FC Groningen
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| Full name | Football Club Groningen |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) |
Pride of the North Green-White Army |
| Founded | 16 June 1971 |
| Ground |
Noordlease Stadion Groningen, Netherlands |
| Capacity | 22,579 |
| Chairman | Bert Middel |
| Manager | Ernest Faber |
| League | Eredivisie |
| 2015–16 | Eredivisie, 7th |
| Website | Club home page |
Football Club Groningen (Dutch pronunciation: [ɛfˈseː ˈɣroːnɪŋə(n)]) is a Dutch professional football club based in Groningen. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest football league of the Netherlands.
The club was founded in 1971 when predecessor GVAV changed its name to FC Groningen. Their home stadium was the Oosterpark Stadion from 1971 to 2005, while they currently play at the Euroborg (2006–present).
The best result in the Eredivisie was third place in 1991 and 2006. The club won the KNVB Cup in 2014–15. The worst result in the Eredivisie was relegation to the Eerste Divisie in 1974 and 1998.
The origins of football in Groningen date back to 1887, when students of the city's gymnasium established the cricket and football club Be Quick. In 1895, Be Quick became a founder member of the first football league in the northern Netherlands (comprising the provinces Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe). The league was named Tweede Klasse Noord (Second Northern Division). There was no First Northern Division, but the Dutch Football Association regarded the level of play in the northern league to be too low to be rewarded with First Division status. This meant that the northern champion could not participate in the nationwide championship play-offs with the other Dutch regional champions.
In 1897, the city of Groningen got its second football club with the foundation of Velocitas 1897, which became the labour-class rival of the elitist Be Quick. Be Quick and Velocitas remained the most successful football clubs in the city of Groningen until the mid-twentieth century, winning 26 northern championships between them (18 won by Be Quick and 8 by Velocitas).
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