A matchday programme is more than just a guide for 90 minutes of football; it is a time capsule that captures the dreams of the youngest fans. In the pages of the FC Groningen vs FC Twente programme from March 2015, the club dedicated space to announce the upcoming Junior Club Dag at the Kardinge sports center. But perhaps the most endearing detail on page 63 is the official roster for the matchday activities, directly requested by the digital museum’s curators.
For a child, walking out of the tunnel at Euroborg holding the hand of a professional player or a referee is a moment etched in memory forever. The programme meticulously lists the lucky junior members selected for the “Line Up” and the “Referee-Escort.”
The “Line Up” squad for this match featured young fans such as Mika Muskee, Mikai ten Have, Sven Weisbeek, and Duncan Behling. It also included Indy van Spankeren, Stijn Groenhagen, Djurre Laansma, Silvihno Ibrahim, and brothers Joey Swama and Dylan Swama. The list is rounded off by Noortje Danielle Holtvluwer. Meanwhile, the crucial task of escorting the match officials fell to Enzo Strating, Vincent Stratingh, and Robert Martijn Holtvluwer.
These names, printed in a matchday booklet, represent the grassroots connection between the club and its community. It’s a tradition that binds generations, turning wide-eyed mascots into lifelong season ticket holders, and sometimes, even professional players.
A Look into the Future
Looking back from the perspective of 2026, lists like these serve as fascinating socio-sporting artifacts. Did any of these children, who stepped onto the pitch that day in 2015, eventually find their way into the FC Groningen academy or local amateur clubs in the Noord-Nederland region? Often, a decade later, we find these former mascots playing for robust local sides like Be Quick 1887 or cheering passionately from the Z-Side. The Junior Club remains a vital pipeline, not just for potential talent, but for cultivating the enduring, generational loyalty that sustains the club through its highs and lows.