A digital football museum acts not only as a celebration of sports history but also as an archive for the local economy—including the businesses that didn’t make it to the present day. On page 58, a modest advertisement for Amanda Hoppmann Keukens (Kitchens) offers a glimpse into the home renovation market of the early 2010s.
Based on the Hoofdstraat in Tolbert, a village in the Westerkwartier municipality west of Groningen, this business catered to the deep Dutch love for interior design and home improvement. The ad promotes both new kitchens and renovations. For a specialized retailer in a rural village, buying ad space in the Euroborg was a way to cast a wide net across the entire province, hoping to catch the eye of homeowners looking to upgrade their living spaces. It shows how the football club serves as a central advertising hub for the surrounding rural municipalities.
A Look into the Future
By 2026, the retail landscape for kitchens and home interiors has become fiercely consolidated, dominated by massive national mega-stores and aggressive online competitors. Sadly, Amanda Hoppmann Keukens eventually closed its doors, joining the ranks of independent local retailers who could no longer compete in the modern market. Because their physical storefront is gone and their website is offline, this 2013 matchday programme serves as one of the few remaining public records of their existence. It is a printed memorial to local entrepreneurship in the Westerkwartier.