There is plenty wrong with FC U 1) They are millions in debt 2) They are doubling the size of their stadium without the funds 3) Now they are trying to get the city to bail them out 4) they have no ambition 5) They lost their last manager who did a great job for them because they have no ambition and no money 6) and they hate Ajax because they are media darlings.
I think they saw "MONEY" in the stadium and thought they could make more of it by doubling the size. They never thought about winning and how it helps to fill the place. I can't believe that Amev would stump up all that money for such a mediocre product year after year. It has to be one of the poorest run clubs in the Netherlands.
That stadium is full allright. And FC Utrecht is not a bad club to sponsor in general. The club has a very good image in Holland. It's a bit worse at the moment but in general they have a good image. And sponsoring a club and letting it drop just like that won't do the sponsor much good either. Especially not if you're an insurance company And yes, the club is run very poorly. And it won't be long before the man responsible will start complaining about death-threats and so on. Serves him right. It's the problem with football. The clubs are run by people who like the money and love to be famous. Drink expensive scotch in the skybox doing some bla bla bla... they like it. Too bad they don't have any affiliation with the supporters. As long as people bring in money and are not critical it's fine with them. And as long as they can point the finger to the hooligan / fanatical element they're safe fom the media. And as long as the media can make money they'll print anything. Thus, football is being destroyed by those people who have been yelling for 25 years now that groups like the F-side and Bunnik-side are destroying football. Those people who are in it for the money. That's the way it is. That's why there is so much unrest in the Dutch supportersworld. But nobody will listen. Meanwhile Dutch football is going under.
On my last trip to Holland (2000) I spoke to some people at FC U, and they knew they were in trouble and were ready to jump ship. AMEV installed the director and he screwed everything up and they can't get it right. I think Berger is going to try and turn it around, but with no money for a few more years it is going to get ugly. Its a good city, very nice, college town, great pubs on the canal, and has fanatical supporters. I've heard that Feyenoord is trying to straighten out the hooligan element that plagues it, and that the other clubs are joining in. One thing about Feyenoord, they might be one of the best managed clubs in Europe right now.
All clubs have been trying to straighten out the hooligan element for years now. Probably since the early 80's. After 1997 it became absolute top-priority. But it's virtually impossible. Football and hooliganism go hand in hand. Just about every country where football is taken seriously has a hooligan problem. Except spain maybe, but even there they have Sevilla/Betis matches where violence is not uncommon. It's not restricted to Europe and South America either. Contrary to popular belief, countries like China and Indonesia (and I'll bet there are others) have seen football matches end in large streetbattles. I'm sure Utrecht will be fine. A football club shouldn't dissapear because a few *********************s phucked up.
Isn't there a new initiative to combat hooliganism? No arguments with the rest, I know that Argentina has it bad. Very bad. I think only the US doesn't have the hooligan element, but then again we carry guns and destroy towns when an NBA or NFL title is won. As for teams dying.. www.ct-wolves.com
A new initiative to combat hooliganism? I don't know. There's hundreds as it is already. But the problem isn't hooliganism. The bobo's (rich *********************s who run the show) like to take the whole fanatical element (which is mingled with the hooligan element, these two groups run through each other) and place it under the name 'hooligans'. Why? Because the average family attending a game will pay money and shut up. They will not criticize the way the club is run because to them it's just a day out. To the fanatics it's much more. You're busy with your club every hour of the day and you will rise against things that you feel are not correct. You feel like it's YOUR club. Not THEIR club. So they try to combat the entire fanatic element by calling all of them hooligans. We have stadiumbans for example. You would think that this is meant to combat hooliganism. Forget it. It's used to combat any form of unwanted behaviour no matter how irrelevant. Pissing against a tree on your way to a football match. Standing (not anymore though), lighting flares or other fireworks. All stuff that has nothing to do with hooliganism. Hooliganism has become an excuse for the 'bobo's' to seize power of the game. All kinds of weird stuff is going on that nobody understands. Yet we have to put up with it. But the minute you protest something it's waved away as a group of no good hooligans who have nothing better to do than cause trouble.
WOW! What a great post. Basically the money controls the game, he who has the gold makes the rules. Do families actually attend matches?
Yes families do attend matches. Contrary to popular belief you can actually take your kids to a game without risking their lives. BTW. Jaap Uilenberg, former Dutch referee and now head of the ref association has written in his column on knvb.nl that v persie's goal was clearly preceded by a foul. However, he can understand that Dick Jol (what's in a name eh?) couldn't see this. He also says that Zlatan's goal was NOT offside (I've seen the footage and he's right) in any way. Nor was vd Meyde in the build up of the goal. So it's the same story as always with Dick Jol. He decides the outcome of the match. And wether that's positive or negative for Ajax... Nobody in Holland understands why this man is still allowed to referee at all.
Well its good to hear that familes can attend. Have to be careful where you sit I imagine. As for Dick Jol - I knew he couldn't see the foul on RvP. No way he could. As for the offside, I only got the one look - so its possible. What happened with vd Meyde that people think he should have been sent off. My Spart fan (hates Feyenoord more than Ajax) mentioned this to me this morning. Dick Jol - probably won some money with the tie.
You can sit anywhere you want. Ofcourse some stands are more or less 'opvoedkundig verantwoord' (if anyone could translate this for me) than others if you bring your kids but in general it's safe everywhere. But there is always a bit of a higher risk in certain areas, but since violence inside the stadium is a very rare occurance these days it's hardly worth worrying about. And yeah, Dickie probably did make some dough again.
LINK The Japanese coach won't be calling up Shinji Ono in May for the preparations for the Confederations Cup...which is good for Feyenoord.
It can´t be always party for RvP,but he seems to be through all his probs,he will be the leader of Feyenoord.2x Pi-air,he´s a scoringmachine always and everywhere,incredible.
Reports are that we have signed Dirk Kuyt from FC Utrecht. I wonder if Pascal Bosschart will be next as FC U needs money.
Yeah, it's been official for a couple of days now. Feyenoord got the player for an extra cheap price because FC Utrecht didn't play Kuyt's salary for a time there
The Feyenoord boys with another win, P_Air had some angry fans abusing him, scores game winner, and is probably going to look elsewhere for football. With Dirk Kuyt on the way, he could be excess baggage as well. RvPersie didn't score for the 2nd straight game.
I don't get those fans, it seems the reason they turn against Pierre is because they feel he's not a 'true' Feyenoorder and that he would leave the club if another team would offer him more money....don't they realise every player who plays at the team is like that? I think van Hooijdonk will still be in Rotterdam next season though