The closest ‘big’ Dutch football club to Delft is Rotterdam’s Feyenoord FC. Attending a game is a great way for foreigner students to experience a loud and passionate part of Dutch culture firsthand.
‘Geen woorden, maar daden‘ (‘No words, just deeds’) sing the Feyenoord fans, known as ‘Het Legioen‘ (‘The Legion’) as their footballing heroes come onto the pitch. Like the city of Rotterdam itself, Feyenoord FC has always been known for its working class, no-nonsense attitude. Recent seasons have been tough on Feyenoord’s supporters, though, culminating in last season’s disaster, when the club failed to qualify for European football, finishing in 7th place in the Eredivisie (Dutch Premier League), the club’s lowest position since 1991.
This season Feyenoord is a revived team, however, playing in the best traditions of Dutch ‘total’ football – attractive and aggressive . in the opponent’s half. Until last week, this year’s Feyenoord team had nothing in common with last year’s team. Having signed experienced internationals like Roy Makaay and Giovanni van Bronckhorst to partner young talents like Nuri Sahin, the club was the big winner on the summer’s transfer market and impressively won this season’s first four league matches.
But all those high hopes were brutally shattered when Feyenoord visited Eindhoven last week, with PSV outclassing the Rotterdammers on all fronts, hammering four unanswered balls into the back of Feyenoord keeper’s net.
Just three days later, Feyenoord was back in action at their home stadium, De Kuip (The Tub), playing in the second round of the Dutch Cup. While many Dutch Eredivisie clubs draw seemingly convenient amateur opponents from the lower leagues in the early rounds, Feyenoord often draws mid-table Eredivisie clubs that are hungry for Cup victory, as this is the only realistic way for them to qualify for European football.
In this second round match, Feyenoord went up against FC Utrecht, a tough club that has given the Rotterdammer’s problems in the past. The first half hour wasn’t all that spectacular, with both teams having difficulties getting accustomed to the slippery pitch. The efforts by the home club were chaotic at best, and Utrecht gathered more courage, with the Feyenoord keeper having to save his team twice from certain goals.
At half time, the Feyenoord supporters were starting to get concerned. But happily for them, Feyenoord started the second half in supersonic form: a series of fast attacks, flaming combinations and sharp finishing touches left the visitors trailing 3-0 at the hour mark, with goals coming from Nicky Hofs, Luigy Bruins and Roy Makaay.
The only thing preventing the score from becoming ridiculous was Feyenoord taking its foot off the gas. With an upcoming visit from SC Heerenveen in three days time, Feyenoord began substituting off its best players. But this didn’t ruin the party for the 20,000 fans in De Kuip, who spent the rest of the match singing ‘Willem bedankt’ (‘Thanks Willem’), to Utrecht coach, Willem van Hanegem, a legendary former Feyenoord player. But Van Hanegem had too many problems of his own to pay much attention to the lyrics, as his keeper was injured in this match, just four days before a league clash against Vitesse Arnhem. At the end of the day, Feyenoord advanced much easier than expected into the third round, where FC Groningen now awaits them.
Tickets for Feyenoord home games are available for reasonable prices, from 15 and 35 euro. This season Feyenoord sold some 40,000 season cards though, so buying a ticket for a top match might be more difficult. Season card holders can sell their seats for games they won’t attend via an Internet site, however, so except for top matches against Ajax, PSV and AZ, (for which you generally need a so-called ‘club card’ anyway), you can attend almost any league game, with tickets available at the stadium, via phone orders or through TicketBox.
There is a limited number of tickets available for away games, and those that are available are offered to season card holders first. Cup matches are therefore the most accessible, and with qualification for European football at stake, can be much more entertaining!
Supporters celebrate at De Kuip, as Feyenoord wins 3-0 (Photo: M. Afanasyev)
‘Geen woorden, maar daden‘ (‘No words, just deeds’) sing the Feyenoord fans, known as ‘Het Legioen‘ (‘The Legion’) as their footballing heroes come onto the pitch. Like the city of Rotterdam itself, Feyenoord FC has always been known for its working class, no-nonsense attitude. Recent seasons have been tough on Feyenoord’s supporters, though, culminating in last season’s disaster, when the club failed to qualify for European football, finishing in 7th place in the Eredivisie (Dutch Premier League), the club’s lowest position since 1991.
This season Feyenoord is a revived team, however, playing in the best traditions of Dutch ‘total’ football – attractive and aggressive . in the opponent’s half. Until last week, this year’s Feyenoord team had nothing in common with last year’s team. Having signed experienced internationals like Roy Makaay and Giovanni van Bronckhorst to partner young talents like Nuri Sahin, the club was the big winner on the summer’s transfer market and impressively won this season’s first four league matches.
But all those high hopes were brutally shattered when Feyenoord visited Eindhoven last week, with PSV outclassing the Rotterdammers on all fronts, hammering four unanswered balls into the back of Feyenoord keeper’s net.
Just three days later, Feyenoord was back in action at their home stadium, De Kuip (The Tub), playing in the second round of the Dutch Cup. While many Dutch Eredivisie clubs draw seemingly convenient amateur opponents from the lower leagues in the early rounds, Feyenoord often draws mid-table Eredivisie clubs that are hungry for Cup victory, as this is the only realistic way for them to qualify for European football.
In this second round match, Feyenoord went up against FC Utrecht, a tough club that has given the Rotterdammer’s problems in the past. The first half hour wasn’t all that spectacular, with both teams having difficulties getting accustomed to the slippery pitch. The efforts by the home club were chaotic at best, and Utrecht gathered more courage, with the Feyenoord keeper having to save his team twice from certain goals.
At half time, the Feyenoord supporters were starting to get concerned. But happily for them, Feyenoord started the second half in supersonic form: a series of fast attacks, flaming combinations and sharp finishing touches left the visitors trailing 3-0 at the hour mark, with goals coming from Nicky Hofs, Luigy Bruins and Roy Makaay.
The only thing preventing the score from becoming ridiculous was Feyenoord taking its foot off the gas. With an upcoming visit from SC Heerenveen in three days time, Feyenoord began substituting off its best players. But this didn’t ruin the party for the 20,000 fans in De Kuip, who spent the rest of the match singing ‘Willem bedankt’ (‘Thanks Willem’), to Utrecht coach, Willem van Hanegem, a legendary former Feyenoord player. But Van Hanegem had too many problems of his own to pay much attention to the lyrics, as his keeper was injured in this match, just four days before a league clash against Vitesse Arnhem. At the end of the day, Feyenoord advanced much easier than expected into the third round, where FC Groningen now awaits them.
Tickets for Feyenoord home games are available for reasonable prices, from 15 and 35 euro. This season Feyenoord sold some 40,000 season cards though, so buying a ticket for a top match might be more difficult. Season card holders can sell their seats for games they won’t attend via an Internet site, however, so except for top matches against Ajax, PSV and AZ, (for which you generally need a so-called ‘club card’ anyway), you can attend almost any league game, with tickets available at the stadium, via phone orders or through TicketBox.
There is a limited number of tickets available for away games, and those that are available are offered to season card holders first. Cup matches are therefore the most accessible, and with qualification for European football at stake, can be much more entertaining!
Supporters celebrate at De Kuip, as Feyenoord wins 3-0 (Photo: M. Afanasyev)
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