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Willem II

THE 'TRICOLORES' - WORTHY OF A KING'S NAME

The year was 1944 and The Netherlands was occupied by the Nazis. The royal family had fled to England, the Dutch flag was officially forbidden and streets named after members of the royal family had been given a 'neutral' name by Nazi authorities. Watching and playing football was a way for the Dutch people to forget about the war and live a more or less normal life. One of Holland's best sides at the time were Willem II from Tilburg, coincidentally a club named after a king from the past, and playing in red, white and blue, the colours of the Dutch flag. Willem II provided the Dutch with an opportunity to do what was officially forbidden by the Nazi regime: to stand up and applaud for a Dutch king and for the colours of the flag. The Tricolores' triumph in the Dutch cup final of May 1944 would soon turn out to be an omen: less than two weeks later the Allies invaded Normandy, marking the 'beginning of the end' of the war...

For 110 years Willem II have been proving that they are worthy of a king's name. Hailing from Tilburg, a fast-growing southern city known for its textile industry, Willem II cherish their reputation of being a stylish, traditional club, playing fair, gentleman-like football. Team, board and fans always seem to be decent people, living their lives in the pleasant, 'Burgundian' pace of the Noord-Brabant province. Willem II like to call themselves the 'Ajax of the South' and in many ways they are (except that they always seem to do well in home games against PSV, which is more than Ajax can say...). On the other hand: Ajax usually win their league games in Tilburg with remarkable ease.


The man that gave the club its name:
King William II of Orange. [Photo: Willem-II.nl]

Willem II are one of the oldest clubs in the Eredivisie. Founded in 1896, they were also the first club to break the hegemony of the dominant western provinces by bringing the official Dutch football championship to the south in 1916. At the helm at the time was legendary Czech head-coach Frantisek Fadrhonc. Two post-war championships followed during the 'golden 1950s', after which the genial, provincial club had increasing problems adjusting to the rapid process of professionalisation in Dutch football. 1963 saw relegation from the Eredivisie, but also a triumph in the Dutch Cup final against ADO (0-3), so that the Tricolores became the first ever Dutch club to play in 'Europe' as a First Division side. The brave Tricolores managed a 1-1 draw against the mighty Manchester United in Rotterdam (the game was played at De Kuip because their own home ground in Tilburg had no light-plant). Old Trafford, however, was a different story: 6-1 to Man U.
Willem II glory. From left to right: the championship medal of 1916, receiving the
Dutch Cup of 1944 and the championship winning team of 1955. [Photo: Willem-II.nl]

The large part of the 1970s and 1980s was spent in the First Division, culminating in near-bankruptcies in 1981 and 1982. The man to change the tide was head-coach Piet de Visser, who started to build a solid foundation for the 1990s, the decade in which the club were to celebrate their centenary. The memorable 1994 team included future Oranje selectees such as Jaap Stam, Jean-Paul van Gastel and Marc Overmars, but Willem II remarkably had their best ever Eredivisie season since the Fadrhonc era immediately after all of those players had moved on, with a coach at the helm whose harsh Amsterdam approach contrasted sharply with the kind-hearted club culture. His name: Co Adriaanse.
Well-respected Dutch internationals with a Willem II history:
Marc Overmars and Jaap Stam. [Photo: Willem-II.nl]

In spite of the odd Adriaanse trick (after a poor performance he 'nicked' the players' car keys from their jackets, so that they all had to walk home from training camp, a march of well over 40 kilometres...), Tilburg looks back at the Adriaanse era as if it were a dream. With Adriaanse as their boss the club returned to the European spotlights in 1998-1999, meanwhile having their best Eredivisie season since the start of professional football in Holland. Willem II spectacularly finished second - playing stylish, offensive football - and qualified for the multi-million spectacle of the Champions League. Adriaanse instantly became 'King Co' and will always be remembered like that in Tilburg.


A solidly packed Heuvel in Tilburg celebrates Willem II's unlikely
2nd slot in the Eredivisie in 1999 - and the Champions League
qualification that automatically went with it. [Photo: Willem-II.nl]

Opponents Spartak Moscow, Sparta Prague and Girondins Bordeaux were far too strong for the modest Tilburg side, but what an adventure it was for a club that used to be quite pleased with a slot in the centre group of the Eredivisie. Willem II made it to the Amstel Cup final in 2005 (PSV proved too strong at De Kuip), but otherwise dropped back to the centre group of the Eredivisie after the Adriaanse era and were actually fighting relegation in 2006 and 2007. Disappointing? Yes, definitely, but during the club's Champions League campaign chairman Gerrit Brockx made the remarkable statement that Willem II would not even want to be part of that 'money circus' every year. Not everyone in the world of football behaves like a gentleman when millions of euros are at stake, you see. Which is - quite simply - not the style of Willem II, a club that will never forget that it is carrying the name of a king. (MP)

WILLEM II FACTS

Founded: 12 August 1896 as Tilburgia. Name changed into Willem II on 12 January 1898.
City: Tilburg
Stadium: Willem II Stadium
Capacity: 14,700
Official website: www.willem-ii.nl

Honors:

  • Dutch champions: 1916, 1952, 1955
  • Dutch Cup winners: 1944, 1963

Recent History: Ajax vs Willem II