Fortuna Sittard

Football club infobox
clubname = Fortuna Sittard


fullname = Fortuna Sittard Combinatie
nickname = Fortuna
founded = July 1, 1968
ground = Wagner & Partners Stadion,
Sittard
capacity = 12,500
chairman = Hans Erkens
manager = Roger Reijners
league = Eerste Divisie
season = 2007-08
position = Eerste Divisie, 16th
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leftarm2=006400|body2=006400|rightarm2=006400|shorts2=006400|socks2=006400

Fortuna Sittard is a football club in Sittard, The Netherlands. The club currently plays its football in the 13,000 capacity Wagner & Partners Stadion and features in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. The club was a fusion of former clubs 'Fortuna 54' and 'Sittardia' to merge as the Fortuna Sittard Combinatie on July 1, 1968. 'Fortuna 54' was a relatively successful club which once won the KNVB Cup in the 1956/1957 season where they finished the Eredivisie season 2nd place behind champions Ajax Amsterdam whereas the 'Sittardia' battled against relegation for many seasons. Another KNVB Cup triumph was also celebrated by 'Fortuna 54' in 1964 before the merging of the two clubs in 1968 due to financial difficulties.

History

The club experienced mixed fortunes throughout its history although they were a regular fixture in the Eredivisie in the 1990s, with many talented players such as Kevin Hofland, Mark van Bommel and Fernando Ricksen emerging from its youth system. These players later joined PSV Eindhoven and Rangers thereafter featured for the Dutch team. The team's management also had an eye for talent, as they snapped up Wilfred Bouma and Patrick Paauwe from the youth setup of PSV. Both players developed well under manager Bert van Marwijk, before breaking into the Dutch national side and moving towards bigger clubs.

At the end of the 1999-2000 season, successful manager Bert van Marwijk left to join Feyenoord and the team seemed to collapse. Due to poor management, the team signed a number of over-paid and under-performing "stars". Fortuna relegated to the First Division in the 2000-2001 season, where things were getting from bad to worse very quickly. Financial irregularities had been discovered and the team has been facing bankruptcy for the past 4 seasons. A little highlight came in the winter of 2003, when two of the clubs fans won the Dutch lottery and donated all of the prize money to the club.

Things have been looking up recently for Fortuna, as they were able to clear most of their debts by selling of the new stadium, the Wagner & Partners stadium. Unfortunately, the team hasn't been performing on the pitch and finished dead-last in the Dutch First Division for three consecutive seasons.

In the 2005-2006 season, the club managed to set a new record in Dutch professional football, going a staggering 28 league games without a win. The club also set a new record by finishing last for the third time in a row.

Proposed merger

It has been proposed that Sittard will merge with Roda JC, VVV-Venlo and MVV to create a new club, FC Limburg. cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/gabriele_marcotti/article3221664.ece|title=A level playing field and Africa will shine|date=2008-01-21|author=Gabriele Marcotti |accessdate=2008-01-21|publisher=The Times]

Current squad

Notable players

;flagicon|NED Netherlands
* Henk Angenent
* Bram Appel
* Peter Benen
* Willy Boessen
* Mark van Bommel
* Wilfred Bouma
* Jo Bux
* Willy Dullens
* Henk Duut
* Harry Ehlen
* Mario Eleveld
* Hans Engbersen
* Heinz Fischer
* Cor van der Hart
* Ronald Hamming
* Ruud Hesp
*Kevin Hofland
*Nico Jalink
*Anton Janssen
*Ruud Kool
*Wim Koevermans
*Urvin Lee
*Sigi Lens
*René Maessen
*Erik Meijer
*Frans de Munck
*Jan Notermans
*Patrick Paauwe
*Huub Pfennings
*Fernando Ricksen
*Robert Roest
*Tiny Ruys
*Remco van der Schaaf
*Regillio Simons
*Huub Smeets
*Richard Sneekes
*Huub Stevens
*Wilbert Suvrijn
*Frans Thijssen
*Joop Titaley
*Fuat Usta
*Piet Vogels
*Robert van der Weert
*Faas Wilkes
*Arno van Zwam
*Danny Hoessen;flagicon|CAN Canada
*Randy Samuel;flagicon|ENG England
*John Clayton
*John Linford
*Mark Farrington
*Michael Jeffrey
*Mark Burke;flagicon|Northern Ireland Northern Ireland
*Phil Gray;flagicon|GHA Ghana
*Matthew Amoah;flagicon|SCO Scotland
*Colin Cramb
*Andy MacLeod;flagicon|NOR Norway
*Kenneth Nysæther

Managers

* Chris Dekker (1992-1994)
* Pim Verbeek (1994-1997)
* Bert van Marwijk (1997-2000)
* Henk Duut (2000-2001)
* Frans Thijssen (2000-2001)
* Hans Verèl (2001)
* Hans de Koning (2001-2004)
* Chris Dekker (2004-2006)
* Frans Körver (2006-2007)
* Henk Wisman (2007)

See also

*Dutch football league teams

References

External links

* [http://www.fortunasittard.nl/ Official website]
* [http://www.fortunahome.com/ Fansite Fortuna Home]