SBV Excelsior

S.B.V. Excelsior is a professional football club based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was founded on 23 July 1902 and was formerly known as "Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior" (Rotterdam Football and Athletics Club Excelsior). The club was relegated from the top Dutch league, Eredivisie in 2007–08, and promoted back to the Eredivisie at the end of the 2009–10 season. After their relegation in 2012, the team returned to the Eredivisie two years later, but relegated again in 2019.

This article is about the Dutch football club. For the Surinamese football club, see S.V. Excelsior. For the women's team, see SBV Excelsior (women).

Excelsior

Full name	Stichting Betaald Voetbal Excelsior
Nickname(s)	The Kralingers Roodzwarten (red-blacks) The Wonder Oud papier-club (Paper recycling club)
Founded	23 July 1902 (1902-07-23)
Ground	Van Donge & De Roo Stadion Rotterdam
Capacity	4,500[1]
Chairman	Bob de Lange
Manager	Marinus Dijkhuizen
League	Eerste Divisie
2018–19	Eredivisie, 16th (Relegated)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

Until 2015, Excelsior was a satellite club of Feyenoord. As such, Feyenoord gave Excelsior money and players (either on loan or free transfer). In 2005, the link between the two clubs was severed. It was reinstated in 2009, resulting in the loan of several Feyenoord players to Excelsior for the 2009–10 season. Excelsior's home stadium is the Stadion Woudestein - for sponsorship reasons known as the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion - which has a capacity of about 4,500, one of the smallest stadiums hosting professional football in the Netherlands.

The main rival of Excelsior is Sparta, another professional football team from Rotterdam.

History

Early history

Excelsior were officially formed on 23 July 1902 as Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior (English: Rotterdam Football and Athletics Club Excelsior). However, the initial founders of the club, a group of close friends located in the Kralingen district of Rotterdam, were already playing their football matches together on the fields of the eighteenth century buitenplaats Woudesteyn. After the actual establishment of the club, the municipality officially gave permission to use the land.[2] As football was still an elite sport at the beginning of the 20th century, Excelsior became one of the first working class clubs in the Netherlands.[3]

In the season 1945–46, Excelsior gained their first success by promoting to the Eerste Klasse, the highest tier of Dutch football before professional football was introduced in 1954. The deciding match against VUC was played in De Kuip and attracted 52.000 spectators. Excelsior relegated in the next season, but managed to promote for the second time in the season 1951–52. After the introduction of professional football, Excelsior won the Eerste Divisie championship three times (1974, 1979 and 2006) and promoted to the Eredivisie various times, usually to relegate not long afterwards.

Excelsior once reached the KNVB Cup final in the season 1929–30, but lost the match to fellow Rotterdam club Feyenoord (0–1). Excelsior's biggest pre-war achievement was the win of the Zilveren Bal trophy. Excelsior beat Feyenoord (5–0) in the finals of the highly rated pre-season tournament.[3]

Pioneering

Besides Excelsior, there are two more professional clubs from Rotterdam; Feyenoord and Sparta. Being the smallest professional club in Rotterdam, Excelsior always had to be creative to survive. This creativity made Excelsior play a pioneering role within Dutch football. In the mid-fifties, Excelsior were the leading club behind the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands. When the KNVB continued to refuse payments in football, Excelsior chairman Henk Zon and board member Aad Libregts managed to persuade association president Hans Hopster, in cooperation with the directors of Feyenoord, Sparta and ADO Den Haag. In August 1954 the KNVB accepted the proposal and professional football was introduced.

Excelsior in the 1963/64 Season

In 1958 Excelsior became the first Dutch club with covered stands. Later, in 1974, Excelsior also were the first Dutch club with shirt advertising. Against the then existing rules, the club put an 'A' on the shirt. The character was supposed to stand for 'Team A', but in reality it stood for Akai, the company of main investor Rob Albers. The KNVB decided to ban the 'A' from the shirt and it would take until 1982 for shirt advertising to be introduced. Akai would adorn the shirts of Excelsior until the season 1999–00.[3]

Feyenoord partnership

In 1979, Excelsior chairman Jaap Bontenbal and Feyenoord manager Peter Stephan were at the start of the close relationship between the two Rotterdam clubs Excelsior and Feyenoord. The finger tight relationship that existed between the two clubs since then was contractually sealed in 1996 with an official partnership. Excelsior became Feyenoord's feeder club and provided experience and training for young talented Feyenoord players.[3]

On 20 December 2008, Feyenoord announced not to renew the partnership contract with Excelsior due to financial and flexibility reasons.[4] However, only five months later, Feyenoord and Excelsior agreed on an even more extensive partnership. As part of the new agreement, the clubs started a joint regional youth academy called Feyenoord Academy and merged the club's reserve teams. Also, Excelsior continued to be Feyenoord's feeder club. Excelsior's managing director Simon Kelder was pleased with the new extensive partnership: "I already regretted the earlier withdrawal of cooperation from Feyenoord, but now we get something better in return. It doesn't only reduces the costs, but I am also convinced both clubs will benefit on sportive grounds."[5]

A majority of the Excelsior fans have always been against a partnership with Feyenoord. Michel van der Neut, chairman of Excelsior's supporters club, claimed: "Excelsior sold her soul with the extended partnership. Excelsior simply stops existing this way."[6]

Recent history

In 2010 Excelsior returned to the highest tier of Dutch football, after defeating crosstown rival Sparta Rotterdam in the final of the Eredivisie promotion/relegation play-offs. The team was mostly composed by Feyenoord loanees and was coached by former Feyenoord youth coach Alex Pastoor. In the 2010–11 season Excelsior made a flying start in the Eredivisie, gaining ten points in its first five matches, including a home victory in the Rotterdam derby against Feyenoord (3–2). In the remainder of the season, Excelsior upset some of the larger league teams at home, winning against AZ and getting draws against Groningen and eventual league champions Ajax. In the final match of the regular season, Excelsior got a 4–1 win away at Vitesse Arnhem, a result that left them one goal short of staying up. Finishing 16th, Excelsior had to face FC Den Bosch and Helmond Sport in the relegation / promotion play-offs. A 4–2 home win against Helmond sport ensured another season of Eredivisie football for Excelsior.

Excelsior finished bottom of the table in the Eredivisie at the end of the 2011–12 season, managing only four wins in 34 matches. The club was again relegated to the Eerste Divisie.

Stadium

Excelsior's home venue Stadion Woudestein.

Excelsior's home venue is Stadion Woudestein, which has a capacity of 3,531 seats, one of the smallest stadiums hosting professional football in the Netherlands.

The club had two short spells at different locations. For the season 1907–08 Excelsior played on the Afrikaanderplein. After returning to Woudestein, Excelsior moved to the Toepad terrain for seasons 1922–39. When the Dutch government decided to build marine barracks on the Toepad area right before the start of the second world war, Excelsior moved back to the familiar Woudestein.[3]

In the early nineties Excelsior went through a difficult period. The club barely survived a financial crisis, but a newly appointed board under the chairmanship of Martin de Jager had one important goal; a new Excelsior stadium. Various plans were made, one of them being a joint stadium for Excelsior and Sparta, but eventually none of the plans were implemented. Due to financial pressure, Excelsior decided to take the plunge and started renovating Woudestein themselves. The club built two new stands themselves and with the help of the municipality the main stand got renovated as well, including business seats and office space. On 31 July 2000, the new stadium was opened with a friendly match against Feyenoord.[7]

When Excelsior promoted to the Eredivisie after the season 2009–10, the club decided to replace the grass surface with artificial turf. Main reason for the change was the lack of financial resources to install under-soil heating, which is mandatory for clubs participating on the highest level of Dutch football.[8]

Honours

League

• Eerste Divisie

Winners (3): 1973–74, 1978–79, 2005–06

Promotion (4): 1969–70, 1981–82, 2001–02, 2009–10, 2013–14

• Tweede Divisie

Promotion (1): 1968–69

Domestic results

Below is a table with Excelsior's domestic results since the introduction of the Eredivisie in 1956.

Domestic Results since 1956
Domestic league	League result	Qualification to	KNVB Cup season	Cup result
2015–16 Eredivisie	15th	–	2015–16	third round
2014–15 Eredivisie	15th	–	2014–15	Semi-final
2013–14 Eerste Divisie	3rd	Eredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play-offs)	2013–14	round of 16
2012–13 Eerste Divisie	15th	–	2012–13	second round
2011–12 Eredivisie	18th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	2011–12	third round
2010–11 Eredivisie	16th	– (surviving promotion/relegation play-offs)	2010–11	Fourth round
2009–10 Eerste Divisie	3rd	Eredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play-offs)	2009–10	Third round
2008–09 Eerste Divisie	5th	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	2008–09	Round of 16
2007–08 Eredivisie	18th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	2007–08	Round of 16
2006–07 Eredivisie	16th	– (surviving promotion/relegation play-offs)	2006–07	Third round
2005–06 Eerste Divisie	1st	Eredivisie (promotion)	2005–06	Second round
2004–05 Eerste Divisie	12th	–	2004–05	Second round
2003–04 Eerste Divisie	2nd	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	2003–04	Third round
2002–03 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (losing promo./releg. play-offs)	2002–03	Quarter-final
2001–02 Eerste Divisie	2nd	Eredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play-offs)	2001–02	Round of 16
2000–01 Eerste Divisie	2nd	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	2000–01	Round of 16
1999–00 Eerste Divisie	4th	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	1999–00	Round of 16
1998–99 Eerste Divisie	6th	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	1998–99	Second round
1997–98 Eerste Divisie	16th	–	1997–98	Group stage
1996–97 Eerste Divisie	17th	–	1996–97	Group stage
1995–96 Eerste Divisie	16th	–	1995–96	Group stage
1994–95 Eerste Divisie	3rd	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	1994–95	Second round
1993–94 Eerste Divisie	12th	–	1993–94	Third round
1992–93 Eerste Divisie	14th	–	1992–93	Round of 16
1991–92 Eerste Divisie	15th	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	1991–92	Third round
1990–91 Eerste Divisie	19th	–	1990–91	Second round
1989–90 Eerste Divisie	14th	–	1989–90	Second round
1988–89 Eerste Divisie	3rd	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	1988–89	First round
1987–88 Eerste Divisie	8th	–	1987–88	Round of 16
1986–87 Eredivisie	18th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1986–87	Quarter-final
1985–86 Eredivisie	15th	–	1985–86	First round
1984–85 Eredivisie	12th	–	1984–85	Round of 16
1983–84 Eredivisie	13th	–	1983–84	First round
1982–83 Eredivisie	9th	–	1982–83	Second round
1981–82 Eerste Divisie	3rd	Eredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play-offs)	1981–82	Round of 16
1980–81 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1980–81	Second round
1979–80 Eredivisie	9th	–	1979–80	Second round
1978–79 Eerste Divisie	1st	Eredivisie (promotion)	1978–79	Second round
1977–78 Eerste Divisie	4th	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	1977–78	Semi-final
1976–77 Eerste Divisie	4th	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	1976–77	Round of 16
1975–76 Eredivisie	18th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1975–76	Second round
1974–75 Eredivisie	14th	–	1974–75	Second round
1973–74 Eerste Divisie	1st	Eredivisie (promotion)	1973–74	Round of 16
1972–73 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1972–73	Round of 16
1971–72 Eredivisie	15th	–	1971–72	Quarter-final
1970–71 Eredivisie	16th	–	1970–71	Second round
1969–70 Eerste Divisie	2nd	Eredivisie (promotion)	1969–70	Second round
1968–69 Tweede Divisie	2nd	Eerste Divisie (promotion)	1968–69	Second round
1967–68 Tweede Divisie	16th	–	1967–68	Quarter-final
1966–67 Tweede Divisie	9th	–	1966–67	DNC
1965–66 Tweede Divisie	9th (group B)	–	1965–66	Group stage
1964–65 Eerste Divisie	16th	Tweede Divisie (relegation)	1964–65	Second round
1963–64 Eerste Divisie	9th	–	1963–64	Round of 16
1962–63 Eerste Divisie	8th	–	1962–63	Third round
1961–62 Eerste Divisie	2nd	–	1961–62	?
1960–61 Eerste Divisie	4th (group B)	–	1960–61	?
1959–60 Eerste Divisie	11th (group A)	–	not held	not held
1958–59 Eerste Divisie	6th (group B)	–	1958–59	?
1957–58 Eerste Divisie	7th (group A)	–	1957–58	?
1956–57 Eerste Divisie	9th (group B)	–	1956–57	?

Current squad

As of 4 August 2020

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  NED Alessandro Damen 2 DF  BEL Siebe Horemans 3 DF  BEL Hervé Matthys 4 DF  NED Thomas Oude Kotte 5 DF  NED Robin van der Meer 6 DF  NED Abdallah Aberkane 7 FW  NED Stijn Meijer 8 MF  NED Mats Wieffer 9 FW  ISL Elías Már Ómarsson 10 MF  NED Luigi Bruins 11 FW  NED Joël Zwarts

No. Pos. Nation Player 14 FW  MAR Redouan El Hankouri 16 DF  NED Sander Fischer (captain) 17 FW  NED Thomas Verhaar 18 FW  NED Ahmad Mendes Moreira 21 MF  NED Niek den Heeten 23 GK  NED Maarten de Fockert 24 DF  ENG Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill 28 DF  NED Nathan Tjoe-A-On 29 DF  NED Tobias Kleijweg 29 MF  NED Reuven Niemijer — MF  NED Mitchell van Rooijen (on loan from Utrecht)

Player of the year

The Excelsior 'Player of the Year' award is voted for by the club's supporters, in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. The annual election is organized by the supporters club Pro Excelsior since 1996.[9][10]

Season Winner 1995–96 Marinus Dijkhuizen 1996–97 John Schuurhuizen 1997–98 Ferry de Haan 1998–99 Michael van der Kruis 1999–00 David Connolly 2000–01 Jarda Simr 2001–02 Michel Breuer 2002–03 Steve Olfers 2003–04 Danny Buijs 2004–05 Brett Holman 2005–06 Luigi Bruins 2006–07 René van Dieren

Season Winner 2007–08 Kees Luijckx 2008–09 Jeffrey Altheer 2009–10 Ryan Koolwijk 2010–11 Daan Bovenberg 2011–12 Roland Alberg 2012–13 Jordy Deckers 2013–14 Lars Veldwijk 2014–15 Sander Fischer 2015–16 Rick Kruys 2016–17 Nigel Hasselbaink 2017–18 Hicham Faik 2018–19 Jerdy Schouten

Managers

Current staff

Position	Name
Manager	Marinus Dijkhuizen
Assistant manager	André Hoekstra
Assistant manager / technology strategist	Takahisa Shiraishi
Team manager	Dennis van der Neut
Goalkeeping coach	Ronald Graafland
Fitness coach	Mario Meijer
Physio	Maurice de Groot
Physio	Rinus Kerskes
Club doctor	Robert Jan de Vos
Kit manager	Rien van Wijk
Kit manager	John van Tilburg

Former managers

Season(s) Manager 1954–56 Rinus Smits 1956–62 Bob Janse 1962–68 Rinus Smits 1968–70 Bob Janse 1970 Jaap Kouters 1970–71 Bob Janse 1971–73 Joop Castenmiller 1973–75 Ben Peeters 1975–76 Thijs Libregts Bob Janse 1976–80 Thijs Libregts 1980–82 Hans Dorjee 1982–86 Rob Jacobs 1986–88 Henk Wullems 1988–90 Joop van Daele 1990 Martin van der Kooy 1990–92 Sándor Popovics 1992–94 Cor Pot 1994–95 Rob Baan

Season(s) Manager 1995–96 Hans van der Pluijm 1996-03 Adrie Koster 2003–04 Henk van Stee 2004–05 John Metgod 2005–06 Mario Been 2006–09 Ton Lokhoff 2009–11 Alex Pastoor 2011–12 John Lammers 2012–13 Leon Vlemmings 2013–14 Jon Dahl Tomasson 2014–15 Marinus Dijkhuizen 2015–16 Alfons Groenendijk 2016–18 Mitchell van der Gaag 2018–19 Adrie Poldervaart 2019–20 Ricardo Moniz 2020– Marinus Dijkhuizen

Notable former players

The players below had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed represented their countries while playing for Excelsior.

Brett Holman Thomas Buffel Gill Swerts Michel Bastos Sebastián Pardo Patrick Mtiliga Marc Nygaard Jordan Botaka Christian Gyan

David Connolly Salomon Kalou Mounir El Hamdaoui Mario Been George Boateng Winston Bogarde Royston Drenthe (youth) Tim Vincken

Ferry de Haan Oscar Moens Robin van Persie (youth) Graeme Rutjes Andwelé Slory Gaston Taument Luigi Bruins Kamohelo Mokotjo

References

1. "Cookies op AD.nl – AD.nl". www.ad.nl.
2. "De geschiedenis van Stadion Woudestein" [The history of Stadion Woudestein]. Supportersclub Pro Excelsior (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
3. "Excelsior Historie" [Excelsior History]. SBVExcelsior.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 June 2010.
4. "Samenwerking met Excelsior stopt" [Collaboration with Excelsior stops]. Feyenoord.nl (in Dutch). 20 December 2008. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
5. "Nieuwe verregaande samenwerking Feyenoord en Excelsior" [New extensive cooperation Feyenoord and Excelsior]. Feyenoord.nl (in Dutch). 21 May 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
6. "Supportersvereniging roept op tot actie" [Supportersclub calls for action]. ERFC.nl (in Dutch). 21 May 2009. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
7. "Excelsior Stadion" [Excelsior Stadium]. SBVExcelsior.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 August 2010.
8. "Excelsior op kunstgras in eredivisie" [Excelsior on artificial turf in Eredivisie]. SBVExcelsior.nl (in Dutch). 4 June 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
9. "Jeffrey Altheer beste speler 2008/2009" [Jeffrey Altheer best player 2008/2009]. ERFC.nl (in Dutch). 8 September 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
10. "Supportersclub". Pro Excelsior (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.

External links

• Official website (in Dutch)
• Excelsior Fans (in Dutch)
• Excelsior Fansite (in Dutch)