The new building was desperately needed, because HFC has grown considerably. From more than 700 members in 1975 to more than 1,800 in 2024. Although it will soon be completely new, the club building will continue to breathe tradition.
And that is not just because of the style of construction: the archive committee, in consultation with the construction crew, has secured all attributes with historical value. Cups, photos, plates and also a model of the old stand are stored. And return when the clubhouse opens.
”I can’t wait for that moment. Especially because the archive will have a place there,” says honorary chairman Hugo Bettink, who heads the archive committee.” The material with historical value is now still in villa Uyt den Bosch, a little further on Spanjaardslaan.
Objection procedures
The oldest football club in the Netherlands (145 years old) had wanted a new home much earlier. The first plans date from 2017. Objection procedures from local residents have delayed the start. They fear (more) inconvenience when the new construction is completed.
In the meantime, the costs have risen considerably: from 5 to almost 8 million euros. Thanks in part to a bond fund in which a hundred members participate for a total of 450,000 euros and a guarantee from the municipality, the club can finance the plans. In the new building, the municipality will be the owner of eight of the ten new changing rooms to be built.
Watch a video below of what it will look like at Royal HFC
