Paul de W. from Roelofarendsveen, the man who threw a lighter on Davy Klaassen’s head from the public on April 5 during Feyenoord-Ajax, will receive 60 hours of community service, of which 30 hours will be suspended. The incident in question has led to a new protocol at the KNVB. As a result, matches can be stopped more quickly.
De W. was told in court this afternoon that he will receive 60 hours, 30 of which will be conditional for the incident. The police judge says that “it must be clear that this is not possible.”
In addition to community service, the man has been imposed a national stadium ban. De W. says he is sorry.
Hiding after threats
The lighter incident happened during the semi-finals of the KNVB Cup. The lighter caused a wound on Klaassen’s head. The referee then stopped the game completely. The game was eventually resumed and played out, after which Ajax eventually came out on top (2-1 win).
The W. was immediately recognized on camera images. When leaving the stands, the man was immediately taken away by security guards. According to De Telegraaf the man has even been hiding in a secure house in Germany. Many football fans have made threats via social media after throwing the lighter.
New protocols
The incident triggered a series of developments, as a result of which the KNVB now has a protocol ready for when something similar happens.
Ajax experienced one of the consequences of this yesterday. The away match against FC Groningen was stopped when a fan stormed the field and fireworks were thrown on the field twice. The remaining part of the game will be played behind closed doors tomorrow.
It seems that the responsible supporters deliberately wanted to stop the game. Last week, several Groningen supporters groups already announced on Facebook that objects would be thrown on the field, so that the match would be stopped permanently.