Once again FC Utrecht is trying to screw visiting supporters. According to an agreement, reached last year between SOVS (Dutch supporters association), KNVB and clubs, FC Utrecht should give visitors 1200 tickets. However, since Utrecht is still renovating it's stadium it was agreed that they would only have to give 850 tickets. But now they're trying to screw Ajax supporters by saying they can only hand out 549 tickets because they cannot guarantee the safety of visitors (pfffff as if we need them to) since certain modifications around the away end have not been finished yet. Now this BS is quite normal in Holland. Almost every match there is trouble with tickets, combi-travels... it goes on and on. But this time (finally), the KNVB has demanded that Utrecht gives Ajax 850 tickets. If they do not, FC Utrecht will receive a 35.000 euro fine and an official warning which might have consequences for obtaining a license for pro football in the future. We'll see how Utrecht tries to get out of this one. The OFA (Independent Ajax Supportersclub) has announced that actions might follow on short term if Utrecht sticks to the 549 tickets. Either way, seems like Utrecht is phucked
2nd half of the season + pre-season so far (The season hasn't even begun yet): Den Haag - PSV PSV supporters not allowed at first. After protests the match will now be played on a wednesday afternoon at 14.00 FC Utrecht - Ajax See above post De Graafschap - FC Utrecht Forbidden for security reasons, there is fear that Utrecht fans will use this match to show their discontent towards the club's board. FC Twente - Hamburger SV (friendly) Forbidden for security reasons Willem 2 - Ajax A combi match, decided by Mr Stekelenburg (Major of Tilburg and also someone who thinks along with KNVB)... the man who said there are way to many unnecessary combi-travels. Since Willem2 - Ajax has never led to any real big trouble (we usually sit in their end without any problems) ofcourse this will lead to anger again. (Combi = ticket sales only in combination with organized and police-guided travel by bus or train, directly to the stadium... a lot of the fanatical fans have a big disliking for the combi travels) Much, much, much more to follow. Pretty funny how we are the only country in the world where there is so much trouble around the organization of matches...
Hmmm... this situation is definitely getting worse. makes it real hard to make plans to travel to matches, that's for sure. Imagine if Den Haag gets promoted to the Eredivisie next year, things will even get tighter.
Hey, at least the kids at the basisscholen can still go to this game...the Hageneese Mayor isn't heartless.
Yesterday at 13.00 +- 200 Ajax supporters protested (unexpectedly) at the KNVB in Zeist. They protested unjustified combi's (like Willem 2 sunday) and unjustified stadiumbans (you can be found 'not guilty' in court but still keep your stadiumban). A petition was handed over with the following points: - be taken seriously by KNVB - KNVB must make all clubs comply to the license-conditions (i.e. enough tickets available) - Serious measures against clubs who do not comply. - No more games between clubs and their cities mayors (when a club gives too little tickets to visitors and fans do not agree a major usually forbids a game or any travelling supporters) - Adaptions in the security policy - Adaptions in the stadiumban policy - Seriously research putting an end to the combi The supporters demanded that KNVB picks a date for talks between KNVB and supporters and want to be notified about this within a week.
Well... Our trip to Tilburg ended in a small chaos. As a way of protest against the combi a group of Ajax fans blocked the entrance to the combi-busses early in the morning. Ajax decided to call the whole combi-trip off. Stewards present told fans that it would be allright for them to travel to Tilburg by own means with their combi-ticket (which is NOT an entrance ticket but which must be exchanged for a ticket when you board the combi bus). We didn't have any tickets but since Tilburg is always fun and we expected the match to be shown in pubs around Tilburg we took the train to Tilburg. Once in Tilburg it became clear that the city had issued a 'noodverordening'. I don't know the English word but it basically comes down to the fact that police can tell anyone to phuck off. If not they get arrested. We went to a Willem 2 pub and had some beers with their supporters (although we're not friends we're not really rivals also). When we left and were standing in front of the pub (+- 40 of us) three police busses came racing to us. The first few made a run for it so the rest decided it would be best to follow. To make a very long story short: We were told that we were not allowed to come near the stadium and that we had to leave Tilburg at once. We didn't agree and tried to go back to the pub we left earlier. But again police busses came racing at us (that's usually a sign that you have to run. This is a tactic they use to quickly pull someone into a bus) so we went for the towncentre. In the mean time we got several reports of rioting near the stadium, where police refused entrance to about 500 Ajax fans with combi-tickets. Police on horseback and riot police reacted very agressively. In response the Ajax fans tried to storm the entrance, but failed. incidents around the stadium The media have suggested that Ajax fans were rioting in Tilburg but have not said a word about the way police tried to deal with the situation. Many people who were allowed to stand over here by one officer were arrested for doing so by another. Any Ajax fan present can tell you that it was police who started it. After drinking in a pub in Tilburg centre 7 police busses drove up in front. They told us to leave within 5 minutes or be arrested. Well... allright. The minute we walked out they arrested one of us and attacked the rest. Being small in numbers (+-30 by now) we made a run for it toward the station. After running for 5 minutes me and some others had had it. We told everyone to stop running as we were now in the street where the station is located. A police van drove next to me and I asked him if it was possible that they left us alone if we would be good boys and hopped along to the station. "Sure" he said. After taking 2 steps three vans came racing towards us again and we had to make some weird leaps in order not to get run over and/or arrested. Thankfully we made it to the station and jumped on the first train. Now I've seen weird stuff. But I've never experienced a group so willing to behave for the good of the cause being chased and battered by a group of idiots who say "I don't know, orders" when you ask them why they're giving you such a hard time. But as always, the media know better and we got what we deserved. Too bad that everyone believes them. All in all a lot of chaos thanks to the befehld ist befehl attitude in Tilburg. about 130 Ajaxfans did make it inside
That was a great story. I can't wait until I'm being chased through the streets by police with all of yall.
The KNVB has taken Ajax supporters up on their offer. Some KNVB representatives will meet with Ajax supporters in Amsterdamnext week to talk about the demands made last week.
Great post, AFCA. If Willem II mayor (Stekelenburg, I think ?) continues to treat Ajax supporters this way, then the rivalry between this normally two friendly teams will become a risk category. But worse still, the whole of the netherlands will be under a different impression - in that the Ajax supporters caused all this drama. After all, the media will pounce on the fact that it was a few Ajax supporters who started it first, by blocking the combi-bus at the ArenA... Talk about Tilburg police overreacting !!
I'll let you in on a little secret. That's the whole idea. Police willingly give false statements (wether it's to the media or about arrested supporters), KNVB play the game along by sustaining stadiumbans for those who have been declared innocent in court. And the media... they love to burn the fanatic cores down to the ground. When it's bad news they'll add to it. When there's good news they're not interested, so no one will know. It might sound paranoid but it's true. An example: Last year there were was a reasonably big fight at Twente-Ajax. Twente supporters in the section next to the Ajax end threw cups full of coffee and other stuff into the Ajax end and told Ajax fans to come over. And that's exactly what happened. The day after, the Telegraaf (biggest newspaper in Holland - full of BS stories) had a so called eyewitness telling a story of Ajax hooligans armed with chains rampaging through a family stand where mothers, fathers and children had to run for their dear lives. 1) It's no family stand 2) There were no chains 3) One Ajax actuallty entered the stand to steal a banner. The rest never went up there. BS stories like this can be read everywhere. And unfortunately, people believe everything they are told. Sure... things happen. Violence comes with the territory. F-side, Bunnik-side, whatever - side are no angels. Never have been, never will be. But that's no reason to lie about everything that happens. Oh well... politics.
And it is completely understandable, about all those lies and exaggerations. The media has always enjoyed a sensational news about anything that might even resemble an ounce of what they might call "hooliganism", and blow it completely out of proportion. They spice it to death - everywhere, in every country !
I was going to say something relatively important but I just completely forgot as soon as I hit "post reply."
An article from the AD about Den Haag and the attention they get in their road the Eredivisie. PSV voorkomt hete bekermiddag in Zuiderpark 'Nobody wants ADO' By Paul van den Bosch ADO Den Haag got what it had wanted for so long: a big game in the Zuiderpark (DH stadium). Still, PSV qualified for the AC quarterfinal in a professional way: 0-3 (Kezman and Rommedahl 2x). After the game troubles flared for a moment afterall. The welcomingcomittee that would welcome PSV at trainingkamp in a hotel in Kijkduin on tuesday night in an intimidating way was made up of only 10 DH supporters. En you could hardly speak of a 'hot' cupgame on the field of the Zuiderpark yesterday. Only Mateja Kezman was subject of a few hurting chatns of the DH following during the warmup. But by now the Yugoslavian is welcomed like that in almost every Dutch stadium where he goes with PSV. Coach Guss Giddink tells his topscorer to ignore those insults en punish them with goals. Kezman managed to do so within 15 minutes in Den Haag. However, it keeps frustrating PSV that they were fined for racist chants against Arsenal's Henry themselves by UEFA, but that Kezman remains a verbal prey for hostile legions in Holland. After the game however, sirenes screamed around the stadium, horses started galopping, supporters were arrested en the PSV squad had to wait in the catacombs until they got a sign that it was safe to get to the players bus. A great display of power, but not that much trouble, director Robert Langenbach concluded. But it's these worrying scenes that mayors and eredivisieclubs fear for next season, because being top of the league, ADO has a big chance to get back to the highest level. "Nobody wants us" trainer Lex Schoenmaker knows. "We can't even get any friendlies". Langenbach "If people in the eredivisie could choose between Den Haag and Emmen, they'd probably choose the latter" But inside the stadium everything went perfect. What happens outside is a public order question. Den Haag is Holland's 3rd city and some problems come with the territory. They are different problems than in a small Limburg town. The match against PSV was the ultimate test in every discipline. The Brabanders were the ideal opponent. A top 3 club, but not an archrival to a Den haag supporter like feyenoord en especially Ajax. If these clubs were to visit Den Haag, the Zuiderpark would rebuilt like a stronghold even more than was the case yesterday. Schoenmaker: "the rivalry with PSV isn't big. When I played here myself, we didn't have trouble with PSV. there would be 8000 people on the stands, against feyenoord or Ajax it was sold out with 23.000" The old stadium can't handle that many people anymore. With 9900 customers (wtf?) the Zuiderpark was filled for the largest part. Niet as a team but with the atmosphere Den Haag can be a real asset to the Eredivise, that club and supporters want so dearly after a decennium. The ambiance is raw and full of temperament, like at many English clubs. ADO doesn't stand for business to business but for a broodje hambuhgah (DH accent) and supporters that clear their throats full of hope at every decent action on the midfield. But apparently still also for running-for-your-life on the stadiumsquare. Commercial and sporting succes will depend on the question how the fanatical part of the following will be controlled. At ADo they know everybody is carefully watching their march towards the Eredivisie. In march the citycounsil will decide on a new stadium in a different part of town. That accomodation, ready in 2005, should also be better prepared for a smooth in and out stream of supporters. Until that day ADO will have to do with the Zuiderpark. Trainer Schoenmaker knew a solution. Cynical: "It has taken a long time to get the stadium full again. It has to stay this way. Let the city provideus with a large police force. They can spare them. Den Haag is a peaceful town. In the first month of 2003 we only had 4 murders..."
Thanks for the translation. It's always enjoyable to read news from other team's perspective. The writer is accurate to say that the whole of NL is watching ADO Den Haag closely - AND showing concern - as they appear to have a great chance to get promoted to the Eredivisie. It's good reading material.
The sleeping giant awakens next season The current management at Den Haag seem to be doing pretty good so far, and planning to make a big team out of the HFC. Would be nice to have a 4th team go for the championship every year, but that probably won't be the case for years to come if at all.
Zwolle away FC Zwolle away is also a combi because a majority of Zwolle home matches has ended in trouble this season. But as Ajax is a few sizes too big for the local troublemakers, many feel that this is also an unnecessary combi-arrangement. Chances are that there will be actions again. Other soap-opera news: - Police have refused to join KNVB and Ajax supporters representatives in the talks mentioned earlier in this post. - Other Dutch supporters (i.e. utrecht, feyenoord) were quite happy with Ajax supporters actions in Zeist and hope to hop on the train. Hopefully the great willingness under Ajax supporters to go into action will spread among other supportersgroups. It's the only way to achieve real succes.
KNVB has said that it will NOT engage in talks with Ajax supporters. It will only talk with SOVS (national supporters association). All in all, the KNVB once again proves that they do not want to solve problems but rather let them rot and afterwards say 'we have tried everything to keep those supporters under control' (except talk of course). The arrogance of power... Might turn out to be a hot ending of the season. Not in the last place for the KNVB itself. Next stop: Zwolle away.
Today is Zwolle away, another day of protest (and probably some other things as well). Report to follow later. Latest developments in the Dutch soap: Amstelcup semi final between feyenoord and Ajax. The rotterdam city council is not happy with the idea of hosting 1600 Ajax fans midweek and in the dark (eventhough these 1600 do not even actually touch rotterdam soil for one second). Also, the NS (Dutch railways) cannot transport 1600 fans at that time of day. Options: - Match played on neutral ground (optionally without public) - NS might be able to transort 800 Ajax fans - Match turned around, to be played in A'dam. But of course this doesn't solve the problem. Rumour has it that the match will be played on neutral ground although it seems now that the KNVB demands that the match will be played at night (due to live broadcasting). But rotterdam doesn't want ajax supporters at night. Which is absolute BS. More later on, and of course again at the time of the final, when the same game starts all over again. Rotterdam cannot host any matches. That's their problem.