Two degradants, two stories. In addition, that of VVG is slightly more sensational than that of home club Rolder Boys. It is a small miracle that they were kicked off in Rolde on Saturday evening. A greater miracle is yet to come, because Rolder Boys wins.
A loud bass echoes through the walls of the boardroom. Bertus Dekker looks a bit dubious. ,,That comes from the guest dressing room, but it will not be much different in that of Rolder Boys. Other times…”, sighs the host. He looks to the right. There is a large photo from days gone by. Five boys in the beautiful white shirt with black V by Rolder Boys, also really in black and white, about the mid-1960s. ,,Do you know who that is on the far right in the picture?” Johan Derksen, of course. Would dirty blues have sounded from the dressing room in the past?
Back to ours, back to the hard bass… They probably come from a wireless bluetooth box, but the proverbial plug is one that is important at VV Groningen. That one went out. And then quickly back in. The club withdrew from the first division Saturday last season due to financial problems, but under the leadership of Johnny Meter and Oscar Groenboom, the club was revived almost as quickly. They thought they would start again in the fifth class on Saturday, but that turned out to be slightly different from a technical point of view.
Nice selection on paper
The KNVB saw the withdrawal as relegation. So second class. A lot of players had already left, but Groenboom and his friends still got a nice selection on paper for this season with a few players who already amply earned their spurs in northern amateur football, including thoroughbred VVG player Martin Kamstra. He is the great driver of the team – together with the fanatical coaching trainer Mustafe Ahmed as the ‘twelfth man’. Also acquisition Davy Wilkens makes itself felt. In the fifth minute he gives a perfect lead and Yessine Yettefti heads in with a bow: a somewhat surprising 1-0 lead. The urge to act of Wilkens and Kamstra turns out to be the harbinger of a VVG that plays much brighter than the somewhat nonchalant-looking Rolder Boys.
Trainer Rick Slor may not have liked it, but unlike Ahmed, he considers it all without raising his voice down the line. And so village club Rolder Boys and folk club VVG are completely different in even more areas. Peace reigns at the beautiful sports park Boerbos. Despite the relegation, almost the entire selection remained intact. “Last season we had some problems to score. Then you see that the first division is just a bit different level, because in the second division the same strikers made more than sixty or so together. We want to compete at the top this season”, Slor said before the game.
Tapping from a different keg
Then it will have to tap out of a different barrel than it does in the first half. Sander Jansen hits the post just before half time, but that’s about it. A ball that is rammed into the stands and lands on the nose of a lady causes the most commotion. VVG players Davy Wilkens, Gregory Daalman, Yassine Yettefti, Nabor Steen and Jack Venema all ask whether the woman is doing well. ,,I wanted to head him in”, is the sober and humorous answer.
But the players better take care of the goals anyway. And that also works for Rolder Boys after the break. In the 54th minute substitute Daan Elting can tap into the 1-1 after a fine attack and moments later Sander Jansen makes the 2-1. Without the injured driver Kamstra, VVG is a lot less. Siemen Krikke’s 3-1 is therefore a logical consequence, but especially VVG can draw hope from this match.