To maintain a strong bond with the supporter sitting at home, Ajax melted the last championship scale into 40,000 stars, delivered in a nice box with certificate. But yes, not every club has a championship bowl on offer to keep the fans happy. How do clubs embrace their supporters, now that the stadiums remain empty even after relaxation, omikron is lurking and the competition cannot tolerate any delay due to the busy calendar?
‘ADO The Hague means a lot in the city’, notes Jesper van den Bosch, commercial manager of ADO. He eats his sandwich during the conversation, as busy as he is. On Thursday, a message appeared on the internet about football players threatening to strike, out of dissatisfaction with the lack of payments. “They’re just training,” he says reassuringly, between bites. ‘There is only uncertainty about premiums, but we will solve that too.’
At the start of the season, when the uncertainty after the departure of the Chinese owner was great, there was no money for premiums anyway. Now that Globalon Football Holdings is officially awaiting KNVB approval for the takeover, there is new impetus, fueled by good performances, a period title won and promotion on the horizon. Players want to share in that success.
At ADO all problems of contemporary football come together. Takeover by the European subsidiary of an American company. Negotiations on an agreement with creditors. Six points deducted for violation of the license terms. In the meantime, the top match against Excelsior was canceled last week due to too many infections at Excelsior.
But the club is alive again. Van den Bosch: ‘Last season, in an empty stadium, we fought against relegation. Now there is new energy, because we are competing for promotion. Togetherness and fraternization are great. Everyone stands shoulder to shoulder by going through this uncertain period together.’ And he sighs: ‘In England and Spain there is just an audience. Why not here?’
How do you hold the fans?
Every club experiences this time differently, but the key question is: how do we keep the public interested, how do we roll off losses with stadiums that now and then go into lockdown, while it is never known exactly when they will open again. ‘The uncertainty is the hardest part’, says chairman and director Philippe van Esch of Helmond Sport. “Government swagger. It is a time of splits and dilemmas.’ Hours after the conversation, he reports that Helmond Sport cannot and does not want to play against Emmen this Friday, due to omikron and injuries.
Playing football in times of a comprehensive crisis is tough for any club. Champion Ajax is rich, but heaps of money are also being spent. Ajax sold David Neres to Shakhtar Donetsk, hired Brian Brobbey from Leipzig to make up for the lack of top scorer Sébastien Haller (Africa Cup) and wants to buy Steven Bergwijn for roughly 20 million. PSV stole Joey Veerman in front of Feyenoord, after the unexpected stop of Davy Pröpper. Feyenoord wants Riechedly Bazoer from Vitesse. PEC Zwolle is betting on goals from Oussama Darfalou and Max de Waal, to get rid of last place.
It has to be for every club within budgets full of uncertainties. The resumption of the eredivisie, after the first division started last week, cannot bear any delay, while omikron is taking hold. Cancellations? As little as possible. Quarantine, even if omikron turns out to be a glorified flu? For now, yes. Clubs flew home from their training camp abroad, or didn’t go at all. Ajax, which ignored the corona rules by flying back with infected players, is one point behind PSV and starts with difficult duels, Utrecht-out and PSV-out. Feyenoord immediately plays against Vitesse, whose players are in demand.
Uncertainty about the capriciousness of the omikron variant and about when the public will return gnaws at clubs. Does he currently have a nice job? No, says Philippe van Esch of Helmond Sport. ‘Terrible. The club is a strange combination of business and top sport.’ He knows how to act: ‘Small yourself and limit the costs’. Yet it is ‘water up to the lips.’
double standards
Director Jan de Jong of the Eredivisie CV predicted at the start of corona that clubs would fall. That it didn’t happen is due to the deep pockets of the government. Still, there is uncertainty. De Jong philosophizes about the so-called second sentence that politicians often pronounce, according to which they act or not. Exercise outside until 5 pm as a guideline, but then do nothing when everyone starts training during the day. Shops close, but watch as everyone moves to Antwerp. No supporters to stadiums, but close their eyes when they visit matches in Belgium or England. The schools close a week earlier, and watch as thousands go on holiday to Austria. Capital flight abroad. That is sour and fuels the feeling of injustice.’
Operational director Martijn Hoogstoevenbeld of FC Twente talked during the digital New Year’s reception on Thursday about the hope that a next support package from the government will be released. That’s crucial. He talks fondly about his club, which hosts perhaps the largest pub in the east, the Grolsch Veste stadium, on match days. The top match against Feyenoord at the end of last year in an empty stadium cost a million. It’s balancing. “Please allow the public again soon,” he asks.
Meanwhile, clubs are trying to be creative. Supporters receive presents, emails. Clubs use social media. There are personified messages from football players. Anyone who reports to FC Twente will receive a ham sandwich and a beer at home before a match for a fee. The bond is crucial. Just like with the government, it’s all about communication.
At Helmond Sport they give money back if supporters miss matches. Van Esch: ‘If you don’t deliver, you can’t ask for money.’ The shortage was four tons last season in the empty stadium. ‘This period will affect our future.’ The club provided Christmas hampers for volunteers. Last week against Dordrecht, trainer Willy Boessen had thirteen men, because of corona. The KNVB said: football.
At the top of the pyramid, Ajax suffered more than 8 million loss last season. The loyalty of supporters is great. Ajax has a waiting list for a season ticket. No one stops, because then you will never get your turn again. It’s not that easy everywhere. Clubs notice that supporters are getting used to other ways of spending their time. At ADO, they saw season ticket sales decline sharply, partly due to the relegation. But Van den Bosch sees the sun break through: ‘During the last game before the new lockdown, we sold six thousand individual tickets.’
Ajax dedicated the 35th national title to the supporters. At the end of December, every season ticket holder received a video message from director Edwin van der Sar. And on Thursday, main sponsor Ziggo included the main channel of football channel ESPN in the subscription. “That is not only good news for Ajax supporters, but for all enthusiasts,” said spokesman Brinkhuis.