Sports association De Broekstreek (SVDB) from Ekehaar is stopping its football department. Tomorrow the team will play its very last match, marking the end of an era. Since 1947, the football club has occupied an important place in the Broekstreek.
The reason for the decision has everything to do with the problems of finalizing a selection for next season. The number of players is declining, there are injuries, moves, insufficient recruitment and, last but not least, there is no goalkeeper.
“Unfortunately, we already saw it coming,” says Jan Blok, chairman of SVDB. “We have twelve players for the current season and for the coming season we are under eleven. And so we do not have a goalkeeper. It is useful to have it if you want to play a match.”
According to the chairman, the tight selection has been a headache within SVDB for years. “We have actually stretched the survival of the football department longer than was actually justified. It also took a lot of arranging every week to get a team on its feet.”
Not only the limited number of players is a reason for the decision, the growth of youth was also disappointing. “Our youth already play at Rolder Boys, but we have also told the KNVB that there is a decline in senior football and village associations are finding it increasingly difficult.”
“Furthermore, many of our boys are skilled in the agricultural sector and are therefore often not available at certain times during a season. This means that training never actually takes place, something that is not really attractive for youth if they want to play football.”
“It is wise to stop now, you no longer want to flog a dead horse. This end was inevitable,” sighs board member Wim Popken. “We too often had to struggle to get a team together. Previously, we had more teams and you could get players from them for the first team. That is no longer possible with just one team.”
“In the past, a lot revolved around football, but that is no longer the case. Nowadays those boys have all kinds of other things to deal with. The mentality is different,” Popken notes. “Unfortunately, small associations like this go to hell. We are not the first and we will not be the last.”
Tomorrow SVDB will play its last match. The kick-off will be at 10 a.m. against the third team of VV Beilen, the champion of the reserve fifth division. “So it’s a piece of cake,” says Blok, laughing. Even though it is the last match and there will undoubtedly be a beer, another moment is sought for a real conclusion.
In addition to a football department, SVDB also has a volleyball department, two yoga groups and running groups.