A name that rolls smoothly over the tongue is a plus for a sports club. Names of associations often consist of abbreviations. What these stand for is not always clear, while abbreviations can be very original. These are twelve striking names of sports clubs from our province.
According to the British newspaper, NAC Breda has The Guardian the longest club name in the world. NAC stands for Noad Advendo Combination. Noad stands for ‘Never give up, always persevere’ and Advendo for ‘Pleasant through entertainment and useful through relaxation’. The club name therefore has eighty characters.
In addition to long names for sports clubs, there are also special, remarkable or funny names. These are often packaged in an abbreviation. Because let’s be honest: ‘Never give up, always persevere, pleasant through entertainment and useful through relaxation combination’ joining in on a partying grandstand is no easy feat, let alone after a few beers.
Sports clubs are therefore big on abbreviations. These are the most notable:
- TSV Gudok, Tilburg = Tilburg Sports Association Keep an eye out
- RKSV Cluzona, Wouw = Roman Catholic Sports Association Club without name
- Vv Tpo, Moerdijk = Football Association Founded between rubble heaps
- Vv Mifano = Football Association Mierlo Never fail
- DAW, Schaijk = De Aanhouder Wins (football and korfball)
- Vv Bavos, Bakel = Football Association Always remain friends under sport (Bakel football sport)
- TSV LONGA, Tilburg = Tilburg Sports Association Body Relaxation After Work
- TSV NOAD, Tilburg = Tilburg Sports Association Never stop, always play
- SV ONDO, Asten-Heusden = Sports association On to victory
- RKVV JEKA, Bavel = Roman Catholic Football Association Youthful Enthusiasm Everything is possible
- SV VOAB, Goirle = Sports Association Started from the bottom
- Vv SIOL, Cuijk = Sports association Sport is our life
Where one club name puts a smile on your face, another name raises eyebrows. For example, the name ‘Established between heaps of rubble’ raises a lot of question marks. Yet the name sounds more heroic when you hear the story behind the association.
So is on the website from the Moerdijk football club that after the liberation in May 1945 the association was literally founded among the rubble of the war. “A piece of land, located on Sportstraat, was made ‘ready to play’. The grenade and bomb craters were temporarily closed with sand and the ‘ball’ could start rolling.”
Good advice
Many sports clubs in the list wanted to give their members a message with the name. Tilburg in particular seems to excel in this area, as witnessed by the list above. ‘Never stop, always keep playing’ and ‘Keep your eyes open’ are always good advice.
But there are other clubs from that city with special abbreviations. For example, ONS VIOS (‘Forward is our aim’) and JPS (‘Young Protestants working together’) are more original than a club name like FC Tilburg, but of course it has no effect on the performance.