If you follow the matchday programmes of FC Groningen closely, beautiful narrative arcs begin to emerge. In the programme for the final regular-season match, we documented the three finalists competing in the Gasunie Shoot Out penalty tournament. On page 19 of this playoff edition against Vitesse, the club officially crowns the champion.
“Past Saturday, the luck of GWB member Ids Hannema couldn’t run out. He won the Gasunie Shoot Out cup,” the text proudly announces. For a young fan, having your victory immortalized in the official matchday magazine of a European playoff semi-final is the ultimate prize. But the club didn’t stop there. The text also announces that the halftime entertainment for this massive, high-tension match would be provided by Kids United, the football club for children with disabilities that operates under the FC Groningen umbrella. Giving these children the spotlight during the most important home game of the year speaks volumes about the club’s core values.
Alongside these heroes, the programme meticulously lists the children who walked out of the tunnel for the Line-up. The FC Groningen escorts included: Marco Lap, Frank Baving, Marc Boerma, Recheza Adams, Luuk Visser, Wesley Rozema, Quinten Nathan Buitenman, Marc Huisman, Dakota Knape, Thomas Padje, and Marc Wieringa. The Vitesse escorts featured several siblings sharing the moment: Youp Groothof, Fabienne Carol, Pepijn Kroeze, Mike Daling, Michelle Wülfert, Julia Wülfert, Julian Godlieb, Rick Godlieb, Inèz Leutscher, and Zara Leutscher. The referees were escorted by Milan Venema, Marijn Zuiderveen, and Jelmer van der Horn.
A Look into the Future
The integration of Kids United into the matchday fabric of the Euroborg only deepened in the following decade. By 2026, they are an inseparable part of the club’s identity, proving that football is truly for everyone. As for the children listed in the Line-up and the Shoot Out