Holland. In a nut shell, the beloved heroes of the 1970s were coming back. The Second Division fluctuated a bit, if it mattered – 17 teams in 1983-84, 18 this season, 19 in the next. Just for the record. The top position was grandly contested this year – 5 teams involved. A rare hot pursuit.
With 15 points FC Eindhoven was the outsider of Second Division this season.
Vitesse – 17th with 24 points.
FC Wageningen – 16th with 26 points.
Telstar – 15th with 27 points.
DS’79 – 14th with 28 points.
Helmond Sport – 13th with 29 points.
SVV (Scheidam) – 12th with 29 points.
RBC (Roosendaal) – 11th with 30 points.
SC Veendam – 10th with 32 points.
Spcl. Cambuur – 9th with 33 points.
Willem II – 8th with 37 points.
NEC – 7th with 38 points.
SC Heerenveen – 6th with 39 points.
That was the insignificant bulk of the league. The remaining 5 teams fought for top position, which was won dramatically – 2 points divided 1st from 5th at the end. A bitter pill to swallow for some, because of the rules not giving chance to some.
RKC (Waalwijk) – 5th with 44 points. Tough luck.
DC Den Haag – 4th with 45 points.
De Graafschap – 3rd with 45 points.
VVV (Venlo) – 2nd with 45 points. Better goal-difference gave them second-best position, but they lost as well.
SC Heracles’74 clinched 1st place with 46 points. Champions of Second Division and directly promoted up. Wonderful success after stressful season, perhaps depending mostly on stamina and determination than skills. 18 wins, 10 ties, 6 losses, 50-33 goal-difference.
The other promoted team was traditionally decided in a promotional play-off between stage winners. And that did not favour VVV (Venlo), so it was 2nd place in vain. De Graafschap (3rd), NEC (7th), RKC (5th), and FC Den Haag (4th) competed in the play-off stage. RKC and FC Den Haag were clearly not up to task, but the coveted first place was won in a strange manner: FC Den Haag – De Graafschap was abandoned in the 77th minute. De Graafschap was leading 1-0 and this result stayed – strange, because some games were abandoned this season, generally to bad weather, and were completed later. But this one was neither replayed, nor completed – well, it did not matter: De Graafschap was staying 2nd regardless the outcome of the match. They finished with 8 points, but NEC (Nijmegen) had 9 and won the promotional spot. Delightful moment, but… fairness suffered terribly: NEC was not at all among the leaders. They finished 7th and yet got promoted. True, they were best at the most important stage, but the usual question persists: why bother to play grueling football during the year when you can just gear yourself to qualify to the final stage, as early as possible, then safe your strength for it, focus of it and take advantage of the those who were already tired. Anyhow, NEC went up and that was that.