View source for De Koel

{{Short description|Stadium in Venlo, Limburg, Netherlands}}
{{Infobox stadium
| stadium_name      = De Koel<br />Covebo Stadion
| location          = [[Venlo]], [[Limburg (Netherlands)|Limburg]]
| image             = Flickr - tpower1978 - Training session (2).jpg
| image_size        = 280
| caption           = Inside the stadium
| coordinates       = {{coord|51|21|07|N|6|10|47|E|display=inline,title|region:NL_type:landmark_source:nlwiki}}
| fullname          = Covebo Stadion
| former_names      = De Koel (1972–''present'')<br />Seacon Stadion (2005–2019)<br />Covebo Stadion (2019–''present'')
| owner             = [[VVV-Venlo]]<ref>{{cite news |title=VVV-Venlo officieel eigenaar van grond Stadion de Koel! |url=https://www.venlonaren.net/vvv-venlo-officieel-eigenaar-grond-stadion-koel/ |work=Venlonaren |date=5 December 2017 |language=nl}}</ref>
| operator          = 
| construction_cost = 
| built             = 1971–1972
| opened            = {{Start date and years ago|df=yes|1974|12|15}}
| renovated         = 2003, 2007
| dimensions        = {{convert|105|x|68|m|yd|1}}
| surface           = [[Poaceae#Sports turf|Natural grass]]
| status            = 
| tenants           = [[VVV-Venlo]] (1972–''present'')<br />[[VVV-Venlo (women)|VVV-Venlo Women]] (2010–2012)
| seating_capacity  = 8,000
| record_attendance  = 24,500 (vs. [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]], 13 March 1977)<ref>{{cite web |title=FC VVV - Ajax 2 - 2 (13-3-1977) |url=https://www.afc-ajax.info/nl/wedstrijd/1977-3-13-VVV-Ajax |website=AFC-Ajax.info |language=nl}}</ref>
}}

'''De Koel''' ({{IPA|nl|də ˈkul}}), also known as '''Covebo Stadion – De Koel''', is a multi-purpose [[stadium]] in [[Venlo]], [[Limburg (Netherlands)|Limburg]], Netherlands. It is currently mostly used for [[association football|football]] matches and is the home stadium of [[VVV-Venlo]]. The stadium is able to hold 8,000 spectators,<ref>{{cite web |title=Covebo Stadion De Koel – StadiumDB.com |url=http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/ned/de_koel |website=stadiumdb.com}}</ref> and was built in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |title=Covebo Stadion De Koel - VVV Venlo - Venlo - The Stadium Guide |url=https://www.stadiumguide.com/koel/ |website=stadiumguide.com |access-date=15 February 2021}}</ref>

==Background==
The stadium is located near the former Stadium De Kraal in a pit ("koel" is [[Venlo dialect|Venlo Limburgish]] for "pit") on Kaldenkerkerweg, on top of the steep fringe in the east of Venlo. The stadium was once able to accommodate 24,500 spectators during a match between VVV and [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] in 1977. When Dutch competitive football experienced a dip in public interest in the late 1980s, De Koel managed to keep their spectator numbers up to standard. Behind [[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]], [[Feyenoord]] and Ajax, De Koel reached some of the highest spectator numbers of the then [[Eredivisie]].<ref>{{cite web |title=‘De Kraal en De Koel’, de nieuwe aflevering van de Venlose Katernen |url=https://www.venloonline.nl/nieuws/2018-07-10/de-kraal-en-de-koel-de-nieuwe-aflevering-van-de-venlose-katernen |website=www.venloonline.nl |language=nl |access-date=2021-02-15 |archive-date=2021-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804095606/https://www.venloonline.nl/nieuws/2018-07-10/de-kraal-en-de-koel-de-nieuwe-aflevering-van-de-venlose-katernen |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Name and sponsorships==
In 2003, De Koel was thoroughly renovated and in 2005 it became known as '''Seacon Stadium -De Koel-''', named after the club's main sponsor. After 14 years, the club found another sponsor as its namesake. As of 14 January 2019, the name of the stadium was changed to '''Covebo Stadion - De Koel -''', as a result of a sponsorship deal that includes the 2020–21 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Covebo nieuwe stadionnaamgever VVV-Venlo |url=https://www.covebo.nl/blog/covebo-nieuwe-stadionnaamgever-vvv-venlo/ |website=Covebo |access-date=15 February 2021 |language=nl |date=14 January 2019}}</ref> That agreement was extended for another year in January 2021 until the 2021–22 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Covebo verlengt stadionnaamgeverschap |url=https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/vvv-venlo/nieuws/covebo_toont_zich_groot_supporter_vvv |website=VVV-Venlo |access-date=15 February 2021 |language=nl}}</ref>

==Structure, facilities and future plans==
Not only the location is famous, the long staircase from which players descend from the dressing rooms to the playing field is also famous. This staircase was therefore the subject of a mini-documentary produced by the [[VPRO]] program ''Holland Sport'' in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=De Trap van De Koel |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_HLGjMExQs |publisher=VPRO Holland Sport |access-date=15 February 2021 |language=nl}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref> It is also one of the last stadiums in the Netherlands that still has [[Terrace (stadium)|terracing]]. 

In the long term, VVV-Venlo have considered building a new stadium at a different location. For a long time, the former barracks site in the [[Blerick]] district was considered. Plans were, however, discontinued in early-December 2013, after it became clear that the revised zoning plan would only allow football in the evenings. VVV would therefore make improvements to the De Koel in the coming years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Onze club blijft in De Koel |url=http://www.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/nieuws/OnzeclubblijftinDeKoel |website=VVV-Venlo |access-date=15 February 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131208081937/http://www.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/nieuws/OnzeclubblijftinDeKoel |archive-date=8 December 2013 |language=nl}}</ref> For the 2007–08 season, the stadium was thoroughly renovated to prepare it for modern [[Eredivisie]] standards. Due to the renovations, the capacity was considerably reduced to around 8,000.
[[File:Flickr_-_tpower1978_-_Eredivisie.jpg|thumb|left|[[Keisuke Honda]] of [[VVV-Venlo]] in action during the [[Eredivisie]] match between VVV and [[FC Groningen|Groningen]] at De Koel on 22 August 2009]]
In June 2017, VVV developed plans to build a new stadium at the location of De Koel. The estimated costs (€12.5 million) would have to be invested from the business community.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Heesen |first1=Peter |title=VVV wil nieuw stadion op plek van De Koel |url=https://www.limburger.nl/cnt/dmf20170615_00041966 |work=De Limburger |date=16 June 2017 |language=nl}}</ref> Six months later, VVV reached an agreement with the municipality of Venlo, owner of land and buildings around the stadium, about the purchase price of €545,000. As a new land owner, the club started working on the desired renovation of the stadium.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jakobs |first1=Geert-Jan |title=VVV kan vooruit na deal met gemeente |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/vvv-kan-vooruit-na-deal-met-gemeente |work=Voetbal International |date=14 November 2017 |language=nl}}</ref> After his retirement as club chairman, Hai Berden was appointed 'construction curate' and VVV announced on 29 June 2018 that the East Stand in De Koel would be named after him and henceforth known as the "Hai Berden tribune".<ref>{{cite news |title=Bijzonder eerbetoon VVV-Venlo aan erevoorzitter Berden |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/bijzonder-eerbetoon-vvv-venlo-aan-erevoorzitter-berden |access-date=15 February 2021 |date=29 June 2018 |language=nl}}</ref>

In June 2018, VVV started with phase 1 of the renovation, which was to cost a total of €6 million. In addition, some facilities (such as parking lot, toilets, catering and the new roof of the South Stand) would be improved and at the end of the year the construction of a new entrance was started, in which the ticketing, the fan shop, a museum and more workplaces for administrative staff would be accommodated. At the end of the 2018–19 season, the East Stand would be rebuilt with 800 additional seats and equipped with a fan café.<ref>{{cite news |title=Zo ziet De Koel er uit na de verbouwing |url=https://www.limburger.nl/cnt/dmf20180611_00063831 |work=De Limburger |date=12 June 2018 |language=nl}}</ref> After this first phase, the renovation would take place in the form of a multi-year project that must be completed within 15 years at the latest. The ultimate goal is a compact stadium with closed corners and an ultimate capacity of 12,000 covered seats.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Buchholz |first1=Rob |title=VVV-Venlo sluit bouwteamovereenkomst voor stadionrenovatie |url=https://www.wijlimburg.nl/nieuws-overzicht/vvv-venlo-sluit-bouwteamovereenkomst-voor-stadionrenovatie/ |work=Wij Limburg |date=20 May 2018 |language=nl}}</ref> In May 2019, it turned out that some of the plans had to be postponed, including the renovation of the East Stand. The main reason was that the financing has not yet been finalised.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Heesen |first1=Peter |title=Verbouwing tribune 'harde kern' VVV uitgesteld |url=https://www.limburger.nl/cnt/dmf20190527_00107558 |work=www.limburger.nl |date=27 May 2019 |language=nl}}</ref>

==Pitch==
In the 2012–13 season, the pitch of De Koel, which in 2009 was voted the best pitch in the [[Eerste Divisie]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Groundsman PSV en VVV-Venlo in het zonnetje gezet |url=https://www.vvcs.nl/1441-groundsman-psv-en-vvv-venlo-in-het-zonnetje-gezet/ |work=VVCS |date=13 August 2009 |language=nl}}</ref> was in very bad condition. So bad in fact that it finished last in the "VVCS Fields Competition", a classification put together by the eighteen chairmen of the Eredivisie clubs.<ref>{{cite web |title=AZ winnaar veldencompetitie 2012/2013 |url=https://www.vvcs.nl/az-winnaar-veldencompetitie-2012-2013/ |website=VVCS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212153544/http://www.vvcs.nl/component/content/article/35-nieuws/1300-az-winnaar-veldencompetitie-2012-2013 |archive-date=12 December 2013 |language=nl |date=21 May 2013}}</ref> VVV thus opted to replace the turf with an artificial turf. On 30 July 2013, it was announced that the synthetic turf pitch had been approved and met the requirements of the [[Royal Dutch Football Association]] (KNVB) and [[UEFA]]. On 9 August 2013, VVV played its first league match on this pitch against [[Willem II (football club)|Willem II]] (2–0 win).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hanssen |first1=Tim |title=Omroep Venlo - Kunstgras VVV goedgekeurd |url=https://omroepvenlo.nl/nieuws/artikel/2244773/kunstgras-vvv-goedgekeurd |work=omroepvenlo.nl |date=30 July 2013 |language=nl}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=VVV klaar voor eerste thuisduel op kunstgras: "Kijken er allemaal naar uit" |url=https://www.soccernews.nl/news/204526/vvv-klaar-voor-eerste-thuisduel-op-kunstgras-kijken-er-allemaal-naar-uit |work=www.soccernews.nl |date=8 August 2013 |language=nl}}</ref>

In May 2020, VVV chose to abandon the synthetic turf pitch again after seven years. From the 2020–21 season, there would again be natural grass in De Koel again.<ref>{{cite news |title=VVV gaat definitief terug naar echt gras: 'Er is niets prachtiger dan dat' |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2333676-vvv-gaat-definitief-terug-naar-echt-gras-er-is-niets-prachtiger-dan-dat.html |work=nos.nl |date=12 May 2020 |language=nl}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.vvv-venlo.nl/nl/vvv-venlo/masterplan_de_koel De Koel] on VVV-Venlo's official website

{{Football venues in the Netherlands}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koel}}
[[Category:VVV-Venlo]]
[[Category:Football venues in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Limburg (Netherlands)]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1972]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Venlo]]