Netherlands - Semi-Interlands by District Representations


Luxembourg vs. South Netherlands 1921-1956
East Netherlands vs. West Germany 1911-1961 | East Netherlands vs. North-East France 1947-1956
North Netherlands vs. North Germany 1913-1960 | North Netherlands vs. Denmark B 1948-1954

Matches between Dutch district selections and foreign opposition were called "semi-interlands" ("half international matches"). Three of these, the encounters between Oost-Nederland and West Germany (denoting the western region of Germany, roughly corresponding to the current Bundesland of Nordrhein-Westfalen), those between the northern parts of both countries, and the meetings between Luxembourg and Zuid-Nederland (played once every season, apart from an interruption due to World War II, from 1921/22 until 1955/56), were fixtures on the Dutch football calender for decades.

The traditional matches between the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg, played for the Coupe Coenegracht, were also often labelled semi-interlands.

Note that these district representations also played each other in domestic events.


Luxembourg vs. South Netherlands 1921-1956

After Luxembourg had played the Netherlands at the 1920 Olympic tournament, the F.S.L.S.A. (Fédération des Sociétés Luxembourgeoises de Sports Athlétiques, renamed F.L.F. in 1930), approached the N.V.B. with the request to meet annually for an international match; instead, the N.V.B. suggested to set up a series with the district Zuid, covering the provinces of Noord-Brabant, Limburg and Zeeland.
Starting with the 15th meeting in 1935, the winners obtained the Mulier-Wisselbeker.
The series was stopped by the K.N.V.B. in 1957; instead, since 1958 matches between Luxembourg and the Netherlands B were played at irregular intervals.

Game    Date     Venue                             Result     
  1  20-11-1921  Esch/Alzette     Luxembourg         1-4 South Netherlands  
  2   5-11-1922  Maastricht       South Netherlands  2-3 Luxembourg         
  3  28-10-1923  Esch/Alzette     Luxembourg         1-3 South Netherlands  
  4   9-11-1924  Eindhoven        South Netherlands  4-0 Luxembourg         
  5   8-11-1925  Luxembourg       Luxembourg         1-2 South Netherlands  
  6  10-10-1926  Den Bosch        South Netherlands  2-3 Luxembourg         
  7   9-10-1927  Differdange      Luxembourg         4-5 South Netherlands  
  8  21-10-1928  Venlo            South Netherlands  4-3 Luxembourg         
  9  13-10-1929  Esch/Alzette     Luxembourg         1-3 South Netherlands  
 10  19-10-1930  Maastricht       South Netherlands  1-2 Luxembourg         
          [on the same day East Netherlands and West Germany met in Deventer]
 11  25-10-1931  Luxembourg       Luxembourg         0-0 South Netherlands  
          [on the same day West Germany and East Netherlands met in Düsseldorf]
 12  16-10-1932  Breda            South Netherlands  2-2 Luxembourg         
          [on the same day East Netherlands and West Germany met in Apeldoorn]
 13  15-10-1933  Esch/Alzette     Luxembourg         3-6 South Netherlands  
 14  21-10-1934  Helmond          South Netherlands  3-1 Luxembourg         
 15  13-10-1935  Luxembourg       Luxembourg         3-2 South Netherlands  
 16  18-10-1936  Heerlen          South Netherlands  4-4 Luxembourg         
 17  19-12-1937  Dudelange        Luxembourg         0-5 South Netherlands  
 18   6-11-1938  Tilburg          South Netherlands  2-2 Luxembourg         
          [on the same day North Netherlands and North Germany met in Groningen
           and West Germany and East Netherlands in München-Gladbach;
           the F.L.F. incorrectly lists the match date as 30-10-1938]
 19  10-11-1946  Luxembourg       Luxembourg         2-2 South Netherlands  
 20  26-10-1947  Eindhoven        South Netherlands  2-3 Luxembourg         
 21  24-10-1948  Luxembourg       Luxembourg         1-2 South Netherlands  
 22  23-10-1949  Geleen           South Netherlands  2-1 Luxembourg         
 23  15-10-1950  Luxembourg       Luxembourg         0-0 South Netherlands  
 24  11-11-1951  Den Bosch        South Netherlands  0-3 Luxembourg         
 25  29- 3-1953  Luxembourg       Luxembourg         2-3 South Netherlands  
 26  15-11-1953  Spekholzerheide  South Netherlands  0-3 Luxembourg         
 27  21-11-1954  Luxembourg       Luxembourg         3-2 South Netherlands  
 28  18- 4-1956  Den Bosch        South Netherlands  3-1 Luxembourg         

NB: the series was stopped by the K.N.V.B. in 1957; the F.L.F. lists one more match
    against la Hollande-Sud, but in fact the hosts were Netherlands B:

  -  26-10-1960  Den Bosch        Netherlands B      7-4 Luxembourg         

Overall record:
Luxembourg             28   8  6 14  53- 70  22
South Netherlands      28  14  6  8  70- 53  34

In Luxembourg:
Luxembourg             14   2  3  9  22- 39   7
South Netherlands      14   9  3  2  39- 22  21

In the Netherlands:
South Netherlands      14   5  3  6  31- 31  13
Luxembourg             14   6  3  5  31- 31  15

East Netherlands vs. West Germany 1911-1961

The series was initiated by Ch.J. Engelberts, a notary in Arnhem, who contacted a notary in Bochum, Jersch, to arrange the matches, which were initially played as a home-and-away series each season; various cups (a "Revue der Sporten" cup offered by Leo Lauer and a cup offered by Dr. Marks, the then mayor of Düsseldorf) were contested over the years.

Game    Date     Venue                             Result     
  1   9- 4-1911  Arnhem           East Netherlands   1-0 West Germany       
  2  14- 5-1911  Düsseldorf       West Germany       3-1 East Netherlands   
  3  21- 4-1912  Nijmegen          East Netherlands   0-0 West Germany       
  4  16- 5-1912  Düsseldorf       West Germany       1-1 East Netherlands   
  5   3-11-1912  München-Gladbach West Germany       0-5 East Netherlands   
  6   6- 4-1913  Deventer         East Netherlands   2-1 West Germany       
  7   5-10-1913  Düsseldorf       West Germany       4-1 East Netherlands   
  8  19- 4-1914  Enschede         East Netherlands   1-4 West Germany       
          [on the same day North Germany and North Netherlands met in Hamburg]
  9  13- 3-1921  Essen            West Germany       2-1 East Netherlands   
 10  29- 5-1921  Arnhem           East Netherlands   1-0 West Germany       
 11  14- 5-1922  Düsseldorf       West Germany       4-2 East Netherlands   
 12  22-10-1922  Enschede         East Netherlands   0-3 West Germany       
 13  28- 6-1925  Köln             West Germany       5-2 East Netherlands   
 14  20- 6-1926  Deventer         East Netherlands   4-6 West Germany       
 15  14-11-1926  Essen            West Germany       3-0 East Netherlands   
 16  30-10-1927  Düsseldorf       West Germany       2-3 East Netherlands   
 17  30- 6-1929  Arnhem           East Netherlands   5-2 West Germany       
 18  25- 5-1930  Recklinghausen   West Germany       1-1 East Netherlands   
 19  19-10-1930  Deventer         East Netherlands   1-3 West Germany       
          [on the same day South Netherlands and Luxembourg met in Maastricht]
 20  31- 5-1931  Arnhem           East Netherlands   0-3 West Germany       
 21  25-10-1931  Düsseldorf       West Germany       5-0 East Netherlands   
          [on the same day Luxembourg and South Netherlands met in Luxembourg]
 22  16-10-1932  Apeldoorn        East Netherlands   1-4 West Germany       
          [on the same day South Netherlands and Luxembourg met in Breda]
 23  28- 5-1933  Osnabrück        West Germany       5-0 East Netherlands   
 24  27- 5-1934  Nijmegen          East Netherlands   0-7 West Germany       
 25   2- 6-1934  Emmerich         West Germany       1-0 East Netherlands   
 26   3- 3-1935  Düsseldorf       West Germany       1-1 East Netherlands   
 27  25-10-1936  Enschede         East Netherlands   2-1 West Germany       
 28   6-11-1938  München-Gladbach West Germany       4-1 East Netherlands   
          [on the same day South Netherlands and Luxembourg met in Tilburg
           and North Netherlands and North Germany in Groningen]

NB: the series was replaced by one against North-East France after World War II
    before being resumed in the fifties.

 29  20- 5-1953  Duisburg         West Germany       4-0 East Netherlands   
 30  27- 5-1954  Nijmegen          East Netherlands   4-4 West Germany       
 31  19- 5-1955  Hagen            West Germany       6-2 East Netherlands   
 32   9- 5-1956  Nijmegen          East Netherlands   0-6 West Germany       
 33  26- 6-1957  Münster          West Germany       2-2 East Netherlands   
 34  13- 5-1959  Nijmegen          East Netherlands   1-3 West Germany       
 35  17- 5-1960  Rheydt           West Germany       4-1 East Netherlands   
 36  14- 6-1961  Enschede         East Netherlands   3-4 West Germany       

Overall record:
West Germany           36  23  6  7 108- 50  52
East Netherlands       36   7  6 23  50-108  20

In Germany:
West Germany           19  13  4  2  57- 24  30
East Netherlands       19   2  4 13  24- 57   8

In the Netherlands:
East Netherlands       17   5  2 10  26- 51  12
West Germany           17  10  2  5  51- 26  22

East Netherlands vs. North-East France 1947-1956

This series replaced that between East Netherlands and West Germany after World War II; after that was resumed in 1953, only two more matches were played.

Game    Date     Venue                             Result    
  1  19-10-1947  Reims            North-East France  5-1 East Netherlands   
  2   3- 4-1949  Nijmegen          East Netherlands   3-4 North-East France  
  3   2- 4-1950  Charleville      North-East France  1-1 East Netherlands   
  4  27- 5-1951  Arnhem           East Netherlands   3-0 North-East France  
  5  25- 5-1952  Reims            North-East France  2-1 East Netherlands   
  6  29- 3-1953  Enschede         East Netherlands   3-1 North-East France  
  7   4- 4-1954  Compiègne        North-East France  1-4 East Netherlands   
  8   8- 4-1956  Nijmegen          East Netherlands   5-1 North-East France  
  -   4- 5-1958  Reims            North-East France  n/p East Netherlands   

Overall record:
North-East France       8   3  1  4  15- 21   7
East Netherlands        8   4  1  3  21- 15   9

In France:
North-East France       4   2  1  1   9-  7   5
East Netherlands        4   1  1  2   7-  9   3

In the Netherlands:
East Netherlands        4   3  0  1  14-  6   6
North-East France       4   1  0  3   6- 14   2

North Netherlands vs. North Germany 1913-1960

The series was initiated by the Groninger Voetbal Bond; since 1931 all arrangements on the Dutch side were made by the K.N.V.B.

Game    Date     Venue                             Result    
  1   4- 5-1913  Groningen        North Netherlands  2-7 North Germany      
  2  19- 4-1914  Hamburg          North Germany      5-0 North Netherlands  
          [on the same day East Netherlands and West Germany met in Enschede]
  -   8- 6-1919  Groningen        North Netherlands  n/p North Germany      
          [not played because N.V.B. did not approve international matches
           except against neutral countries (during World War I)]
  3   2- 1-1921  Altona           North Germany      1-2 North Netherlands  
  4  16- 5-1921  Groningen        North Netherlands  2-3 North Germany      
  5  11-12-1921  Hamburg          North Germany      5-1 North Netherlands  
  6  27- 8-1922  Groningen        North Netherlands  1-6 North Germany      
          [this match was part of the festivities of the 250th anniversary
           of the Gronings Ontzet in 1672; with their win, North Germany
           won the Zilveren Bal offered by R. Hazewinkel Jzn., director
           of Het Nieuwsblad van het Noorden,  for the first team to win
           five matches in the series; to replace it, Wempe, a jewellers
           company from Hamburg, offered a new silver cup]
  7  14- 9-1922  Hamburg          North Germany      5-0 North Netherlands  
  8   2- 9-1923  Groningen        North Netherlands  1-3 North Germany      
  9  14- 9-1924  Bremen           North Germany      2-0 North Netherlands  
          [thanks to the third win in succession, North Germany obtained
           permament possession of the Wempe-Pokal; match date wrongly
           given as 24- 9-1924 in the annual K.N.V.B. Voetbal Jaarboekje
           published in the late thirties]
 10  24- 5-1925  Groningen        North Netherlands  3-1 North Germany      
 11   9- 5-1926  Braunschweig     North Germany      3-2 North Netherlands  
 12  15- 5-1927  Leeuwarden       North Netherlands  3-3 North Germany      
 13  20- 5-1928  Hannover         North Germany      3-0 North Netherlands  
 14  23- 6-1929  Groningen        North Netherlands  2-3 North Germany      
 15  15- 6-1930  Hamburg          North Germany      5-1 North Netherlands  
 16   3- 5-1931  Assen            North Netherlands  0-2 North Germany      
 17   8- 5-1932  Hannover         North Germany      2-0 North Netherlands  
 18  14- 5-1933  Leeuwarden       North Netherlands  2-1 North Germany      
 19   3- 6-1934  Hamburg          North Germany      4-2 North Netherlands  
 20  26- 5-1935  Groningen        North Netherlands  3-1 North Germany      
 21  24- 5-1936  Bremen           North Germany     10-1 North Netherlands  
 22  22-11-1936  Leeuwarden       North Netherlands  4-2 North Germany      
          [with their win, North Netherlands won the Zilveren Oldenhove,
           offered in 1933 by P. Bokma for the first to win the fixture
           three times on Dutch soil]
 23  14-11-1937  Hannover         North Germany      3-0 North Netherlands  
 24   6-11-1938  Groningen        North Netherlands  4-2 North Germany      
          [on the same day South Netherlands and Luxembourg met in Tilburg
           and West Germany and East Netherlands in München-Gladbach]

NB: the series was replaced by one against Denmark B after World War II
    before being resumed in the fifties.

 25  26- 5-1954  Osnabrück        North Germany      3-1 North Netherlands  
 26  13- 6-1956  Groningen        North Netherlands  4-2 North Germany      
 27   9- 4-1958  Hamburg          North Germany      4-1 North Netherlands  
 28  20- 4-1960  Groningen        North Netherlands  3-3 North Germany      
  -  15- 4-1964  Hannover         North Germany      n/p North Netherlands  
          [originally fixtured for 20-11-1963 in Wilhelmshaven; postponed to
           15- 4-1964 and moved to Hannover but eventually cancelled due to
           a European Cup match between Borussia Dortmund and Internazionale
           which was fixtured (and played) for the same day and broadcasted
           on television]

Overall record:
North Germany          28  19  2  7  94- 45  40
North Netherlands      28   7  2 19  45- 94  16

In Germany:
North Germany          14  13  0  1  55- 11  26
North Netherlands      14   1  0 13  11- 55   2

In the Netherlands:
North Netherlands      14   6  2  6  34- 39  14
North Germany          14   6  2  6  39- 34  14

NB: at the initiative of Harry Walstra, another match was played nearly six
    decades after the 28th edition; players could only be chosen from the
    fourth Dutch and the fifth German level downwards:

  -  15- 6-2019  Emmen            North Netherlands  3-3 North Germany      [3-4 pen]


North Netherlands vs. Denmark B 1948-1954

This series replaced that between North Netherlands and North Germany after World War II; after that was resumed in 1954, only one more match was played.
The Danish B team did not include any players from Copenhagen.

Game    Date     Venue                             Result    
  1  17- 5-1948  Groningen        North Netherlands  3-5 Denmark B          
  2   7-11-1948  Odense           Denmark B          5-0 North Netherlands  
  3   9-12-1951  Leeuwarden       North Netherlands  3-2 Denmark B          
  4   7- 6-1954  Kolding          Denmark B          3-6 North Netherlands  

Overall record:
Denmark B               4   2  0  2  15- 12   4
North Netherlands       4   2  0  2  12- 15   4

In Denmark:
Denmark B               2   1  0  1   8-  6   2
North Netherlands       2   1  0  1   6-  8   2

In the Netherlands:
North Netherlands       2   1  0  1   6-  7   2
Denmark B               2   1  0  1   7-  6   2

About this document

Thanks to Mark Sensen for additional information

Prepared and maintained by Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Karel Stokkermans
Last updated: 3 Oct 2024

(C) Copyright Karel Stokkermans and RSSSF 2024
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.