Telstar can return to the Eredivisie this week after 47 years. Club icon Frans van Essen experienced the relegation in 1978 as a player and will now hope for promotion from the stands. “Against Ajax, the fans were sitting against the advertising boards.”
Van Essen played his last of a record number of 388 matches for Telstar in 1979. But the former defender never left the club from his birthplace, Velsen.
“I am now in the technical committee, as a sounding board for technical manager Peter Hofstede,” says the 77-year-old Van Essen in an interview with NU.nl. “I joined the club at the age of seventeen, so I have been there for sixty years now.”
In those six decades, he experienced twelve seasons in the Eredivisie, with matches for eighteen thousand spectators against Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. He stood – just like Louis van Gaal – on the field when Telstar played its last match at the highest level on April 30, 1978. And he saw many matches in the First Division from the stands.
That time at the second level may come to an end after 47 years. Telstar plays against Willem II on Thursday (at home) and Sunday (away) for an Eredivisie ticket. “Since the relegation, this has been one of the best weeks I have experienced at the club,” says Van Essen. “Everyone is super enthusiastic.”
Telstar takes measures
Telstar is taking extra measures on Thursday for the home match against Willem II to prevent disturbances. After the match against FC Den Bosch last Friday, there was a pitch invasion, followed by fights between fans.
Telstar became more and more of a cult club this century
Of all the clubs in Dutch professional football, only FC Eindhoven (one season) has played longer in the First Division than Telstar. The ‘White Lions’ have had one of the lowest budgets for years and have mainly stood out this century with playful actions. Like that time in 2021, when the then national coach Van Gaal was on the bench as Telstar trainer for once.
“We have often been called a cult club in recent years,” says Van Essen. “I had trouble with that. In my opinion, sporting achievements count more than being a cult club. It is more fun now that good results are also coming along.”
In the 1970s, it was normal for Telstar to mainly talk about the performances on the field. Van Essen and his teammates finished sixth (1974) and seventh (1975) in the Eredivisie. The back played 335 matches at the highest level in twelve years, a record for Telstar. In that period, Sportpark Schoonenberg was often packed.
“We were then, after Ajax, the largest club in the region,” says Van Essen. “I can remember matches against Ajax where the spectators were sitting against the advertising boards because they could no longer fit in the stands. A lot of teams have perished at Schoonenberg. Also top clubs.”
After 1975, things deteriorated rapidly at Telstar, which had to sell its best player every year. As a result, things went wrong in 1978. “What do I remember from the relegation? That it was a terrible season,” says Van Essen laughing. “It was very disappointing. We only had five players from the selection from the mid-1970s, so we couldn’t handle it anymore.”
The current Telstar, led by former player Anthony Correia, finished seventh in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie this season. This meant that the club qualified last for the play-offs for promotion/relegation. In the play-offs, Telstar surprisingly eliminated ADO Den Haag and FC Den Bosch.
The last hurdle is Willem II, number sixteen in the Eredivisie. “I come across people who say that it is better if Telstar is not promoted,” says Van Essen. “A lot will also have to happen if it succeeds against Willem II. We have to get rid of the artificial turf, the players’ budget has to be increased significantly and the safety in the stadium has to be improved.”
Van Essen laughs for a moment. “We would have two months for that after Sunday. I wonder if it is possible. Fortunately, I don’t have that responsibility. But I would love it if Telstar got promoted. I would be very proud then.”