Tweede Divisie
The Tweede Divisie (English: Second Division) is the highest amateur (and historically the lowest professional) football league in the Netherlands. It was established in 1956, together with the Eredivisie and the Eerste Divisie. Between 1956 and 1960 and between 1962 and 1966, the league consisted of two divisions, Tweede Divisie A and Tweede Divisie B. The league was disbanded in 1971. Six clubs were promoted to the Eerste Divisie (De Volewijckers, FC Eindhoven, FC VVV, Fortuna Vlaardingen, PEC and Roda JC), while the other eleven teams became amateur clubs.
Founded | 1956 | ; 2016
---|---|
Country | Netherlands |
Confederation | UEFA |
Number of teams | 18 |
Level on pyramid | 3 |
Promotion to | Eerste Divisie (for reserve teams) |
Relegation to | Derde Divisie |
Domestic cup(s) | KNVB Cup |
Current champions | None (2019–20) |
Plans for a new, amateur Tweede Divisie, to be made up of 4 reserve teams and 14 Topklasse clubs, were approved in a KNVB assembly in December 2014. Thus, the Topklasse, renamed the Derde Divisie (English: Third Division), and leagues below decremented by one level, and furthermore, promotion and relegation among the second to fourth divisions were implemented starting in 2016-17.[1][2] Despite its amateurism, the league obligates its clubs to have a minimum number of players under contract.[3] No first team will be promoted to the Eerste Divisie until after 2022–23, but from the end of 2020–21, the highest-ranked second (i.e., reserve) team gains promotion, while the lowest-ranked reserves are relegated to a new under-21 division. An under-23 competition has been established for the Tweede Divisie's amateur clubs that are not directly eligible for its under-21 equivalent.[4]
Champions
- 1956–57 - Leeuwarden & RBC
- 1957–58 - ZFC & Heracles
- 1958–59 - 't Gooi & Go Ahead
- 1959–60 - EDO & Be Quick
- 1960–61 - HFC Haarlem
- 1961–62 - Velox
- 1962–63 - VSV (beat HFC Haarlem in a play-off)
- 1963–64 - NEC (beat Alkmaar '54 in a play-off)
- 1964–65 - SC Cambuur (beat DFC in a play-off)
- 1965–66 - Vitesse Arnhem & FC Den Bosch
- 1966–67 - HFC Haarlem
- 1967–68 - FC Wageningen
- 1968–69 - De Graafschap
- 1969–70 - SC Heerenveen
- 1970–71 - Volewijckers
- 2016–17 - Jong AZ
- 2017–18 - Katwijk
- 2018–19 - AFC
- 2019–20 - No champions[5]
2020–21 Teams
Club | City | 2019–20 season | Home ground | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|
AFC | Amsterdam | 3rd | Sportpark Goed Genoeg | 3,000 |
ASWH | Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht | 18th | Sportpark Schildman | 3,000 |
De Treffers | Groesbeek | 9th | Sportpark Zuid | 4,000 |
Excelsior Maassluis | Maassluis | 12th | Sportpark Dijkpolder | 5,000 |
GVVV | Veenendaal | 13th | Sportpark Panhuis | 3,950 |
HHC Hardenberg | Hardenberg | 2nd | Sportpark De Boshoek | 4,500 |
IJsselmeervogels | Spakenburg | 5th | Sportpark De Westmaat | 8,200 |
Jong Sparta | Rotterdam | 11th | Het Kasteel | 11,000 |
Jong Volendam | Volendam | 17th | Kras Stadion | 7,384 |
Katwijk | Katwijk | 1st | Sportpark De Krom | 6,000 |
Koninklijke HFC | Haarlem | 8th | Sportpark Spanjaardslaan | 1,500 |
Kozakken Boys | Werkendam | 6th | Sportpark De Zwaaier | 4,000 |
Noordwijk | Noordwijk | 10th | Sportpark Duin Wetering | 6,100 |
Quick Boys | Katwijk aan Zee | 14th | Sportpark Nieuw Zuid | 8,100 |
Rijnsburgse Boys | Rijnsburg | 4th | Sportpark Middelmors | 6,100 |
Scheveningen | Scheveningen | 15th | Sportpark Houtrust | 3,500 |
SV Spakenburg | Spakenburg | 7th | Sportpark De Westmaat | 8,200 |
TEC | Tiel | 16th | Sportpark De Lok | 2,500 |
References
- "Plans for a new Tweede Divisie starting 2016–17". NOS.nl (in Dutch). 2 December 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- "Vanaf seizoen 2016/17: promotie/degradatie tussen amateurvoetbal en betaald voetbal". KNVB.nl (in Dutch). 2 December 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- "Richtlijn Licentiesysteem tweede en derde divisie seizoen 2019/'20" [Licensing system guidelines - Second and Third Division Season 2019–20] (in Dutch). KNVB. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- "Bondsvergadering kiest voor nieuwe competitiestructuur in jeugdvoetbal" [Association assembly opts for a new league structure in youth football] (in Dutch). KNVB. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- "Competities amateurvoetbal niet hervat" [Amateur competitions not resumed] (in Dutch). KNVB. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.