Editing Excelsior Rotterdam (section)

===Founding father of Dutch professional football===
In the mid-fifties, Excelsior were the leading club behind the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands. When the [[KNVB]] continued to refuse payments in football, Excelsior chairman [[Henk Zon]] and board member [[Aad Libregts]] managed to persuade association president [[Hans Hopster]], in cooperation with the directors of Feyenoord, Sparta and [[ADO Den Haag]]. In August 1954 the KNVB accepted the proposal and professional football was introduced in the Netherlands.

[[File:Elftal Excelsior (22 september 1963).png|270px|thumb|{{center|Excelsior in the 1963–64 Season}}]]