Note that this list includes all clubs mentioned in this document, including a
number of foreign ones, but is not necessarily exhaustive.
The short versions of the names on the left hand side are used in this
document; an additional indication of the home town is only included if
a homonymous club from another town appears in the document as well.
The full names on the right hand side appeared at least once in contemporary
publications (usually the "Nederlandsche Sport") but for most clubs other
versions appeared as well: in particular, the words "voetbal" and "football"
as well as "vereeniging" and "club" were often interchanged, sometimes
apparently at random, and while nearly all early Dutch football clubs
originated from an older cricket club, the "cricket" part was not always
included in the name.
Additional information is most welcome.
All clubs in italics were members of the N.V.A.B. at least at some point during the season.
Amersfoort Amersfoort = Amersfoortsche Voetbal Club Amsterdam Amstels F.C. = Amstels Football Club A.S.C. = Amsterdamsche Sportclub Excelsior A. = Amsterdamsche Cricket- en Football Club "Excelsior" Machinisten = Machinisten Voetbal en Cricket-Vereeniging Mercurius = Amsterdamsche Voetbal Club "Mercurius" Quick = Amsterdamsche Cricket en Footballclub "Quick" R.A.P. = Amsterdamsche Footballclub "R.U.N. Amstels Progress" Sparta A. = Amsterdamsche Cricket- en Football Club "Sparta" V.V.A. = Voetbal Vereeniging "Amsterdam" Victoria A. = Amsterdamsche Cricket- en Football Club "Victoria" Volharding = Amsterdamsche Cricket- en Voetbal Vereeniging "Volharding" Antwerpen (Belgium) Antwerp F.C. = Antwerp Football Club Apeldoorn Robur et Velocitas = Apeldoornsche Cricket- en Footballvereeniging "Robur et Velocitas" Arnhem Vitesse = Cricket en Football Club "Vitesse" Breda Cadetten = Cadetten Voetbal-Vereeniging "Quick" [army] Bussum Leonidas = Bussumsche Voetbal Club "Leonidas" [1] Delft D.S.V.V. = Delftsche Studenten Voetbal-Vereeniging [2] Dordrecht D.F.C. = Dordrechtsche Footballclub Den Haag (official name: 's-Gravenhage) H.V.V. = Haagsche Voetbalvereeniging Haarlem Excelsior H. = Haarlemsche Football Club "Excelsior" [3] H.F.C. = Haarlemsche Football-Club Haarlem = Haarlemsche Cricket- en Football Club "Haarlem" Hercules H. = Haarlemsche Football Club "Hercules" Union Hilversum E.M.M. = Eendracht Maakt Macht Gooisch Elftal [presumably an ad hoc combination] Hilversum = Hilversumsche Football Club Leiden Achilles = Leidsche Cricket- en Football-Club "Achilles" Liverpool (England) Everton = Everton Football Club London (England) Woolwich Arsenal = Woolwich Arsenal Football Club [4] Nijmegen Noviomagum Quick Step = Nijmeegsche Cricket- en Football Club "Quick Step" Preston (England) Preston North End = Preston North End Football Club Rotterdam Concordia = Rotterdamsche Cricket- en Football-Club "Concordia" Hollandia Olympia = Rotterdamsche Cricket- en Football-Club "Olympia" Rapiditas = Rotterdamsche Cricket- en Football-Club "Rapiditas" Sparta R. = Rotterdamsche Cricket- en Football-Club "Sparta" Victoria R. = Rotterdamsche Cricket- en Football-Club "Victoria" Schiedam Hermes = Schiedamsche Cricket- en Football-Club "Hermes" Utrecht Hercules U. = Utrechtsche Football Club "Hercules" Voorschoten Sportclub Noorthey = Voorschotensche Sportclub Noorthey Wageningen Go Ahead = Wageningsche Cricket- en Football-Club "Go-Ahead" [1] Founded on Nov 6, 1890. [2] Founded on Nov 5, 1889. [3] Dissolved on Oct 11, 1890. [4] Called Royal Arsenal Football Club between 1887 and 1893.
On Oct 5, 1890, the "Nederlandsche Voetbal- en Athletieke Bond" held a meeting at café "Zomerzorg" in Leiden at which the following clubs were represented: H.F.C. (Haarlem), R.A.P. (Amsterdam), H.V.V. (Den Haag), V.V.A. (Amsterdam), Concordia (Rotterdam), Olympia (Rotterdam), Victoria (Rotterdam), Achilles (Leiden), D.S.V.V. (Delft), Mercurius (Amsterdam) and Machinisten (Amsterdam).
At this meeting, the regulations for the first ever official league season were discussed. The main decisions taken were:
Eerste Klasse: all clubs have to meet all others at least once and
at most twice; ranking to be based on points/match ratio among those clubs
who fulfilled that condition.
Tweede Klasse: competition in knock-out format, first restricted
to clubs from the same city, then between the best of each city within a
province, and finally matches between the provincial winners to
determine the champions (as was customary in Dutch cricket); reserve
sides are not allowed to enter.
Promotion: the winners of the Tweede Klasse may challenge a club
of the Eerste Klasse of its choice; if the second class champions win
that match, they are promoted;
however, in addition every second class
club has the right to be promoted if during the season it twice plays
a club from the first class without losing.
Relegation: any first class club failing to obtain at least two
points from its matches is relegated to the second class (literally:
"Elke eerste klasse club wordt tot tweede klasse gedegradeerd, indien
zij minder dan 2 punten op het einde van het seizoen heeft.").
Three weeks later, on Oct 26, 1890, at an extraordinary meeting at Hotel "De Baars", Slagveld 11, Rotterdam, at which the main item of discussion was membership fees (it became known as the kwartjesvergadering), these regulations were amended as follows:
Eerste Klasse: in order to win the championship, a club has to play at
least eight matches, and meet each of the others at least once (and at
most twice); as there were six first class clubs left at the time (Excelsior
of Haarlem had been dissolved on Oct 11, 1890) that meant only those to
have played eight, nine or ten matches could become champions;
between those, the first ranking criterium was to be the points/match ratio,
the second goal difference (as opposed to the goal average rule
then commonly used in Britain): "het getal der goals tegen wordt
van dat der goals voor afgetrokken".
To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time worldwide that goal
difference was officially used as a tie-breaker (although it would not be
applicable at the end of the season, as all five remaining clubs played eight
matches and obtained a different number of points).
Tweede Klasse: apart from reserve teams, also student clubs cannot
enter (because of rules allowing them to use players of other clubs).
Promotion: for the winners of the Tweede Klasse, it is sufficient
to obtain a draw against a club of the Eerste Klasse of its choice (as
opposed to being obliged to win, as before) in order to be promoted.
Also at this meeting, president Mulier requested to have the result of the only first class match played until then (his club H.F.C. having lost 0-5 at H.V.V. one week before) annulled; this was (unanimously) rejected.
After the withdrawal of V.V.A. at the beginning of February, a special board meeting on Feb 8, 1891 in Haarlem reduced the minimal number of matches required to claim the championship from eight to seven.
At the end of the season, a board meeting
in Utrecht on Apr 23, 1891, confirmed
the regulations on promotion and relegation, implying V.V.A. were relegated.
However, at the general assembly ten days later in the same town, those
present first voted to admit second class champions Victoria to the first class,
based on their win against Concordia early in the season, and then also to
readmit V.V.A.
On that matter, the correspondent of the "Nederlandsche Sport" had a
premonition: "Het is te hopen dat de heer Jibben, die het voorstel deed, de
krachten zijner vereeniging niet heeft overschat, en dat de leden der V.V.A.
zich het vertrouwen, dat de Bondsvergadering in hen heeft gesteld, waardig
zullen maken." His doubts would be confirmed during the next season, in
which V.V.A. were dissolved following another walk off (in their
first match, as in their only match
in 1890/91) and two double digit defeats, including
a 0-12 at H.F.C. in their last ever match.
This was the first official national league competition outside of the British Isles – in fact, Ireland (essentially a Belfast city league in its first two seasons; no Dublin club entered until 1902), Scotland and Wales (separately for the north and south of the principality) also started their league history in the 1890/91 season; only England had inaugurated its Football League two seasons before (albeit without including any clubs from London (or indeed south of the West Midlands) until Woolwich Arsenal entered the second level in 1893), and a city league in Copenhagen was first held in 1889/90, albeit as a single round robin only.
Note that it is not correct to consider this league as a competition
restricted to the western part of the Netherlands, even if all clubs
involved were from the two provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland.
All member clubs of the federation had had the opportunity to qualify for
the Eerste Klasse in the previous season;
eventually only Olympia (Rotterdam) had managed to obtain promotion, but
others could have done so as well. In addition, all clubs were eligible
to enter the second tier this season and thereby gain
the right to contest a promotion match. Two clubs from the eastern province
of Gelderland (Go Ahead and Robur et Velocitas) did so, as well as two clubs
from the central province of Utrecht (Hercules and Amersfoort); Go Ahead
of Wageningen reached the second tier final, won it
in the next season, and gained promotion
in 1893.
Not to consider this league as a true Dutch national championship is in fact
less reasonable than discarding all Viennese champions until the Anschluß
in 1938 from the list of Austrian champions or
denying all Montevideo league winners until 1998 (!) the right to be called
champions of Uruguay, given that no
clubs from outside those two capitals had any opportunity to compete for
the "national" title during that period (with the single exception of the winners
of the Styrian league in 1937,
which were entitled to entering a promotion playoff for the 1937/38 season).
In fact, H.V.V. have a stronger claim to the title of national champions
of the Netherlands for the 1890/91 season than Everton to that of
national champions of England in the same season (or Preston North End in
the two previous ones).
V.V.A., one of the most active clubs in the previous three football seasons, was severely weakened following the departure, in April 1890, of three of its players, viz. F.N. Eyrond, George Philip Rust jr. and George Hendrik Jurrjens (also a reputed rower), to Transvaal; Rust, one of the club's founding members in 1887, died in Pretoria on Oct 5, 1890, five weeks before his 23rd birthday; Jurrjens also died young in Pretoria, on Jan 13, 1904, three days before his 38th birthday. Both Jurrjens and Rust had played in the "championship decider" against H.F.C. on Apr 1, 1888.
Final Table:
1.H.V.V. (Den Haag) 8 6 1 1 17- 3 13 Champions
2.H.F.C. (Haarlem) 8 4 2 2 18-11 10
3.R.A.P. (Amsterdam) 8 2 5 1 10- 7 9
4.Olympia (Rotterdam) 8 2 2 4 7-22 6
5.Concordia (Rotterdam) 8 0 2 6 1-10 2
-.V.V.A. (Amsterdam) withdrew Relegated
-.Excelsior (Haarlem) dissolved before start competition
NB: as V.V.A. had not obtained the necessary 2 points, they were officially
relegated; however, they were reinstated in the Eerste Klasse on May 3,
at the bondsvergadering in Utrecht.
[Oct 19, 1890; Wielerbaan, Scheveningen]
H.V.V. 5-0 H.F.C. [half-time: 2-0]
[Weinthal 1-0, Roeland 2-0, Weinthal 3-0, Noordijk 4-0, Weinthal 5-0]
[Weinthal scored the first ever goal and the first ever hat-trick in
this first ever first class match in the Netherlands]
[H.V.V.: J. Brouwers; C. Nolet, J. Jay; M. van Oosterzee, J. Hartog, F. v.d. Bosch;
E. Noordijk, H. Roeland, K. Gisolf (c), L. Weinthal, W. Coops;
H.F.C.: H. Angenent (HT: H. Arriëns); K. Ples, Vollmer; Th. Calkoen, P. Menten,
W. Wilkens; W. Mulier (c), Gerth van Wijk, H. Burkens, R. Schut, J. Meijer;
ref: F. Ceret; umpires: H. Isbrücker (H.V.V.), H. Coops (H.F.C.)]
Notes: line-ups according to "Het sportblad" (Oct 24, report written by Mulier);
"Nederlandsche sport" (Oct 25) listed Jones for H.F.C. instead of Menten;
Coops replaced Jibben, who had been unable to come, as umpire for H.F.C.;
Angenent was not feeling well and in the second half Arriëns, one of the
H.F.C. members among the spectators, took his place in goal, after H.V.V.
captain Gisolf had given his permission for this first ever substitution;
a request by Mulier not to count this match for the championship (he thus
effectively demanded a replay) was rejected on Oct 26; as the first ever
first class match, it set a new record for the highest win.
[Nov 9, 1890; cavalerie-kazerne, Kleverlaan, Haarlem]
H.F.C. 1-3 R.A.P. [half-time: 1-2]
[Koolhoven 1-0, Van der Linde 1-1, F. Reisiger 1-2, Ples (og) 1-3]
[H.F.C.: H. Westerveld; P. Menten, K. Ples; A. van Walchren, Vollmer, H. Burkens;
W. Mulier (c), R. Schut, Koolhoven, J. Feith, J. Meijer;
R.A.P.: O. Deuffer Wiel; F. Deerns, Th. Oldenboom; Van Oost, L. Weijerman, J. Schröder (c);
N. Kampers, J. van der Waarden, J. van der Linde, F. Reisiger, J. Reisiger;
ref: Schumacher; umpires: Witteveen (H.F.C.), Potter (R.A.P.)]
Notes: Ples scored the first ever own goal;
as R.A.P. were the first ever club to win away from home, they set the first
record for the highest ever away win.
[Nov 9, 1890; Wielerbaan, Scheveningen]
H.V.V. 3-0 Olympia [half-time: 2-0]
[Roeland 1-0, Weinthal 2-0, Coops 3-0]
[H.V.V.: J. Brouwers; C. Nolet, J. Jay; M. van Oosterzee, J. Hartog, F. v.d. Bosch;
E. Noordijk, H. Roeland, K. Gisolf (c), L. Weinthal, W. Coops;
Olympia: Ruhaak; Feltmann, Van de Ven; P. Hooijkaas, Timmermans, C. Bicker Caarten (c);
J. Kan, E. Roussel, W. Bakker, Ameyden van Duijm, J. Bakker;
ref: F. Ceret; umpires: H. Isbrücker (H.V.V.), J. Vaes (Olympia)]
Note: line-ups according to "Het sportblad" (Nov 14); "Nederlandsche sport" (Nov 15)
listed Warnbeck for Olympia instead of W. Bakker.
[Nov 16, 1890; Rotterdam]
Concordia 0-1 H.V.V. [half-time: 0-1]
[Gisolf 0-1]
[Concordia: C. Schuld; Valcken, Van der Burg; H. Bijstra, Wilton, H. van der Linden;
Brans, Van Lanschot Hubrecht, A. Schuld, Joh. Meijer (c), J. v.d. Ende;
H.V.V.: J. Brouwers; C. Nolet, J. Jay; M. van Oosterzee, J. Hartog, F. v.d. Bosch;
E. Noordijk, H. Roeland, K. Gisolf (c), L. Weinthal, W. Coops;
ref: H. Isbrücker; umpires: Zuijderhoff, J. Vaes]
Note: goal also reported as own goal by goalkeeper Schuld.
[Nov 30, 1890; Amsterdam]
R.A.P. 4-0 V.V.A. [half-time: 2-0; abandoned in 73', V.V.A. walked off]
[Schumacher 1-0, Van der Linde 2-0, Van der Linde 3-0, J. Reisiger 4-0]
[R.A.P.: O. Deuffer Wiel; F. Deerns, Sminia; Van Oost, L. Weijerman, J. Schröder (c);
N. Kampers, J. Stollée, J. van der Linde, J. Reisiger, Schumacher;
V.V.A.: Voigt; Spiller, J. Lissone (c); Ch. Timperley, H. van Hilten, Houtman;
C. Jibben, Hondt, Posthuma, F. Alta, J. Roling;
ref: H. Gorter [HT: Altes]; umpires: L. Wijnands (R.A.P.), H. Rust (V.V.A.)]
Notes: at half-time, referee Gorter was replaced by Altes (marking the first time
a referee was replaced during a match), a change of which Lissone, captain
of V.V.A., claimed not to have been officially informed;
the third goal of R.A.P. was contested and, as the two umpires disagreed
on whether or not the ball had crossed the goalline, the opinion of the
new referee was decisive in the goal being awarded;
after the ensuing kick-off, R.A.P. immediately scored a fourth goal with
V.V.A. making little effort to prevent it; V.V.A. then refused to continue
the game, walking off with 17 minutes left;
the federation was to make a final decision on the contested third goal,
but eventually did not have to do so as V.V.A. withdrew in February and
the result was removed from the standings;
this was their last match in Eerste Klasse until Nov 29, 1891, almost
exactly one year later, when again they would walk off after conceding a
goal, then against H.V.V.
[Dec 21, 1890; Amsterdam]
R.A.P. 1-1 Olympia [half-time: 0-0]
[86' N.N. ("scrimmage") 1-0, 90' Roussel 1-1]
[R.A.P.: O. Deuffer Wiel; O. de Bordes, Th. Oldenboom; N. Kampers, L. Weijerman, J. Schröder (c);
Potter, J. van der Linde, J. Reiziger, F. Reiziger (10 players);
Olympia: P. Hooijkaas; Feltmann, V.d. Ven; E. Roussel, Timmermans, C. Bicker Caarten (c);
J. Kan, Warnbeck, J. Bakker (9 players);
ref: H. Coops; umpires: L. Wijnands (R.A.P.), J. Vaes (Olympia)]
Note: on a snow-covered field, R.A.P. scored from a rugby-like scrimmage with
less than five minutes left, but the match ended in the first ever draw
in Dutch first class football thanks to a last minute goal by Olympia,
which was vehemently contested by R.A.P. players claiming off-side, but
as the reporter ("H.C.", the match referee) in the "Nederlandsche Sport"
remarked: "de off-sideregel stelt zulke verbazende eischen aan het
waarnemingsvermogen der scheidsrechters, dat in dat opzicht verschil
van opinie zal heerschen tot den laatsten voetbalwedstrijd.".
Table at winter break (without abandoned match Nov 30):
1.H.V.V. (Den Haag) 3 3 0 0 9- 0 6
2.R.A.P. (Amsterdam) 2 1 1 0 4- 2 3
3.Olympia (Rotterdam) 2 0 1 1 1- 4 1
4.Concordia (Rotterdam) 1 0 0 1 0- 1 0
5.H.F.C. (Haarlem) 2 0 0 2 1- 8 0
-.V.V.A. (Amsterdam) 0 0 0 0 0- 0 0
-.Excelsior (Haarlem) dissolved before start competition
NB: due to a spell of severe winter weather, no matches were played in January;
during this winter, 221 men and 6 women completed the Elfstedentocht, over
a period of more than a month; on Dec 20, 1890, N.V.A.B. president Mulier
finished the two hundred kilometres in a time of 12 hours and 55 minutes.
[Feb 1, 1891; Rotterdam]
Concordia 0-1 Olympia [half-time: 0-1]
[Kan 0-1]
[Concordia: C. Schuld; Van der Burg, H. van der Linden; Wilton, H. Bijstra (c), J. v.d. Ende;
Brans, Van Lanschot Hubrecht, A. Schuld, Eijsvogel, Peeters;
Olympia: Ruhaak; Feltmann, V.d. Ven; P. Hooijkaas, Timmermans, C. Bicker Caarten;
J. Kan, E. Roussel, W. Bakker (c), A. v.d. Laan, J. Bakker;
ref: H. Coops; umpires: P. Drooglever Fortuijn (Olympia), Joh. Meijer (Concordia)]
NB: V.V.A. withdrew from the competition at the beginning of February;
the result of their (abandoned) match against R.A.P. was annulled.
[Feb 8, 1891; Haarlem]
H.F.C. 0-0 Concordia [half-time: 0-0]
[H.F.C.: S. Tromp; Gerth van Wijk, K. Ples; K. Pander, Vollmer, Eilbracht;
W. Mulier (c), P. Menten, J. Feith, R. Schut, J. Meijer;
Concordia: C. Schuld; H. van der Linden, Van der Burg; J. v.d. Ende, H. Bijstra (c), Eijsvogel;
Brans, Van Lanschot Hubrecht, A. Schuld, Peeters (10 players);
ref: L. Koolhoven; umpires: H. Westerveld (H.F.C.), Joh. Meijer (Concordia)]
Note: this was the first ever goalless draw in the Eerste Klasse.
[Feb 15, 1891; Den Haag]
H.V.V. 1-1 R.A.P. [half-time: 0-1]
[F. Reisiger 0-1, Djing (og) 1-1]
[H.V.V.: J. Brouwers; C. Nolet, C. Hartzfeld; M. van Oosterzee, J. Hartog, F. van den Bosch;
F. van Deinse, H. Roeland, K. Gisolf (c), L. Weinthal, W. Coops;
R.A.P.: O. Deuffer Wiel; Djing, Th. Oldenboom; Van Oost, J. Beijers, J. Schröder (c);
N. Kampers, J. Stollée, J. van der Linde, F. Reisiger (10 players);
ref: H. Coops; umpires: M. Weinthal (H.V.V.), L. Wijnands (R.A.P.)]
Note: H. Blijdenstein (R.A.P.) failed to show for the match.
Table (Feb 16):
1.H.V.V. (Den Haag) 4 3 1 0 10- 1 7
2.R.A.P. (Amsterdam) 3 1 2 0 5- 3 4
3.Olympia (Rotterdam) 3 1 1 1 2- 4 3
4.Concordia (Rotterdam) 3 0 1 2 0- 2 1
5.H.F.C. (Haarlem) 3 0 1 2 1- 8 1
-.V.V.A. (Amsterdam) withdrew
-.Excelsior (Haarlem) dissolved before start competition
[Feb 22, 1891; Malieveld, Den Haag]
Olympia 1-4 H.V.V. [half-time: 1-3]
[Weinthal 0-1, V.d. Laan 1-1, Weinthal 1-2, Gisolf 1-3, Gisolf 1-4]
[Olympia: P. Hooijkaas; W. Feltmann, V.d. Ven; E. Roussel, Timmermans, C. Bicker Caarten (c);
J. Kan, Ameyden van Duijm; Klausz, A. v.d. Laan, J. Bakker;
H.V.V.: J. Brouwers; C. Nolet, C. Hartzfeld; M. van Oosterzee, H. Roeland, F. van den Bosch;
J. Hartog, K. Gisolf (c), L. Weinthal, F. van Deinse, W. Coops;
ref: W. Paramor; umpires: J. Vaes (Olympia), H. Coops (H.V.V.)]
Note: also the first match between those two clubs, on Nov 9, had been hosted by H.V.V.;
Olympia renounced on hosting the return because of the poor condition of the ground
in Rotterdam.
[Mar 1, 1891; Amsterdam]
R.A.P. 1-1 H.F.C. [half-time: 0-0]
[Stollée 1-0, Feith 1-1]
[R.A.P.: O. Deuffer Wiel; Djing, J. van der Linde; Van Oost, J. Beijers, J. Schröder (c);
N. Kampers, J. Stollée, H. Blijdenstein, J. Reisiger, F. Reisiger;
H.F.C.: S. Tromp; Gerth van Wijk, K. Ples; W. Schorer, Vollmer, H. Burkens;
R. Schut, A. van Walchren, W. Mulier (c), J. Feith, J. Meijer;
ref: J. van der Waarden; umpires: L. Wijnands (R.A.P.), L. Koolhoven (H.F.C.)]
[Mar 1, 1891; Wielerbaan, Scheveningen]
H.V.V. 2-0 Concordia [half-time: 2-0]
[Weinthal 1-0, Noordijk 2-0]
[H.V.V.: J. Brouwers; C. Nolet, C. Hartzfeld; M. van Oosterzee, H. Roeland, F. van den Bosch;
J. Hartog, K. Gisolf (c), E. Noordijk, L. Weinthal, W. Coops;
Concordia: C. Schuld; Valcken, Van der Burg; Wilton, H. van der Linden;
Brans, Van Lanschot Hubrecht, A. Schuld, Peeters (9 players);
ref: W. Paramor; umpires: H. Coops (H.V.V.), Joh. Meijer (Concordia)]
Note: Concordia captain Henry G. Bijstra had left for Florida.
[Mar 8, 1891; Haarlem]
H.F.C. 1-0 H.V.V. [half-time: 1-0]
[Mulier 1-0]
[H.F.C.: S. Tromp; Gerth van Wijk, K. Ples; H. Burkens, P. Menten, Eilbracht;
W. Mulier (c), R. Schut, A. van Walchren, Vollmer, J. Meijer;
H.V.V.: J. Brouwers; C. Nolet, C. Hartzfeld; K. Gisolf (c), F. Voswinkel Dorselen,
H. Roeland; J. Hartog, E. Noordijk, F. van Deinse, L. Weinthal, W. Coops;
ref: L. Koolhoven; umpires: H. Westerveld (H.F.C.), H. Coops (H.V.V.)]
[Mar 15, 1891; achter den Heuvel, aan den ouden Delfhavenschen weg, Rotterdam]
Olympia 1-0 Concordia [half-time: 0-0]
[Timmermans 1-0]
[Olympia: M. v.d. Laan; Feltmann, V.d. Ven; E. Roussel, Krantz, C. Bicker Caarten (c);
J. Kan, Timmermans, A. v.d. Laan, Ameyden van Duijm, J. Bakker;
Concordia: C. Schuld; Valcken, Van der Burg; L. van der Schuijt, Eijsvogel, H. van der Linden;
Brans, Van Lanschot Hubrecht, A. Schuld, J. v.d. Ende, Peeters;
ref: H. Coops; umpires: J. Vaes, P. Drooglever Fortuijn (HT Van Rooy)]
Notes: match played instead of double header both clubs against H.F.C., who were to
have played Concordia in the morning and Olympia in the afternoon (which they
eventually would do two weeks later) but had cancelled by telegram;
Van der Schuijt withdrew after five minutes, Concordia continued with 10 men.
[Mar 22, 1891; Rotterdam]
Olympia 1-1 R.A.P. [half-time: 0-1]
[Koopman 0-1, Roussel 1-1]
[Olympia: M. v.d. Laan; Feltmann, V.d. Ven; Timmermans, Krantz, C. Bicker Caarten (c);
J. Kan, Klausz, E. Roussel, A. v.d. Laan, J. Bakker;
R.A.P.: O. Deuffer Wiel; Djing, Th. Oldenboom; C. Jibben, Sminia, J. Schröder (c);
J. Stollée, Schumacher, Koopman, H. Blijdenstein, F. Reisiger;
ref: H. Coops; umpires: J. Vaes (Olympia), J. v.d. Burg (R.A.P.)]
Note: Jibben made his first league appearance for R.A.P.; he had earlier played against
them for V.V.A. on Nov 30 and thus became the first player to change clubs during
the season.
[Mar 29, 1891; Amsterdam]
R.A.P. 0-1 H.V.V. [half-time: 0-0]
[Gisolf 0-1]
[R.A.P.: O. Deuffer Wiel; Djing, Th. Oldenboom; J. van der Linde, L. Weijerman,
J. Schröder (c); N. Kampers, J. Reisiger, Koopman, C. Jibben, F. Reisiger;
H.V.V.: J. Brouwers; C. Nolet, C. Hartzfeld; H. Roeland, F. van Deinse, F. van den Bosch;
J. Hartog, K. Gisolf (c), D. Koster, L. Weinthal, W. Coops;
ref: Th. Roeland; umpires: L. Wijnands (R.A.P.), H. Coops (H.V.V.)]
Note: this win guaranteed H.V.V. the championship (a draw would have been sufficient);
Koster, at the time also president of the Dutch cricket federation N.C.B., played
his first (and only) match this season.
[Mar 29, 1891 (morning); Rotterdam]
Concordia 0-2 H.F.C. [kick-off 11 am; abandoned in first half]
[Drooglever Fortuijn (og) 0-1, Vollmer 0-2]
[Concordia: C. Schuld; J. v.d. Ende, H. van der Linden; Welton, P. Drooglever Fortuijn,
Leembruggen; Brans, Van Lanschot Hubrecht, Joh. Meijer, A. Schuld (10 players);
H.F.C.: W. Schorer; Gerth van Wijk, K. Ples; W. Wilkens, P. Menten, H. Burkens;
W. Mulier (c), R. Schut, Vollmer, J. Feith, J. Meijer]
Note: match abandoned at 0-2 when Concordia, who had started the match with ten players
and had been reduced to seven (Brans, Van der Linden and Welton having left) after
a break of about 20 minutes caused by hail and snow, were further reduced to four
or five players following another interruption due to the inclement weather and
the disappearance of more reluctant players; result stood.
[Mar 29, 1891 (afternoon); Rotterdam]
Olympia 2-4 H.F.C. [half-time: 1-3]
[Meijer 0-1, Mulier 0-2, V.d. Laan 1-2, Koolhoven 1-3, V.d. Laan 2-3, Mulier 2-4]
[Olympia: Ruhaak; V.d. Ven, Feltmann; C. Bicker Caarten (c), Krantz, Timmermans;
J. Kan, Ameyden van Duijm, E. Roussel, A. v.d. Laan, J. Bakker;
H.F.C.: S. Tromp; K. Ples, Gerth van Wijk; H. Burkens, Vollmer, P. Menten;
J. Meijer, J. Feith, Koolhoven, W. Mulier (c), R. Schut;
ref: Joh. Meijer; umpires: Willing (Olympia), W. Schorer (H.F.C.)]
Notes: Roussel arrived after kick-off, Olympia having started with ten men;
nine months later, on Dec 27, 1891, H.F.C. would again play a double-header in
Rotterdam, but then with less success (losing both matches 2-6 on aggregate).
Table (Mar 30):
1.H.V.V. (Den Haag) 8 6 1 1 17- 3 13 Champions
2.H.F.C. (Haarlem) 7 3 2 2 9-11 8
3.R.A.P. (Amsterdam) 6 1 4 1 7- 6 6
4.Olympia (Rotterdam) 7 2 2 3 7-13 6
5.Concordia (Rotterdam) 6 0 1 5 0- 7 1
-.V.V.A. (Amsterdam) withdrew
-.Excelsior (Haarlem) dissolved before start competition
At this point, H.V.V. had fulfilled all the conditions to be proclaimed champions:
they had played the required number of matches (seven after V.V.A. had withdrawn)
and none of the other clubs could better their points/match ratio.
[Apr 5, 1891; Amsterdam]
R.A.P. 2-0 Concordia [half-time: 0-0]
[Kampers 1-0, Koopman 2-0]
[R.A.P.: Altes; Djing, Th. Oldenboom; Sminia, L. Weijerman, J. Schröder (c);
N. Kampers, C. Jibben, Koopman, J. Stollée, F. Reisiger;
Concordia: C. Schuld; Valcken, H. van der Linden; J. v.d. Ende, Leembruggen, P. Drooglever Fortuijn;
Brans, Van Lanschot Hubrecht, A. Schuld, Joh. Meijer (c) (10 players);
ref: A. Harthoorn; umpires: L. Wijnands (R.A.P.), H. Coops (Concordia)]
Note: Van der Burg (Concordia) failed to show for the match.
[Apr 12, 1891; Haarlem]
H.F.C. 9-0 Olympia [half-time: 5-0]
[Meijer 1-0, Meijer 2-0, Mulier 3-0, Koolhoven 4-0, Menten 5-0, Meijer 6-0,
V.d. Ven (og) 7-0, Meijer 8-0, Mulier 9-0]
[H.F.C.: S. Tromp; Gerth van Wijk, K. Ples; P. Menten, Vollmer, H. Burkens;
R. Schut, W. Mulier (c), Koolhoven, J. Feith, J. Meijer;
Olympia: M. v.d. Laan; Feltmann, V.d. Ven; Timmermans, Krantz, C. Bicker Caarten (c);
J. Kan, E. Roussel, Ameyden van Duijm, A. v.d. Laan, J. Bakker;
ref: H. Coops; umpires: H. Westerveld, Th. Calkoen]
Notes: after the fifth goal, Ameyden van Duijm replaced M. v.d. Laan as goalkeeper;
J. Bakker arrived half an hour after the start of the match, with the score 4-0,
Olympia having started with ten men;
Puck Meijer became the first player to score four goals in one match;
thanks to this win, H.F.C. erased their own 0-5 loss against H.V.V from the
record books.
[Apr 19, 1891; Rotterdam]
Concordia 1-1 R.A.P. [half-time: 1-1]
[Brans 1-0, Reisiger 1-1]
[Concordia: C. Schuld; Valcken, Van der Burg; Leembruggen, Boot, J. v.d. Ende;
Brans, Lanschot Hubrecht, A. Schuld, Joh. Meijer (c), H. van der Linden;
R.A.P.: O. Deuffer Wiel; Djing, J. van der Linde; J. Beijers, Brugman, Van Oost;
N. Kampers, H. Blijdenstein, F. Reisiger, Th. Oldenboom, J. Schröder (c);
ref: H. Coops; umpires: W. Coops, P. Hooijkaas]
Note: thanks to this draw, Concordia avoided relegation.
Final Table:
1.H.V.V. (Den Haag) 8 6 1 1 17- 3 13 Champions
2.H.F.C. (Haarlem) 8 4 2 2 18-11 10
3.R.A.P. (Amsterdam) 8 2 5 1 10- 7 9
4.Olympia (Rotterdam) 8 2 2 4 7-22 6
5.Concordia (Rotterdam) 8 0 2 6 1-10 2
-.V.V.A. (Amsterdam) withdrew Relegated
-.Excelsior (Haarlem) dissolved before start competition
NB: as V.V.A. had not obtained the necessary 2 points, they were officially
relegated; however, they were reinstated in the Eerste Klasse on May 3,
at the bondsvergadering in Utrecht.
Cross-Table: home records: away records:
HVV HFC RAP Oly Con VVA HP HW HD HL HF HA HPts AP AW AD AL AF AA APts
H.V.V. xxx 5-0 1-1 3-0 2-0 5 4 1 0 15- 2 9 3 2 0 1 2- 1 4
H.F.C. 1-0 xxx 1-3 9-0 0-0 4 2 1 1 11- 3 5 4 2 1 1 7- 8 5
R.A.P. 0-1 1-1 xxx 1-1 2-0 4a0 4 1 2 1 4- 3 4 4 1 3 0 6- 4 5
Olympia 1-4 2-4 1-1 xxx 1-0 3 1 1 1 4- 5 3 5 1 1 3 3-17 3
Concordia 0-1 0-2 1-1 0-1 xxx 4 0 1 3 1- 5 1 4 0 1 3 0- 5 1
VVA xxx
NB: Olympia-H.V.V. was played in Den Haag and thus counted as a home match for H.V.V.;
result of abandoned and annulled match of V.V.A. against R.A.P. not included;
4a0 indicates match abandoned at 4-0.
Topscorers:
7 L.J. (Louis) Weinthal (H.V.V.)
5 J.H. ("Puck") Meijer (H.F.C.)
W.J.H. (Willem, "Pim") Mulier (H.F.C.)
4 K.W. (Karel) Gisolf (H.V.V.)
NB: one goal scorer (that of R.A.P. against Olympia on Dec 21) not known;
does not include the four goals scored by R.A.P. against V.V.A. on Nov 30.
Most Appearances (by club):
Concordia (3 players completed all matches):
8 C. Schuld (GK), Van Lanschot Hubrecht, A. Schuld (both FW);
in addition, Van der Linden (DF/MF) and Brans (FW) started all matches but left
the field during an interruption caused by hail and snow at home against H.F.C.
H.F.C. (5 players completed all matches):
8 K. Ples (DF), Vollmer (MF), W. Mulier, R. Schut, J. Meijer (all FW).
H.V.V. (6 players completed all matches):
8 J. Brouwers (GK), C. Nolet (DF), H. Roeland, K. Gisolf, L. Weinthal, W. Coops (all FW).
Olympia (5 players completed all matches):
8 Feltmann, Van de Ven (both DF), Timmermans, C. Bicker Caarten (both MF), J. Kan (FW);
in addition, E. Roussel and J. Bakker (both FW) played in all eight matches but both
arrived late for one of them (Roussel at home against H.F.C. and Bakker away to the
same opponents).
R.A.P. (2 players completed all matches):
8 J. Schröder (MF), F. Reisiger (FW);
in addition, Schröder played in the abandoned and annulled match against V.V.A.,
making him the only player this season to have played in nine league matches.
Most Appearances (as referee):
7 H.E.P. (Hendrik) Coops
NB: referee of one match (Concordia against H.F.C. on Mar 29) not known;
no other referee was in charge of more than two matches.
This was the first ever national second class competition worldwide; after two knock-out competitions in this season and the next, it was held for the first time in league format in 1892/93, the season in which the League Division Two was inaugurated in England; in Scotland, a national second division was first contested in 1893/94.
Original Set-Up: First Stage (Eerste Afdeeling) [to be played until Nov 17] Amstels F.C. - Volharding Mercurius - Machinisten Victoria R. - Sportclub Noorthey D.S.V.V. - Achilles Robur et Velocitas - Go Ahead Hercules U. - Amersfoortsche V.C. Vitesse (Arnhem) bye Second Stage (Tweede Afdeeling) [to be played until Dec 29] Amstels/Volharding - Mercurius/Machinisten Victoria/Noorthey - D.S.V.V./Achilles Robur et V./Go Ahead - Vitesse Hercules/Amersfoort bye Third Stage (Derde Afdeeling) [to be played until Jan 19] winners Noord-Holland- winners Utrecht winners Zuid-Holland - winners Gelderland Final (Vierde Afdeeling) [to be played until Feb 16] Following the extraordinary meeting on Oct 26, the D.S.V.V. were removed from the Tweede Klasse (as a student club), giving Achilles a bye to the second stage. After a number of clubs, mostly from Amsterdam, had left the N.V.A.B. (but also Noorthey and Vitesse renounced on the competition), two new clubs were admitted (Haarlem and Sparta R.) while fixtures and deadlines were amended. Eventually the following matches were played: First Stage [Nov 8, 1890; Utrecht] Hercules U. 15-1 Amersfoort [for this first ever second class match, Amersfoort showed with only ten players, one of them Herman Gorter] [Nov 16, 1890; Amsterdam] Amstels F.C. 10-1 Volharding [this match had been fixtured for the first stage but eventually was not part of the competition as both clubs withdrew from the N.V.A.B.; ironically it was one of only two matches played before the original deadline] [Nov 23, 1890; Rotterdam] Victoria R. abd Sparta R. [abandoned at 1-0 after half an hour due to unplayable pitch; Sparta entered instead of Sportclub Noorthey, who had withdrawn] [Dec 7, 1890; cavalerie-kazerne, Kleverlaan, Haarlem] Haarlem 3-0 Machinisten [Haarlem entered instead of Mercurius, who had withdrawn] [Dec 7, 1890; Wageningen] Go Ahead n/p Robur et Velocitas [forbidden] [match forbidden by the mayor of Wageningen, who considered the event was a public amusement (als behoorende tot de publieke vermakelijkheden)] [Dec 14, 1890; Wageningen] Go Ahead 4-0 Robur et Velocitas [apparently the mayor had reconsidered his stance] [Mar 1, 1891; Rotterdam] Sparta R. 0-2 Victoria R. [replay Nov 23] At the beginning of March, Achilles declared they would not play any more matches that season, thereby withdrawing from the Tweede Klasse and giving Victoria a bye to the semi-final stage. Second Stage Go Ahead bye (Vitesse withdrew) Haarlem bye (no other clubs from Noord-Holland left) Hercules U. bye (as by the original set-up) Victoria R. bye (Achilles withdrew) Third Stage (Semi-finals) Note that the semi-finals were rearranged (already in November 1890); according to the original set-up, Haarlem should have played Hercules and Victoria Go Ahead. The rearranged matches, as published on Nov 22, required less travelling. [Mar 15, 1891; aan den voet van den Wageningschen berg, Lexkesmeer] Go Ahead 3-1 Hercules U. [Mar 22, 1891; Haarlem] Haarlem 2-3 Victoria R. Final [Apr 12, 1891; Rotterdam] Victoria R. 3-0 Go Ahead Technically, Victoria would now have had to challenge an arbitrary club from the Eerste Klasse and avoid a loss in that match to be promoted; however, as the football season had come to an end, such a match could not be arranged anymore; thus, they requested admittance to the Eerste Klasse at the bondsvergadering in Utrecht on May 3, arguing that they had already defeated an Eerste Klasse club (Concordia) on Oct 19; the subsequent vote admitted them to the Eerste Klasse.
NB: includes matches by reserve sides, but not those involving "adspiranten";
additional information is welcome.
[Sep 28, 1890; achter het Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam]
Sparta A. 4-1 Victoria A.
[Oct 5, 1890; Amsterdam]
Amstels F.C. II 0-0 Victoria A.
[Oct 12, 1890; achter het Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam]
Sparta A. 2-2 Excelsior A.
[Oct 19, 1890; Amsterdam]
R.A.P. 7-0 Quick
[Oct 19, 1890; Rotterdam]
Victoria R. 3-2 Concordia
[this match was not part of any league when it was played but its result
would later be used (after Victoria had won the Tweede Klasse) to promote
Victoria to the Eerste Klasse]
[Oct 26, 1890; Koekamp, Haarlem]
Haarlem 3-4 Hercules H.
Haarlem II 7-0 Excelsior H. II
[Oct 26, 1890; Utrecht]
Hercules U. 4-1 Go Ahead
[Nov 2, 1890; Amsterdam]
R.A.P. II 3-1 Hilversum
[Nov 2, 1890; Den Haag]
H.V.V. II abd Sparta R. [abandoned at 0-0 at half-time due
to unplayable pitch]
[Nov 9, 1890; Amsterdam]
Quick II 1-2 Sparta A.
[Nov 9, 1890; Rotterdam]
Victoria R. II 1-4 Rapiditas
[Nov 16, 1890; Bussum]
Leonidas 0-2 Amersfoort
[Nov 16, 1890; Haarlem]
Haarlem II 1-1 Sparta A.
[Nov 16, 1890; Rotterdam]
Sparta R. 3-0 Achilles
[Nov 16, 1890; Utrecht]
Hercules U. 4-1 Quick
[Nov 23, 1890; Amsterdam]
V.V.A. 3-3 Hercules U.
[following this draw, Hercules needed one more positive result against
a first class club to obtain promotion; however, they would not play
any such club later in the season]
Quick 4-0 Hercules U. II
[Dec 7, 1890; Maliebaan, Den Haag]
H.V.V. II 5-0 Achilles
[simultaneously Achilles II played a match but opponents and score were
not reported]
[Feb 8, 1891; Koekamp, Haarlem]
Hercules H. 1-3 Amstels F.C.
[Feb 8, 1891; Rotterdam]
Olympia 4-0 Victoria R.
[had Victoria at least drawn this match, they would have entered the Eerste
Klasse, with three points, thanks to their win on Oct 19 against Concordia]
Olympia II 0-1 Sparta R.
[Feb 15, 1891; Amsterdam]
R.A.P. II 2-1 H.F.C. II
Sparta A. 1-1 Haarlem II
[Feb 22, 1891; achter het Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam]
Sparta A. 0-6 Volharding
[Mar 1, 1891; Hilversum]
E.M.M. II 1-3 Sparta A.
[Mar 1, 1891; Utrecht]
Hercules U. 2-1 Machinisten
[Mar 8, 1891; Nijmegen]
Quick Step n/p Noviomagum [Noviomagum declined to play]
[Mar 15, 1891; Hilversum]
Gooisch Elftal 2-4 R.A.P. II
[Mar 15, 1891; Nijmegen]
Quick Step n/p D.F.C. [D.F.C. declined to play]
[Mar 22, 1891; Amsterdam]
Volharding II 1-1 Amstels F.C. II
Volharding 6-0 Quick II
[Mar 27, 1891; Amsterdam]
Volharding II 4-3 Sparta A. II
[Mar 29?, 1891; Amsterdam]
Quick 1-2 H.F.C. II
[Mar 29, 1891; Schiedam]
Hermes abd Rapiditas [abandoned at 0-0 due to disagreements]
[Mar 30, 1891; Den Haag]
H.V.V. 1-0 Rotterdam XI
[Apr 2, 1891; cavalerie-kazerne, Kleverlaan, Haarlem]
Haarlem II 0-3 Amstels F.C. II
[Apr 5, 1891; Rotterdam]
Sparta R. 3-2 H.V.V. II
Rapiditas 2-1 Victoria R. II
[Apr 11, 1891; Haarlem]
Hercules H. II 1-1 Union
[Apr 12, 1891; Amsterdam]
Quick 0-3 Amstels F.C.
[Apr 12, 1891; Rotterdam]
Sparta R. 5-0 Rapiditas/Hollandia
[Apr 19, 1891; achter het Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam]
V.V.A. 0-6 H.F.C.
[note that at this point V.V.A. was considered to be a Tweede Klasse club;
they would be reinstated at the top level two weeks later]
[Apr 19, 1891; Rotterdam]
Olympia II 2-3 Rapiditas/Hollandia
As in the previous season, Antwerp F.C. travelled to Breda to play a club side from Rotterdam. In March they had played Concordia there; this season they met both Olympia and Concordia, losing twice.
[Oct 26, 1890; Breda]
Olympia 2-1 Antwerp F.C.
[Little 0-1; J. Bakker 1-1; Roussel 2-1; half-time: 0-1]
[Olympia: M. v.d. Laan; Feltmann, C. Bicker Caarten (c); P. Hooijkaas, Timmermans,
Van Gilse, J. Kan, E. Roussel, A. v.d. Laan, Ameyden van Duijm, J. Bakker;
Antwerp: Bushby; Boger, Debenham; Howden, W. Hermann, Grant Allan;
King, Jones (c), Little, Price, E. Hermann;
ref: J. Vaes]
[Nov 9, 1890; achter de kazerne, Breda]
Concordia 5-0 Antwerp F.C.
[A. Schuld 1-0, A. Schuld 2-0, Brans 3-0, Meijer 4-0,
Bijstra (or Van Lanschot) 5-0; half-time: 2-0]
[Concordia: C. Schuld; Valken, Van der Burg; N.N., H. Bijstra, H. van der Linden;
Brans, Van Lanschot Hubrecht, A. Schuld, Joh. Meijer (c), J. v.d. Ende;
Antwerp: Price; Boger, Nirrenheim; Howden, Grant Allan; Jones, Fichtel,
Hermann; Antwerp showed with eight players only;
ref: P. Drooglever Fortuijn]
list of first class champions.
list of second level champions.
Many thanks to Wim Zonneveld for several additions and corrections
Main sources: "Het Sportblad", "Nederlandsche Sport" (available through Delpher)
Prepared and maintained by Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: Karel Stokkermans
(karel.rsssf@gmail.com)
Last updated: 29 Dec 2025
(C) Copyright Karel Stokkermans and RSSSF 2023/25
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.