ADO Den Haag

ADO Den Haag

Full name	Haagsche Football Club Alles Door Oefening Den Haag
Nickname(s)	FC The Hague The Residentionclub
Short name	ADO Den Haag
Founded	1 February 1905 (1905-02-01)
Ground	Kyocera Stadion, The Hague
Ground Capacity	15,000
Chairman	Henk Jagersma
Manager	Henk Fräser
League	Eredivisie
2014–15	Eredivisie, 13th
Home colours Away colours

Mural in the new ADO stadium

Alles Door Oefening Den Haag (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑləs doːr ˈufənɪŋ dɛn ˈɦaːx]), commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag [ˈaːdoː dɛn ˈɦaːx], is a Dutch [association football] club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag [ɛfˈseː dɛn ˈɦaːx], with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club. Despite being from one of the traditional three large Dutch cities, it has not been able to match AFC Ajax, Feyenoord or PSV in terms of success in the Eredivisie or in European competition. There is nonetheless a big rivalry with Ajax and Feyenoord. The words Alles Door Oefenen translate into Everything Through Practice in Dutch.

History

1905–1971: ADO

On 1 February 1905, the club Alles Door Oefening (ADO) was founded in café 'Het Hof van Berlijn' (now: De Paap) in The Hague. In the first years of its existence, the club endured some difficult times as many members refused to pay their fees and the sport of cricket was more popular in the city. ADO started out in the local Haagsche Voetbal Bond, but promoted to the national Nederlandsche Voetbal Bond in 1912. That year they promoted to the 3rd level (3e klasse NVB) and two years later they even earned the championship on that level.

After moving to the Zuiderpark stadium in 1925, ADO continued to grow to a club of some significance. In 1926, the club earned promotion to the highest national level, the 'Eerste Klasse'. In the following years the red-green-white team struggled not to be relegated at first, but rose to the top of the league at the end of the 1930s. In 1939 the club just missed the class title after losing to DWS in Amsterdam. In 1940 the title seemed very close again, but another 2nd-place finish was the highest achievable position after the club saw many players being drafted in the army with World War II closing in. This time another club from Amsterdam, Blauw-Wit, grabbed the title. In 1941, ADO finally won their class and moved on to the national champion's competition, losing that to Heracles.

In the 1941–42 season all the stars were aligned, and although the War made everday life harder and harder, the club seemed undefeatable. After winning their league, often by many goals difference, ADO moved on to the national champion's competition and fought for the title with Heerenveen, AGOVV, Eindhoven and Blauw-Wit. A 5–2 victory over AGOVV finally brought ADO their first national title. In 1943 ADO won another title, amongst others by beating legend Abe Lenstra's Heerenveen 8–2.

The Hague had to wait until the 1960s for more successes from their local club. After Ernst Happel joined ADO as a coach in 1962, the club worked their way to the top of the league again. They finished 3rd in the final ranking in 1965. In 1963, 1964 and 1966 ADO played in the national cupfinal, the KNVB Beker, but lost. In 1968 they again reached the final, and this time beat Ajax to win it. In the 1970–71 season, ADO started the league with 17 games undefeated and were at the top of the national league, but ended their season as No. 3.

In 1967, ADO played a summer in North America's United Soccer Association, under the name San Francisco Golden Gate Gales. The club finished tied for second in the Western Division.

1971–1996: FC Den Haag

In 1971 the club merged with city rivals Holland Sport to form FC Den Haag.

The club again reached the Dutch Cup final in 1972 (this time losing 3–2 to Ajax) then went on to win the trophy for a second time in 1975, this team beating FC Twente 1–0. Their greatest European success was a quarter-final game against West Ham United for the European Cup Winners Cup in 1976. A 4–2 win in The Hague followed by a 3–1 defeat in London meant elimination. In the 1980s FC Den Haag was often associated with hooliganism and financial backfall. However, the reached their fourth Dutch Cup final in 1987, losing 4–2 (again to Ajax) following two extra-time winners from Marco van Basten. After another merger the club were renamed ADO Den Haag in 1996.

1996–Present: ADO Den Haag

After a long spell in the country's second tier of league football, ADO Den Haag played four seasons in the Eredivisie then were relegated again in the 2006–07 season. However, after finishing 6th in the 2007–08 season, they went on to win the play-offs, meaning promotion back to the Eredivisie for 2008–09. The club's new home is the 15,000 seater Kyocera Stadion; formerly known as the Den Haag Stadion. They used to play the home games at the Zuiderpark Stadion. Their home colors are yellow and green. They started the 2008–09 season with two wins, which put them on top of the Eredivisie for the first time in 32 years. In the season 2009–2010 the average attendance was 11,745 people.

The team enjoyed success in the 2010–2011 season. Beating rivals AFC Ajax twice was one of the highlights of the season. ADO Den Haag finished 7th in the Eredivisie and won the play-offs (beating Roda JC and FC Groningen) which offered the last Dutch Europa League place. They won the first matches against FK Tauras (3–2, 2–0) but lost the first away leg for the third qualifying round against AC Omonia Nicosia, by 3–0, in Nicosia.

ADO supporters have strong links with Welsh club Swansea City. Flags of the respective clubs are often flown at the matches of the other club, and both clubs regularly hold pre-season friendly matches. Legia Warszawa (Poland), Club Brugge (Belgium), and Juventus (Italy) also share strong supporter links with ADO Den Haag.

Rivalry with fellow Dutch teams is, however, less friendly and ADO achieved notoriety following an incident after beating Ajax on 20 March 2011. Anti-semitic songs including "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the Gas" were sung not only by ADO supporters but also by their midfielder Lex Immers who was subsequently suspended for 5 matches.

In 2004 a domestic match between ADO Den Haag and PSV Eindhoven was abandoned after 80 minutes due to racist chanting from the crowd.

The club was in serious financial trouble in 2008, and in June 2014 its majority shareholder agreed to sell the club to Beijing-based United Vansen International Sports Company, Ltd for a reported $8.9 million. The current ownership group has "promised to invest millions of euros" into the club. UVS was founded in 2008 and was responsible for organising the Beijing Olympic closing ceremony and football curtain-raisers attracting prominent football clubs such as Juventus, A.C. Milan, Inter Milan, Napoli, Lazio, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Hull City.

Honours

• Netherlands Football League Championship: 2

1942, 1943

• Eerste Divisie: 3

1957, 1986, 2003

• KNVB Cup: 2

1968, 1975

• KNVB Cup Runners-up: 6

1959, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1972, 1987

European record

UEFA Europa League

Season	Round	Opponents	Home leg	Away leg	Aggregate
2011–12	Q2	Tauras	2–0	3–2	5–2
	Q3	Omonia	1–0	0–3	1–3

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Season	Round	Opponents	Home leg	Away leg	Aggregate
1968–69	1	Grazer AK	4–1	2–0	6–1
	2	1. FC Köln	0–1	0–3	0–4

Domestic results

Below is a table with ADO Den Haag's domestic results since the introduction of the Eredivisie in 1956.

Domestic Results since 1956
Domestic league	League result	Qualification to	KNVB Cup season	Cup result
2014–15 Eredivisie	13th	–	2014–15	second round
2013–14 Eredivisie	9th	–	2013–14	third round
2012–13 Eredivisie	9th	–	2012–13	third round
2011–12 Eredivisie	15th	–	2011–12	third round
2010–11 Eredivisie	7th	Europa League (winning EL play-offs) (Q2)	2010–11	fourth round
2009–10 Eredivisie	15th	–	2009–10	second round
2008–09 Eredivisie	14th	–	2008–09	round of 16
2007–08 Eerste Divisie	6th	Eredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play-offs)	2007–08	third round
2006–07 Eredivisie	18th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	2006–07	third round
2005–06 Eredivisie	15th	–	2005–06	third round
2004–05 Eredivisie	14th	–	2004–05	quarter final
2003–04 Eredivisie	15th	–	2003–04	second round
2002–03 Eerste Divisie	1st	Eredivisie (promotion)	2002–03	round of 16
2001–02 Eerste Divisie	4th	promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion	2001–02	second round
2000–01 Eerste Divisie	16th	–	2000–01	second round
1999–2000 Eerste Divisie	11th	–	1999–2000	third round
1998–99 Eerste Divisie	10th	–	1998–99	second round
1997–98 Eerste Divisie	5th	promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion	1997–98	second round
1996–97 Eerste Divisie	8th	promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion	1996–97	group stage
1995–96 Eerste Divisie	15th	–	1995–96	round of 16
1994–95 Eerste Divisie	4th	promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion	1994–95	round of 16
1993–94 Eerste Divisie	7th	promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion	1993–94	quarter final
1992–93 Eerste Divisie	8th	–	1992–93	third round
1991–92 Eredivisie	16th	Eerste Divisie (losing prom./relegation play-off)	1991–92	third round
1990–91 Eredivisie	14th	–	1990–91	round of 16
1989–90 Eredivisie	10th	–	1989–90	second round
1988–89 Eerste Divisie	2nd	Eredivisie (promotion)	1988–89	semi-final
1987–88 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1987–88	round of 16
1986–87 Eredivisie	14th	Cup Winners' Cup	1986–87	final
1985–86 Eerste Divisie	1st	Eredivisie (promotion)	1985–86	semi-final
1984–85 Eerste Divisie	4th	promotion/relegation play-off: no promotion	1984–85	second round
1983–84 Eerste Divisie	7th	–	1983–84	round of 16
1982–83 Eerste Divisie	6th	–	1982–83	round of 16
1981–82 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1981–82	second round
1980–81 Eredivisie	14th	–	1980–81	second round
1979–80 Eredivisie	10th	–	1979–80	quarter final
1978–79 Eredivisie	7th	–	1978–79	round of 16
1977–78 Eredivisie	12th	–	1977–78	second round
1976–77 Eredivisie	10th	–	1976–77	semi-final
1975–76 Eredivisie	6th	–	1975–76	round of 16
1974–75 Eredivisie	10th	Cup Winners' Cup	1974–75	winners
1973–74 Eredivisie	13th	–	1973–74	second round
1972–73 Eredivisie	5th	–	1972–73	quarter final
1971–72 Eredivisie	5th	Cup Winners' Cup	1971–72	final
1970–71 Eredivisie (as ADO... ...and Holland Sport)	3rd 15th	UEFA Cup –	1970–71	quarter final round of 16
1969–70 Eredivisie (as ADO... ...and Holland Sport)	6th 9th	–	1969–70	quarter final first round
1968–69 Eredivisie (as ADO... ...and Holland Sport)	6th 10th	–	1968–69	round of 16 first round
1967–68 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1967–68 Eerste Divisie (as Holland Sport)	4th 1st	Cup Winners' Cup Eredivisie (promotion)	1967–68	winners group stage
1966–67 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1966–67 Eerste Divisie (as Holland Sport)	4th 3rd	–	1966–67	round of 16 first round
1965–66 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1965–66 Eerste Divisie (as Holland Sport)	3rd 11th	–	1965–66	final group stage
1964–65 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1964–65 Eerste Divisie (as Holland Sport)	3rd 13th	–	1964–65	second round quarter final
1963–64 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1963–64 Eerste Divisie (as SHS)	10th 3rd	–	1963–64	final round of 16
1962–63 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1962–63 Eerste Divisie (as SHS)	10th 11th	–	1962–63	final third round
1961–62 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1961–62 Eerste Divisie (as SHS)	15th 7th (group B)	– – (after surviving promotion/relegation play-off)	1961–62	?
1960–61 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1960–61 Eerste Divisie (as SHS)	11th 14th (group B)	–	1960–61	?
1959–60 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1959–60 Eerste Divisie (as SHS)	12th 7th (group B)	–	not held	not held
1958–59 Eredivisie (as ADO... ...and SHS)	13th 18th	– Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1958–59	final  ?
1957–58 Eredivisie (as ADO) 1957–58 Eerste Divisie (as SHS)	6th 1st (group B)	– Eredivisie (promotion)	1957–58	?
1956–57 Eerste Divisie (as ADO... ...and SHS)	1st 10th	Eredivisie (promotion) –	1956–57	?

Current squad

As of 1 September 2015

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Martin Hansen 2 DF Dion Malone 3 DF Vito Wormgoor 4 DF Timothy Derijck 5 DF Wilfried Kanon 6 MF Thomas Kristensen (captain) 7 MF Kevin Jansen 8 DF Aaron Meijers 9 FW Mike Havenaar 10 MF Mathias Gehrt 11 FW Ludcinio Marengo 12 FW Kenji Gorré (on loan from Swansea City) 14 FW Giovanni Korte 17 MF Danny Bakker

No. Position Player 18 GK Tim Coremans 20 FW Ruben Schaken 21 FW Édouard Duplan 22 GK Robert Zwinkels 23 MF Roland Alberg 24 GK Rody de Boer 25 DF Tom Beugelsdijk 27 MF Dylan Nieuwenhuijs 28 DF Tyronne Ebuehi 30 MF Segun Owobowale 31 MF Hector Hevel 33 FW Gervane Kastaneer 51 DF Gianni Zuiverloon

On loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 16 DF Robin Buwalda (at VVV-Venlo until 30 June 2016)

Players with dual citizenship

• Dion Malone
• Mike Havenaar
• Ludcinio Marengo
• Kenji Gorré
• Ruben Schaken
• Roland Alberg
• Segun Owobowale
• Gervane Kastaneer
• Gianni Zuiverloon

Managers

• John Donaghy (1928–32)
• Wim Tap (1936–46)
• Franz Fuchs (1952–53)
• Dick Groves (1953)
• Franz Gutkas (1954–55)
• Rinus Loof (1955–62)
• Ernst Happel (July 1, 1962 – June 30, 1969)
• Vaclav Jezek (July 1, 1969 – June 30, 1972)
• Vujadin Boškov (July 1, 1974 – June 30, 1976)
• Anton Malatinský (July 1, 1976 – June 30, 1978)
• Piet de Visser (July 1, 1978 – June 30, 1980)
• Hans Kraay (July 1, 1980 – June 30, 1981)
• Cor van der Hart (July 1, 1981 – June 30, 1983)
• Rob Baan (July 1, 1983 – June 30, 1986)
• Pim van de Meent (July 1, 1986 – June 30, 1988)
• Co Adriaanse (July 1, 1988 – February 12, 1992)
• Nol de Ruiter (July 1, 1992 – June 30, 1993)

• Lex Schoenmaker (1994–95)
• Theo Verlangen (1995–96)
• Mark Wotte (July 1, 1996 – December 31, 1997)
• André Hoekstra (December 31, 1997 – June 30, 1999)
• Rob Meppelink (July 1, 1999 – June 30, 2000)
• Rinus Israel (July 1, 2001 – November 30, 2003)
• Lex Schoenmaker (caretaker) (December 1, 2003 – June 30, 2004)
• Frans Adelaar (July 1, 2004 – November 20, 2006)
• Lex Schoenmaker (caretaker) (November 21, 2006 – June 30, 2007)
• Wiljan Vloet (July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008)
• André Wetzel (July 1, 2008 – April 17, 2009)
• Raymond Atteveld (April 17, 2009 – March 30, 2010)
• Maurice Steijn (caretaker) (March 30, 2010 – June 30, 2010)
• John van den Brom (July 1, 2010 – June 29, 2011)
• Maurice Steijn (June 30, 2011 – February 5, 2014)
• Henk Fräser (February 5, 2014 – present)

External links

• Official website of ADO Den Haag (Dutch)
• Groen Geel Hart (Dutch)
• ADOFans.nl (Dutch)
• ADO formations at football-lineups.com (English)
• northside fanside (Dutch)
• ADO for EXPATS | ADO Den Haag news, match reports, photo's and ticket info all in English for the Expat Community (English)