Helmond Real Sport Club, also known as HRSC, is a Brunanter multi-sports club based in Nieuw Helmond, Helmond Parish. Though the club participates in basketball and amateur volleyball, it is best known for its football team, which plays in the Second League since 1970.
Cristian Holten bought the team in 1998. Jack Walters is current manager. Hendrik Meester is the goalkeeper coach. Cristian's grandfather Adrian Holten was a long-time manager for HRSC.
History[]
Helmond Real Sport Club (English: Royal Helmond Sports Club) was founded in 1910 as a multi-sports club. Holten owner Cristian Holten bought the team in 1998 as part of his conglomerate.
Since 2014, they play in the Holten Stadium, designed by Jensen Architects from Koningstad and funded by Cristian Holten. Before, Helmond RSC played in stadiums like Steen Park (1910-1914), Helmond Field (1914-1958) and Nieuw Helmond Field (1958-2014). Once there were plans to have Helmond RSC playing in the Helmondstadion of Mediterranean FC but Helmond Raiders was the lucky team. The Raiders played with Helmond RSC in the Nieuw Helmond Field from 1958 until 1964.
League[]
Helmond RSC was founded in 1921 and entered the Second League in 1928. In the 1963-64 season the club finished last and lost relegation playoffs thereby going into the parish leagues. In 1969-70 it managed to win promotion back to the Second League. Apart from the 2010-11 First League, it has never been promoted to the First League, with the closest being in 1978-79, finishing two points shy of second.
In the 1996-97 Second League, they finished second, but it was revealed that they had been involved in a match-fixing scandal (as well as FC Taurus Niesburg, which finished third and was also relegated), and the club was relegated to the parish leagues.
The football club famously signed Robin Nylund, before he moved to First League giants Dortmund SFC in a swap for Argentine legend Hernan Crespo. They signed Kemburger star Marc Le Tissey for the 2014-15 season and also Matthias Jutsons, former Red Dragon.
Johan II Cup[]
In the Johan II Cup, Helmond have had much more success. In the very first cup season, they made it to the semifinals, defeating the likes of FC Drenthe and Fulvia along the way. Facing Grijzestad Strijders the team collapsed and lost 1-9 on aggregate. In 1932-33, they made it to the quarter-finals but controversially lost out to Fulvian F.C. 4-3 away (due to a hand ball) after a scoreless first leg.
In 1937 Helmond would find their greatest success. After coming up second in their group, they defeated St. Marks Koningstad 2-1 (aggr.) and in the semifinals bested Real Koningstad 4-2. In the final match they met Fulvia; after two quick Fulvia goals (by Florian Evers) Helmond slowly responded to even the score at 2-2. Forced to play a replay with Evers out on injury, Helmond managed to score one goal to lift the trophy.
Squads[]
Second League team[]
| No. | Nat. | Name | Pos. | Since | Signed from | Transfer fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Peter Simons | GK | 2014 | Grijzestad Strijders
|
Free transfer |
| 2 |
|
Hubert Groninger | DF | 2009 | Sporting Markstad
|
€350,000 |
| 3 |
|
Adam Van Dyk | DF | 2010 | Helmond Raiders
|
Free transfer |
| 4 |
|
Jan Van Dort | MF | 2013 | Mediterranean FC
|
€1,000,000 |
| 5 | 
|
Dimitri Martins | FW | 2012 | PSV Eindhoven
|
€1,800,000 |
| 6 | 
|
Gianmarco Balotti | MF | 2015 | US Città di Palermo
|
€200,000 |
| 7 | 
|
Wilfredo Iguaran | FW | 2015 | Danubio FC
|
€3,800,000 |
| 8 |
|
Oliver Kirkland | DF | 2006 | Youth system | Free transfer |
| 10 |
|
Jan Kerker | MF | 2012 | Empoli F.C.
|
€650,000 |
| 14 |
|
Abraham Keringhaus | FW | 2015 | Sterren Koningstad
|
€215,000 |
| 16 | 
|
Joan Camps | MF | 2015 |  JK Narva Trans
|
€450,000 |
| 17 |
|
John Compton | MF | 2015 |  Doncaster Rovers FC
|
Free transfer |
| 18 |
|
Dan Steeple | FW | 2014 | Middleton FC
|
Free transfer |
| 19 |
|
Jose Alonso | MF | 2010 | CA Osasuna
|
|
| 20 |
|
Albert Schuyler | MF | 2015 | St. Marks Koningstad
|
Free transfer |
| 21 | 
|
Matthew Callahan | MF | 2015 | Free agent | Free transfer |
| 22 |
|
George Haanter | GK | 2015 | Youth system | Free transfer |
| 24 |
|
Jose Barano | MF | 2015 | FC Grijzestad B
|
on loan |
Western League team[]
Helmond Real Sport Club has a reserve team, playing in the Parish League System. The play in the Western League since 1993. They can be called up for the first team.
| No. | Nat. | Name | Pos. | Signed from | Transfer fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 |
|
Henry Gerley | MF | Victoria Niesburg
|
Free transfer |
| 26 |
|
Anthony Davis | MF | Dinamo Drenthe 69
|
Free transfer |
| 27 | 
|
Diacko Fofana | DF | OGC Nice
|
Free transfer |
| 28 |
|
Adam Church | FW | Caroline Park FC
|
Free transfer |
| 29 | 
|
Thursday M'bia | FW | Arabian FC Academy
|
On loan |
| 30 |
|
Gerd Nottneyer | MF | Alexandria Koningstad
|
Free transfer |
| 31 | 
|
Abdelhakim Soltani | DF | Youth system | Free transfer |
| 32 | 
|
Friedrich Neuer | FW | Alexandria Koningstad
|
Free transfer |
| 33 |
|
John Van Burnen | FW | Standard FC Academy
|
€50,000 |
| 34 |
|
Leon Fravi | DF | Alexandria Koningstad
|
Free transfer |
| 35 | 
|
Alex Surprenant | DF | FC Edmonton
|
Free transfer |
| 38 |
|
Tobias Hannes | GK | Helmond Raiders Academy
|
Free transfer |
Players on loan[]
Helmond Real Sport Club has some players under contract but those are playing with other teams.
| Nat. | Name | Pos. | Current club |
|---|
Notable former players[]
Managers[]
Will Branson (2004-2005)- Antonio Jordes (2011-2014)
- Pieter Holten (2014-2015)
- Jack Walters (2015-present)
Honors[]
- Johan II Cup champions: 1937