Dutch second-tier club De Graafschap have banned their own fans from attending the team’s away games after a protest that blocked the team bus and led to the postponement of their match at Vitesse.
Club imposes long away ban
In a statement, De Graafschap said: "In the wake of Sunday’s events, De Graafschap has decided not to allow supporters to travel to away matches until March 31st, 2027. Should it transpire that all those involved have received individual sanctions, we may reconsider this decision." The club therefore linked any possible reconsideration of the measure to the imposition of individual sanctions on all those involved in the incident.
The club added: "We realise that this is a very far-reaching decision, particularly for the many loyal supporters who support our club in a positive and dignified manner at every away match and who had nothing to do with Sunday’s events. They, too, are affected by this measure. We regret this." De Graafschap also said that many loyal supporters who had nothing to do with Sunday’s events are affected by the measure and that the club regrets this.
Local ban in Arnhem and fan protest
Before De Graafschap announced their own sanction, local authorities in Arnhem had barred the club’s fans from attending the away game at Vitesse on Saturday evening. After local authorities in Arnhem barred De Graafschap fans from attending their club's away game at Vitesse on Saturday evening, De Graafschap fans responded by blocking the team bus and locking the stadium gates on Sunday, the day of the game.
The club commented on the protest by saying: "We understand that supporters wish to express their dissatisfaction. However, the manner in which this took place on Sunday cannot be justified in any way."
Match called off and KNVB reaction
The match between Vitesse and De Graafschap was called off by the Dutch football association (KNVB), and De Graafschap expect the KNVB to hit the club with further sanctions.
KNVB Competitions Manager Jan Bluyssen harshly criticised the actions of the De Graafschap fans who blocked the team bus and locked the stadium gates. He said: "People are entitled to agree or disagree with something, but this really goes far too far. We need to put a stop to this. We’ve seen a lot of crazy things in the past, but this is mad."
The Eerste Divisie match between Vitesse and De Graafschap has been rescheduled to Monday, November 23rd.
Details of the incident and club’s stance
De Graafschap set out the consequences of the blockade in their statement: "By blocking the access points, the team bus was prevented from leaving the grounds. This not only made it impossible to play an official league match, but also constituted an unacceptable infringement of the personal freedom of our own staff." The club stated that blocking the access points not only made it impossible to play an official league match, but also constituted an unacceptable infringement of the personal freedom of the club's own staff.
The statement continued: "However great the disappointment or anger may be, it can never justify treating our own club, its staff and the many people who support De Graafschap in this way."
De Graafschap concluded: "What happened on Sunday is unacceptable, should not have happened and must never happen again."
