Supporters of FC Emmen are not allowed to stand in the stands tonight at the match against Cambuur Leeuwarden. So they organized a farewell party at their own stadium. And that was exactly what supporters and players needed.
The scene is as imposing as it is recognisable. Last season, the team bus in the hunt for the championship in the first division was festively shown off a number of times or waited for again at night. This season there has been less cause for jubilation and a hero’s reception so far. The people of Emmen are fighting against relegation. And yet this time too, supporters were once again on their feet to support their club.
Cheering for massage table
In a haze of Bengali fireworks and energy drinks. With a ball to score autographs or a poncho against the drizzle. Well before the departure of the bus, rows were already thick in front of the exit of the players’ base.
They form a guard of honor for anyone who can make even a small contribution to the relegation cracker in the Frisian capital. The hands go together. From the bus driver of Drenthe Tours to material man Karel Hilbrands who goes ahead of the troops with a black company bus. From the massage table to the crates of beer that are slid into the loading area.
Little pick-me-up
Players and staff are treated like movie stars on a red carpet. Thumbs are also in the air for departing trainer Dick Lukkien. ‘They just whistle at other clubs’, says a supporter not without pride.
The crowd at the stadium seems to be exactly what players and supporters need. A big boost in the mind. Because there was certainly grumbling around De Oude Meerdijk in recent weeks. About players who left young fans out in the cold after a practice match waiting for a photo or autograph. About club icons announcing their departure. About that stuffy flirtation with the relegation zone.
That menacing chagrin disappeared in the smoke above the stadium square on Saturday afternoon. From baby to elderly, from pink scarf to hard-core hoodie, from player to steward. Under the noise around the bus, Emmen was once again one people’s club.
The match against competitor Cambuur starts on Saturday evening at 8 p.m. The only away supporters present, besides drivers, are young fans of the Kids Club who are allowed to walk onto the field with the players before the game. In Emmen, the match is watched together in various places, such as in Café The Hangover in Barger-Oosterveld and in the supporters’ base in the stadium.