The Rooms-Katholieke Zieuwentse Voetbalclub, usually known as RKZVC, is a Dutch

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

club from

Zieuwent Zieuwent is a village in the east of the Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Oost Gelre, Gelderland. Zieuwent has the tallest church tower in the Achterhoek region. History Zieuwent was first mentioned in 1294 or 1295 as "silva Sy ...

. It was founded on 28 June 1945. RKZVC's main male squad plays in the

Hoofdklasse The Vierde Divisie (; "Fourth Division"), formerly known as Hoofdklasse () is the second-highest league of amateur football in the Netherlands, and the fifth tier in general. Background The league was divided into two sections: Saturday and Sunda ...

since 2018. The club's home ground is De Greune Weide.

History

While founded in 1945, RKZVC plays in major KNVB leagues only since 1971. Until 1983 it played in

Vierde Klasse The Vierde Klasse () is the ninth tier of football in the Netherlands and the seventh tier of Dutch amateur football. This is the lowest league in the South I region. The league is divided into 55 divisions, 29 played on Saturday and 26 on Sunday ...

C, where it usually ended in a top spot. In 1983 it won a championship and promoted to

Derde Klasse The ('Third Class') is the eighth tier of football in the Netherlands Football is the most popular sport in the Netherlands. Association football, Football was introduced to the Netherlands by Pim Mulier in the 19th century when in 1879, a ...

C. This first stint in the Derde lasted 6 years, after which generally weaker years in Vierde Klasse C followed. In 2008 RKZVC hit a bottom when it relegated to the

Vijfde Klasse The Vijfde Klasse () is the tenth and lowest tier of football in the Netherlands and the eighth tier of Netherlands, Dutch Amateur sports, amateur football. The league is divided into 41 divisions, 19 played on Saturday and 22 on Sunday. Each divi ...

. From here luck changed. It immediately won a Vijfde Klasse championship (2008–2009). Followed by gradually improving performance in the Vierde Klasse (2009–11). In 2011 RKZVC finally made it back to the Derde Klasse but relegated a year later. Immediately, in 2013 RKZVC won the Vierde Klasse championship that brought it to the Derde. In 2016 it won a Derde Klasse championship, it 2017 that of a Tweede Klasse, and 2018 that of an Eerste Klasse. RKZVC's exceptional ascent, winning coach Laurens Knippenborg the

Rinus Michels Award The Rinus Michels Award is an annual prize in Dutch football. It is supported by the official football coaches union ("Coaches Betaald Voetbal"). The award is named after Rinus Michels, who was named coach of the century by FIFA in 1999. Categor ...

, was stopped for now in the Hoofdklasse where RKZVC "just" held on in 2019. While leading the league after several games, it finished in the "honorable" 4th place and did not make it into the promotion playoff (unlike the numbers 3 and 5, who took period championships).

References

{{Eerste Klasse Football clubs in the Netherlands Football clubs in Oost Gelre Association football clubs established in 1945 1945 establishments in the Netherlands