 | |||
| Full name | Tot Ons Plezier Oss | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | TOP | ||
| Founded | 9 April 1928; 96 years ago (1928-04-09) | ||
| Ground | Frans Heesen Stadion | ||
| Capacity | 4,561 | ||
| Chairman | Joep Kemkens | ||
| Manager | Sjors Ultee | ||
| League | Eerste Divisie | ||
| 2023–24 | Eerste Divisie, 18th of 20 | ||
| Website | http://www.toposs.nl/ | ||
TOP Oss (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈtɔpɔs]),[1] is a professionalassociation football club based in the town ofOss, North Brabant, Netherlands, that competes in theEerste Divisie, the second tier of theDutch football league system. Founded in 1928 asT.O.P., a Dutch abbreviation forTotOnsPlezier (English translation:To our pleasure), the team plays its home matches at theFrans Heesen Stadion, where it has been based since 1946.
The club's history includes numerouspromotions and relegations, and some spells of sustained success. It has perhaps been most prominent since the early 1990s, where the club established itself in the second-tier of Dutch football. TOP Oss have a rivalry with nearby clubFC Den Bosch.
According to sources, Toon Steinhauser and the brothers Piet and Cor van Schijndel always played football inOss on Jurgensplein, a central square, after school. On 9 April 1928, they decided to found a club namedKlein Maar Dapper (K.M.D.; English: "Small But Brave"), but when it turned out that more clubs had that name, the choice fell on T.O.P. ("To Our Pleasure").[2] On 7 May 1930, T.O.P. played its first competition match, on a field on the Molenstraat, behind Hotel van Welten and next to the local cinema. The pitch was a bare, uneven surface, covered with sand with an occasional tuft of grass. During home games, the goal posts were picked up from bakery Toontje van Bergen, then located in the Nieuwe Brouwerstraat. T.O.P. had two teams in the 1930–31 season both competing in the local division1e Klas Maasbuurt.[3] The first team reached promotion to theDerde Klasse of theRoyal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), where it remained for the coming years.
T.O.P. won its first title in 1939, in the Derde Klasse E. Thereby, the club qualified for playoffs to promotion to theTweede Klasse, where they had to faceSV Nevelo fromOisterwijk and Hero fromBreda. Both teams had already qualified and promotion became a fact.[3]
WithWorld War II looming, the Dutch army seized the then home ground of T.O.P., Gemeentelijk Sportpark Oss, in September 1939. At the end of August 1939, the threat of war in Europe became ever greater and on 28 August, theDutch government announced the general mobilisation of army and fleet. Because many footballers between the ages of 20 and 35 were also mobilised and train connections were disrupted, the KNVB decided to postpone the competition matches scheduled for 3 and 10 September.[3] The KNVB took the decision on 9 September 1939 to establish aNoodcompetitie ("Emergency Competition") to replace the regular competition. In theNoodcompetitie, teams were classified by geography rather than strength, there was no promotion and relegation, and no protests over referees' decisions could be filed. The season started on 24 September, a week later than the regular season had been planned to start. T.O.P. was in theTweede Klasse B, where they, among others, playedSC Helmondia,VVV andRKVV Wilhelmina. The competition ended after only few games when theGerman army invaded the Netherlands on10 May 1940. The competition came to a standstill for several weeks, but was resumed at the end of May. Daily life was, however, disrupted, but under pressure from the German occupying forces, life had to appear as 'normal' as possible.[3]
Afterstate of emergency was declared in the Netherlands by the German occupiers onDolle Dinsdag on 5 September 1944, the KNVB decided to stop all competitions.[4] The years 1940–45 also marked a tragic period for T.O.P., as two of their players, Pince van der Aa and Hugo Brinkman, were permanently disabled during acts of war.[3][5]
An ambiguous situation emerged in the Netherlands in September 1944, as thesouthern provinces were liberated, includingOss on27 September 1944.[6] While the rest of the country was still at war,allied soldiers played a benefit match on 14 October 1944 against a combinedassociation football team from Oss. The site of the memorable match is the Gemeentelijk Sportpark Oss on the Berghemseweg, which had been seized by German soldiers as part of the occupation in 1939.[3] TheRoyal Air Force team consisted of: Spencer (goalkeeper), Dauber, Spiking, Percival, Waddell, Shepherd, Martin, Levy, Phillips, Conve and Taylor. The proceeds of the competition were approximatelyƒ 3,300 and which went to war victims from Oss.[3]
Another war became the centre of attention after the liberation in 1945. On 28 September 1947, T.O.P. play abenefit against the team "De rest van Oss" with the final result 2–2.[7] The proceeds went toDutch soldiers in theDutch East Indies. The match was organized by the organisationNederland-Indië en Katholiek Thuisfront M.O.O. Oss.[3][8]
For many years, T.O.P. played at the top of the Tweede Klasse, competing for the championship. Spirits were therefore high in 1949, when the title was finally won in the Tweede Klasse A. The decisive match was played on 30 January 1949, where T.O.P. played a home match on the Heescheweg against its biggest rivals at the time,VV DESK fromKaatsheuvel. In front of a sold-out stadium, with an average of 2,500 spectators during that season, the T.O.P. team lived up to its high expectations and beat DESK 2–0 to secure the title.[9] Head coachJanus Spijkers was, however, unable to repeat the feat in the play-offs for promotion that followed. The Tweede Klasse A championship did not result in promotion to theEerste Klasse.[3]
In the 1950s, TOP finished most seasons in the top half of the table. The board had a positive outlook on the future, and when the KNVB started to choose clubs for a professional football competition, club management applied for a professional license as they did not want to lag begind other football clubs in the Brabant province.[3] Therefore, as of the 1955–56 season, TOP took part in the professional competitions of the KNVB.[2] In its first year as a semi-professional club, TOP competed in theEerste Klasse C (first division). The stadium on the Heescheweg had uncovered stands with mostlyterracing. Professional football in the Netherlands was randomly divided into four first divisions with about 80 clubs. In the debut 1955–56 season, TOP managed to win five out of thirty games, while they drew five and lost twenty, hauling in only fifteen points.VV Zwartemeer, however, did even worse and TOP ended in the penultimate spot. TOP suffered relegation in its first season in the new league, alongside UVS fromLeiden andDHC fromDelft. Despite local interest in the first season, with more than 5,000 spectators in average,[3] the transition to professionalism was not an initial success.
Ahead of the1956–57 season, KNVB competitions were divided into the one top-tierEredivisie, one second-tierEerste Divisie and two third-tierTweede Divisie. TOP compete the1956–57 season in the Tweede Divisie B group. Once again, the club had to fight a relegation battle, and only managed to win three out of 28 matches againstVV ONA from Gouda,VV De Valk fromValkenswaard andNEC Nijmegen. TOP would draw the short straw, and finish last in the group, with a goal difference of 42–90. After two inglorious seasons of professionalism, the club finally decided voluntarily to return to theTweede Klasse of amateur football.[10][11] Thereby, TOP became the first of the initial eighty professional clubs to return its license to the KNVB.[3] Jan Huinink, who was thecentre-back of the team in the semi-professional years, later stated: "It was not easy. TOP was a small club that had great difficulty in finding sponsors. In fact, this is still the case today."[3]
After decades of amateurism, ideas of a return to professionalism began brooding inOss in the early 1990s. Market research showed, that there was sufficient public support for a professional setup. The KNVB also supported the transition to the professionalEerste Divisie because all conditions, both sporting and financial, could be met. The board was able to convince the club members that TOP wanted to make the step forward to professional football – again – and on a general assembly a vote confirmed TOP as a professional club once again.[3]
The club's official return to professionalism dates to 17 August 1991, where TOP played its first match away againstSC Heerenveen.[2]Piet Schrijvers was the first-team coach, andPeter Wubben entered the historical annals by scoring the first goal for the club in its return to league football.[2] Under head coaches Schrijvers (1992–93),Hans Dorjee (1994–95) enLex Schoenmaker (1997–98), TOP finished in the top half of theEerste Divisie table. The club would go under the name "TOP" until 1994, when it was renamedTOP Oss to more clearly reflect its city of origin.[2]
The first decade of thenew millennium is marked by varying successes. The first season withWim van Zwam at the helm ended in a respectable 10th-place finish.Stefan Jansen crowned himself as top goalscorer of the2000–01 Eerste Divisie with 30 goals to his name.[12] Thefollowing season evolves in dramatic fashion, as TOP Oss concede 100 goals and finish bottom of the table, and a major cleanup of the squad ensues. However, due to there being no relegation from the second-tier at the time, TOP Oss suffer no consequences of the embarrassing season.Harry van den Ham took over as the new head coach afterwards, and led the team to ninth place in the league table.[3]
The glory years only really kick off asHans de Koning is appointed as the clubs's new head coach in 2005.[13] The formergoalkeeper leads TOP Oss to twoperiod titles and the team qualifies forNacompetitie (promotion play-offs) three times in five years.[14] De Koning forged a successful team based on local talents fromOss, such asBart van Hintum,Erik Quekel,Tony de Groot andRegilio Jacobs.[2] In the club's 25th anniversary of professional football, fans voted De Koning as TOP Oss' Best Coach since 1991.[14]
In the summer of 2009, the club was renamedFC Oss in order to separate the professional branch of the club from its amateur section.[15] Ten months later, the club experienced a historical low point. After an intense relegation battle withTelstar andFortuna Sittard, FC Oss suffered relegation to theTopklasse by losing the final match 5–1 toMVV Maastricht. Thereby, they became the first club to relegate to the third level of Dutch football in more than forty years,[16] after the KNVB had reformed the league structure to merge professional and amateur football leagues.[17]
Following the disastrous relegation,Dirk Heesen is promoted from assistant to head coach and given the task of leading the club back to theEerste Divisie. A strong2010–11 season, with only one loss toJVC Cuijk (2–1),[18] meant that the club won the 2010–11 TopklasseSunday Group. In the decisive match, FC Oss beatAchilles'29 2–0 after goals fromJean Black andGeoffrey Galatà.[2] Oss then lost the championship game for the entire Topklasse title againstIJsselmeervogels from theSaturday Group 0–4 on aggregate.[19] However, IJsselmeervogels had already decided to deny promotion due to financial reasons and a desire to continue as an amateur club, which meant that FC Oss had secured promotion prior to the championship game.[20]
After the return to the Eerste Divisie, FC Oss alternate good seasons with bad season. Under head coachDirk Heesen (2011–12) the team plays spectacular football, and score many goals. WithAnton Janssen (2012–13) andKlaas Wels (2017–18) as head coaches, Oss compete for a place in the post-season play-offs for large parts of the season, but miss out in the end.[2] WithWil Boessen at the helm, however, the team managed to qualify for promotion play-offs, because on 27 February 2015, they win the third period title.[21] With key players such asKevin van Veen,Johnatan Opoku,Luuk Koopmans,Justin Mathieu andRyan Sanusi, Oss finishes the season in ninth place.[2]
In November 2017, it was announced that the club would be renamedTOP Oss for the2018–19 season.[22] The season would also prove to become the best historical season in club history. Many club records were broken in the2018–19 season. TOP Oss never finished as high in the league table (6th); never had the finished with as many points (62); and never had the team won as many games (18). Under head coach Wels, the TOP Oss team were, however, eliminated in the second round of thepromotion play-offs bySparta Rotterdam (5–0 on aggregate).[2] The following season (2019–20 season) was unstable. In theKNVB Cup, the Round of 16 was reached via, among others, a local derby against thirdDerde Divisie sideOss '20.[23] In the round of 16,AZ was the opponent at home in theFrans Heesen Stadion. In the league, results were mixed. However, the season was cut short due to the measures taken to combat theCOVID-19 outbreak. TOP Oss finished in a creditable 10th place in the Eerste Divisie in the2020–21 season. In the spring of 2021, the club announced that the expiring contract of head coach Wels would not be extended. He was succeeded by Belgian managerBob Peeters, manager ofWesterlo.[24] In addition,Ruben Roosken andPhilippe Rommens both moved to Eredivisie clubs.[25][26] After a disappointing season, Peeters was dismissed and Kristof Aelbrecht was brought in as his replacement.[27]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Ruud Brood |
| Assistant managers | Robin AdriaenssenRobert Braber |
| Goalkeeper coach | Ronnie Buitenkamp |
| Materialman | Marc Van Griensven |
| Physiotherapist |  Graham McQueen Rosanne Peters Sjoerd Peters |
| Club doctor | Jan van Asseldonk |
| Team manager | John Tiemissen |
Piet Schrijvers (1991–93)Bram Braam (1993–94)Hans Dorjee (1994–95)Adrie Koster (1995–97)Lex Schoenmaker (1997–00)Jan Versleijen (1999–00)Wim van Zwam (2000–02)Harry van den Ham (2002–05)Hans de Koning (2005–10)Dirk Heesen (2010–12)Anton Janssen (2012–13)Gert Aandewiel (2013–14)Wil Boessen (2014–15)Reinier Robbemond (2015–16)François Gesthuizen (2016–17)Klaas Wels (2017–21, 2023)
Bob Peeters (2021–22)Kristof Aelbrecht (2022)Ruud Brood (2023–24)Sjors Ultee (2024–present)
Below is a table with TOP's domestic results since the introduction of professional football in 1956.
| Domestic Results since 1956 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic league | League result | Qualification to | KNVB Cup season | Cup result |
| 2023–24 Eerste Divisie | 18th | – | 2023–24 | first round |
| 2022–23 Eerste Divisie | 17th | – | 2022–23 | first round |
| 2021–22 Eerste Divisie | 15th | – | 2021–22 | first round |
| 2020–21 Eerste Divisie | 10th | – | 2020–21 | first round |
| 2019–20 Eerste Divisie(C) | 16th | – | 2019–20 | round of 16 |
| 2018–19 Eerste Divisie | 6th | promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion | 2018–19 | second round |
| 2017–18 Eerste Divisie | 15th | – | 2017–18 | first round |
| 2016–17 Eerste Divisie | 15th | – | 2016–17 | first round |
| 2015–16 Eerste Divisie | 19th | – | 2015–16 | second round |
| 2014–15 Eerste Divisie | 9th | promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion | 2014–15 | second round |
| 2013–14 Eerste Divisie | 19th | – | 2013–14 | first round |
| 2012–13 Eerste Divisie | 10th | – | 2012–13 | second round |
| 2011–12 Eerste Divisie | 14th | – | 2011–12 | round of 16 |
| 2010–11 Topklasse | 1st | Eerste Divisie (promotion) | 2010–11 | third round |
| 2009–10 Eerste Divisie | 19th | Topklasse (relegation) | 2009–10 | second round |
| 2008–09 Eerste Divisie | 14th | promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion | 2008–09 | second round |
| 2007–08 Eerste Divisie | 8th | promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion | 2007–08 | second round |
| 2006–07 Eerste Divisie | 17th | – | 2006–07 | second round |
| 2005–06 Eerste Divisie | 11th | promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion | 2005–06 | second round |
| 2004–05 Eerste Divisie | 16th | – | 2004–05 | quarter final |
| 2003–04 Eerste Divisie | 11th | – | 2003–04 | first round |
| 2002–03 Eerste Divisie | 9th | – | 2002–03 | second round |
| 2001–02 Eerste Divisie | 18th | – | 2001–02 | group stage |
| 2000–01 Eerste Divisie | 10th | – | 2000–01 | third round |
| 1999–2000 Eerste Divisie | 18th | – | 1999–00 | group stage |
| 1998–99 Eerste Divisie | 16th | – | 1998–99 | group stage |
| 1997–98 Eerste Divisie | 7th | – | 1997–98 | second round |
| 1996–97 Eerste Divisie | 11th | – | 1996–97 | second round |
| 1995–96 Eerste Divisie | 12th | – | 1995–96 | second round |
| 1994–95 Eerste Divisie | 9th | – | 1994–95 | group stage |
| 1993–94 Eerste Divisie | 18th | – | 1993–94 | second round |
| 1992–93 Eerste Divisie | 9th | – | 1992–93 | fourth round |
| 1991–92 Eerste Divisie | 19th | – | 1991–92 | fourth round |
| 1957-91 | Not active in professional football | 1957–91 | – | |
| 1956–57 Tweede Divisie | 15th (group B) | Voluntary relegation to amateur leagues | 1956–57 | Second round |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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