The Netherlands
Friday 31st January 2020
Derde Divisie, Zaterdag
Kick Off 19.30. On Time !
V.V. G.O.E.S. 2 H.S.V. Hoek 0, attendance 1,250
34’ 1-0 (pen)
52’ 2-0
@ Sportpark Het Schenge
Geldeloozepad 5
4463 AJ
Goes
€6 Admission, including Programme, 4 pages.
Free Team Sheet and Season Magazine.
It is quite rare to get a match outside the top two levels of Dutch football being played on a Friday night, so when this ‘Zeeland Derby’ was switched to a Friday evening, it was too good an opportunity to miss. Even better, it was less than two and a half hours drive (via the Terneuzen Tunnel Toll Road, which costs €5 each way)from the Eurotunnel terminal in France.
Hoek is only 22 miles south of Goes,(via the Terneuzen Tunnel) so a big crowd was anticipated. The visitors even laid on extra coaches to transport their fans to the match. Non Members were being charged €20 for the round trip of less than fifty miles. Perhaps a well known ground hop organisation from England were advising them on their pricing! G.O.E.S. were certainly geared up for their biggest crowd of the season, including additional car parking, the arrangements having been posted on their website a few days in advance. Even though we knew about this, we decided to drive as near to the ground as possible and take a chance on finding a parking place. Everything was barriered off, but the car parking steward took pity on us and allowed us to park in the area reserved for sponsors and officials. It saved us a ten minute walk after the game, which was invaluable, as it meant there would be no problem making our booked crossing on the way home.
Even though the club has the same name as the town, it is actually an abbreviation of their full title….Gezamenlijk Opwaarts Eendrachtig Sterk (English translation Together Upward United(ly) Strong). Back in 1911/12 they spent one season in the second level of Dutch football, whilst this season sees their return to the Derde Divisie, ( two divisions of equal standing, split between Saturday and Sunday clubs) which these days is level four of the pyramid, giving them a ‘rivalry’ with Hoek.
G.O.E.S. came into this 13th in the league table, but they have been a on a decent run of late, winning three and drawing one of their last five games. Hoek were in fifth place, but some 16 points adrift of table toppers Sparta Nijkerk. Despite the large crowd, which seemed to be split 60-40 in favour of the visitors, the atmosphere seemed rather subdued, although you wouldn’t have thought that would be the case from the welcome the Hoek fans gave the teams as they entered the pitch. They certainly took no notice of the plea on social media to refrain from using fireworks or flares!
Neither side looked to be getting on top for the first half hour, but the game turned the way of G.O.E.S. a few minutes later, when Hoek had a man red carded for a push inside the box and G.O.E.S. converted from the penalty spot to open the scoring. The all important second goal arrived seven minutes into the second half, with a ball pulled back across the six yard box easily side footed in at the far post. The 10 men never looked like getting back into it and G.O.E.S. easily held on for a comfortable 2-0 win.
It was once again a trouble free journey back to The Tunnel and we easily made it in time for our booked 00.20 return crossing. It was nice to be a part of history of sorts, as this would be the first Eurotunnel train to return to the U.K. following us leaving the European Union! As with our outbound train earlier in the day, it left six minutes late. At least the M20 was only closed from Junction 4 to 2, meaning our drive home took ten minutes longer than it should have.
