's all.

Flevoland
No professional football clubs, because Flevoland is a very new province. It's only been there for 50 years or so. It was completely reclaimed. The largest city is Almere, which can be regarded as an Amsterdam suburb. They tried to launch their own professional club, named FC Omniworld. They were supposed to enter professional football this year, but the whole thing went wrong.