Pinoké thirteenth club to make a bid for the national title

PLAY-OFFS

Last weekend saw the final decision in the battle for tickets to the play-offs. Amsterdam did lose to Pinoké (0-3), but because competitors Kampong did not win at Hurley (3-3), coach Teun de Nooijer's team goes into the play-offs fourth and last. Den Bosch, SCHC and Pinoké already secured their playoff ticket before.

This season is the fourteenth (!) consecutive season that Den Bosch, SCHC and Amsterdam are together in the play-offs. In the past thirteen seasons, six other teams were fourth in the elimination race for the national title: Laren (six times), Oranje-Rood (three times), HDM (twice), Kampong and Hurley (once each).

Pinoké reached the playoffs this season for the first time in the club's history. The Steekneuzen will be the thirteenth club to make a bid for the national title since the play-offs were introduced in the 1992-1993 season. In the 31 seasons with playoffs, the national championship eventually went to only four different clubs: Den Bosch (22 titles), Amsterdam (four), HGC (three) and Kampong (two).

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PLAY-OUTS

Since the previous round of play, it is also clear that HDM and Rotterdam will prepare for play-off matches for promotion/degradation against the numbers two and three of the Promotieklasse. Only the final rankings of both Hoofdklasse sides have not yet been finalised. HDM is tenth with 14 points from 21 games, while Rotterdam is 11th with two points less than the team from The Hague.

In the Promotieklasse, Nijmegen and Leonidas are currently second and third on the league table respectively. In that league, there are still three rounds of play to go.

DEGRADATION

Huizen's 10-1 defeat at leaders Den Bosch last Sunday relegated them from the Hoofdklasse after one year. Coach Donald Drost's team will be replaced next season by Bloemendaal, which returns to the highest level after one season's absence.