MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
FC Den Bosch “Period” Champions ? Qualify for Premier Plays-Offs.
FC Den Bosch became the first team to ensure qualification for the end-of-season First Division play-offs, after a narrow 2-1 victory over Cambur in the Dutch northern city of Leeuwarden.
Sitting in 4th place before the final round of games, it required a strange set of results to hand the 'Period' title to the 'Blue Devils'. However teams above them either lost or drew allowing Den Bosch to leap-frog them all.
The victory gave FC Den Bosch the first of the 'Period' Champion titles, which under the unusual system operated by the Dutch Football Association, ensures that they will participate in a series of games which will involve five other teams from the division and also the two teams from the Premier Division which finish 16th and 17th in the 18 team League (The bottom team are automatically relegated)
However the Brabant province team could automatically qualify to play in the Premier League next season, should they go on and win the Jupiler League (First Division) title. Jupiler, a Belgian beer company, are the new sponsors of the championship.
FC Den Bosch are the 'yo-yo' team of Dutch football, regularly winning promotion, but then dropping back to the lower division the following season.
In 1998/9 they won the First Division title, but could not match the bigger teams, like Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord, and dropped back down again the following year. However relegation was quickly followed by promotion ? as Champions once again ? in the following year 2000/1, but again they went down after one season.
2002/3 was a year of consolidation, as the team finished 5th in the division, playing in the newly renovated 'De Vliert' stadium, which now has a capacity of 8,500.
There were scenes of jubilation as the final whistle went in the final game of the 2003/4 season as Den Bosch were again crowned Champions, after coming from behind to beat BV Veendam 3-2 and ensure their promotion. But another season of gloom followed and it was 18th and last place in the Premier (Eredivisie) Division and back to the lower league at the end of 2004/5.
Last season was going well until financial constraints forced the management to sell their top scorer Berry Powell to the English Championship League team, Millwall. With Powell's departure also went the teams hopes of promotion and after one time looking as if they would once again be champions, the team faded badly in the final weeks of the season and 7th place was not even good enough for the play-offs.
This year Den Bosch are everyones favourites to win the Jupiler League because they have invested heavily in new players. The most notable 'new' face is 29 year old Anthony Lurling who scored 56 goals in four seasons with FC Den Bosch back in the late 90's, before moving on to bigger clubs like Heerenveen and Feyenoord. The former 'golden boy' has come home and his return has brought much expectation to the faithful 4,000 fans who regularly cheer on their team in the 'De Vliert' stadium. Lurling though has been slow to settle in and has produced some below par performances.
Coach Theo Bos, now in his second season with FC Den Bosch said, 'If promotion is achieved then I want to ensure survival in the top division, unlike previous years when the team was not ready for the bigger challenge'.
Friday nights win over Cambuur was a nerve-racking affair. 24 year old midfielder and captain Paul Beekmans scored in the 58th minute and when Arturo ten Heuvel, recently signed from Haarlem, added a second goal in the 71st minute, the three points looked safe. Excitement mounted within the several hundred traveling Den Bosch fans as news spread of the favourable results involving the games of FC Dordrecht, RBC Rossendaal and FC Volendam. However a late 82' goal by Cambuur's Rik Hooijboer brought unwanted tension to the Brabanteers and they were relieved to hear the final whistle and discover news of their unexpected success.
The players wrapped their arms around each over in congratulation, while they clapped hands for their fans who reciprocated by applauding the players in their jubilation.
FC Den Bosch are unbeaten after 6 games, having previously beaten Stormvogels Telstar, FC Omniworld and Fortuna Sittard and drawing with BV Veendam and Helmond Sport.
Asked if they would now relax, having ensured their play-off place, Assistant Coach Jan van Grinsven said, 'No, not at all. The tougher games are yet to come. We will now go on and aim to win the Championship and get automatic promotion, and avoid the difficulty of the play-offs'.
By Patrick Watts, Merco Press Correspondent - Europe.
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