Dutch Tour
Estadio
From Rotterdam it is only another short trip, this time to” De Brasserskade” in Delft, home of
DHC, now playing in the Non-League Second Division. DHC (Delfia,Hollandia,Combination) were
founded in 1910 and merged with Xerxes from Rotterdam in 1967 to form Xerxes/DHC. This is
the home team of Willem van Hanegem, who later became the leading figure at Feyenoord during
their successful years in Europe. The Brasserskade is on the outskirts of the town, where King
William of Orange was murdered in 1684. A classic ground where uncovered terracing, littered
with elegant barriers, curve around all four corners of the ground, only to be interrupted by
wooden bench seating (pictured above by Roger Adams) opposite the cantilever main stand, one of
very few in the country. The ground is still easily capable of holding 18,000 but the Dutch equivalent to the Taylor report has restricted the capacity.
From Delft to Den Haag (The Hague) it is
just another stones throw away. The Dutch
call this city The Residence and it shows. A
prestigious city with prestigious non-league
clubs. Voting by ballot is the only way to
become a member of Royal HVV. Founded
in 1883 and now play in the Second Division, they share their ground with the prestigious cricket club of The Hague (pictured
right by Roger Adams). Set in a salubrious part
of the city, the ground's atmosphere, together with a pavilion and very sparse terGroundtastic
page 72
Issue 23