Tweede Divisie

The Tweede Divisie (English: Second Division) is the highest amateur (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.

Tweede Divisie
Founded1956 (1956); 2016 (2016)
CountryNetherlands
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams18
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toEerste Divisie (for reserve teams)
Relegation toDerde Divisie
Domestic cup(s)KNVB Cup
Current championsNone
(2019–20)
2020–21 Tweede Divisie

Plans for a new, amateur Tweede Divisie, to be made up of 4 reserve teams and 14 Topklasse clubs, were approved in a KNVB assembly in December 2014. Thus, the Topklasse, renamed the Derde Divisie (English: Third Division), and leagues below decremented by one level, and furthermore, promotion and relegation among the second to fourth divisions were implemented starting in 2016-17.[1][2] Despite its amateurism, the league obligates its clubs to have a minimum number of players under contract.[3] No first team will be promoted to the Eerste Divisie until after 2022–23, but from the end of 2020–21, the highest-ranked second (i.e., reserve) team gains promotion, while the lowest-ranked reserves are relegated to a new under-21 division. An under-23 competition has been established for the Tweede Divisie's amateur clubs that are not directly eligible for its under-21 equivalent.[4]

Champions

2020–21 Teams
Club City 2019–20 season Home ground Capacity
AFC Amsterdam 3rd Sportpark Goed Genoeg 3,000
ASWH Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht 18th Sportpark Schildman 3,000
De Treffers Groesbeek 9th Sportpark Zuid 4,000
Excelsior Maassluis Maassluis 12th Sportpark Dijkpolder 5,000
GVVV Veenendaal 13th Sportpark Panhuis 3,950
HHC Hardenberg Hardenberg 2nd Sportpark De Boshoek 4,500
IJsselmeervogels Spakenburg 5th Sportpark De Westmaat 8,200
Jong Sparta Rotterdam 11th Het Kasteel 11,000
Jong Volendam Volendam 17th Kras Stadion 7,384
Katwijk Katwijk 1st Sportpark De Krom 6,000
Koninklijke HFC Haarlem 8th Sportpark Spanjaardslaan 1,500
Kozakken Boys Werkendam 6th Sportpark De Zwaaier 4,000
Noordwijk Noordwijk 10th Sportpark Duin Wetering 6,100
Quick Boys Katwijk aan Zee 14th Sportpark Nieuw Zuid 8,100
Rijnsburgse Boys Rijnsburg 4th Sportpark Middelmors 6,100
Scheveningen Scheveningen 15th Sportpark Houtrust 3,500
SV Spakenburg Spakenburg 7th Sportpark De Westmaat 8,200
TEC Tiel 16th Sportpark De Lok 2,500

References
  1. "Plans for a new Tweede Divisie starting 2016–17". 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. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  3. "Richtlijn Licentiesysteem tweede en derde divisie seizoen 2019/'20" [Licensing system guidelines - Second and Third Division Season 2019–20] (in Dutch). KNVB. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  4. "Bondsvergadering kiest voor nieuwe competitiestructuur in jeugdvoetbal" [Association assembly opts for a new league structure in youth football] (in Dutch). KNVB. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  5. "Competities amateurvoetbal niet hervat" [Amateur competitions not resumed] (in Dutch). KNVB. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
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