# VVV-Venlo
**VVV-Venlo** is a Dutch professional football club from Venlo in Limburg, founded on 7 February 1903 as the Venlose Voetbal Vereniging (Venlo Football Association). The club has spent most of its history moving between the [Eredivisie](https://www.edgepedia.org/eredivisie), the Dutch top flight, and the [Eerste Divisie](https://www.edgepedia.org/eerste-divisie), the second tier, and won the [KNVB Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/knvb-cup) in 1959.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 7 February 1903, as Venlose Voetbal Vereniging[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen) |
| Current name | VVV-Venlo, adopted officially in 2003[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen) |
| Major honors | KNVB Cup 1959; Zilveren Bal 1954; Eerste Divisie titles 1992-93, 2008-09, 2016-17[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen) |
| Eredivisie promotions | 1976, 1985, 1991, 2007[2](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/Onze%20successen) |
| Stadium | Seacon Stadion – De Koel, Venlo, about 12,000 seats, artificial turf[3](https://liberoguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Holland2020.pdf) |
| Recent status | Relegated from the Eredivisie in 2021; playing in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie since 2021-22[4](https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/site/assets/files/6985/jaarverslag_2024-2025_-_vvv-venlo_bv.pdf) • [9](https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/site/assets/files/6985/jaarverslag_2021-2022_-_vvv-venlo_bv-1.pdf) |
## History
The club was founded on 7 February 1903 by a group of Venlo residents as the Venlose Voetbal Vereniging[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen). When professional football was introduced in the Netherlands in 1954, the club continued under the VVV name, and in 1966 it was split into an amateur branch, VVV'03, and a professional branch, FC VVV[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen). The place name was added to the official name in 2003, making it VVV-Venlo[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen).
The club's greatest success came in the 1950s. VVV won the Zilveren Bal in 1954, a predecessor of the KNVB Cup, and won the KNVB Cup itself in 1959[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen). From the 1990s onward the club alternated largely between the Eerste Divisie and the Eredivisie[5](https://vvv-venlonieuws.nl/vvv-venlo-de-geel-zwarte-club-van-limburg), winning the second-tier championship in 1992-93, 2008-09, and 2016-17[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen).
Despite the frequent relegations, VVV is one of nine Dutch clubs that have played at least one Eredivisie season in every decade since professional football began[6](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/over-deze-website).
## Stadium
VVV played at the De Kraal ground until 1972; the last match there was a 1-0 win over [Eindhoven](https://www.edgepedia.org/eindhoven) on 6 February 1972, with a goal from top scorer Harrie Heijnen[7](https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/nieuws/oud-spelers-over-50-jaar-de-koel-de-kraal-was-alde-kraom). The first match at the new Seacon Stadion – De Koel was played on 19 March 1972[7](https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/nieuws/oud-spelers-over-50-jaar-de-koel-de-kraal-was-alde-kraom). The stadium holds about 12,000 spectators and has an artificial turf pitch[3](https://liberoguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Holland2020.pdf).
## Notable players
**Jan Klaassens** (1948-1959 and 1964-1967) came from Venlosche Boys and helped VVV win the 1959 KNVB Cup before moving to Feijenoord for 100,000 guilders; he earned 57 Netherlands caps and played more than 700 official matches[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen).
**Harrie Heijnen** debuted at seventeen and was part of the 1959 cup-winning side; he also won the KNVB Cup with ADO between 1962 and 1969 before finishing his career at VVV[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen).
**Keisuke Honda** (2008-2009) joined midway through the 2007-08 season. VVV was relegated that season, but with Honda the club won the 2008-09 Eerste Divisie title, and after a strong Eredivisie season CSKA Moscow signed him after less than two years in Venlo[1](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen).
## Recent years
VVV-Venlo was relegated from the Eredivisie at the end of the 2022-23 season and has since played in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, as the Eerste Divisie is now known; the 2024-25 season was its fourth consecutive season at that level[4](https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/site/assets/files/6985/jaarverslag_2024-2025_-_vvv-venlo_bv.pdf). In 2024 the club was rescued through a court procedure intended for companies at risk of collapse, and the KNVB license commission imposed a conditional one-point deduction[8](https://www.vi.nl/pro/waarom-punt-aftrek-dreigt-voor-vvv-venlo-en-helmond-sport).
## References
1. [VVV-Venlo door de jaren heen, Historie VVV-Venlo](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/door-de-jaren-heen)
2. [Onze successen, Historie VVV-Venlo](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/Onze%20successen)
3. [Holland 2020, Liberoguide](https://liberoguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Holland2020.pdf)
4. [Jaarverslag VVV-Venlo 2024-2025](https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/site/assets/files/6985/jaarverslag_2024-2025_-_vvv-venlo_bv.pdf)
5. [VVV Venlo: de geel-zwarte club van Limburg](https://vvv-venlonieuws.nl/vvv-venlo-de-geel-zwarte-club-van-limburg)
6. [Over deze website, Historie VVV-Venlo](https://historie.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/over-deze-website)
7. [Oud-spelers over 50 jaar De Koel, VVV-Venlo](https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/nieuws/oud-spelers-over-50-jaar-de-koel-de-kraal-was-alde-kraom)
8. [Waarom punt aftrek dreigt voor VVV-Venlo en Helmond Sport, VI](https://www.vi.nl/pro/waarom-punt-aftrek-dreigt-voor-vvv-venlo-en-helmond-sport)
9. [Jaarverslag 2021 2022 Vvv Venlo Bv 1.pdf, vvv-venlo.nl](https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/site/assets/files/6985/jaarverslag_2021-2022_-_vvv-venlo_bv-1.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › Teams and sporting organizations › Football clubs of continental Europe and Israel › Dutch and Belgian football clubs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license