At the Bakker in IJmuiden, Frans van Norden took a moment to celebrate the promotion of ‘his Telstar’. With a whipped cream cake and dressed in a counting start jersey, it really penetrates him. “Telstar goes to the Eredivisie, it’s a grandiose miracle.”
Last night he had to miss the game against Willem II to his great regret. “I was with the toppers. I didn’t expect them to reach the final.”
Occasionally he quickly visited the score. “After twenty minutes I saw that it was 2-0. So quickly? I couldn’t believe it.”
It eventually became 3-1 for Telstar, by goals from Mees Kaandorp and top scorer Youssef El Kachati. Around twelve in the morning De Witte Leeuwen arrived at the 711 Stadium in Velsen, to celebrate the promotion to the Eredivisie together with the supporters.
Today IJmuidenaren can hardly believe that they will play at the highest level again next season. At Plein 1945 a stage is being built in emergency pace, on the terraces, supporters with Telstarshirts discuss the pressure cooker of last week.
Crying at the player bus
At Telstar icon Dicky Sintenie (87) The tears arrived yesterday, when she saw the player bus arriving after hours of waiting. The whole selection had hugged her and thanked her, as ‘Mother of Telstar’. “They were so happy for me that I can experience this at my age.”
At 1.40 am she was finally in bed. Today the phone rings every half hour. The material man, the old trainer – they all call to congratulate Dicky on her Telstar.
“I had hoped and dreamed about it, but I never expected this,” says Sintenie.
David against Goliath
And then there was football. They already knew in IJmuiden that Telstar was playing well this season, but they had not thought almost yesterday either. “It was unexpected, but fantastic,” says Daisy Schut. “Every Telstar fan hoped for this.”
Hans Akkerman was in the stadium and saw that Willem II was played ‘van de Mat’. “It was David against Goliath, and we won.”