Голландияның «Де Граафшап» футбол клубы тарихы

Dutch football club

Vereniging Betaald Voetbal De Graafschap, simply known as De Graafschap is a professional association football club based in Doetinchem, Netherlands. The team competes in the , the second level of the Dutch football league system. Founded on 1 February 1954, the club has played its home games at De Vijverberg since their foundation. Translated from Dutch, the club name means "The County", while its fans are affectionately referred to as Superboeren ("Super Farmers"). The club dons blue and white hooped shirts paired with white shorts and blue socks. Though modest in stature compared to some European counterparts, De Graafschap has maintained a consistent presence in the top tier Eredivisie, albeit without clinching any major trophies. Despite this, the club boasts a substantial stadium and a dedicated fan base, particularly notable within the second tier Eerste Divisie. Over time, the club has cultivated heated rivalries, notably with Vitesse. However, circumstances have also fueled a burgeoning rivalry with Go Ahead Eagles.

Following the Watersnoodwedstrijd (Flood Disaster Match), a benefit game featuring Dutch foreign professionals, held at the Parc des Princes in front of 40,000 spectators against France one month after the devastating North Sea flood of 1953, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB)'s rejection of professional football prompted the establishment of the wilde bond (wild federation) Nederlandse Beroeps Voetbal Bond (NBVB) to advocate for its introduction. New clubs were founded to support this initiative. Under the guidance of Amsterdam native Johan Roodbergen, the professional football club De Graafschap was established in Doetinchem on 1 February 1954. The name was chosen to represent the Oost Gelderland region known as De Graafschap, which encompasses Doetinchem, formerly known as Graafschap Zutphen (County of Zutphen; until 1795 known as the Quarter of Zutphen), and now recognised as the Achterhoek. The club adopted a uniform featuring horizontally striped blue and white shirts, white shorts, and horizontally striped blue and white socks. Prior to this initiative, professional football had never been played in Doetinchem. Following the merger of the NBVB and KNVB, De Graafschap joined the professional league. To facilitate this transition, the club merged with VV Oosseld (founded in 1922, abbreviated as VVO) to establish the professional association De Graafschap after initial discussions about merging all clubs around Doetinchem fell through. The clubs completed the 1954–55 season independently, after which the merger was formalised, with Oosseld becoming the amateur department of De Graafschap. De Graafschap stands as the only team from the NBVB that persists as an independent professional club. Founder Roodbergen, after whom a grandstand was named, never witnessed 'his' De Graafschap play due to his severe visual impairment. Their debut season in the Eredivisie proved successful, securing a fourteenth place finish highlighted by a notable 1–0 home victory over Ajax. The following two seasons saw the team maintain its position in the top flight. However, in the 1976–77 season, De Graafschap finished bottom, marking the first of nine relegations throughout the club's history, with equally as many promotions. In the 1980–81 Eerste Divisie season, De Graafschap found themselves out of contention for top spots in the league. Their striker, Boudewijn de Geer, was unpopular among supporters that season, and faced jeers from the crowd during a crucial promotion playoff match against Den Bosch. However, sentiments shifted dramatically when De Geer scored twice, propelling De Graafschap back into the Eredivisie. Despite this triumph, the club finished bottom in the subsequent season, resulting in their second ever relegation. A motto in the Achterhooks dialect, embraced by the club and its supporters, encapsulates De Graafschap's sporting history: "Wi j komt altied weer terug" ("We always come back"). This phrase reflects the club's recurrent pattern of fluctuating between divisions, highlighting its resilience over the years.

In the 1990–91 season, under the management of Simon Kistemaker, De Graafschap achieved an undefeated championship title in the Eerste Divisie. However, their Eredivisie stay lasted only one season as they were immediately relegated the following year. Between 1995 and 2003, De Graafschap enjoyed its lengthiest unbroken tenure in the Eredivisie. Under Fritz Korbach's management in 1997, the club achieved its highest ever league finish, securing eighth place. Subsequently, the club's performance began to decline, and in 2003, under the guidance of Peter Bosz, De Graafschap suffered relegation back to the Eerste Divisie after an eight year spell in the top flight.

De Graafschap's rollercoaster ride between divisions culminated in a thrilling promotion to the Eredivisie, despite finishing sixth in the 2003–04 season of the Eerste Divisie. This achievement was made possible by a dramatic late goal from Michael van der Kruis during an away match against Excelsior at Woudestein. This crucial goal propelled them past Heracles Almelo in the standings, securing a last minute promotion. However, a year later, they faced relegation back to the Eerste Divisie after a seventeenth place finish in the Eredivisie. In 2007, they dominated the Eerste Divisie under head coach Jan de Jonge with players such as Berry Powel, Jhon van Beukering, and Lasse Schöne, clinching the title, and briefly surprised in the Eredivisie the following season, albeit barely staying up through relegation playoffs after a poor second half to the season. However, in the 2008–09 season, they were relegated after a loss to RKC Waalwijk in the relegation play offs. Again, they won the second tier title in the 2009–10 season in convincing fashion under head coach and former player Darije Kalezić. He would subsequently lead them to one of their best Eredivisie performances in years, placing fourteenth in 2011, only losing three out of 17 home games. In 2012, however, they suffered relegation once again through the playoffs. They were relegated in 2019, and the next season ended in further heartbreak on 24 April 2020 as they were denied a possible promotion back to the top flight due to the COVID 19 pandemic forcing the Eredivisie to declare their season void with no promotion or relegation. Late in the 2020–21 season, De Graafschap were in control of their promotion hopes, only needing one win in their final two games to secure promotion. However, they were held to a 1–1 draw, followed by a goalless draw versus Helmond Sport, denying them an automatic promotion spot and forcing them to go through the promotion playoffs. De Graafschap crashed out of the playoffs in the first round after a 3–2 home loss to Roda JC, thus meaning that they would remain in the Eerste Divisie. Interestingly, despite experiencing multiple relegations, including seventeenth place finishes and relegation playoffs in 2005, 2009, 2012, 2016, and 2019, De Graafschap has managed to avoid finishing at the bottom of the Eredivisie since 2003.

Below is a table with De Graafschap's domestic results since the introduction of the Eredivisie in 1956. Domestic Results since 1956Domestic leagueLeague resultQualification toKNVB Cup seasonCup result2022–23 Eerste Divisie10th –2022–23Quarter Finals2021–22 Eerste Divisie9thpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion2021–22First Round2020–21 Eerste Divisie3rdpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion2020–21Second Round2019–20 Eerste Divisie2ndSeason abandoned due to COVID 19 pandemic2019–20First Round2018–19 Eredivisie17thEerste Divisie (losing promo./releg. play offs)2018–19Second Round2017–18 Eerste Divisie4thEredivisie (winning promo./releg. play offs)2017–18First Round2016–17 Eerste Divisie12th –2016–17First Round2015–16 Eredivisie17thEerste Divisie (losing promo./releg. play offs)2015–16Second Round2014–15 Eerste Divisie6thEredivisie (winning promo./releg. play offs)2014–15Second Round2013–14 Eerste Divisie7thpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion2013–14Round of 162012–13 Eerste Divisie8thpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion2012–13Third Round2011–12 Eredivisie17thEerste Divisie (losing promo./releg. play offs)2011–12Quarter Finals2010–11 Eredivisie14th –2010–11Third Round2009–10 Eerste Divisie1stEredivisie (promotion)2009–10Second Round2008–09 Eredivisie17thEerste Divisie (losing promo./releg. play offs)2008–09Quarter Finals2007–08 Eredivisie16th – (surviving promotion/relegation play offs)2007–08Third Round2006–07 Eerste Divisie1stEredivisie (promotion)2006–07Round of 162005–06 Eerste Divisie5thpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion2005–06Disqualified2004–05 Eredivisie17thEerste Divisie (losing promo./releg. play offs)2004–05Second Round2003–04 Eerste Divisie6thEredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play offs)2003–04Second Round2002–03 Eredivisie18thEerste Divisie (relegation)2002–03Round of 162001–02 Eredivisie14th –2001–02Third Round2000–01 Eredivisie15th –2000–01Second Round1999–2000 Eredivisie14th –1999–2000Second Round1998–99 Eredivisie13th –1998–99Second Round1997–98 Eredivisie11th –1997–98Second Round1996–97 Eredivisie8th –1996–97Round of 161995–96 Eredivisie14th –1995–96Round of 161994–95 Eerste Divisie2ndEredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play offs)1994–95Second Round1993–94 Eerste Divisie6thpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion1993–94Round of 161992–93 Eerste Divisie5thpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion1992–93Third Round1991–92 Eredivisie17thEerste Divisie (relegation)1991–92Second Round1990–91 Eerste Divisie1stEredivisie (promotion)1990–91Round of 161989–90 Eerste Divisie7th –1989–90First Round1988–89 Eerste Divisie9th –1988–89First Round1987–88 Eerste Divisie4thpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion1987–88Second Round1986–87 Eerste Divisie10th –1986–87Round of 161985–86 Eerste Divisie9th –1985–86First Round1984–85 Eerste Divisie3rdpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion1984–85Second Round1983–84 Eerste Divisie6thpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion1983–84Round of 161982–83 Eerste Divisie14th –1982–83Round of 161981–82 Eredivisie18thEerste Divisie (relegation)1981–82Second Round1980–81 Eerste Divisie7thEredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play offs)1980–81First Round1979–80 Eerste Divisie6thpromotion/relegation play offs: no promotion1979–80Second Round1978–79 Eerste Divisie8th –1978–79Round of 161977–78 Eerste Divisie14th –1977–78First Round1976–77 Eredivisie18thEerste Divisie (relegation)1976–77Round of 161975–76 Eredivisie12th –1975–76Quarter Finals1974–75 Eredivisie13th –1974–75Second Round1973–74 Eredivisie14th –1973–74Second Round1972–73 Eerste Divisie4thEredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play offs)1972–73First Round1971–72 Eerste Divisie11th –1971–72Did Not Participate1970–71 Eerste Divisie16th –1970–71First Round1969–70 Eerste Divisie9th –1969–70Round of 161968–69 Tweede Divisie1stEerste Divisie (promotion)1968–69First Round1967–68 Tweede Divisie6th –1967–68Group Stages1966–67 Eerste Divisie18thTweede Divisie (relegation)1966–67Did not Participate1965–66 Tweede Divisie2nd (group A)Eerste Divisie (promotion)1965–66Round of 16 1964–65 Tweede Divisie11th (group A) –1964–65First Round 1963–64 Tweede Divisie5th (group B) –1963–64First Round1962–63 Tweede Divisie15th (group A) –1962–63Third Round1961–62 Tweede Divisie10th –1961–62First Round1960–61 Tweede Divisie11th –1960–61Group Stages1959–60 Eerste Divisie17th (group B)Tweede Divisie (relegation)not heldnot held1958–59 Eerste Divisie14th (group A) –1958–59Did Not Participate1957–58 Eerste Divisie4th (group A) –1957–58Second Round1956–57 Eerste Divisie10th (group A) –1956–57 Second Round