The club PEC Zwolle – Who are we, and what do we stand for?
This coming Saturday, we have the honour of travelling to the beautiful Fratton Park for the match against Portsmouth FC. We are very grateful for this opportunity and see it as a special occasion to take our club to England.
We are pec.nu, the largest independent platform created by and for supporters of PEC Zwolle. Our team of five dedicated fans voluntarily keeps fellow supporters informed with club news and published match previews and reviews – always written with our honest, unfiltered opinions. We would love to give you, Portsmouth FC fans, an introduction to our club.
PEC Zwolle was founded in 1910 through a merger of two local clubs: EDN (Ende Desespereert Nimmer, meaning “And Never Dispair”) and PH (Prins Hendrik). The new club was named PEC – the P for Prins Hendrik, E for EDN, and C for Combinatie (Combination). The merger aimed to increase their chances of survival in the Dutch second division.
Since 1923, PEC has played – with the exception of a few years in the 1960s – on roughly the same site along the Ceintuurbaan, a major road in Zwolle. Until 1988, the ground resembled a modest sports park. Under chairman Maarten Eibrink, however, the club built a proper stadium: the Oosterenkstadion. Eibrink remains a vital figure in our club’s history – in 1982, he saved PEC from bankruptcy with a financial injection. To this day, the North Stand, home to the most passionate fans, is named after him.
Later, in the late 80’s, the club again fell in trouble. Under Gaston Sporre, a rescue plan was initiated. Though the original PEC went bankrupt, a new club was born: FC Zwolle. Sporre’s legacy lives on in the supporter’s clubhouse beneath the Eibrink stand, which bears his name.
Sporting success has not always come easy. The 1970s marked a golden era with top-flight football and a Dutch Cup final appearance in 1977 (a loss to FC Twente). In contrast, the 1990s and 2000s saw PEC mostly in the second tier, apart from the 2002/03 and 2003/04 seasons.
In 2009, the beloved but outdated Oosterenkstadion was replaced by a modern venue: originally named FC Zwolle Stadion with 10,500 seats. Today, it holds 14,000 fans and is known as the MAC³PARK Stadion – though many supporters still call it the Oosterenk.
In 2010/11, PEC missed out on promotion in dramatic fashion, throwing away a 13-point winter lead. But a year later, under Art Langeler, promotion to the Eredivisie was finally secured. During the title celebrations, chairman Adriaan Visser announced the club would return to its original name: PEC Zwolle.
After Langeler’s departure, Ron Jans took over and led PEC through its most successful period ever. In 2014, we famously defeated Ajax 5-1 in the Dutch Cup final – our first major trophy. Months later, we beat Ajax again in the Dutch Super Cup, and soon after, played our first European fixture: a Europa League qualifier against Sparta Prague. This upcoming game against Portsmouth FC is widely seen as our second-ever European away trip.
In 2014/15, PEC topped the Eredivisie table in October and finished an impressive 6th overall. But after Jans left in 2017, results declined. The low point came in 2021/22, when PEC was relegated despite a strong second half of the season. At the winter break, PEC had only 5 points.
Thankfully, under coach Dick Schreuder, PEC returned to the Eredivisie the following year – finishing second behind rivals Heracles Almelo and famously beating FC Den Bosch 13-0, a national record shared with Ajax. Last season, under Johnny Jansen, we finished 10th, including a stunning 3-1 home win over Dutch Champions PSV. However, Jansen’s contract was not renewed. As of July 1st, former assistant and (academy) player Henry van der Vegt has taken charge of the first team.
PEC Zwolle enjoys a proud and loyal supporters structure. The hardcore fans on the North Stand create a lively atmosphere every home match, often joined by fans in other sections. During Eredivisie games, the stadium is usually sold out – testament to a strong fan base from Zwolle and the surrounding region. We fully expect to bring this atmosphere with us to Fratton Park.
However, there’s one match that stands above the rest: the IJsselderby against our fierce rivals, Go Ahead Eagles. The rivalry is rooted in regional pride – Zwolle and Deventer are both cities along the IJssel River, and bragging rights are at stake. If you ever visit Zwolle and want to attend a truly electric fixture, this is the one. The next edition will be played on 21 September 2025 in Zwolle.
We’re genuinely looking forward to visiting Fratton Park and are excited for what we hope will be a great, friendly match. See you all on Saturday!
The team at pec.nu
PEC also played 2-2 away at Fenerbahçe in Istanbul in 2021 (but there were no supporters allowed).