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De Graafschap

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De Graafschap
Full nameVereniging Betaald Voetbal
De Graafschap
Nickname(s)Superboeren (Super Farmers)
Founded1 February 1954; 70 years ago (1954-02-01)
GroundDe Vijverberg
Doetinchem
Capacity12,600
ChairmanTheo Hek
Head coachJan Vreman
LeagueEerste Divisie
2023–24Eerste Divisie, 6th of 20
Websitehttps://www.degraafschap.nl
Current season

Vereniging Betaald Voetbal De Graafschap, simply known as De Graafschap (Dutch pronunciation: [də ˈɣraːfsxɑp]) is a professional association football club based in Doetinchem, Netherlands. The team competes in the Eerste Divisie, 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.[1] However, circumstances have also fueled a burgeoning rivalry with Go Ahead Eagles.[1][2][3]

History

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Foundation

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Under the leadership of Piet de Visser, the club was promoted to the Eredivisie for the first time in 1973.
In the 1990–91 season, the club, under the management of Simon Kistemaker (right), became undefeated champions of the Eerste Divisie.
Between 1995 and 2003, De Graafschap enjoyed its longest uninterrupted spell in the Eredivisie.
In 2015, Jan Vreman, affectionately known as "Mister De Graafschap," assumed the role as the club's manager.

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.[4][5] 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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8] Despite attempts to involve VV Doetinchem in the merger, the Doetinchem members rejected the proposal.[8] De Graafschap played their first competitive match on 4 September 1954, drawing 1–1 with Fortuna '54 featuring players such as Frans de Munck, Cor van der Hart en Jan Notermans.[8]

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.[6] The team's home matches were held at the newly constructed stadium De Vijverberg.

First promotion (1972–89)

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Under the leadership of head coach Piet de Visser and with Guus Hiddink as a key player, De Graafschap clinched the first promotion playoff win in Dutch football during the 1972–73 season.[9] Their debut season in the Eredivisie proved successful, securing a fourteenth-place finish highlighted by a notable 1–0 home victory over Ajax.[10] 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.[11]

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.[12] Despite this triumph, the club finished bottom in the subsequent season, resulting in their second ever relegation.[13]

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").[14] This phrase reflects the club's recurrent pattern of fluctuating between divisions, highlighting its resilience over the years.[15]

Invincibles and eight years Eredivisie (1990–2003)

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In the 1990–91 season, under the management of Simon Kistemaker, De Graafschap achieved an undefeated championship title in the Eerste Divisie.[16] However, their Eredivisie stay lasted only one season as they were immediately relegated the following year.[17]

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.[18] 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.[19]

Up and downs (2004–present)

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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.[20] However, a year later, they faced relegation back to the Eerste Divisie after a seventeenth-place finish in the Eredivisie.[21]

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.[8][22][23] However, in the 2008–09 season, they were relegated after a loss to RKC Waalwijk in the relegation play-offs.[24] Again, they won the second-tier title in the 2009–10 season in convincing fashion under head coach and former player Darije Kalezić.[25] 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.[26]

In the 2015–16 Eredivisie season, De Graafschap were once again relegated through playoffs after finishing seventeenth but not before drawing 1–1 against Ajax on the final day of the season, denying Ajax the championship. In 2018, the club gained promotion again by winning the promotion playoffs, beating Almere City FC in the playoffs finals.[27] 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.[28]

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.[29][30] 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.[31]

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.[26]

Honours

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Results

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Historical chart of league performance

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

Players

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Current squad

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As of 17 September 2024[32]

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 Netherlands NED Ties Wieggers
3 DF Netherlands NED Rowan Besselink
4 MF Netherlands NED Maas Willemsen
5 DF Netherlands NED Levi Schoppema
6 MF Netherlands NED Lion Kaak
7 FW Netherlands NED Tristan van Gilst
8 MF Netherlands NED Donny Warmerdam
9 FW Netherlands NED Yannick Eduardo (on loan from RB Leipzig)
10 FW Morocco MAR Mimoun Mahi
11 FW Canada CAN Simon Colyn
12 GK Netherlands NED Sten Kremers
14 DF Netherlands NED Joran Hardeman
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 FW Netherlands NED Jesse van de Haar (on loan from Jong Utrecht)
16 GK Netherlands NED Joshua Smits
20 DF Netherlands NED Rio Hillen
22 MF Cape Verde CPV Jeffry Fortes
23 MF Netherlands NED Philip Brittijn
26 FW Netherlands NED Ralf Seuntjens
27 DF Netherlands NED Anass Najah
28 FW Netherlands NED Arjen van der Heide
30 FW Morocco MAR Ibrahim El Kadiri
34 MF Netherlands NED Anis Yadir
37 FW Portugal POR Wanya Marçal (on loan from Leicester City)
42 MF Netherlands NED Stan Wevers

Notable former players

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

Coaching staff

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Position Name
Head coach Netherlands Jan Vreman
Assistant coaches Netherlands Mees Siers
Netherlands Mathijs de Waard
Goalkeeping coach Netherlands Jordy Rondeel

Managerial history

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Rivalen van De Graafschap". De Graafschap (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  2. ^ Bolink, Judah (1 March 2018). "GA Eagles - De Graafschap een risicowedstrijd, maar rivaliteit?". De Stentor (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  3. ^ Steenbergen, Mark van (8 March 2020). "Fans Go Ahead Eagles niet blij met feestende Superboeren: Blummel geraakt door aansteker". De Gelderlander (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Watersnoodwedstrijd leidt profvoetbal in". Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) (in Dutch). 22 March 2016. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  5. ^ Vooren, Jurryt van de (13 December 2006). "De Watersnoodwedstrijd van Cor van der Hart". Sportgeschiedenis.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 21 October 2007.
  6. ^ a b "Oprichter zag De Graafschap nooit spelen". De Gelderlander (in Dutch). 10 October 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  7. ^ Kuile, E.H. ter (1958). Zutfen, Het kwartier van Zutfen (in Dutch). The Hague: Staatsdrukkerij- en Uitgeverijbedrijf.
  8. ^ a b c d "Historie". De Graafschap (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  9. ^ Vooren, Jurryt van de (17 June 2023). "Vijftig jaar geleden was De Graafschap de eerste club die promoveerde via de nacompetitie". Sportgeschiedenis (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ "De Graafschap won pas twee keer van Ajax". Tubantia (in Dutch). 6 May 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Bijna recordaantal promoties De Graafschap". NOS (in Dutch). 31 May 2015. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  12. ^ Kokke, Michiel (28 March 2007). "'Wij vormden een Achterhoekse familie'". De Gelderlander (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  13. ^ Schoenmakers, Jan (2005). "Netherlands 1981/82". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  14. ^ Jungmann, Bart (28 September 2015). "'Wi-j komt altied weer terug'". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  15. ^ "WI-J KOMT ALTIED WEER TERUG !". De Graafschap (in Dutch). 20 May 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  16. ^ Sommerdijk, Jan (17 December 2023). "Boek over culttrainer Kistemaker: 'Legende voor De Graafschap'". Omroep Gelderland (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  17. ^ "Kistemaker: 'Omkoping bij degradatie'". De Gelderlander (in Dutch). 6 November 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  18. ^ "Met Fritz Korbach naar de top 3 (video docu)". De Graafschap (in Dutch). 11 November 2016. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Peter Bosz weg bij De Graafschap". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 30 May 2003. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Promotie De Graafschap na doldwaas slot". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 3 June 2004. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  21. ^ Vandenberghe, Dirk (4 June 2005). "De Graafschap bijna zeker van degradatie". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  22. ^ "De Graafschap en VVV zijn de slechtste eredivisieteams van 2008". De Gelderlander (in Dutch). 18 April 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  23. ^ "De Graafschap 3–1 PEC Zwolle (11 mei, 2008) Commentaar". ESPN. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  24. ^ Liethof, Alexander (3 June 2009). "Degradatie De Graafschap een feit". Omroep Gelderland (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Kalezic langer bij De Graafschap". Het Parool (in Dutch). 26 April 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  26. ^ a b "De Graafschap gedegradeerd". NOS (in Dutch). 13 May 2012. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  27. ^ De Graafschap knokt zich voorbij Almere City en keert terug in Eredivisie – Voetbalprimeur (in Dutch)
  28. ^ "Afwikkeling voetbalseizoen 2019/'20 een feit | Eredivisie". Archived from the original on 24 April 2020.
  29. ^ "De Graafschap grijpt naast directe promotie door gelijkspel tegen Helmond Sport". De Graafschap (in Dutch). 12 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  30. ^ "Anti-climax voor De Graafschap na bizar slotstuk tegen Helmond Sport: Superboeren grijpen naast directe promotie in waterballet, Roda JC eerste tegenstander in play-offs". de Gelderlander (in Dutch). 12 May 2021. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  31. ^ "De Graafschap vs Roda JC Kerkrade – Eredivisie Qualification – Quarter-Final stats, H2H, lineups". FotMob. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  32. ^ "Eerste Elftal - De Graafschap".
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