While FC Groningen plays its matches in a modern, concrete cathedral on the edge of a bustling university city, the true soul of the club stretches far out into the rural, windswept countryside. Page 19 of the December 2013 matchday programme captures this geographical identity perfectly with a brilliant advertisement for the municipality of Eemsmond.
The ad features a serene photo of sheep grazing on a green dike, with the vast, flat horizon stretching out behind them. The slogan is a masterful piece of local wordplay: “Eemsmond, wad’n stee to stay!” It plays on the word “Wadden” (referring to the adjacent Wadden Sea) and the local dialect for “what a place.” The text below highlights the “typical Groningen skies,” the “endless views,” and the peace and quiet of the countryside.
Placing an advertisement for rural tranquility inside a loud, aggressive football stadium might seem counterintuitive, but it makes perfect sense here. A massive portion of the fans filling the Euroborg every other week travel from municipalities exactly like Eemsmond. The club is the unifying force for these rural communities. This ad is a proud declaration of northern identity: we are farmers, we live by the sea, and this is our football club.
A Look into the Future
The municipality of Eemsmond technically no longer exists; in 2019, it was merged into the much larger municipality of Het Hogeland as part of a massive administrative restructuring in the province. However, the landscape, the sheep on the dikes, and the fierce regional pride remain completely unchanged. The fans from this coastal region still make their bi-weekly pilgrimage to the Euroborg, ensuring that the rural soul of the club, so beautifully captured in this 2013 advertisement, continues to beat strongly in the stands.