Dus Je Gaat Naar Groningen toe?!

Falkirk will play FC Groningen as part of a training camp, scheduled to take place in mid-July, in North-East Holland. Here is some information on both the town, the team and any other info on the tour (details below - just keep scrolling!). Any questions, just mail them on.

Groningen – The Town

Groningen is the regional capital (the province is also called Groningen) and one of the largest cities in Holland, with a population of around 200,000. It is around 200 kilometres and has a direct Inter-City rail line with Amsterdam, plus an airport - incidentally with flights from Aberdeen!

Groningen for the tourists - (l-r) Martini Tower and Grote Markt, The Groninger Museum and a birds eye view of De Stad

The town is noted for the large student community, a popular centre of education for the Dutch Royal Family and the very impressive Martini tower, a huge church tower in the market square which gives a cracking view over the town. The more culturally-orientated can find the Groninger Museum a treasure trove of all things arty inside as well as being an architectural wonder, and those who want to party will find that Groningen is a great place to hang out. This is partly due to the student community (around 40,000 of them). In the summer, the Northern Sun (Noorderzon) Festival takes place and the town hosts a burgeoning underground music/culture scene. So great for punks, Goths and metalheads apparently!

Groningen – Football

In Groningen, there’s only one team – and that is FC Groningen.

The legendary Oosterpark, the just as legendary Ronald Koeman in his younger years with Groningen, and the prrof that a Gronginen supporter had the night of their life - the 3-0 drubbing of Atletico and only for a fiver!

The club started life as GVAV (Groninger Atletiek en Voetbal Verneniging – Groningen Athletic and Football Club), but in 1971, when Dutch football was downsized in a major way (there was nearly a professional club for everyone), GVAV reincarnated itself as FC Groningen. Yet it took only 3 years for the club to be relegated and it remained in mediocrity until the football brothers of Erwin & Ronald Koeman, plus the attacking genius of Jan Van Dijk, shot the team out of their malaise and into a top 3 finish in 1983. European football followed and what a debut! A 3-0 drubbing of Atletico Madrid was then topped by a 2-0 defeat of Inter Milan (though the Italians exacted a crushing defeat in the return by 5 goals to 1). Despite the highlights of the Eighties, dodgy dealings by the board coupled with a downturn in fortunes on the playing field meant the club were relegated in 1998. However, they bounced back after two seasons in the doldrums and the good times rolled back to the Oosterpark.

The Euroborg - A rather curious name, but none the less, the cracking new home of FC Groningen.

As the millennium progressed,Groningen justified their place in the Dutch elite and produced players of top quality, one of which is the current Chelsea star Arjen Robben, who played 36 games for the club before being transferred to PSV (he was only just 18 when he transferred). While Groningen progressed, the Oosterpark was looking a bit dated and the time had come for Groningen to move from the suburbs to the impressive Euroborg, a brand new 20,000 seater stadium. Only a few months into their tenancy and The Pride of The North (the nickname) are on the verge of European competition again.

The Tour Of Northern Holland

Falkirk have secured 4 games on the tour - FC Dwingeloo, FC T'Fean 58 of Surhuisterveen, the already covered FC Groningen and Rizespor of Turkey. There isn't a tournament as such, just merely a chance to compete against quality foreign opposition and to bang in a few goals against local amateurs. Some details below:

VV Dwingeloo
The village of Dwingeloo has one main football team and that is VV Dwingeloo. Currently, the team play in the (here it comes) Dutch FA Sunday Amateur Northern District Division 4C. Don't even ask who they can be compared to!

FC T'Fean 58
Surhuisterveen is the stomping ground of Dutch FA Saturday Amateur Group 2 Northern District Division 2L. Again, you cannot compare this with any team in Scotland, unless the name of the league is the same size.

Rizespor
A team from Turkey with a knickname only a demented NFL committee could come up with - The Black Sea Sparrow Hawks! Formed in 1993, the team plays in the Turkish Premier League (last year, they finished a very respectable 9th and thanks to their sponsorship by a tea company, the team in blue/green stripes is actually called Caykur Rizespor.


When & Where Will We Play?

versus VV Dwingeloo
- Tuesday 11th July 7pm @ Sportpark 'De Hulsebosch' in Dwingeloo
- prices not yet known

versus FC T'Fean 58
- Thursday 13th July 7pm @ Sportpark 'De Ketting' in Surhuisterveen
- prices not yet known

versus FC Groningen
- Saturday 15th July 4pm @ Sportpark Wenakkers in Zuidlaren
- Entry prices: 7 euros for adults, 3 euros for children
- IMPORTANT! This will be busy as FC Groningen is THE big team in the area

versus Caykur Rizespor
- Sunday 16th July 4pm @ Sportpark 'De Hulsebosch' in Dwingeloo
- prices not yet known

Other Interesting Points

- Amateur teams rely heavily on the social club. In many towns, this is the place to be for the locals. The atmosphere is usually very welcoming and the price of food/drink very reasonable. Do behave yourselves in any case.

- No pies but meatballs, frikandel sausage, meat croquettes and fries with all sorts of topping. Home made and delicious at the game.

- This area doesn't have any train stations. You'd probably be better getting a train to either Groningen or Meppel followed by a bus. Check out www.ov9292.nl and you can get instructions, in English, on how to get from A to B.

- Those of you driving: go to Routenet.nl and enter the postal codes of your startpoint and destination. The site is also in English with the resulting directions in English too.

- Again, those of you taking the car: Traffic offences are punished heavily, when it comes to those from outside Holland. Breaking speed limits will mean a huge fine and payable only by cash!

- Everyone thinks of places like Amsterdam and Rotterdam when thinking of Holland. Outside, life can be a bit quieter. Be thoughtful to the countryside and the locals in the areas you are visiting and you will be sure of a great welcome.

If you need any further assistance, then let me know and I'll try to help.

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