The players of VV Blauw-Wit ’81 from De Moer have to drive half an hour on Tuesday evening to play football against RKVV DIA from Teteringen for 8 minutes. That club had made six substitutions and that is not allowed according to the rules. Blauw-Wit has to make up for a 2-0 deficit and that costs the players of DIA the concert of Guus Meeuwis.
Nothing seemed wrong after more than 90 minutes of football at Sportpark De Gouwen. DIA had won 2-0 and were in the next round of the playoffs. At least that’s what they thought in Teteringen.
At Blauw-Wit, they disagreed with DIA’s sixth substitution. Remco Sluijk dropped out with a head injury. Since this season, an extra substitution has been allowed in professional football in the event of such an injury, but that does not apply to amateur football. And so from minute 82, the moment of the substitution, replay has to be done.
“The referee approved it.”
It causes a lot of surprise at DIA. Trainer Erik van Rooij: “This is a very strange situation. You consult with the referee during the match and he approves it. After the game, Blauw-Wit objected and the KNVB decided this.”
Kjell Hellemons, player of DIA, reacted indignantly. “It’s also about people’s health. It’s strange that we don’t have that rule yet.”
At Blauw-Wit they think it is only logical. Chairman Peter Jansen: “We are within our rights. It’s very sad that that boy has a head injury, but it was the sixth substitution, so against the rules. I would have liked to see it against ten men, we were much better than DIA at that time.” Incidentally, DIA will start with eleven men on Tuesday because the fifth and sixth substitution took place at the same time.
“It’s a shame it has to be this way”
So on Tuesday the players have to show up for eight minutes. That is a bitter pill, especially for the players of DIA. A majority would actually go to the stadium concert of Guus Meeuwis in Eindhoven tomorrow. Some have indicated that they are still going, but others are still going to play football.
One of them is Remco Sluijk: “I want to be there for the team, that’s why I’m going to play football first. But of course I would have preferred it differently. It’s a shame it has to be this way. We will now continue straight after the game. Hopefully we will see another two hours of the show.”
Van Rooij understands that players may choose to go to Guus Meeuwis. “I’m not going to force them to come. I offered to equalize them after the game. We will have to replace the ones that are not there. We are working on that. I had already canceled Tuesday’s training due to not enough man, so it remains a challenge.”
