GVC has made a new step in its transition back to 100% Student Football Club. On Wednesday June 21th, 2017, GVC was accepted to join Thymos, the umbrella organisation of student sport associations of Wageningen University. There are multiple beneficial implications of this, the most important one for students being that the football activities offered by GVC become part of the general student sport card. This means that students with a sport card can join GVC for a much lower (nearly halved) fee than at the present. Another positive point is that in few years time, the university will contract our coach(es).
By joining Thymos, we strengthen our already existing policy to only accept new members that are students. Even more so, we enforce the Thymos rule that those members that graduated more than 5 years ago, unfortunately have to leave the club. This is true for both current and future members. We however have good news for the current members not qualifying as student or recent graduate: We built in a transition period of 3 years.
So, from this summer, or now actually, GVC will operate as Student Sport Association [NL: StudentenSportVereniging, SSV]. There are more changes, namely in personnel and players. With respect to GVC selection, these are new players that finished their transfer (all ending contracts at their clubs, so free transfers):
Coach Marcel van Dijk (sportclub Makkinga, Friesland)
Defender Thijs van ‘t Hullenaar (sv NCC, Naarden, Noord-Holland)
Midfielder Thijs de Klein (van SCP, Puiflijk, Gelderland)
Midfielder Glenn van Lieshout (van vv Geldrop, Limburg)
Midfielder Maarten Viswat (FC Knickerbockers, Groningen)
Attacker Theun van der Woude (FC De Bilt, Utrecht)
We anticipate the comeback as field player of midfielder Ruben Guykens, who has spent most of the season recovering from a major knee injury.
Unfortunately, we say goodbye to various international students that finished their studies and return home, namely:
– The revelation of the season 2017/2018: Charlie Logan (back to Scotland). Strong centre back, but also useful on the midfield, and as striker with the back to the goal. High production (goals) and consumption rate (beer).
– The technically gifted Carlo Leonardi (back to Italy). See here for Carlo in his glory days for GVC.
– Winger Francesco di Martino (back to Italy)
– Attacking midfielder Adrian Lopez Rodriguez (back to Spain)
– Attacker Mike Kendristakis (back to Greece).
All these guys are difficult to replace, but we will use the introduction period, early September, to find new international stars.
Lastly, we say goodbye to club icon Imre Overeem. For years he has been the Sir Alex Ferguson of GVC, but the all era’s come an end. Imre will move to SKV, to be able to see his son shining in their youth academy. At the beginning of coming season, GVC will say goodbye to Imre and thank him for all he has done for the club.
For students thinking of joining GVC: There will be special introduction training sessions in the beginning of September. But, actually, we keep on training the whole summer, so you are welcome to drop by before that time already!
End of this message from GVC, official member of Thymos