As December rolled into the northern Netherlands, the matchday programme for the Derby of the North took on a festive, community-focused tone. Page 63, dedicated to the Junior Club, features a giant mascot bear and a clear holiday message: “Geef een Junior Club lidmaatschap cadeau” (Give a Junior Club membership as a gift).
For €15 a season, parents and grandparents could buy the ultimate present for a young fan: a club card, the ‘Cooooool!’ magazine, and the chance to meet their heroes. But the true magic of this page lies in the right-hand column, which serves as a permanent historical register for the children who actually got to step onto the pitch that day. Despite the header mentioning 14 kids for the line-up and 5 for the shootout, the printed roster immortalized the following specific names.
The lucky children who walked hand-in-hand with the players and referees onto the turf of the Euroborg were: Maik Brijker, Leon Smilde, Joshua Snel, Nick ten Hoove, Cas Rozema, Jens Hoekstra, Lars de Vries, Jacco Heetebrij, Jesper Bonder, Ivar Bonder, Rosan Lautenbach, and Damiën Mickey Vos.
During the halftime break, the tension of the derby was momentarily replaced by the Gasunie Shoot-Out, where four young fans tested their nerves from the penalty spot: Jeroen Westerhof, Alex Smit, Joey Mallat, and Nick van Wijk.
A Look into the Future
By 2026, the children listed on this page are in their early to mid-twenties. The €15 holiday gift their parents bought them in 2014 likely forged a lifelong loyalty. Many of these names are undoubtedly still attached to season tickets today, standing in the Z-Side and cheering for the current generation. While the corporate sponsors like Gasunie have shifted their focus toward green energy, the fundamental mechanism of building a fanbase—bringing kids onto the pitch to feel the roar of the stadium—remains the most powerful tool FC Groningen possesses.