|
Info
Vitesse
The club's history goes back to 1892 when in Arnhem the Vitesse Cricket
Club (Vitesse 1892) was founded and shortly after expanded with an
Athletic and Football Club. Up to the middle of the 1980's both
Professionals and Amateurs were part of the same organisation but a
financial crisis in 1984 necessitated a reorganisation. Under Karel
Albers' leadership a new board of governors was formed and in 1985 the
amateurs and profs were divided into two seperate organisations. The
amateurs played further under the name A.V.C. Vitesse 1892 and the profs
as Stichting Betaald Voetbal Vitesse. Since the introduction of
Professional Football in 1954 Vitesse have maintained their place among
the top teams in Holland. In the season 1970/71 they were promoted to the
Division One where they remained for one season and gained promotion
again in 1976/77, this time staying there for two seasons. The need for
continuity established during the reorganisation in 1985 has been
translated into success on the pitch. After again being promoted to the
Division One in 1989 they have always been able to achieve a place in
the top 5 clubs (only in 1994/95 did they have to make do with 6th place).
Last season they reached 4th place and achieved the highly sought after
admission to European football.
Another aspect of the reorganisation was the
need to provide accomodation for the club which could live up to the
expectations of the new board and its vision for the future. They
envisaged a club which had strong community ties, one which people
could really identify with. The need for a new stadium was clearly going
to be part of this vision, the old stadium Nieuwe Monnikenhuize being no
longer suitable. This new home would have to be a modern, multifunctional
stadium offering all the amenities a fan could wish for in terms of
cleanliness, safety and, above all, a welcoming atmosphere. The first
concrete plans were presented in 1989 and the Gelredome Stadiumd its
doors to the public on March 25th 1998.
|
