Football-loving Netherlands are often presented with the same menu: 'the big three' and respective side dishes. That's why you take Football zone this season a glimpse into the Kitchen Champion Division. With the help of the archives, we put the less exposed Dutch clubs in the spotlight. This edition offers a look behind the scenes of FC Groningen, where there is a statue of a club icon who never played for the club.

FC Groningen is the odd one out in the Kitchen Champion Division this season. After 23 years in the Eredivisie, the final relegation came as something of a shock to the Dutch football landscape. The club has an undeniable history in the Eredivisie and even beyond. The same applies to predecessor GVAV (Groningen Football and Athletics Association), which turned out to be a respectable mid-range player in the early years of Dutch professional football.

A past life

GVAV was founded in 1921, after a merger between Unitas and Rapiditas. The club from Groningen still has a long way to go Pride of the North to be mentioned. In 1940 it took a good first step: GVAV became champion of the Northern First Division for the first (and last) in history. And just as it belongs to the highest level regionally, the club also joined in 1956, when the new Eredivisie experienced its baptism of fire.

After two difficult seasons, GVAV is relegated, and after just as many strong seasons in the First Division, it returns thanks to the 1960 championship. From then on, the Groningen association has been a stable mid-table in the Eredivisie, with its best performances being sixth places in 1966 and 1968. These – and other – achievements are still attributed to goalkeeper Tonny van Leeuwen. In particular, the legendary away victory over Ajax (0-1), on April 23, 1967, is linked to his name. With players like Sjaak Swart, Piet Keizer and Johan Cruijff, the future national champion scored no fewer than 122 times that season. They just won't pass an excellent Van Leeuwen on that day.

The Lion of Groningen

The Gouda goalkeeper arrived at the Groningen club in 1963. He comes over from Sparta for 87,500 euros. There are doubts in Groningen about this expensive goalkeeper, but according to then teammate Piet Fransen – almost 400 games for the club – he was 'immediately liked': “He was immediately one of us.” Ultimately he grows into a legend. By some the lion of Groningen even considered the best club goalkeeper in the world. His status is gaining more and more shine, even after a sporting deception.

In 1970, Van Leeuwen was also unable to prevent GVAV from being relegated from the Eredivisie. Despite interest from foreign clubs, he remains loyal to his current employer. What follows is an unforgettable season in the First Division. When GVAV finished second in 1971 and was promoted, the goalkeeper had only conceded seven goals. In 23 of 30 matches the lion the zero.

When on June 16 GVAV separates into an amateur branch of the same name and a professional association that will be called FC Groningen, Van Leeuwen should have been the professional goalkeeper. Albeit not that a drama takes place the night before. In the afternoon of June 14, Van Leeuwen will be honored as Dutch Goalkeeper of the Year in Rotterdam nightclub Embassy. But when he drives home that night, he, his wife next to him, ends up on the wrong side of the road. After a head-on collision with a truck, the goalkeeper is killed instantly. Tonny van Leeuwen is only 28 years old.

A new beginning

In the greatest conceivable contrast, the football life of FC Groningen begins a day later. After a step of professionalization, this is the city's new football club, which, according to that identity, adopts the colors green and white. The FC takes over the famous Oosterparkstadion from GVAV and, after the latest sporting gift from Van Leeuwen, can play in the Eredivisie. The harsh laws of professional football are difficult to manage. The club has been doing its best to survive financially for three years. There is no room yet for sporting achievements, which leads to relegation in 1974.

The young FC Groningen spends six seasons in the First Division. During that period it finished second twice, but in 1980 a championship led to the coveted promotion. As if reborn, a second life begins, in which the Pride of the North pushes the sporting and administrative boundaries. First a season of getting used to: fifteenth place. Groningen then finishes seventh and fifth the following season, after which the club qualifies for European football for the first time in the season in which the construction of the Tonny van Leeuwen stand is completed.

Under the leadership of trainer Han Berger, the Groningen FC made its debut in the UEFA Cup in 1983, where it played the first round against Atlético Madrid of the great Luis Aragonés, who as a player won the national title three times with the Madrilenians. Groningen even takes the lead in the away match; Rob McDonald scores the very first Groningen goal across the borders. Ultimately, the newcomer falls short and Atlético wins 2-1. However, in the home game the impossible happens. Thanks to goals from Ron Jans, Erwin Koeman and Jan van Dijk, Groningen advances to the next round, at the expense of the hopeless Spaniards: 3-0.

In the next round, Groningen also beat Internazionale 2-0, but that club turned out to be far too strong in the second match: 5-1. After an impressive fourth place in the 1985/86 Eredivisie season, Groningen is allowed to participate in Europe again three years after its debut. It beat Ireland's Galway United and Switzerland's Neuchâtel Xamax, before ultimately ending up in a duel with Portugal's Vitoria Guimaraes. Groningen waits until 1988, where Atlético Madrid again falls prey. The Swiss Servette also falls short, but Groningen has to lose to VfB Stuttgart.

Stable supper

Then the best performance in your own country must follow. In 1991, Groningen finished third in the Eredivisie. After that, things seemed to get more and more difficult for the club. And finally in 1998, after eighteen wonderful seasons, an illustrious period came to a brief end. Groningen is relegated. Nevertheless, it quickly fights back. It first comes third, then second and achieves promotion.

After two tough seasons in the Eredivisie, former player Ron Jans returned to the club in 2002. The Zwolle native who scored in the memorable victory over Atlético Madrid will become head coach. A long-term collaboration followed, in which Groningen steadily rose to become a stable team in the Eredivisie. In 2006, the club also received a new, modern stadium: the Oosterpark was exchanged for the Euroborg, where the Van Leeuwen stand was also honored. Jans leaves again in 2010, with a fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth place on his list of achievements. In addition, Groningen will appear in Europe again in 2007, where Fiorentina is barely too strong after two games, extra time and penalties.

The stand for the deceased goalkeeper is still honored at FC Groningen.

In the meantime, Jans' legacy is being further expanded. With a few downward peaks, the second decade of the twentieth century is marked by rankings in the sub-top of the Netherlands. In 2014, the club unveiled a statue in honor of the goalkeeper who was never allowed to become an FC Groningen player: Tonny van Leeuwen. And as icing on the cake, Groningen wins its first top prize ever: on May 3, 2015, the club beat PEC Zwolle in the KNVB cup final 0-2. Head coach Erwin van de Looi receives the congratulations from Ron Jans, coach of the Zwolle team.

This season, Groningen is doing everything it can to undo last year's drama. The relegation still hurts in the North. Particularly because the stability, which we worked so hard for for years, seemed so far away during the relegation year. Nevertheless, the club has the ability and quality to be at the top of the Kitchen Champion Division this season, and therefore look in the only possible direction. Up, to the North.

This season, FC Groningen is trying to get back on track.

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