Tweede Divisie

The Tweede Divisie (English: Second Division) is the highest semi-professional (and historically the lowest professional) football league in the Netherlands. It was established in 1956, together with the Eredivisie and the Eerste Divisie. Between 1956 and 1960 and between 1962 and 1966, the league consisted of two divisions, Tweede Divisie A and Tweede Divisie B. The league was disbanded in 1971. Six clubs were promoted to the Eerste Divisie (De Volewijckers, FC Eindhoven, FC VVV, Fortuna Vlaardingen, PEC and Roda JC), while the other eleven teams became amateur clubs.

Plans for a new, semi-professional Tweede Divisie, to be made up of 4 reserve teams and 14 Topklasse clubs, starting in season 2016/2017 were approved in a KNVB assembly in December 2014. Thus, the Topklasse, soon to be renamed the Derde Divisie (English: Third Division), and leagues below it will decrement by one level, and furthermore, promotion and relegation among the second to fourth divisions will be mandatory.^[1][2]

Tweede Divisie champions

• 1956–1957 - Leeuwarden - RBC
• 1957–1958 - ZFC - Heracles
• 1958–1959 - 't Gooi - Go Ahead
• 1959–1960 - EDO - Be Quick
• 1960–1961 - HFC Haarlem
• 1961–1962 - Velox
• 1962–1963 - VSV (beating HFC Haarlem in a play-off)
• 1963–1964 - NEC (beating Alkmaar '54 in a play-off)
• 1964–1965 - SC Cambuur (beating DFC in a play-off)
• 1965–1966 - Vitesse Arnhem - FC Den Bosch
• 1966–1967 - HFC Haarlem
• 1967–1968 - FC Wageningen
• 1968–1969 - De Graafschap
• 1969–1970 - SC Heerenveen
• 1970–1971 - Volewijckers
• 2016–2017 - Next season

References

1. "Plans for a new Tweede Divisie starting 2016/2017". NOS.nl (in Dutch). 2 December 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
2. "Vanaf seizoen 2016/17: promotie/degradatie tussen amateurvoetbal en betaald voetbal". KNVB.nl (in Dutch). 2 December 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2015.

External links

• RSSSF - info on all seasons