I have no records of the whereabouts of David Browne.
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PEC Zwolle’s home ground has seen yet another name change.
From the Gemeentelijk Sportpark aka Ceintuurbaan aka Oosterenk Stadion aka
Ijsseldelta to now aka Mac3Park.
PEC has been a professional football club since 23 February 1955 and alternately
played at the ‘ Vrolijkheid’and the ‘
Gemeentelijk Sportpark’. The latter become their permament home in 1970.
The’ Gemeentelijk Sportpark’, aka the ‘ Ceintuurbaan’ , due
to its location, was a pretty dull affair, with a brick & wooden main stand
running half the length of the pitch and shallow cinder terracing sweeping
around three ends, open to the elements. The ground in its original basic shape
can be seen top left in the picture.
PEC became PEC Zwolle in 1971 after having ‘absorbed’ local
rivals Zwolsche Boys. The mid-seventies saw slight changes to the Gemeentelijk
Sportpark with the erection over a covered terracing, running three quarters of
the pictch opposite main stand, raising the capacity to 15,000.
In 1978 PEC Zwolle were promoted to the ‘ Eredivisie’
and enjoyed a relatively successful spell. By 1982, PEC Zwolle had amassed a
debt of three million euro, resulting in a flirtation with bankruptcy. PEC Zwolle became PEC Zwolle '82 after real
estate developer Marten Eibrink ensured power in 1982.
The club’s name change coincided with a drastic
metamorphosis of the Gemeentelijk Sportpark with the erection of covered
terracing on three sides of the ground and the building of a main stand.It became known as the Oosterenk Stadion,
named after the new and adjacent business park, developed by Martin Eibrink.
By 1990 PEC Zwolle’82 were still plagued by the
financial irregularities from the PEC Zwolle days. Eventually this led to the club's
bankruptcy in March 1990 and the rise of FC Zwolle, the club severing previous
ties of financial dire straits.
Subsequently, the Oosterenk Stadion,
epitomising an unhappy era, was baptised FC Zwolle Stadion with a capacity
reduced to a 6,800 all-seater.
FC Zwolle gained promotion to the top flight in 2012. It
is time for a second reincarnation. FC Zwolle entered the ‘Eredivisie’ as PEC
Zwolle and the FC Zwolle Stadion was branded the IJsseldelta Stadion, the river
running through Zwolle , reflecting the city and the club’s catchment area.
This month, July 2016, the IJsseldelta Stadion made way
for Mac3Park as part of a lucrative sponsoring deal. By coincidence, the
Mac3Park welcomed its 10,000th season ticket holder for the 2016/17 campaign,
setting a club’s record.
Work is under way to install permanent lower tiers in
front of the elevated stands to secure a slight rise in capacity, nearing14,000.
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PEC Zwolle
are on the brink of securing the services of 18 year old Hachim Mastour, on
loan from AC Milan. Having already had a loan spell at Spanish
Malaga, Mastour is generally regarded as one of football’s greater talents.
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Recently PEC Zwolle launched their
2016/17 home & away shirts. The club will alternately play in orange or
green awau from home, depending on the opponent’s home colours.
At home PEC Zwolle will be clad in blue
and white, abandoning the alternative and original green/white/black outfit for
undisclosed reasons.