In the spring of 2015, the city of Groningen was gripped by a singular, collective obsession: the KNVB Beker final. Page 29 of this matchday programme serves as a raw, administrative time capsule of that mounting fever, detailing the logistical monumental task of moving an entire city to Rotterdam.
The instructions are dry, yet they pulse with anticipation. “Kaartverkoop Bekerfinale” outlines the strict hierarchy of ticket sales, prioritizing loyal season ticket holders before opening up to ClubCard owners. But it’s the “Georganiseerd Busvervoer” (Organized Bus Transport) section that truly illustrates the scale of the exodus. Working with transport partner Arriva, the club transformed regional P+R locations—from Haren and Zernike to remote hubs in Delfzijl, Hoogeveen, and Veendam—into staging grounds for the Green-White army.
For the hardcore factions—the Z-Side and Groningen Fanatics—special arrangements were made, emphasizing the sheer volume of supporters preparing to invade De Kuip. The club even urged fans traveling directly from Euroborg to use bicycles and public transport just to reach the stadium buses, painting a picture of a city infrastructure stretched to its limits by football-induced euphoria.
A Look into the Future
Exactly three weeks after this programme was printed, on May 3, 2015, that massive logistical operation paid off. Those thousands of fans who boarded buses in Veendam and Assen witnessed Albert Rusnák score twice against PEC Zwolle, securing FC Groningen’s first-ever major trophy. The nervous ticketing details printed here are the prologue to the greatest party the Grote Markt has ever seen.