Dutch Football League System - Before The Introduction of The Topklasse

Before The Introduction of The Topklasse

While they are largely interconnected by way of relegations and promotions, until 2010 it was not possible to be relegated to the Hoofdklasse from the second professional league. In order for an amateur club to be promoted to the professional leagues, it had to submit a solid business plan, as well as meet certain stadium demands, and the demands that the Football Association stated for all the teams in the top two leagues. Because the teams in the Hoofdklasse were becoming more and more semi-professional, and more and more teams were making the step to fully professional football, it was decided to form a new level between the Hoofdklasse and the Eerste Divisie, called the Topklasse consisting of a group for Saturday and a group for Sunday, starting from the season 2010/2011. The Eerste Divisie, consisting of twenty teams back then was reduced to 18 teams, with the two teams that finished last in the 2009–10 Eerste Divisie relegating to the new level. Because of the bankruptcy of HFC Haarlem, the Netherlands' oldest football club, only FC Oss was relegated. After the first season FC Oss promoted back to the Eerste Divisie because Topklasse-champion IJsselmeervogels refused to meet the football association's demands. Almere City FC should have been relegated that season, but stayed in the Eerste Divisie because of the bankruptcy of RBC Roosendaal. This results in the fact that in the current competition there's no mixing anymore between the teams that were competing in the Eerste Divisie and Hoofklasse before the introduction of the Topklasse.