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De Graafschap

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Vereniging Betaald Voetbal De Graafschap, simply known as De Graafschap ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}) is a professional association football club based in Doetinchem, Netherlands. The team competes in the Template:Dutch football updater, 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.<ref name="rivalen">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, circumstances have also fueled a burgeoning rivalry with Go Ahead Eagles.<ref name="rivalen" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

HistoryEdit

FoundationEdit

File:De Graafschap gepromoveerd naar eredivisie door met 4-2 te winnen van PEC Zwolle, Bestanddeelnr 926-4889.jpg
Under the leadership of Piet de Visser, the club was promoted to the Eredivisie for the first time in 1973.
File:Ajax tegen Volendam 5-0 Volendamtrainer Simon Kistemaker (r), Bestanddeelnr 932-8569.jpg
In the 1990–91 season, the club, under the management of Simon Kistemaker (right), became undefeated champions of the Eerste Divisie.
File:20110731 CS55035 (5996163882).jpg
Between 1995 and 2003, De Graafschap enjoyed its longest uninterrupted spell in the Eredivisie.
File:20110731 CS54948 (5995523185).jpg
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="dg1">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name="historie" /> Despite attempts to involve VV Doetinchem in the merger, the Doetinchem members rejected the proposal.<ref name="historie" /> 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.<ref name="historie">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="dg1" /> The team's home matches were held at the newly constructed stadium De Vijverberg.

First promotion (1972–89)Edit

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Their debut season in the Eredivisie proved successful, securing a fourteenth-place finish highlighted by a notable 1–0 home victory over Ajax.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite this triumph, the club finished bottom in the subsequent season, resulting in their second ever relegation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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").<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This phrase reflects the club's recurrent pattern of fluctuating between divisions, highlighting its resilience over the years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Invincibles and eight years Eredivisie (1990–2003)Edit

In the 1990–91 season, under the management of Simon Kistemaker, De Graafschap achieved an undefeated championship title in the Eerste Divisie.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, their Eredivisie stay lasted only one season as they were immediately relegated the following year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Up and downs (2004–present)Edit

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, a year later, they faced relegation back to the Eerste Divisie after a seventeenth-place finish in the Eredivisie.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name="historie" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, in the 2008–09 season, they were relegated after a loss to RKC Waalwijk in the relegation play-offs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Again, they won the second-tier title in the 2009–10 season in convincing fashion under head coach and former player Darije Kalezić.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="NOS1" />

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.<ref>De Graafschap knokt zich voorbij Almere City en keert terug in Eredivisie – Voetbalprimeur Template:In lang</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="NOS1">Template:Cite news</ref>

HonoursEdit

ResultsEdit

File:De Graafschap League Performance.png
Historical chart of league performance

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

PlayersEdit

Current squadEdit

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Notable former playersEdit

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.

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Coaching staffEdit

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

Managerial historyEdit

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See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:Sister project

Template:De Graafschap squad Template:Eerste Divisie

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