The mayor of Den Bosch, Jack Mikkers, decided on Tuesday evening that the halted cup match between FC Den Bosch and ADO Den Haag could only be resumed after the ADO fans had left the stadium. “Continuing to play was no longer a safe option as the fencing at the away section had been completely disrupted by ADO supporters,” a municipal spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The match was stopped after fans of FC Den Bosch used the field to confront the Hague supporters, who had earlier thrown fireworks. According to the municipality, letting the home fans leave was not an option. “From a safety perspective, that was not an appropriate measure. It is anyone’s guess what kind of unrest that would probably have caused outside and around the stadium.”
To prevent further escalation, it was decided to return the Hague supporters under police escort. “The most suitable way to immediately restore peace was to send ADO supporters back to The Hague under supervision and in accordance with the mandatory bus combination arrangement.” The municipality is talking about provocations between both groups of supporters.
The disturbances started shortly after halftime, when ADO took a 2-3 lead via a penalty. Fans from The Hague demolished the fence at the away section, after which some FC Den Bosch supporters stormed onto the field. Fireworks were thrown and the atmosphere quickly turned grim. The Mobile Unit, including dogs, had to intervene to restore peace. A steward was bitten on the arm by a police dog. He was the only one injured.
risk competition
According to the police, it was a high-risk competition, for which extra security measures had already been taken. During the match, two underage boys were arrested outside the stadium because they were carrying fireworks.
After consultation between the municipality, police, KNVB, the referee and both clubs, it was decided to resume the match as soon as the away section was empty. Ultimately, FC Den Bosch managed to win the match on penalties and the club qualified for the next round of the cup tournament.
KNVB response
The KNVB has announced that those involved in the disturbances should expect long stadium bans, fines and possible criminal prosecution. “Once the clubs have tracked down the perpetrators and reported them to the KNVB, we can impose long-term national stadium bans on them, with additional fines,” the football association said.
Condemning clubs
Both clubs have condemned the violence. “The actions of a group of people have ruined the football evening for the well-intentioned majority,” FC Den Bosch said. “We will do everything we can to punish the perpetrators severely, ban them from our stadium and, where possible, prosecute criminally.”
The municipality of Den Bosch, together with the police, the judiciary and the clubs, is evaluating how this came to be and what measures are necessary for future matches.