RBC is fast on its way to the third promotion in a row. In the hunt for a place in the third division, the club from Roosendaal won the first match in the final against Xerxesdzb 5-0 on Wednesday evening. The former professional club did that for the first time since 2011 in a sold -out stadium. “It is incredible what we are experiencing,” says vice -president Eric Konings.
Konings had a busy day. Early on Wednesday afternoon he had to stop ticket sales because there was no seat free anymore. “Bizarre what we are experiencing. Last week we attracted 2300 spectators, I had already been very happy with that. Ticket sales today exploded, all the time when we pressed F5, many tickets were sold again.” The counter stopped at 4260, including a group of fans of the counterparty. The last time the stadium was sold out was in 2011 during the last professional competition before the bankruptcy.
Robert Maaskant was early at the Atik Stadium. With a smile on his face, the former RBC trainer watched the atmosphere action of the RBC fans with torches and banners at the rise of both teams. “It is fantastic to see how the club lives in the city. I saw people walking to the stadium everywhere early in the evening. I really hope that RBC will get the second division in the coming years. With such a supporters they have to be able to participate at the highest amateur level.”
Promotion to the third division seems like a formality, because the Rotterdammers have to make up for a 4-0 deficit during the return. RBC supporter Jerom Bogers spoke of a magical evening at ‘his’ RBC. “I am not surprised about the enormous rise of fans, in the past in professional football that was also true. Whether I think of professional football? Let’s attack the top of amateur football first. And then with good, healthy policy.”
Supporter Jack Hermen has been coming to RBC for 40 years. He was there in 1986 during the cup final against Ajax, saw the club playing at the amateurs for years and experienced highs and lows with the pros. “Professional football was the best thing to experience as a supporter. I still dream of that, but I am not working on that. We can continue to grow with the amateurs and it would be nice if sponsors started investing even more in the club.”
Club icon Pierre van Hal, who played in the first team for eighteen years, is also not thinking of a return to professional football. “As supporters, we all want us to promote for the third time in a row. And for next season I hope that they will strengthen the team in such a way that we can climb even further.”
Within the club there is a dream to ever return to professional football. “RBC against NAC, that would be very nice,” says Konings. “Our first goal is to get the top of amateur football. There is a lot of it, there are plenty of challenges for us as an organization with volunteers. But whoever I speak, everyone is very grateful. We have experienced a bankruptcy in 2011 and played in the basement of the amateurs for 150 people. Now the Stadium is full, everyone is happy to get out of their hands.” ””
The game was temporarily stopped in the second half due to misconducts of a number of XerxesDZB supporters. The police were quickly on the spot and ensured that the peace returned.