Premier League football club HFC Haarlem, a former national champion and after Sparta Rotterdam, the nation’s oldest football club, has gone bankrupt. A two-million euro debt, falling spectator numbers and the resulting absence of any serious investors meant there was no way of staving off its demise.
HFC Haarlem was founded on 1 October 1889. In the 120 years of its existence, the club twice won the KNVB cup (similar to the FA cup in the UK); in 1902 and 1912. HFC Haarlem scored its biggest success ever when it took the national title in 1946. Then star player Kick Smit is still seen as the club’s most prominent player ever.
In the 1970s, Haarlem twice won the first division championships. After a third title in 1981, the club went on to enjoy a number of successful years at the highest level of professional football. With up-and-coming player Ruud Gullit in it’s squad, HFC Haarlem was able to join the UEFA cup competition in 1982.
Downward spiral
However, after the 1980s the club went into a downward spiral and in the past 20 years never managed to do better than an eighth place in the first division. The construction of a new stadium was to give new impulse to HFC Haarlem, but the project was scrapped when the property developer could no longer finance the project due to the financial crisis. This reversal of fortune was a major blow to the club. It was unable to balance its budget for the current season and in November decided to sound the alarm. However, bankruptcy became inevitable after several attempts to attract new investors failed.
However, after the 1980s the club went into a downward spiral and in the past 20 years never managed to do better than an eighth place in the first division. The construction of a new stadium was to give new impulse to HFC Haarlem, but the project was scrapped when the property developer could no longer finance the project due to the financial crisis. This reversal of fortune was a major blow to the club. It was unable to balance its budget for the current season and in November decided to sound the alarm. However, bankruptcy became inevitable after several attempts to attract new investors failed.
Amsterdam football club Ajax, which cooperated with the Haarlem club, was unable to help out, but said it would look for suitable positions for coaches Hennie Spijkerman and Rob Witschge who had been on loan to HFC Haarlem. Players Sergio Padt, Javier Martina, Edgar Manucharyan, Timothy van der Meulen and Tayfun Canda who had been hired out to HFC Haarlem will rejoin Ajax.
Nobody came
Former Haarlem player Ruud Gullit, currently active as a football manager, says he regrets the bankruptcy of his former club, but understands why it happened. “Let’s be honest, nobody came to watch anymore. So you have to ask yourself what the rationale of their existence was. You can’t live off your past and your memories.”
HFC Haarlem played its last match on Friday against Excelsior, which added insult to injury by beating Haarlem 3-0 on their home turf.
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
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