RKC - 1860 München in 3rd round Intertoto

08 July 2001

It's been announced that RKC's opponents in the 3rd round of the Intertoto tournament will be 1860 München.

RKC sign Jochen Janssen

07 July 2001

RKC have added Jochen Janssen to their squad on a contract for 5 years. The 25 year-old striker comes from Austria Wien and played earlier for Club Brugge and Westerloo. Although the Belgian player still officially has to pass his medical he was already present for training today. He's the latest addition to the Waalwijkers' lineup after the signing of Patrick van Diemen and Rogier Molhoek.

Patrick van Diemen returns to RKC

28 June 2001

Patrick van Diemen returns to play for RKC Waalwijk next season after a spell with Belgian side Anderlecht where he's not seen much action. The midfielder previously turned out for the Waalwijkers in 1997/98.

First Intertoto matches - RKC Waalwijk

24 June 2001

RKC Waalwijk will play their first match of the competition in the 3rd round and it will take place at home on either July 14th or 15th with the return on July 21st. Their opponents will be the winner of the match between either the Scottish side Dundee or the Yugoslavian club FK Satrid against TSV 1860 München.

PSV and RKC agree price for Michael Lamey

15 June 2001

PSV and RKC have agreed the transfer fee for defender Michael Lamey. The 21 year-old right-back has still to talk terms with his new club but it should be a question of formality as he's already made clear his desire to play in Eindhoven. He will continue to play and ripen in Waalwijk next season in preparation for the move to the current Dutch champions.

Iwan Redan stays in Waalwijk

10 June 2001

Despite interest from other clubs Iwan Redan has decided to extend his stay with RKC till July 2006 (his current contract runs out in 2003). The 20 year-old former Vitesse 2, Sparta 2 and RBC striker has become an important player for the Waalwijkers last season, scoring 5 goals in 24 appearances this season, as well as for Jong Oranje (he scored a hattrick for them in their recent match against Estonia).

Top clubs show interest in Michael Lamey

30 May 2001

Top clubs such as Arsenal, PSV and Anderlecht are all showing an interest in buying RKC's Michael Lamey. The right-back was lent by Ajax to the Waalwijkers last year and has made 26 appearances for them this season, scoring twice.  Technical director Leo Beenhakker has advised against a return to the Amsterdammers but Lamey should have no problem finding a new club.

RKC let Samardzic go

15 May 2001

RKC are not going to make use of the option to buy  Radoslav Samardzic from Feyenoord. The 31 year-old Yugoslavian moved from Heerenveen to Rotterdam in 1999 but didn't even get to play once for the 1st team in the Kuip last season and was hired out to the Waalwijkers. He's made 14 appearances for them but has failed to impress and hasn't scored a goal.

De Graafschap lose to RKC 0 - 1

12 May 2001

De Graafschap are 15th (a point behind AZ, 2 ahead of unfortunate Fortuna) and need a few more safety points if they are to avoid the end-of-season playoffs. RKC are sitting pretty in 7th on 50 points and have momentarily lost sight of UEFA Cup football but are, nonetheless,  quite happy with their performance this season and they could still claim a place in Europe with another couple of wins and a bit of luck. Iwan Ridan scored in the 72nd minute and it proved to be enough for the visitors to add 3 more to their collection and allow them to leapfrog Vitesse once more into 5th.

RKC and TOP Oss join forces

10 May 2001

RKC and Toto side TOP Oss have announced plans for close  commercial, financial and technical cooperation in the future. RKC players will also be lent to TOP Oss (Bas Dreef is the 1st and Ron Heesakkers will probably be the 2nd) while the Waalwijkers will be guaranteed first choice of any TOP Oss players when they are ready to move on to bigger and better things.

Arjan Human on loan to ADO Den Haag

04 May 2001

RKC are lending Arjan Human to ADO Den Haag on a hire contract for 1 year. The 22 year-old only joined the Waalwijkers a year ago after spells at Circle Brugge and amateur side Kloetinge and has scored 4 goals in 16 games this season.

RKC and Ajax share points 2 - 2

03 May 2001

An important match for both teams (it's getting very tight pointwise in the top 6/7 places) RKC are in 7th on 49 points and Ajax are 4th on 54 but with a game in hand. The match got off to a cracking start with both teams in attacking mood - the Waalwijkers went straight into the lead with a 1st minute goal after a mistake by Fred Grim allowed Rick Hoogendorp to score an easy goal and he followed it up with his 2nd in the 12th. Ajax's Ikedia and van der Meyde were threatening up front but it was Richard Witschge who got one back in the 16th, a well struck distance shot. After several opportunities to pull level, and even go ahead, in the 1st half Ajax came out for the 2nd 45 minutes with the attitude "anything you can do we can do better" - Pius Ikedia scored in the 46th minute to even things up again. Ajax looked increasingly dominant but the goals wouldn't come and the home team were still dangerous with counters. The Waalwijkers defence held firm and both teams ended up with un point. RKC stay in 7th, a missed opportunity for them and Ajax go into 3rd place on goal average (with Roda right behind, also on 55) but need to win their remaining matches even more now if they want to play Champions League football next season.

NEC slaughter RKC 5 - 1

29 Apr 2001

NEC could do with a win to stop their slow slide down the table - they're in 11th place, 3 points behind NAC. RKC are in 6th place and still in the hunt for a place in Europe next season but have just seen Vitesse leapfrog them into 5th. Danny Hesp put the Nijmegen team ahead in the 36th minute and Dennis Schulp added a 2nd just before the break in the 43rd. 5 minutes later Mr. Schulp was sent off and RKC's Michael Ramey also saw red. Iwan Redan scored for the Waalwijkers in the 56th to give them hope of at least a point but Danny Hesp's 2nd in the 65th widened the gap once more. Two late goals - the first from Mike Zonneveld in the 85th minute, the 2nd in the 90th by Bart Latuheru completed the rout. NEC close the gap with NAC to 1 point while RKC see 7th placed Utrecht (who won in Roosendaal) close the gap between them to 1 point.

PSV beat RKC 3 - 1

20 Apr 2001

PSV are pretty much secure in the knowledge they'll be champions but, as the end of the season gets closer, the other clubs at the top are jostling for those all-important positions which can earn them European football next season.  The Waalwijkers are in 5th, only goal difference separates them from Roda in 4th, and well aware that every point counts. Van Nistelrooy had an early chance but was denied by goalie Rob van Dijk. It's been a while since Mateja Kezman added to his score for the season so he'll undoubtedly be pleased to get one tonight in the 26th minute. After a typical Kezman dribble, which threatened to fizzle out, the ball found its way to Van Nistelrooy who passed it to the Yugoslav to finish off.  Johan Gudjonsson equalized in the 55th for the visitors with a terrific shot. PSV piled on the pressure and, ironically, only decided the result when Ruud and Bruggink were replaced. A quick one-two of goals in the last 10 minutes from Theo Lucius (80th) and Mark van Bommel in the 82nd minute (a solo rush at goal through the RKC lines) delivered the final k.o. and increases PSV's lead over Feyenoord to 14 points. For the Waalwijkers it was their first defeat since December 20th when they lost to Utrecht. Manchester United were again represented so maybe the sale's on?!?

Petrovic back from injury against old club PSV

20 Apr 2001

Zeljko Petrovic returns to the RKC lineup tonight after being injured for the last 8 weeks. It's going to be an emotional evening for him as he faces his old team PSV - the 35 year-old played for, and lost his heart to, the Eindhoven club in 1996/97 before going after the big bucks in Japan. He's not yet played in a match, not even for the reserves, and trainer Martin Jol will possibly field him for 45 minutes to see how he copes (physically and emotionally).

RKC in Europe next season?

17 Apr 2001

The dream of an European adventure for RKC looks to be closer than ever now that UEFA has turned a blind eye to the deficiencies of the Waalwijkers 'stadium'. There is a minumum capacity of 10,000 required for participating clubs and the 'Mandemakers' ground has only room for 6,600. The club plans to build an extra 1,500 seats into the corners of the ground this summer and UEFA have accepted this as an acceptable attempt to comply with the rule.

RKC and Heerenveen in 1 - 1 draw

14 Apr 2001

Heerenveen were surely disappointed after being defeated by the Van Nistelrooy inspired PSV and exiting the Cup last Wednesday. The no.5s played host to the no.9s in a wintery conditions, snow swirling around in the stadium, Anthony Lurling made the most threatening moves at the home end in the 1st half. After the braek the snow stopped and the level of play picked up - Lurling finally got one in the net, a gift courtesy of a defensive blunder, to give them hope of an away win in the 49th minute, Van Gessel missed the  perfect chance to clinch the win. John van Loenhout earned the Waalwijkers a point with an nicely taken angle shot in the 82nd.

RKC interested in Miroslavljevic

13 Apr 2001

RKC are showing an interest in Nenad Miroslavljevic, currently top scorer for Yugoslavian First Division no. 5 club Sartid. The Waalwijker's were made aware of the talented 24 year-old striker by Zeljko Petrovic and are now close to rounding off talks with Sartid - expect a signing soon.

One-a-piece as Twente draw with RKC 1 - 1

07 Apr 2001

Twente deservedly went ahead in the 21st minute when Chris de Witte tapped in Vennegoor of Hesselink's header. They kept up the pressure during the 1st half but had a Scott Booth 'goal' disallowed (offside). After the break RKC woke up and started to play better football but it wasn't until the 77th minute that Iwan Redan equalized for the Waalwijkers to bring them level. Minutes later it looked as if Ellery Cairo had scored the winner for the home team but it was disallowed -  the no.4 side go home to Brabant with a point and are almost certain now of their best table ranking ever (previous best was 7th in the 1990/1991 season).

Celta de Vigo pay RKC for hire Hoogendorp

20 Mar 2001

Celta de Vigo have finally paid RKC the €317,650 Euros still owing for the hire of Rick Hoogendorp last season. The deal was for €770,000 - the first instalment came only after legal steps had been taken and the courts had to intervene again before the rest of the money was paid last week. There remains only the question of the lost interest and legal costs which the Spanish club are refusing to pay because RKC have formally complained to UEFA about Celta's behaviour.

RKC and Lokomotiv Moscow play friendly Saturday 23rd

19 Mar 2001

RKC will be playing a friendly this coming Saturday 23rd when they welcome Lokomotiv Moscow. Tickets are free and the kickoff is at 15.00. The Russian side have just restarted their season and are currently 6th in their league.

RKC snatch win against Willem II 3 - 2

18 Mar 2001

RKC came back twice from being a goal down to win the match - Tom Caluwé scored in the 12th for the visitors but David Nasciamento equalized in the 37th. Jatto Ceesay put Willem II ahead in the 59th and gave them hope of going home with the points but, in the closing spell of an evenly matched contest, RKC snatched victory when Ivar van Dinteren levelled the score in the 82nd, leaving Johan Gudjonsson to claim the winner in the 88th from a terrific freekick.

AZ lose to RKC 1 - 4

10 Mar 2001

RKC continue their dream run at the right end of the table and still have a chance to see European football next season as they climb to equal 4th position. AZ remain struggling in 14th place after starting the season with ambitions aplenty (which have not been turned into table points) and as a consequence they were treated to a chorus of whistles by their fans after the match. Trainer Gerard van der Lem had a long list of missing players - Henk Timmer, Urvin Lee, Elbekay Bouchiba, Olaf Lindenbergh, Jan Kromkamp, Miel Mans, and John Bosman but was still disappointed in the lack of motivation shown by the team (as he put it, the lack of an "over my dead body" attitude after RKC'sng goal). Samardzic's pass found Rick Hoogendorp whod the score in the 49th and Milton Nascimento scored froma Samardzic corner in the 59th minutes, for RKC as the visitors outplayed AZ in the 2nd half, followed by a goal by Michael Lamey to make it 3. AZ's Youssef Fertout scored a terrific goal in the 77th but it was small consolation.

RKC's Petrovic out for 5 weeks

02 Mar 2001

Zelkjo Petrovic is out of action for the coming 5 weeks after falling in last weekend's match against Fortuna. The 35 year-old Yugoslavian midfielder underwent keyhole surgery on Wednedsay to remove pieces of cartilage from his left knee.

RKC's success attracts English scouts

27 Feb 2001

RKC's success this season has led to the arrival of English scouts last weekend checking out the performance of Michael Lamey, Johan Gudjonsson and Iwan Redan. The question is, now that the club have climbed to 6th place and are offering a new contract to new trainer Martin Jol, will it be such a good idea to start selling players?

RKC to offer Martin Jol new contract

27 Feb 2001

RKC are planning to offer trainer Martin Jol a new contract. The club are in 6th place in the Premier Division and getting a glimpse of a possible European adventure next season if their upward climb continues. Jol took over the reins in October last year and has a contract for 2½ years but the club are obviously pleased with the story so far and would like to tempt him into signing a new deal for 3 years.

RKC beat Fortuna 1 - 0

24 Feb 2001

Rick Hoogendorp scored the only goal in the 35th, set up by Yuri Cornelisse, to give the Waalwijkers the 3 points after missing chances early in the 1st half (he could have scored twice in the first 5 minutes). Fortuna are still unable to come up with a confidence boosting performance and stay sunk at the bottom of the table. RKC are now in 6th place, breathing down Vitesse's neck (in 4th), only a point behind them, and can continue to dream of European football.

RKC sign Molhoek

21 Feb 2001

Dordrecht's Rogier Molhoek has signed with RKC for 2 years with an option for another two. The 19 year-old striker had been attracting attention from other Ere Divisie clubs after being seen in action in the 16 games he's played for the Toto side since getting a regular 1st team place.

Sparta  draw with RKC Waalwijk 2 - 2

18 Feb 2001

Willem van Hannegem, trainer to be, watched as Sparta got their first point in 6 matches. There werengs in the 1st half on both sides but it was the 2nd half that saw 30 minutes of goal action with Bram Marbus'sr in the 47th minute kicking life into the match. RKC hit the post and bar before Rick Hoogendorp's shot found its way in to equalize 5 minutes later (54th). John van Loenhout edged the visitors ahead in the 65th and David Mendes headed in the match leveller for Sparta in the 76th.

RKC give Vitesse a beating 3 - 0

11 Feb 2001

RKC scored in the 10th minute through Iwan Redan, John van Loenhout got a 2nd in the 58th followed by Rick Hoogendorp's 3rd for the Waalwijkers who are now only 5 points behind Vitesse (33 points from 20 games) and dreaming of Europe. Vitesse are going through a bad patch with only 1 point from the 3 games played since the winter break.

RKC's Roberto Lanckohr hired out to Grazer AK

03 Feb 2001

RKC's Roberto Lanckohr is being hired out to Austrian club Grazer AK till the end of the season. They have also taken out an option to buy him - his contract with RKC runs out at the end of this season.

RKC hire Samardzic

02 Feb 2001

The 30 year-old Yugoslavian striker Radoslav Samardzic is on hire to RKC Waalwijk for the rest of the season with an option to buy if things go well. He made the move from Heerenveen to Feyenoord at the beginning of last season but didn't settle in.

RKC take Celta to court over unpaid Hoogendorp wages

25 Jan 2001

RKC have been forced to go to the courts to claim the unpaid wages owed them by Spanish club Celta del Figo for the services of hired gun Hoogendorp. The striker played the second half of last season for the Spanish side but they've only paid half of the €317,650 Euros they owe the Waalwijkers. A request in October that the final payment be delayed for a year has been rejected and  the club feel they now have no alternative but to resort to legal means to get their money.

RKC extensions for Van Wanrooij and Nascimento

23 Jan 2001

RKC have offered to extend the contracts of Carlos van Wanrooij for 18 months and David Nascimento for an extra 12. Van Wanrooij will also be invited to join the coaching staff when he stops playing.

Utrecht beat RKC 2 - 1

21 Dec 2000

The 5th win in a row for Utrecht is a sign of a revival for them and a new club record. They started the season badly but are now safely in 8th place. They controlled the midfield so well that RKC was denied any opportunity to launch attacks. Patrick Zwaanswijk headed them into an early lead in the 11th minute from Dave van den Bergh's corner. They had several other good chances to score in the 1st half (Dirk Kuijt missed a whopper), whereas RKC had only the one - Joey Gudjonsson's freekick. When the whistle blew to start the 2nd half Utrecht raced from the centre spot into a well prepared (this is one we made earlier) attack, Kuijt had only goalie Khalid Sinopuih to beat and and blasted in the match winner. Towards the end of the game RKC finally got into the game and substitute Arjan Human scrambled the ball over the line for some consolation.

PSV in draw at RKC Waalwijk

13 Dec 2000

This was a disappointing match - both teams failing to put on an attractive display of football for their fans. PSV were uninspired, RKC more than willing but sloppy in their passing and finishing. Nonetheless they went ahead after 10 minutes when Nikifirov's attempt to score was pounced on by Rick Hoogendorp while goalie Waterreus hesitated to intervene. Kezman failed to make any impression for the home team in the 1st half, missing Bruggink's company up front. His replacement Adil Ramzi was equally lacking. PSV finally got an equalizer just before halftime when Joonas Kolkka's pass bounced off the defensive wall to land at John de Jong's feet for a simple put away. In the 2nd half both teams had their opportunities but failed to capitalise on them, Kezman had one dangerous moment but hit the post. The result leaves PSV 3 points behind Feyenoord who can increase it to 6 if they beat Fortuna.

Peter van den Berg's elbow jab to be investigated

06 Dec 2000

The RKC player Peter van den Berg's elbow jab, handed out to Andy van der Meyde, in the match against Ajax is to be investigated by the Dutch FA (KNVB). The referee in the match didn't see the incident but video of the game apparently clearly shows it. All involved have until the beginning of next week to prepare their statements.

Groningen and RKC share the points in yawn of a match

03 Dec 2000

The result was a goalless draw - a fitting score at the end of such an anesthetic match. Groningen missed 9(!) players - Hugo ,Curovic and Hoekstra to begin with! They were even forced to put a couple of juniors on the bench, one of whom, Arjan Robben, impressed with his play. Another 'highlight'of the match was the appearance of the Dutch Father Christmas - Sinterklaas - and his assistant Zwarte Piet (Black Peter not Blue Peter) on pitch, they were quickly dismissed. Waalwijk were ok for the first quarter of an hour but then sank like the proverbial pudding, looking nothing like the team that had troubled Ajax earlier in the week. Groningen went home happy with their performance under adversity, knowing they are now above De Graafschap in the table. RKC Waalwijk could have made it into 6th but remain 7th.

Ajax beat RKC Waalwijk 3 - 0

30 Nov 2000

Ajax had to miss Van der Vaart for this match - he was playing with the Dutch Under 18s against Germany. The happy father Machlas, back from seeing his wife give birth to their baby in Greece, celebrated tonight with a goal in the 9th minute and another in the 52nd. Ajax's forwards were on form tonight and Fred Grim had a good match too. RKC had enough chances to worry the shaky defence in Amsterdam, which was a bit of a shambles. Rick Hoogendorp will be displeased with the opportunities he let slip, such as in the 25th, and Cornelisse had another chance in the 34th for RKC. The Arena pitch had just received its 25th new surface, which proved to be quite slippery - don't you wish for the old days of grass, real grass! Arveladze came on as substitute for Wamberto in the 63rd and scored Ajax's 3rd, a great  in the 86th minute. Witschge was replaced by Co Adriaanse in the 63rd (Andy van der Meyde took his place) after having his first game since October 2nd - this seriously upset him and he stormed off to the dressing room (he can expect a ticking off from his trainer!) Bad news for Ajax was Chivu's departure after 30 minutes with an injured knee.

1 - 0 win over De Graafschap gives RKC 6th place

20 Nov 2000

RKC are ecstatic at climbing to 6th place in the table with their young team. They could have done better, according to their coach Martin Jol, could have been sharper up front. Still, he was happy to see Yugoslav veteran Petrovic score the only goal in the 11th minute. After 4 consecutive defeats De Graafschap had nothing to lose but looked lacklustre and uninspired in the 1st half. They started the 2nd 45 minutes with more enthusiasm but RKC's defence soaked up any attacking moves they put together. De Graafschap's coach McDonald will be aware that his days may well be numbered.

Fortuna draw with RKC Waalwijk 1 - 1

12 Nov 2000

Bottom of the table Fortuna have managed to get their first home draw of the season. Their guests were off form, most of the time unable to find the home team's goal and, if they did get a shot in, Fortuna's goalie Ruud Hesp was ready to receive the ball with his safe hands. He was again in terrific shape, keeping out everything that Waalwijk could throw(?) at him. His teammates were obviously worried that they would suffer yet another home defeat and couldn't loosen up enough to get some attacking moves going. It wasn't until the 2nd half that the tempo was increased and Fortuna started to move the ball around in a convincing manner. New signing Van Halst gave Dennis Gerritsen the best chance they had to score but he was denied by RKC's goalie Rob van Dijk. Waalwijk turned on the heat in the closing stages of the match, defender Peter van den Berg having a header saved in the 84th minute, only the balls flew everywhere but in the Sittard net. Practically every RKC player had a shot at goal during the match, Arjan Human had the most eye to eye meetings with Ruud Hesp but even he didn't get one in. Fortuna's trainer Henk Duut refused to see the white handkerchief's being waved in the crowd (he must be really getting worried about his job now). RKC's trainer admitted after the match that they had expected things to have been easier and had underestimated Fortuna.

RKC Waalwijk too much for Utrecht 4 - 1

02 Nov 2000

Utrecht had held mighty Feyenoord to a 1-1 draw last weekend but they have only won 4 of the last 12 away matches against RKC. RKC were too clever and Utrecht made too many defensive errors. Both teams needed the points, having had too many defeats so far this season, and particularly Utrecht to provide some more distance from the bottom clubs. After a careful start by both teams RKC began to dominate and had 8 corners in the first 20 minutes. Hoogendorp's early effort led to a corner which gave Nascimento the opportunity tothe score in the 26th minute and scored one for himself in the 38th. Utrecht's trainer Adelaar substituted Dombi with youth international Kuyt and finally the team started to gel, looking more and more menacing as halftime approached. They started the 2nd half in a blaze but Kuyt and Gluscevic finished poorly and it was RKC who went further ahead in the 56th minute when Petrovic ended a dash by slipping the ball past goalie Wapenaar. Kuyt restored some pride to Utrecht with a goal in the 62nd minute and, although he had a second chance shortly after, it was Kalezic who added insult to injury with a 4th for the home team in the 85th.

Roda lose to RKC in bloodless duel 0 - 1

29 Oct 2000

This looked at times more like an afternoon's kick about than a Premier Division duel. Both teams had trouble holding onto the ball when they had it. RKC at least gave a slight impression of knowing why they were there and confirmed this with a goal in the 23rd courtesy of Hoogendorp. Anastasiou did his best for the home team but he wasn't enough on his own to turn the game around. Any opportunity Roda got to attack was more the result of errors by RKC's defence than any skill on their part. Roda's coach Sef Vergoossen replaced Tomasic and Zafarin with Sonkaya and Lawal but with no result. Soetaers moved over to the left and had their best chance of a goal with a blast against the post in the 79th minute - although it was more a lucky shot than one which was on target. Most Roda advances were neutralized and even when Eric van der Luer had a last go at scoring in injury time it was cleared from the line and Tchoutang couldn't get hold of the rebound. This was the third time in the last 4 years that Roda have suffered a home defeat at the hands of RKC.

Schops not sacked

15 Aug 2000

It now appears that RKC trainer  Martin Jol and the club's director Marcel Brandts have postponed the decision to sack Belgian player Maarten Schops. The player overreacted to a tackle during a 'friendly' against amateur team Rijnburgse Boys and will now have to wait out the club's decision on what action to take while training and playing in RKC's reserve team.

RKC sack aggressive player

12 Aug 2000

Belgian player Maarten Schops was sacked on the spot yesterday for aggressiveness. RKC trainer Martin Jol demonstrated in this simple way how trainers also can play a part in reducing aggression on and off the field. The sacked Belgian player completely over-reacted to a tackle during Friday's "friendly" match against  amateur team Rijnsburgse Boys, by sticking his studs in his opponents bum.