On 1 July 1970 three historic clubs from Utrecht put an end to their rivalry and became one. On 1 July 2027 FC Utrecht turns 57. It is a club with a red and white shirt, passionate fans and a record that many in the Netherlands envy.

Three clubs, one city

In the late 1960s the municipality of Utrecht worried that the city would be left without professional football. So it started merger talks between DOS, Elinkwijk and Velox. DOS was the biggest of the three and had won the Dutch championship in 1958.

The other two were not thrilled by the idea, but the deal went through. The first manager was Bert Jacobs, who came from the Velox bench. The squad was made up almost entirely of players from the three old clubs.

The colours of the city

The new club did not keep the colours of any of its predecessors. It chose red and white, the colours of the city's coat of arms. It was a unifying choice, since no fan felt that his own club had "swallowed" the others.

The crest, too, was simple from the start, with no unnecessary frills. Brands such as Le Coq Sportif, Puma, Admiral, Hummel and Nike have dressed the team. Since 2023 the shirts have been made by Castore.

Galgenwaard and the Bunnikside

Utrecht made the DOS ground, the Galgenwaard, its home. It began life as a 1936 velodrome, which was later demolished and rebuilt. In 1982 the cycle track was removed and the stands moved closer to the pitch.

The loudest stand is the Bunnikside, known for its hardcore support. After a complete renovation that began in 1998, the stadium now holds 23,750 spectators. In 2005 it hosted games of the FIFA World Youth Championship, where a young Lionel Messi scored.

The "Cupfighters"

The nickname did not come by chance. In 1985 Utrecht won its first Dutch Cup, beating Helmond Sport 1-0 with a last-minute header by John van Loen. In 2003 it thrashed Feyenoord 4-1, with Dirk Kuyt and Igor Gluščević the stars.

A year later it lifted the trophy again, beating FC Twente 1-0. In 2004 it also won the Johan Cruyff Shield, the first club outside the big three to do so. In Europe, it reached the group stage of the UEFA Cup in 2004-05 and of the Europa League in 2010-11.

Never in the second tier

The fans' greatest pride is a record. Utrecht is the only club apart from Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord that has never been relegated from the Eredivisie. From 1970 to this day it has always played in the top flight.

Its shirt has been worn by goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen, Willem van Hanegem, Jan Wouters and Dirk Kuyt. The all-time top scorer is Leo van Veen with 153 goals, and later Sébastien Haller also stood out. In the 2025-26 season the team finished sixth in the Eredivisie.

Celebrate with us

A merger that began with hesitation became a club with an identity, cups and a record of consistency. The red and white of the city has been worn with pride for 57 years.

Happy birthday, FC Utrecht! Keep filling the Galgenwaard and fighting for every cup.

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Stadion Galgenwaard in 2025 – Richard Broekhuijzen, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.