SC Veendam

Sportclub Veendam () was a Dutch professional association football club based in Veendam, province of Groningen. Founded on 4 September 1894 as Look-Out, it became P.J. Veendam in 1909, Veendam in 1910, SC Veendam in 1974, BV Veendam in 1997 and again SC Veendam in 2011. The club was a founder member of the regional first tier Eerste Klasse Noord in 1916 and became champions of the division in 1931–32; it qualified for the national championship play-offs but finished in bottom place. Veendam took part in the inaugural season of the third tier Tweede Divisie in 1956–57; after yo-yoing between the third and second tiers, the team won promotion to the first tier Eredivisie for the first time in 1985–86. The side spent two seasons in the Eredivisie— 1986–87 and 1988–89—but were relegated both times. Veendam then competed in the second tier Eerste Divisie until they were dissolved due to financial problems in 2013.

The team's stadion was De Langeleegte, where they had played since their foundation. Although Veendam is a small town with around 20,000 inhabitants, the club recorded average attendances of around 3,500. Veendam's home kit colours were black and yellow. The club was nicknamed "Veenkolonialen" (English: "Peat colonials"), reflecting the area's peat history. Veendam had rivalries with FC Groningen, with whom they contested the , and with Drenthe-based FC Emmen.

History

1894–1960

The club was founded on 4 September 1894 as Look-Out by Be Quick 1887 youth player Bruins Oving, who was lodging in Veendam, Carel Herman Steenhuisen and other young players from Veendam."Met dank aan de industrie". ''Nieuwsblad van het Noorden''. 16 July 1994. p. 35. Their first pitch was opposite coaching inn ’t Vosje at De Langeleegte."Sleutels bijna overgedragen". ''Dagblad van het Noorden Drenthe Zuidoost''. 31 March 2007. p. 21. In 1905, the club and another Veendam-based team, Vitesse, merged; the name Look-Out was retained. After Princess Juliana was born in 1909, Look-Out was changed to P.J. Veendam, although the club removed the abbreviation “P.J.” the following year. Veendam were one of the founder members of the regional first tier Eerste Klasse Noord in 1916 but finished bottom of the league of seven teams in their inaugural season. In 1919, Veendam merged with Jupiter, a club from a working-class background; the name Veendam was retained. After several mid-table finishes, the team finished runners-up in 1929–30 and 1930–31, before winning their first and only Eerste Klasse Noord title in 1931–32. Veendam qualified for the national championship play-offs. The side played Ajax, Feijenoord, SC Enschede and PSV; they won one game (away at PSV), lost seven matches and were ranked in bottom place.

As a result of the successful spell, Veendam winger Jaap Woltjes was called up for the Dutch national team for a friendly against English side Nottingham Forest in 1936; Woltjes came on as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat. Although Veendam recorded a second-place finish in the 1935–36 Eerste Klasse Noord, the team began to slide down the league table; they were eventually relegated to the Tweede Klasse in 1947–48. In 1950, the club signed its first manager, . Veendam returned to the Eerste Klasse in 1954. During the same year, the club turned professional. The Veendam players earned 15 guilders per win (the equivalent of € as of ), 10 per draw and 5 per loss; the players also received 5 guilders per week if they took part in 3 training sessions. In 1956, the first tier Eredivisie, the second tier Eerste Divisie and the third tier Tweede Divisie were established; Veendam were founder members of the Tweede Divisie and placed fourth during the initial season. The side were promoted to the Eerste Divisie as runners-up in 1958–59.

1960–1990

In 1961, the club reorganized its structure as it established three boards: for the professional department, the amateurs and the youth. During this period, several Veendam players received employment at the local DWM potato starch factory. Veendam were relegated to the Tweede Divisie in 1964–65 but won promoted back to the second tier in 1967–68. The club appointed 26-year-old Leo Beenhakker as manager in 1968; he remained in post until 1972 and later managed Ajax and Real Madrid. In 1974, the club's professional and amateur departments split; the professional side continued under the name SC Veendam. During the 1977–78 KNVB Cup, the team defeated Feyenoord 2–1 in the third round and reached the quarter-finals, in which Veendam were eliminated 4–2 on aggregate by Excelsior. Two Dutch international strikers made their professional debuts with Veendam during this period: Dick Nanninga in 1973 and Jurrie Koolhof in 1978.

Veendam came close to bankruptcy in 1984 but a deficit of 2,5 million guilders was eliminated. During the same year, former Veendam player Henk Nienhuis

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