The Miracle of Leeuwarden, FC Emmen’s 2-1 victory at Cambuur, comes about in injury time. Captain Jeroen Veldmate is the creator of it. With a striking header, he provides three very expensive points for FC Emmen. And that after a week in which he was formally notified of his resignation.
When the second of three minutes of stoppage time runs, it happens. Mark Diemers takes a free kick in a nice spot, to the right of the penalty area, near the sideline. Veldmate goes forward, as usual with these kinds of occasions, and grazes Diemers’ beautiful kick perfectly. ,,I actually scraped him, here on the side”, Veldmate points to the spot just above his left ear, in the catacombs of the old Cambuur stadium, sandwiched between a changing room door and the space of the Leeuwarden physiotherapy.
‘Well, you do something’
“I immediately felt that this is going in the right direction. But I had to turn all the way around to see if it was a goal. When that was clear I just jumped over that boarding, I actually didn’t know what I was doing because of the craziness. It was a kind of intoxication. I just walked to that section, as if our supporters were there anyway. Well, you’re doing something.”
The supporters of FC Emmen were not allowed to enter the Cambuur stadium by mayor Sybrand Buma, because there was fear of disturbances. The red and white fans therefore led the players’ bus to a few viaducts on the road to Leeuwarden and they stood at the stadium, singing with torches. They had hung a large banner on the fence of the empty branch in Leeuwarden with the text ‘You can’t see us, but we’ll be there’.
‘A letter like this does something to you’
Three things come together for Veldmate after his decisive header, in addition to that banner on the empty away section: of course the lack of the Emmer supporters, of course that nice scrape ball that gave FC Emmen the win, but also: the formal letters of resignation that FC Emmen received in the past week to twelve players of the selection, including Veldmate. Letters containing a formal notice of dismissal. ,,It was a special week”, Veldmate looks back.
,,Of course it is a formal notice of dismissal, which has to be done before April 1 for all players with an expiring contract, but such a letter does something to you. Did I want to make a statement with that goal? No, because then you actually say that you cut corners in other competitions. So not that. But I thought: this is very nice. For myself, but also for the club and the supporters.”
Support from supporters felt
Veldmate certainly felt the latter group, he says. ,,All those actions of them, that did something to us. As a player you know that you are supported, but we really felt it through those actions.”
And so the miracle of the Cambuurplein was perhaps written in the stars, says the Emmen captain. “It really feels to me like it should have been. All those things really came together. And if I can head that ball in, then it may have been a bit predestined.”
App from dad Henk
He looks at his phone for a moment, scrolling through the apps he had received at that moment, half an hour after the game. He reads Father Henk’s aloud, smiling broadly. ,,’ And I hadn’t even sent you a success message. Should I do more often”.
The spectacular denouement at Cambuur is not even the most exciting he has ever experienced. ,,No, that was with Go Ahead Eagles against FC Den Bosch, in the semi-finals of the play-offs. It was even more spectacular. But this one may also be there. I will never forget this one.”
‘Let this be a boost, the prelude to more confidence’
But still: even this swallow definitely does not make summer, Veldmate warns. “Let this win be one boost to play better in the upcoming games. This can be a prelude to more confidence, which can also lead to better football. Let’s hope so, because there are still very difficult matches ahead. Otherwise, we’ve all done it for nothing.”