Telstar, one of the smallest professional clubs in The Netherlands, have been a Jupiler League team since 1979 and the budget just isn't there to compete for a top ten spot. The Velsen side finished tenth back in 2007, but they've failed to repeat that achievement in recent years. The twelfth spot last season was actually their best position in eight years, which shows that Telstar is a regular in the bottom half. Manager Michel Vonk didn't announce play-off ambitions at the start of the campaign. The season goal was to prevent a drop towards the bottom spot, which would have resulted in a disastrous relegation to the Tweede Divisie.
Telstar's campaign was far from impressive, but the Velsen side did just enough to create a satisfying gap with the twentieth spot, which resulted in the sixteenth position.
Telstar's start was in fact a bit better than expected as they claimed the eighth position after ten matches, but things went back to normal later on. Vonk's men even recorded a string of twelve games without a single win, which put the pressure on the team, but Telstar managed to bounce back in time by claiming some crucial wins.
The Telstar fans didn't have a promotion dream at all at the start of the season and the lack of a decent budget will remain a factor in Velsen. The best players will leave the club again during the summer and avoiding relegation next year will be the main mission again. The sixteenth spot doesn't seem like a satisfying position to be in, but this is actually a more than decent outcome for a team like Telstar.
