Walk this way
Words: Han Balk
Images: Han Balk
English fans take relative freedom on away days for granted. Sure there are the odd bubble match but generally supporters can take a train and stop at a pub on the way to a match away from home.
Indeed, it’s become an integral part of English match-day culture “over land and sea”.
The situation in Holland is not so good with away days restricted and even under threat of being banned completely due to a variety of factors.
Incidents, including the injury to Ajax’s Davy Klaasen during the cup derby against Feyenoord recently, add fuel to the fire, with few at the top of the game seeming to want to extinguish it so Dutch fans can travel freely.
This is the combi country remember, where away travel has to be on coach or car with agreed meeting points and the feel of factory process rather than a football match.
©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Heracles Almelo at De Graafschap.
Fear reigns and collective punishment threatens to become the rule rather than the exception in the Netherlands, with away days becoming a dirty word.
Yet, some supporters and fans groups are trying to switch the narrative to stop the vicious cycle that sees away days viewed with suspicion.
Ahead of the match between De Graafschap Doetinchem and Heracles Almelo, the teams’ Supporters Liaison Officers Raymond Alfons (Heracles) and Bas Koenders (De Graafschap) decided to not take no for an answer and worked with the police to allow Heracles away fans to stop at a pub and march to Stadion de Vijverberg.
It may sound like overkill to have to go to these lengths so that away fans could have a pint but it feels like progress of some sort as 250 of the 500 Heracles Almelo supporters were permitted to go to Café Masselink for a beer and and then march half a mile to the away end for the Eerste Divisie (second level) match.
The march itself came after discussion between the SLO’s and the police with Heracles’ SLO Raymond Alfons making a good case that it was wrong to punish Heracles fans for issues involving other clubs.
©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Heracles Almelo at De Graafschap.
With both the Doetinchem and Almelo police open to this tactic, an approach was made to Mr Boumans, the Mayor of Doetinchem to trial a limited march by away fans to the match.
So the Heracles Almelo away-dayers got to tread Doetinchem concrete instead of the carpet of coaches and to taste a nice beer before kick-off.
Outsiders will chuckle at the stage management of the occasion, more akin to a theatre than a football match but with away days under severe threat, it does feel like some sort of progress.
De Graafschap and Heracles fans worked together to break the stereotype of away supporters.
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not said Arctic Monkeys and these two sets of supporters will not accept labels from people who really don’t understand away day culture.
Hopefully, it’s a start of something better because although many people like to judge away supporters, it will be Dutch football judged badly if a more progressive wider approach isn’t found soon for away days in Holland.
©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Heracles Almelo at De Graafschap.
©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Heracles Almelo at De Graafschap.
©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Heracles Almelo at De Graafschap.
©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. Heracles Almelo at De Graafschap.
©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition.De Graafschap.
You can find Han on Twitter and Instagram: @hanbalk.
