ASWH

VV ASWH, short for Voetbalvereniging Altijd Sterker Worden Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, is an association football club from Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands. The club was founded in 1929. Ascending gradually through the ranks, ASWH played 2016–2019 in the Saturday Derde Divisie and now plays in the Tweede Divisie, the third tier of the Netherlands.
The club won section championships in 1949, 1959, 1961, 1970, 1883, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2005. In 2005 it also won the Dutch Championship of Amateur Soccer and the Dutch Championship of Saturday Soccer. ASWH has won several cups: the KNVB Amateur Cup in 2006 and 2014, the District Cup South I in 2006, 2014, and 2016, and the Dutch Super Cup for Amateurs in 2005 and 2014.
ASWH reached the sixteenth-finals of the 2006–07 KNVB Cup, defeating the professional side Cambuur in the second round, before losing 5–0 against Roda JC. In the 2016–17 KNVB Cup it reached the eighth-finals, where it lost 2–0 against AZ Alkmaar.
Club name.
The origin of the club's name is not clear. Some claim ASW stood for "Altijd Sporten Wij" (We're Always Sporting), others claim it meant "Altijd Sterker Worden" (Always Growing Stronger). Clueless which of the two is historically correct, club members eventually settled on "Altijd Sterker Worden" because of a general preference for this phrase as is. An H for Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht was later added as there were additional clubs with the name ASW.
History.
1929–1939: Foundation, first years and CNVB.
The club was founded on August 1, 1929, as ASW, by five youths from Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht: Bas van Wingerden (born 1915), Johannes van Wingerden (born 1917), Jan van Nieuwenhuyzen (born 1917), Siem van der Wulp (born 1919) and Harmen Haksteeg (born 1920). The oldest of the five, 14-year-old Bas van Wingerden, became the club's first chairman. He was succeeded by then 16-year-old Harmen Haksteeg in 1936. Haksteeg would remain chairman of the club until 1971.
The club initially only played friendly away-matches, for lack of an own ground, and could not join a competition. This changed when farmer Nugteren gave the club a pasture in 1936, coincidentally (as the club kept moving around) opposite the location of its current field. The first home match was played on May 25, 1936, against ULO Groenendijk. The club joined the Rotterdam district of the Christian Dutch Football Association, as a new club in its third and lowest class. On 2 November 1936 ASW lost in Rijsoord 3–1 against VV Rijsoord, the leaders of the competition and initially a stronger rival of ASW. With ASW central forward Pons missing, Van der Wulp scored an equalizer for H.I. Ambacht, yet the team and its keeper were no match for Rijsoord.
Starting in the 1937–38 season, the classes of the struggling CNVB were reorganized into regional sections. Henceforth ASW played in section C in the equivalent of a regional class 1, so it went supposedly up two tiers, while there was a stronger quality variance. In its first loss for this season, ASWH was beaten 7–4 by VVE Nieuw Lekkerland, in what the "Nieuwsblad voor de Hoeksche Waard en IJselmonde" [sic] praised as "a match in which often good soccer could be enjoyed." On Monday, 6 June 1938 ASWH drew 1–1 against ONA Gouda and 0–0 against ZCFC Zaandam – the eventual winners of the 1B division cup – in the Western Tourneer of the Christian Dutch Football Association. In March 1939, ASW played again a strong game against VVE, going 1–0 into recession. In the second half VVE received and utilized a penalty shot. The supporters and players were annoyed by the decision, the referee by their protest, and decided with little reason to quit the game.
1939–1949: KNVB, WWII and a first championship.
In the emergency competition of 1940, ASWH drew against Oranje Wit Dordrecht, 0–0. In November 1941, ASW led the regional Division B competition unbeaten, beating among others Dordrecht 3–1. The season did not end in a championship. In 1942 the Nazis confiscated the field of ASW after which it played on Ido's Football Club grounds on the Nieuwe Bosweg (possibly corner Veerweg).
The last game during World War II was a 1–5 loss against Kinderdijk-side VV De Zwerver in February 1944. The first game after the war was a 3–0 loss against H.I.-Ambacht partner and rival IFC. Gradually an H for Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht was added to the club name, to avoid confusion with ASW from Dordrecht (this club merged into SC Reeland in 1997).
The first section title for ASWH 1, in the highest division of the Dordrecht district of the Royal Dutch Football Association, was won in 1949, after winning all matches. The right for promotion posed a problem: the pitch didn't meet the criteria for admission to the main league system of the KNVB. A new ground on the Pruimendijk in Oostendam was offered by farmer Plaisier, and the club was promoted.
1949–1970: Vierde Klasse and Derde Klasse.
During almost the entire 1950s ASWH played in the Vierde Klasse 4C and 4D. It ended 9th in 1954, 8th in 1955 and '56, 7th in 1950, 4th in 1953 and '58, 3rd in 1951 and '57, and runner-up in 1952. In the runner-up year it was supposed to play an important game against Woudrichem, where the referee failed to show up. In 1959 it won the 4D section championship and promoted to the Derde Klasse.
The first gig in the Derde Klasse B lasted only one year and in Summer 1960 ASWH went back to the Vierde Klasse from position 9. For an equally short period as in 1961 ASWH secured its second Vierde Klasse section championship. In the decisive game, on Saturday 18 March 1961, it had beaten SV Bolnes 2–0 in Ambacht. ASWH thus promoted a second time to the Derde Klasse, this time staying for 2 seasons. In 1963 ASWH returned to the Vierde Klasse for two seasons.
In 1965 it promoted from a second position Vierde Klasse, never to go to the Vierde again. Now a stable Derde Klasse team, it ended 8th in 1966, runner-up in 1967, 5th in 1968, and 6th in 1969.
1970–1996: Tweede Klasse and Eerste Klasse.
Slowly but steadily, ASWH rose through the ranks. In 1970 the Ambacht-side won its only Derde Klasse championship, after it beat RC Leiderdorp 2–0 at home. It promoted to the Tweede Klasse where it would play for the remainder of the 1970s and beyond.
In 1983, ASWH won its first and only Tweede Klasse championship. During the remainder of the 1980s ASWH played in the Eerste Klasse.
During the years 1992–1995 ASWH played back in the Tweede Klasse. In 1995 it was back in the Eerste Klasse. In 1996 ASWH promoted from the Eerste Klasse to the Hoofdklasse, at that time the highest tier of amateur football in the Netherlands. The club was relegated two years later, followed by the title in the Eerste Klasse and automatic promotion back to the Hoofdklasse.
1996–2016: Hoofdklasse and National Amateur Cup.
The club was placed in the Saturday Hoofdklasse B, where it finished in third place. The next season brought the first Hoofdklasse title in the club's existence. In 2002 ASWH again won the title, this time in the Saturday Hoofdklasse A.
A third Hoofdklasse championship was earned in 2004–05, this time followed by the national title for Saturday amateurs, defeating IJsselmeervogels and Excelsior '31, and the national amateur title, defeating Mijdrecht-side SV Argon.
From Fall 2010 through Spring 2016 ASWH played continuously in Hoofdklasse B. In the 2015–2016 season ASWH finished third in the Hoofdklasse. Through playoffs, it promoted for the first time beyond the Hoofdklasse, to the newly coined Derde Divisie. In the 2016–17 KNVB Cup ASWH beat De Treffers 0–3 in Groesbeek in the first round. In the second round, it won 2–3 over SV Spakenburg in Spakenburg. In the third round it lost 2–0 against AZ Alkmaar in Alkmaar. While ASWH suffered a moderate loss and returned to Ambacht with dignified results against a leading professional team, AZ did not utilize several of its prime players. AZ eventually were runners-up in the national cup.
2016–2019: Derde Divisie.
ASWH started its first Derde Divisie season with a series of victories, eventually stopped at a 1–3 defeat against Heemskerk-side ODIN '59 on 25 September 2016. It was a sour loss as ASWH had not been beaten at Sportpark Schildman since November 2015 and controlled the ball 70% of the game. Regrouping soon enough, ASWH completed its first Derde Divisie season in 4th position.
In the 2017–18 KNVB Cup ASWH was out in its first game and second qualification round against Hoofdklasse-team HSV Hoek, when the Zeelanders beat ASWH 1–3 in Sportpark Schildman. ASWH 2 followed suit; it did not pass the classifying stage of the District Cup after it lost 3–1 against VV De Zwerver.
The second Derde Divisie season of ASWH started rather weak with defeats against FC Groningen (0–1), Quick Boys (0–1), and FC Volendam (0–5), draws against SV Spakenburg (2–2), DSV Ermelo (0–0), Jong Twente (2–2), VVOG Harderwijk (1–1), and VV Spijkenisse (0–0), and victories against Magreb Utrecht (2–5) and in a regional derby against VV Capelle (0–1). It finished the season in a disappointing 11th position, yet played good enough to remain in the Derde Divisie.
Since 2019 the youth department has been KNVB certified as a regional football academy.
ASWH strengthened throughout its third Derde Divisie season and on 25 May 2019 it secured the championship of the third period (season trimester), placing the club in the promotion playoff. After a 2-1 victory at Sportpark Schildman and 2-2 in Oostzaan, ASWH qualified for a playoff final against FC Lienden. In the finals, it lost the first game at Sportpark Schildman 0–1, then won 2–0 in Lienden, securing the promotion to the Tweede Divisie.
Since 2019: Tweede Divisie.
In its first game in the Tweede Divisie, ASWH drew against title candidate SV Spakenburg, 1–1. Sam van de Kreeke, who defeated FC Lienden with a second and last goal in the promotion finals, also scored the first goal in ASWH's new league. Next Saturday, ASWH was beaten 0–3 by VV Katwijk, another contender for the Tweede Divisie championship, and dropped from a shared 7th place to 15th position. In the third week, ASWH won its first Tweede Divisie game, 2–0 against SVV Scheveningen through goals by Abderrahim Loukili and Clarence Bijl, rising to 11th position. In week 5, ASWH was badly beaten by VV Noordwijk, 5–1. Noordwijk promoted alongside ASWH to the Tweede Divisie. ASWH dropped to 14th position. A series of mostly defeats followed, bringing ASWH to the last spot on December 7, after losing 0–4 against HHC Hardenberg. 
After two draws against other bottom contenders, with a defeat in between, ASWH rose to the 17th spot on January 25. After an expected defeat on February 2 against IJsselmeervogels, 4–1, ASWH became dead last again. A home victory of ASWH on 8 February over GVVV brought the club to 17th position and reduced the distance with the competition. On 29 February, after losing to Excelsior Maassluis, ASWH made it again to the 18th last spot. It remained in the Tweede Dvisie as there were no relegations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands.
ASWH had a usually successful game preparation for its second Tweede Klasse Season that included a 1–0 victory against the 1st squad of the professional side FC Dordrecht. In its first league game against the strong Kozakken Boys in Werkendam, ASWH surprised with a narrow 2–3 loss, having reduced Kozakken's lead while ASWH played with only 10 players. In the third game it won as a visitor in Scheveningen from one goal, scored in the 21st second by Daniel Wissel. A 2–0 victory against De Treffers at home brought ASWH to second position, a 3–2 loss against AFC (after ASWH had led twice) to the fourth place, and a 2–0 victory over Quick Boys back to runner-up position, where it finished the season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Derbies.
The name derby is always added to games against the older football club from Hendrik Ido Ambacht, Ido's Football Club, and often also to games against other clubs from the (greater) region, such as Kozakken Boys, VV Capelle, VV Heerjansdam, Excelsior Maassluis, RVVH Ridderkerk, VV Rijsoord, VV Spijkenisse, Stedoco Hoornaar, Sparta Rotterdam and Pelikaan Zwijndrecht.