Wildervank’s footballers have been the sensation so far in the Northern District Cup tournament. They have already won two first division teams and on Saturday the team can even reach the quarter-finals.
Be Quick Dokkum will be a guest at the sports park on Woortmanslaan on Saturday and the Frisian third grader can get excited. Because the Wildervanksters previously defeated two first division teams at home: Winsum and LSC 1890.
Old-fashioned catenaccio
Wildervank’s secret? A clear battle plan. “We keep the spaces small and let the opponent make the play,” says coach Colin Steenge (31), a child of the club and in his debut year as head coach. “And then we use our speed at the front. Catenaccio? yes, that’s what it’s called. We can do that very well.”
Wildervank may be a sensation in the cup, but in the competition Steenge’s team is struggling. “We have a lot of footballing ability for a fourth division team,” he says, “and the other clubs in 4F know that too. They are actually digging in against us. If we have to make the play, it will be difficult for us.”
Spectacle as an extra weapon
This meticulously executed catenaccio tactic is not Wildervank’s only weapon. The club distinguishes itself from all other clubs with a unique cup atmosphere that is created at the sports park on Woortmanslaan.
Striker Lourens Huizing (24) is Wildervank’s main driving force. He sums up: “We have a lot of music, many flags, youth members who form a guard of honor, drums, the song Power by Hardwell keeps coming back. The mascot Turbo of the municipality of Veendam is there. And on Saturday we will also have a play for the first time.”
Atmosphere campaign FC Groningen as inspiration
A piece of theatre, inspired by the Spanish Netflix series La Casa de Papel , should inspire the players and entertain spectators, says Huizing. “In that series, a cracking operation is carried out to penetrate the Spanish Bank and print banknotes. We also see our cup competition a bit like that. We were also inspired by the recent FC Groningen atmosphere campaign during the cup match against Fortuna Sittard: ‘We are going to hijack the cup’. That’s how you have to see it.”
“As a small fourth-division team, we want to get as far as possible,” Huizing continues, “and these atmospheric campaigns have proven to be really important.”
But no more fireworks
But one important element is missing: fireworks. After the previous atmospheric actions in the cup matches against Winsum and LSC 1890, Wildervank was reprimanded by the KNVB: the club even received a conditional fine of several hundred euros if fireworks are set off again at the next match.
“That is why we have urged everyone not to bring fireworks,” says board member Hilda Wessels, who is involved in the spectacle surrounding the cup matches from the Wildervank board. “We have also informed Be Quick Dokkum that it is not appreciated if supporters let off fireworks; we even have a few guys checking for fireworks. As a club, we will do everything we can to avoid having to pay that fine.”
As an avid FC Groningen supporter, striker Huizing is disappointed with the fireworks ban. “That’s a shame, I like a bit of pyro. But it’s no different.”
‘Unbelievable how much this makes a difference’
Earlier this season, the KNVB announced that it would focus extra on the use of fireworks and would warn clubs if the fireworks ban was violated and possibly impose a fine. “That would be a shame,” says Wessels, “because we are really enjoying this cup adventure. It is really incredible how much it creates a stir at the club, but also in the village.”
In the cup tournament, the fireworks on the field had to wait a while. Wildervank survived the group after victories over HS’88 and Harkstede and defeated SPW in the first ko round: 0-7.
Then followed the match against first division Winsum and that’s when things really started to come to life, says captain Martijn Jager (26). “Those first group matches are glorified practice matches, but against Winsum we thought very openly: why not? And thanks to good tactics we also won 2-1.”
Three weeks later, first division LSC 1890 was also killed in this way. Wildervank even took a 2-0 lead against the team from Sneek, but then had to concede two goals and eventually won via the penalty shootout.
Be Quick Dokkum will visit on Saturday, another team that is not doing well in the competition. The Dokkumers, who were in the first division a few seasons ago, are currently also eighth, in 3B on Saturday. “A technically good team,” says Steenge. “We are probably inferior again in terms of football. But then we have to execute our tactics perfectly again.”
After Dokkum another one and then in the ‘big’ cup
With a win at Be Quick Dokkum, Wildervank is one win away from the last four and therefore from the preliminary rounds of the ‘big’ KNVB Cup. That would be quite the stunt. “I secretly think: hope that after Be Quick we draw Peize, for example, also a third division team. Who knows,” Huizing dreams out loud.
About 500 people are expected at the sports park on Woortmanslaan. The question is whether the most famous resident of the village will also come and take a look. “Dick Lukkien? Yes, that would be nice,” says Huizing. “He is very welcome!”