For a child growing up in the north of the Netherlands, there are few dreams bigger than stepping onto the pristine grass of the Euroborg under the roaring applause of the home crowd. Page 63 of this programme serves as a time capsule for dozens of local children who got to live that dream on March 8, 2015, through the club’s Junior Club birthday arrangements and matchday activities.
The programme proudly lists every single child who participated in the pre-match and half-time rituals, forever etching their names into the club’s official archives. The home team was escorted onto the pitch by an enthusiastic line-up featuring Joey Leatemia, Mike Pleijendal, Bjarne Bouma, Daan van der Veen, Reinier Jongsma, Vera Scheepstra, Tomas Reker, Daniël Pol, Ian van Schijndel, and Yort van der Laan.
Meanwhile, ensuring fair play and guiding the officials were referee escorts Niek Akkerman, Justin Pot, and Jesse Groenhagen. Even the visiting players were given a warm northern welcome by the FC Dordrecht line-up kids: Ruben Slager, Robin Scheper, Jasper Alles, Bryan Arends, Tijmen Jorik Theusink, Finn van Oosten, Jens Hoekstra, Rick Raat, Roelof van der Veen, Tim van Goor, and Anouk Klapwijk.
During the half-time break, the tension of the match was briefly replaced by the sheer joy of the Shoot-Out competition, featuring Emma van de Berg, Devin Kromhout van der Meer, Rowin Arnoldus, Melchior Noot, and Danny Bennink. Documenting all of this action from the sidelines was the Junior Reporter of the day, Marieke Jongsma. For these kids, the result of the Eredivisie match was almost secondary to the thrill of being part of the show.
A Look into the Future
Fast forward to 2026, and the children listed on this page are now young adults in their early twenties. Some of them are undoubtedly season ticket holders today, standing in the Z-Side or sitting in the Piet Fransen Tribune, fondly remembering the day they held the hands of their heroes. The Junior Club continues to be a vital cornerstone of the community, proving that a football club’s greatest investment is always its next generation of supporters.