A fan’s guide – the club from early doors to today
Eredivisie competitors after finishing one place above the relegation zone in 2018, VVV-Venlo haven’t finished in the top half of the top tier for 30 years.
In fact, the only time The Good Old have got anywhere near the Dutch title was in 1961, when they finished third, ironically behind a 100-goal scoring Feyenoord side powered by former Venlo midfield legend Jan Klaassens. Either side of his five years in Rotterdam, 57-time Dutch international Klaassens spent his whole adult career with his hometown club, from December 1948 to July 1967.
A museum was later created in the cigar shop VVV gifted him after is retirement, and a statue stands outside De Koel, the club’s modest ground, subject of a €12.5-million, long-term rebuilding project.
In his last act before he left for Feyenoord in 1959, Klaassens scored in a 4-1 win over Den Haag to help win Venlo their first and so far only major silverware, the Dutch KNVB Cup. Sadly the Cup-Winners’ Cup only came in a year later, so Venlo have never competed in a major European competition.
Venlose Voetbal Vereniging were founded in 1903, by the same group of friends who had formed De Gouden Leeuw club a few years previously. Based at De Kraal on Kaldenkerkerweg, close to today’s De Koel, VVV spent the amateur era in the southern regional divisions, failing to make the national play-offs. In fact, until the creation of a single Dutch league in 1956, only five clubs from Limburg enjoyed an end-of-season challenge against the big boys from the bigger cities.
Immediately after the war, however, VVV had started to shown signs of improvement. Local boy Klaassens had joined the senior ranks in 1948. By 1953, he had earned his first cap and in the country’s first professional season 1954-55, helped Venlo gained runners-up spot in one of four divisions that formed the top tier, behind Eindhoven but above Ajax.
With the introduction of professionalism, Venlo were able to attract the great Faas Wilkes in 1956. Though he had had his best years at Inter and Valencia, Wilkes still had enough in the tank for two good seasons at De Kraal.
Klaassens left a year after Wilkes. VVV spent two decades in the second and third tiers before a brief revival under former PSV coach Jan Rekers in the late 1980s. Top scorer was current Sheffield Wednesday coach, Venlo-born Jos Luhukay. Centre-back Stan Valckx was soon picked up by PSV.
After another 20 years in the wilderness, VVV regained top-flight status in 2007, thanks to a three-game play-off against Waalwijk. Venlo fans also had a new hero: a young Keisuke Honda, later of Milan. His transfer facilitated by Nagoya coach and former VVV general manager Sef Vergoossen, Honda was the first and most effective of several Japanese imports to Venlo, his performances allowing the club to bounce back up after immediate relegation in 2008.
The club could not refuse the €7 million offered for Honda by CSKA Moscow and again struggled to stay up. Relegation in 2013 led to four seasons of second-flight football, and consecutive play-off misery.
Keeping faith with former Den Haag midfielder Maurice Steijn, Stan Valckx alongside him as technical director, VVV at last found their way back to the Eredivisie, promoted as champions in 2017. After a bright start to 2017-18, Venlo hung on for another top-tier campaign in 2018-19.
Stadium Guide
The field of dreams – and the stands around it
De Koel was opened in 1972 after VVV had just come up from the third-tier Tweede Divisie. Within five years, a short spell in the top flight saw Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV here, the Amsterdam side attracting a record 24,500.
Today the capacity of the Seacon Stadion – De Koel, renamed after sponsors in 2005, is only 8,000, following renovation before another shot at survival in the Eredivisie in 2007.
In Holland, this quaint ground is best known for the long staircase used by players to run down onto the pitch, rather than a tunnel. As of 2013, this pitch is artificial turf.
In 2017, the club took over ownership of the stadium from the city council, part of a plan masterminded by outgoing club chairman Hai Berden for a €12.5-million rebuild of De Koel starting in the summer of 2018. Berden himself will be honoured with having the Oosttribune terrace named after him. A fan café will also be opened there, and the Zuidtribune along the sideline will be covered.
The end result will be an all-covered stadium of 12,000 capacity.
For the time being, De Koel consists of five standing sections in the Hai Berden-tribune, two standing sections (Gastenvak) for away fans in the top corner of the Westtribune behind the opposite goal, with open seating in front and roofed alongside. Open seating also lines the main Nordtribune, with covered seats in the business section behind. Opposite, the seated Zuidtribune is roofed.
Behind the Nordtribune nearest the main road, a statue of Jan Klaassens stands in front of the club offices. The ticket office and club shop are also at this main entrance.
getting there
Going to the stadium – tips and timings
The stadium is a 15min walk straight down Kaldenkerkerweg from Venlo train station, in the opposite direction to town. Since a change of service provider, bus 3 no longer heads down to the stadium.
From Perron C on the concourse alongside the station, bus 2 runs every 30min (every hr Sun) seven stops to Spechtweg, just off the main road to the stadium 2min away.
getting in
Buying tickets – when, where, how and how much
Tickets become available two weeks before the match, first online, by creating an account at Dutch-only Mijn VVV-Venlo, then in person at the FanCentre (Mon-Fri 8.30am-12.45pm, 1.30pm-5pm) by the main entrance to the stadium on Kaldenkerkerweg. A €2.50 levy is charged for over-the-counter sales.
For most games, a ClubCard is not required – the visits of Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord it will almost certainly be a prerequisite. The ClubCard is valid for five years and is issued free.
A match-day ticket outlet also operates at the main entrance from 90 minutes before kick-off – check with the club (ticketing@vvv-venlo.nl) about availability and any ClubCard requirement. Tickets cannot be arranged by email, however.
The cheapest admission (€22.50, under-18s €15, under-14s €10) is standing in the Hai Berden-tribune. The cheapest seats are in the open Westtribune and Nordtribune at €20 (€12.50/€7.50) each. Covered seating in the Westtribune is €28 (€20.50/€15.50).
It’s €33 (€25.50/€20.50) to sit in the sectors (Z1-Z2, Z6-Z7) of the sideline Zuidtribune nearest the goals, €38 over the halfway line (Z3-Z5).
For the visits of Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV, a €10 levy is charged, and you’ll have to arrange a ClubCard.
what to buy
Shirts, kits, merchandise and gifts
The club shop (Mon-Fri 8.30am-12.45pm, 1.30pm-5pm, 90min before kick-off, 30mins after final whistle) at the FanCentre stocks yellow-and-black first kits, the red change strip, badges, scarves and keyrings.
Where to Drink
Pre-match beers for fans and casual visitors
Just past the stadium on Kaldenkerkerweg, De Kraal is a century-old rustic restaurant once attached to VVV’s first ground of the same name that stood here before 1972. Still frequented for pre- and post-match drinks, it also offers full meals, dinner options including spare ribs and steak. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
At De Koel, the Lindeboom VoetbalCafé behind the main stand is a match-day bar for home fans and neutrals, with music laid on. Note that the Limianz alongside the main stand is an events venue hired out for private parties.
