Koninklijke HFC

Full name	Koninklijke Haarlemsche Football Club
Nickname(s)	Koninklijke HFC
Founded	15 September 1879; 144 years ago (1879-09-15)
Ground	Spanjaardslaan, Haarlem
Capacity	1,000
Coordinates	52°21′49.7″N 4°37′22.4″E / 52.363806°N 4.622889°E / 52.363806; 4.622889
Chairman	Gert-Jan Pruijn
Manager	Gertjan Tamerus
League	Tweede Divisie
2022–23	Tweede Divisie, 7th of 18
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

Koninklijke Haarlemsche Football Club (Royal Haarlem Football Club) is a football club based in Haarlem, Netherlands. It is the oldest existing club in Dutch football, founded by Pim Mulier in 1879. During the club's early years, the team only played rugby, but due to financial problems, they then switched to association football. The first official football match in the Netherlands was played in 1886 between HFC and Amsterdam Sport.

The club currently play in the Tweede Divisie (Second Division), a semi-professional tier re-established for the 2016–17 season, which is the third tier of the Dutch football pyramid and the highest non-pro league.

History

Koninklijke HFC was the first Dutch Rugby club, established on 15 September 1879 by the 14-year-old Pim Mulier, who first encountered the sport in 1870. However, HFC switched to association football in 1883. (The Delftsche Studenten Rugby Club was the first official rugby club on 24 September 1918.)

In 1899, they moved from their original ground "De Koekamp" to the "Spanjaardslaan", where they still play their home matches to this day. In that period, the Spanjaardslaan (Spaniard's Lane), the east–west road at the southern edge of the oldest public park of the Netherlands, was part of the neighbouring town of Heemstede, but switched back to be part of Haarlem in 1927.

The Netherlands national football team have played two international matches at the Spanjaardslaan. Both matches were versus Belgium, resulting in a 1–2 loss and a 7–0 win. In the past, HFC has contributed several players to the Netherlands national football team. Of those players, goalkeeper Gejus van der Meulen obtained the most caps, 54. At present, his grandson still plays for HFC.

Before the Dutch championship was officially established, HFC won three unofficial national titles:

• 1889–1890
• 1892–1893
• 1894–1895

Three times in the club's history they have won the KNVB Cup (1904, 1913 and 1915). In the cup competition of 1903–04, HFC beat VVV from Amsterdam 25–0, which still remains a record score in the Dutch cup competition.

The club was named Koninklijk (Royal) in 1959, 80 years after the club was founded. ^[1] Since 1923, the first team of HFC plays the opening match of a new year versus a selection of former Dutch international players on 1 January.

Current squad

As of 11 November 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 2 DF   NED Danny Hols 3 DF   NED Oscar Wilffert 4 DF   NED Peet van der Slot 5 DF   USA John Hilton 6 FW   NED Sietse Brandsma 7 FW   NED Daniël van Son 8 DF   NED Kevin van Gasteren 9 FW   NED Khalid Tadmine 10 MF   NED Franklin Lewis 11 FW   NED Jordy Hilterman 12 FW   NED Jeffrey van der Heijden 13 DF   NED Kane Prins 14 MF   NED Jacob Noordmans ( captain) 15 MF   SOM Liban Abdulahi

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 MF   NED André Morgan 17 FW   NED Roy Castien 18 DF   NED Wessel Boer 19 DF   NED Teun Versteeg 21 GK   NED Richard de Groot 22 GK   NED Tom Boks 23 DF   NED Deron Payne 25 FW   NED Noud Kaagman 27 DF   NED Roy Deken 28 MF   NED Lans Bovenberg 33 MF   NED Bram van de Wiel 38 MF   NED Taye Lee 51 MF   NED Mitchell Honkoop

See also

• Club of Pioneers

References