Gone Fishing: SV Zwolle vs VV Emst

Words: Han Balk

Images: Han Balk

After several days of rain, the sun finally made an appearance this weekend.

Amateur matches on natural grass either moved to artificial turf or were canceled. So, it took a bit of planning to find a good game.

Artificial turf is certainly not my favorite playing surface but the choice fell on SV Zwolle vs VV Emst at the 10th level.

They’ve just installed new artificial turf on the main field in Zwolle, and now I can finally take a close look at that peculiar grandstand.

As I walk from the car park towards the pitch, one of the Emst players runs toward the ditch behind the goal. One of the balls is in the ditch. Desperately, he tries to reach the ball with a branch. However, the ball drifts to the centre of the ditch.

Meanwhile, another substitute player comes with a long pole, and the ball is quickly fished out.

The ticket booth is empty. Free entry is quite common at this level.

The large grandstand with an integrated canteen and boardroom remains unique, especially at this level.

Inside, the men from the lower teams are drinking beer and glancing at the big TV where the local Eredivisie team PEC is losing 4-0 to PSV Eindhoven.

Meanwhile, the match has kicked off, but the people in the canteen aren’t bothered. It’s not crowded outside either; most spectators are seated in the grandstand, while the few along the fence can be counted on two hands.

As I walk around taking photos, my attention is drawn to a man in a wheelchair. He sits behind the Emst goalkeeper’s goal, taking pictures with an iPad.

“You look great!”; he shouts as the goalkeeper deflects a ball from the crossbar.

“Do you want to see it too?” he asks me.

”This could make it into the newspaper”, he proudly declares.

Zwolle eventually wins 4-2 against Emst. As I walk back to the car, I can already hear the singer Jordy van Vilsteren from the canteen.

It’s going to stay lively for a while, I guess.