Football club
Football club AD’69 was formed in 1969 through a merger between vv Aalten and DVO. The present Sportpark Zuid also came into use that year and has since been expanded and modernised several times.
In 2018 the sports complex underwent a major redevelopment and became a multifunctional facility used by several clubs, including the skating club and cycling club. AD’69 has around 500 members and plays in the KNVB third division.
vv Aalten
More than a century ago, the most talented footballers from various neighbourhood teams — including clubs from Stationsstraat, Dal and Ormelstraat — came together at a lively open-air meeting. Through what amounted to a merger, vv Aalten was founded. The exact date can no longer be established, but February 1920 is generally regarded as the club’s starting point.
In 1968 vv Aalten was looking to improve the floodlighting on its training pitch, which also served as its match pitch. The club had only one playing field, on which five senior teams were due to play during the 1968/69 season. The KNVB would not allow the same field to be used for training as well, particularly because the junior and youth teams also had to play there.
DVO
In the early 1930s a number of young Roman Catholics in Aalten decided to play football within a Roman Catholic organisation. By 1934 there was already a kind of street team in which most of the players were Catholic. The team was called DOS, short for Door Oefening Sterk (‘Strong Through Practice’). Willem Derksen also played for it and became one of the founders of Door Vrienden Opgericht (‘Founded by Friends’): DVO. The initials were soon jokingly reinterpreted as Dood Voor Ogen (‘Dead Before Your Eyes’) — perhaps a comment on how fiercely they played.
By around 1968 DVO, like vv Aalten, was facing an increasingly serious shortage of playing space.
Merger
In 1967 there was still insufficient support for a merger, although the municipal authorities were already applying pressure. The shortage of pitches affecting vv Aalten and AZSV was one of the reasons. Plans were launched for Sportpark Zuid. In 1968 vv Aalten effectively shifted its biggest problem — its facilities — onto the municipality by winning the championship, because KNVB regulations required substantial improvements to the ground following promotion.
On 30 December 1968 the two clubs met to vote on a merger. The result was 82 votes in favour and three against, so a merger was now in sight. Under the leadership of the chairmen at the time, J. Obelink of vv Aalten and J. Schuirink of DVO, the practical details were worked out, including the choice of club colours. One proposal was a white kit with green socks and either an emblem or a stripe across the shirt.
On 27 February 1969 the decisive meetings took place. vv Aalten held its final members’ meeting at Café Leuven, while DVO met at Café De Driesprong. The vote was 60 to one in favour at vv Aalten and 52 to four at DVO. The merger was complete.