The police came out en masse on Saturday afternoon, because two groups of supporters wanted to attack each other on the grounds of football club OJC Rosmalen. Officers, security guards and club officials intervened. Police said fans threw torches at each other. For a while a police helicopter flew in the sky.
The OJC site was the scene of the final match for promotion to the main division on Saturday afternoon. It was played between clubs VV Nieuwenhoorn from Hellevoetsluis and WHC from Wezep.
According to a police spokesman, the amateur clubs took hundreds of supporters for the decisive pot. “There was a grim atmosphere,” says the spokesperson. “There were fans of Feyenoord and Ajax, who did not come for football.”
Advertising boards broken
According to a police spokesperson, onlookers held stones and poles and it was then decided to scale up. Earlier, the police reported a fight, in which poles and stones were also thrown. But that later turned out not to be true.
According to OJC chairman Piet van der Plas, there was indeed no fighting. He says that board members of the non-Brabant clubs tried to calm their own supporters. Police and security officers also intervened.
According to Van der Plas, items were destroyed in the tumult. Photos show broken billboards and many remnants of fireworks. Van der Plas is disappointed by the unrest on ‘his’ OJC site. “This is the last thing we hoped for,” he says.
No arrests
A police helicopter was eventually called in. He flew over the complex for a long time to keep an eye on things. According to a 112 correspondent, there were up to 30 police cars. It is now quiet again and all spectators have gone home. No arrests have been made, according to police.
Tension mounted around the decisive penalty series, which was won by Nieuwenhoorn.