While the discovery of a 14-year-old Thijs Dallinga in the halftime shootout list makes page 63 of the October 2014 programme a viral sensation, the rest of the page reveals a charming, often overlooked reality of grassroots fan culture. The Junior Club roster for the match against Excelsior highlights the bittersweet lottery of being a matchday mascot.
The “Line-Up” section lists 22 children selected to walk out of the tunnel. However, they are split into two groups. Eleven lucky kids got to hold hands with their green-and-white heroes: Lars Luinge, Jochem Mulder, Ruben Schoenmakers, Jarmo Wals, Rik Bronsema, Jamall Zimmerman, Jasper Beens, Nadine Rosman, Sander Staal, Robin Schut, and Thijs Arwert.
But what about the other eleven? Listed under “EXCELSIOR” are William Hoogenkamp, Pepijn Kroeze, Emma Sophie Zigterman, William Martijn Mellies, Stan Jonkers, Myrthe van der Veen, Roelof van der Veen, Hugo Post, Frank Stoffers, Jamie Bos, and Mandy Post. These weren’t traveling fans from Rotterdam; they were local Groningen kids who simply drew the short straw. Imagine the mixed emotions: you win the ultimate Junior Club prize to step onto the hallowed turf of the Euroborg, only to be assigned to escort the very players your stadium is about to boo.
Rounding out the matchday duties, the referees were escorted by Timo Julian Althuis, Armanda Fennema, and Devin Janou van der Klok. Joining the future star Dallinga in the halftime Gasunie Shoot-Out were Mark Groen, Vincent Schenkel, Jim Imminga, and Sam Imminga, with Lars van der Veen acting as the Junior Reporter.
A Look into the Future
By 2026, these children are adults. For the kids who walked out with the Excelsior players, the initial childhood disappointment of “escorting the enemy” has likely turned into a hilarious dinner party story. It is a quirky rite of passage in football fandom. Regardless of whose hand they held, the visceral experience of standing on the pitch, hearing the roar of the crowd, and smelling the freshly cut grass cemented their lifelong devotion to FC Groningen. It proves that the club’s youth outreach isn’t just about meeting heroes; it’s about making the stadium feel like a second home.