EERSTE DIVISIE

The 'Eerste Divisie' (English: ''First Division'') is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the ''Jupiler League'' due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium. It is now named for Jupiler Pils; previously, it was most recently known as the ''Gouden Gids Divisie'' after a five-year sponsorship deal with the Dutch Yellow Pages.
The Eerste Divisie consists of 20 clubs, who play each other in a double round-robin league, with each club playing the other club home and away. Each club plays each other club once in the first half of the season before the league takes a winter break around the Christmas and New Year's holiday season. The second half of the season sees the same fixtures as the first half, with the stadiums changed, although the two halves are not played in the same order.
At the end of each season, the champion of the Eerste Divisie is automatically promoted to the Eredivisie. Eight other clubs (before 2005/2006: six) enter the Nacompetitie, a promotion/relegation playoff that includes the 16th- and 17th-place clubs in the Eredivisie. The following teams qualify for the Nacompetitie:

★ The club with the best record in the "first period" of the season (after 6 rounds).

★ The club with the best record in the "second period" of the season (rounds 7-12).

★ The club with the best record in the "third period" of the season (rounds 13-18).

★ The club with the best record in the "fourth period" of the season (rounds 19-24).

★ The club with the best record in the "fifth period" of the season (rounds 25-30).

★ The club with the best record in the "sixth period" of the season (rounds 31-36).

★ The remaining spots are filled at season's end by the highest-placed clubs that have not already earned automatic promotion or qualified for the Nacompetitie.
If the club that wins a period has qualified for the Nacompetitie by winning a previous period, its place is filled by the next-best club in that period that has not already qualified. Usually, the clubs that qualify for the Nacompetitie turn out to be the 2nd- through 9th-placed clubs in the final table. Clubs in the Nacompetitie face each other in a knock-out system with the numbers 16 and 17 of the Eredivisie for two places in next season's Eredivisie.
Before 2005/2006 there were only four "periods" and six clubs entering a group phase with the numbers 16 and 17 of the Eredivisie. There were two groups of four, with each a Eredivisie club and three Eerste Divisie clubs. The clubs played a double round-robin and the winners of the groups were awarded a place in the Eredivisie next season.
Teams are not relegated from the Eerste Divisie to the ''Hoofdklasse'' (the main amateur league and the third tier of Dutch football), and ''Hoofdklasse'' clubs can't promote to the Eerste Divisie. However they can be awarded a spot in the league, due to financial trouble of other teams (the latest being TOP Oss to replace FC Wageningen) or when the league expands (the latest additions being AGOVV Apeldoorn and FC Omniworld).

Contents

Eerste Divisie champions

See also

External links

Eerste Divisie champions

★ 2006/2007 - De Graafschap

★ 2005/2006 - Excelsior

★ 2004/2005 - Heracles Almelo

★ 2003/2004 - FC Den Bosch

★ 2002/2003 - ADO Den Haag

★ 2001/2002 - FC Zwolle

★ 2000/2001 - FC Den Bosch

★ 1999/2000 - NAC Breda

★ 1998/1999 - FC Den Bosch

★ 1997/1998 - AZ

★ 1996/1997 - MVV

★ 1995/1996 - AZ

★ 1994/1995 - Fortuna Sittard

★ 1993/1994 - FC Dordrecht 90

★ 1992/1993 - VVV-Venlo

★ 1991/1992 - Cambuur Leeuwarden

★ 1990/1991 - De Graafschap

★ 1989/1990 - Schiedamse Voetbal Vereniging⁴

★ 1988/1989 - Vitesse

★ 1987/1988 - RKC Waalwijk

★ 1986/1987 - FC Volendam

★ 1985/1986 - FC Den Haag³

★ 1984/1985 - SC Heracles Almelo

★ 1983/1984 - MVV

★ 1982/1983 - Drecht Steden 79

★ 1981/1982 - Helmond Sport

★ 1980/1981 - HFC Haarlem

★ 1979/1980 - FC Groningen

★ 1978/1979 - Excelsior

★ 1977/1978 - PEC Zwolle

★ 1976/1977 - Vitesse

★ 1975/1976 - HFC Haarlem

★ 1974/1975 - NEC

★ 1973/1974 - Excelsior

★ 1972/1973 - Roda JC

★ 1971/1972 - HFC Haarlem

★ 1970/1971 - FC Den Bosch

★ 1969/1970 - FC Volendam

★ 1968/1969 - Schiedamse Voetbal Vereniging⁴

★ 1967/1968 - Holland Sport³

★ 1966/1967 - FC Volendam

★ 1965/1966 - Sittardia²

★ 1964/1965 - Willem II

★ 1963/1964 - Sittardia²

★ 1962/1963 - Door Wilskracht Sterk

★ 1961/1962 - Fortuna Vlaardingen en SC Heracles Almelo

★ 1960/1961 - FC Volendam and Blauw Wit Amsterdam¹

★ 1959/1960 - Groningse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging and Alkmaar 54

★ 1958/1959 - FC Volendam and Sittardia²

★ 1957/1958 - Willem II and Scheveningen Holland Sport³

★ 1956/1957 - ADO Den Haag and Blauw Wit Amsterdam¹
¹ Blauw Wit, De Volewijckers and DWS merged into FC Amsterdam, which folded in 1982. Now as FC Blauw-Wit Amsterdam

² Fortuna 54 merged with Sittardia to form FSC, later renamed Fortuna Sittard.

³ ADO merged with Holland Sport into FC Den Haag, later renamed to ADO Den Haag

⁴ Schiedamse Voetbal Vereniging (SVV) and Drecht Steden 79 (DS'79) merged into FC Dordrecht.

See also

★ Eerste Divisie 2006/2007

★ Eredivisie

★ Sports league attendances

External links

★ JupilerLeague.nl - Official website Eerste Divisie

★ KNVB.nl - Official website KNVB /