FC Emmen is a professional football club based in Emmen, the Netherlands. They currently compete in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation from the Eredivisie in the 2022–23 season. Founded in 1925, the club entered the professional Eerste Divisie in 1985. In 2018, FC Emmen was promoted to the Eredivisie for the first time. Home games are played at De Oude Meerdijk.
History
The amateur club Emmen was formed on 21 August 1925 as NEC (Noordbarge Emmen Combinatie). It was quickly changed to VV Emmen due to confusion with NEC Nijmegen. When the Dutch professional league was formed in 1954, VV Emmen opted to maintain its amateur club status instead.
In 1985, VV Emmen finally joined the professional ranks. In 1988 the club was split into an amateur and a professional section. The latter was mostly called BVO Emmen (Betaald Voetbal Organisatie, professional football organisation). In 2005, the professional club BVO Emmen changed its name into FC Emmen, as it was hoped that the new name would better reflect the club's history, and because many misunderstandings had arisen, among people who had grown to believe that BVO was an abbreviation similar to for instance PSV, RBC or ADO.
FC Emmen has reached the Eerste Divisie play-offs eleven times and on 20 May 2018, they managed to clinch promotion to the Eredivisie for the first time in their history after beating Sparta Rotterdam 3–1 in the promotion/relegation play-off finals.
They played their first Eredivisie match on 12 August 2018 away against ADO Den Haag, and won 2–1. Glenn Bijl scored the first goal for FC Emmen in the top flight. FC Emmen finished 14th in their first Eredivisie season and secured their spot in the Eredivisie for the 2019–20 season.
Despite a very poor start to the 2020–21 season (six points in the first 22 matches), FC Emmen bounced back with an 8-match unbeaten run (five wins, three draws) from February to April, and ended the season with two wins to finish with 30 points. However, they could not achieve automatic safety, as they had a worse goal differential than 15th-placed RKC Waalwijk. This meant that FC Emmen would have to win the playoffs to avoid relegation, but they lost on penalties following a 1–1 draw vs. NAC Breda. As a result of this loss, FC Emmen were relegated to the Eerste Divisie following three seasons in the top tier. However, they were promoted on the first attempt the next year. In the 2022–23 season, they finished 16th, having to win the playoffs to avoid relegation again. This time, they became the first 16th-place team in the Eredivisie to even reach the playoff final under the new format, but they were relegated again after losing to Almere City in the playoff final.
Stadium FC Emmen's previous JenS Vesting, more popularly known as De Meerdijk, now as de Oude Meerdijk was the scene of several matches of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. It was built in 1977.
Sponsors Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor 1985–1988Yellow BirdAmerican Stores 1988–1989HummelHaka Electronics 1989–1991Zwiers 1991–1993Direktbouw Holland 1993–1995Meubelboulevard Emmen 1995–1997Gamma Emmen 1997–2001Ariston/Indesit 2001–2004Haka Electronics 2004–2006Henk ten Hoor 2006–2007KoelGroep Dorenbos 2007–2008Hof van Saksen 2008–2009Legea 2009–2012Peter van Dijk Projects & Investments 2011–2012 Klupp/Legea 2012–2013 JakoSunoil Biodiesel 2013–2015 Masita 2015–2016RobeyQ&S Garten Deco 2016–2017Noordlease 2017–2018Beltona 2018–2019Hitachi Capital Mobility 2019–2020Hummel 2020–2021 EasyToys
Results
SeasonLeagueRankGamesPointsGFGAManagerTopscorerGoals1985–86Eerste Divisie1836243054 Theo Verlangen Henry Pelleboer 81986–87Eerste Divisie1636264159 Theo Verlangen Rudy Metz 151987–88Eerste Divisie1836222959 Theo Verlangen Gerrie Schaap 61988–89Eerste Divisie1836203991 Ben Hendriks Willem Brouwer 131989–90Eerste Divisie636385347 Ben Hendriks Jan de Jonge 161990–91Eerste Divisie1238365467 Ben Hendriks Michel van Oostrum 241991–92Eerste Divisie1838293756 Piet Buter Jan de Jonge 131992–93Eerste Divisie1234274466 René Notten Jan de Jonge 141993–94Eerste Divisie934364958 René Notten Jan de Jonge 141994–95Eerste Divisie1034355661 Leen Looijen Antti Sumiala 91995–96Eerste Divisie234677139 Azing Griever Michel van Oostrum 261996–97Eerste Divisie334635836 Azing Griever Michel van Oostrum 251997–98Eerste Divisie334616445 Azing Griever Michel van Oostrum 181998–99Eerste Divisie334615337 Azing Griever Michel van Oostrum 111999–00Eerste Divisie534585345 Jan de Jonge Michel van Oostrum Peter Hofstede 132000–01Eerste Divisie1134415364 Jan de Jonge Peter Hofstede 142001–02Eerste Divisie534595343 Hennie Spijkerman Paul Weerman 142002–03Eerste Divisie234756633 Hennie Spijkerman Donny de Groot 302003–04Eerste Divisie836616554 Hennie Spijkerman Dirk Jan Derksen 142004–05Eerste Divisie1836303871 Jan Olde Riekerink Niki Leferink 112005–06Eerste Divisie638606856 Jan van Dijk Serginho van Dijk Mourad Mghizrat182006–07Eerste Divisie1138485965 Jan van DijkVan Dijk was fired on 17 February 2007 and replaced by former player Alfons Arts, who gave over the job on 7 March 2007 to Gerry Hamstra. Serginho van Dijk122007–08Eerste Divisie938536174 Gerry Hamstra Morten Friis Jensen Roy Stroeve122008–09Eerste Divisie1338474868 Gerry HamstraHamstra was fired on 13 October 2008 and replaced by Thiemo Meertens. He handed over his job on 23 October 2008 to Paul Krabbe. Roy Stroeve132009–10Eerste Divisie1536485179 Harry Sinkgraven Hans Denissen Ruud ter Heide 122010–11Eerste Divisie1334354864 Azing Griever René Hake Ruud ter Heide 152011–12Eerste Divisie1834172473 René Hake Ruud ter Heide 52012–13Eerste Divisie1230323852 Joop Gall Ruud ter Heide Wout Weghorst 82013–14Eerste Divisie1238516468 Joop Gall Roland Bergkamp 142014–15Eerste Divisie438678857 Joop Gall Cas Peters 232015–16Eerste Divisie738515857 Marcel Keizer Gert Heerkes Erixon Danso142016–17Eerste Divisie938555040 Dick Lukkien Cas Peters 142017–18Eerste Divisie738585850 Dick Lukkien Cas Peters 172018–19Eredivisie1434384172 Dick Lukkien Anco Jansen 52019–20Eredivisie1226323245 Dick Lukkien Michael de Leeuw 92020–21Eredivisie1634304068 Dick Lukkien Michael de Leeuw 152021–22Eerste Divisie138836424 Dick Lukkien Rui Mendes 172022–23Eredivisie1634283365 Dick Lukkien Ole Romeny 112023–24Eerste Divisie738575960 Fred GrimGrim was fired on 9 April 2024 and replaced by Alfons Arts. Piotr Parzyszek102024–25Eerste Divisie838565653 Robin PeterPeter was fired on 25 January 2025 and replaced by Alfons Arts. Kélian Nsona132025–26Eerste Divisie1438455872 Menno van Dam Romano Postema24
Coaching staff PositionStaffHead coach Menno van DamAssistant coach Alfons Arts Marc HegemanGoalkeeper coach Richard MoesFitness coach Peter EppingaVideo analyst Matthias MaurerKitman Karel Hilbrands Dirk-Jan StapRehabilitation coach Jan HaakClub doctor Hans de Vries Gerben Bulthuis Dick GrootoonkPhysiotherapist Richard Moes Ruben ZuidemaChief scout Jan Korte Jurjan MannesScout Jordy FühlerTeam manager Harm Hensens
Players
Current squad
Honours Eerste Divisie Winner: 2021–22 Sunday amateur football title Winner: 1974–75 Sunday Hoofdklasse C Winner: 1974–75
Former technical directors Rob Groener Gerard Somer
References
External links
Official supporters website