A historic points penalty, relegation from the Eredivisie, sky-high debts and major concerns about survival. Even for Vitesse supporters, known for their cynicism and negativity, it is all too much. They support their club more than ever.
Stadionspeaker Theo van Baal schraapt zijn keel even voor 16.30 uur op de eerste rij van de perstribune van het GelreDome. Hij gaat de mensen voor het eerst toespreken na de achttien punten aftrek en de degradatie uit de Eredivisie.
“Lieve mensen, we hebben de afgelopen tijd veel over ons heen gekregen. Vitesse mag nooit verloren gaan. We kunnen de steun onvoorwaardelijk gebruiken.” Dan, met stemverheffing: “Wij zijn trots op Vitesse en gaan AL-TIJD naar Arnhem!” Gejuich stijgt op vanaf de tribunes. Van Baal vraagt zijn buurman om een dropje.
Voor de stadionspeaker is het een zware week geweest, vertelt de vrijwilliger even later. “Dit doet zeer. Ik ben nu 21 jaar stadionspeaker, Vitesse is een stukje van mijn leven. Nu is het voortbestaan van de club in het geding… Dat kan je je eigenlijk niet voorstellen. Zo’n grote club. Ik ben nu ook wel klaar met die galgenhumor van collega’s in de regio.”
‘I shed a tear at -18’
Max ter Beest (53) from Zevenaar looks around with his daughter Loïs in front of the main entrance of the stadium. They bought a separate ticket for the match, a gift from their daughter for their father, who is a Vitesse supporter.
Ter Beest has been through a lot as a fan, the club has already been saved from collapse three times this century. Yet the decision of the KNVB licensing committee was a blow. “I shed a tear. I looked at Teletext. -18. Phew, that was swallowing. I still have to swallow every now and then.”
Ulbe Rozeboom (66) from Arnhem does not understand where the -18 from the licensing committee comes from. He has been a season ticket holder at Vitesse for more than fifty years. “It’s extremely much. Pff, it’s another shitty season. We are now only negative in the news. This is a disaster for the club.”
Rozeboom also knows that the club has made a mess of it. “But now the licensing committee is only punishing the supporters. We have now been punished harshly enough. The directors who brought our club to the brink of collapse should be punished. They have made a mess of it.”
Problemen van Vitesse
- Voldoet niet aan de licentie-eisen van de KNVB;
- Is nog steeds in Russische handen (Valeri Oyf);
- Heeft een schuld van 19 miljoen euro;
- Is in conflict met Coley Parry, de grootste geldeiser;
- Heeft nog geen nieuwe investeerder gevonden;
- Krijgt mogelijk nieuwe straffen van de licentiecommissie;
- Krijgt mogelijk een straf voor mogelijke banden met Roman Abramovich;
- Moet op 15 juni een sluitende begroting bij de KNVB hebben ingediend
‘Vitesse matters and must continue to exist’
Rozeboom did not hesitate for a moment to come to the stadium this afternoon, even though Vitesse has already finished in the Eredivisie. He is not alone. In fact, 17,826 fans will come to the GelreDome on Sunday, much more than average. The away section is sold out at FC Utrecht next week.
Chairman Susanne Wichhart of Supporters Association Vitesse has an explanation for it, she says while cycling on the way to the stadium. “Arnhem wants to show that Vitesse matters and that the club must continue to exist.” There is even a collection for new banners in the Kitchen Champion Division around the match against Fortuna.
The higher turnout in bad times is typical of Vitesse, says Ter Beest. “We only come here when things are going very well or very badly. Vitesse supporters are a bunch of whiners. But I can be proud of the fact that we are now coming to the stadium with eighteen thousand people. This is a signal.”
It is also a boost for crisis managers Paul van der Kraan and Edwin Reijntjes, who will soon start selling season tickets for the new year in order to have enough money in the account in June. The money problems in Arnhem are that serious.
There is a chance that fans will buy a season ticket for nothing and lose hundreds of euros. Rozeboom, wearing a Vitesse scarf around his neck, doesn’t care. “I’ll get to the end. I’ll turn off the lights here if necessary. I’ll take that risk.”
‘We’re going into Europe!’
Cynicism also makes way for optimism and combativeness in the stadium. When the sky above the GelreDome breaks open just before kick-off, the left hand of stadium speaker Van Baal says: “Suddenly the sun will shine again for Vitesse.”
Fans have confidence in crisis managers Van der Kraan and Reijntjes. At least they are honest about the dire state of Vitesse, they say, and want to return to the Arnhem roots after years of foreign and shadowy owners. Although wealthy Arnhem residents are keeping their hands on their purse strings for the time being, the atmosphere seems to have changed.
After twelve minutes of play, the almost eighteen thousand supporters jump up when the fanatical supporters call on them to stand “if you are for Vitesse”. And when the club falls behind 1-2 against Fortuna Sittard after half-time, a banner is unfurled on the Theo Bos stand: “With or without points, our club love is real”.
Yet cynicism has never been driven out of Arnhem. After Paxten Aaronson’s 3-2 fifteen minutes before the end, which removed Vitesse from the negative number of points, the GelreDome sang: “We are going into Europe! We are going into Europe!”
More than two years after the memorable European matches against Tottenham Hotspur and AS Roma, matches against Helmond Sport and Telstar will soon follow for Vitesse. If it ever comes to that. Things look bad for the club for the time being. Van Baal: “Vitesse-Ajax was my first match as a stadium speaker in 2003. I hate to think that Vitesse-Ajax will be my last on May 19, 2024.”
