In football, buying a season ticket is an act of blind faith. You hand over your hard-earned money in the spring, having absolutely no idea what kind of emotional rollercoaster awaits you in the autumn. Page 29 of the March 2014 matchday programme captures the exact moment FC Groningen fans were asked to make that leap of faith for the upcoming 2014/2015 campaign.
Under the headline “SEIZOENKAARTVERKOOP BEGONNEN” (Season ticket sales have started), the club announces that the renewal period opened on March 1st. “The first hundreds of people have already renewed their card,” the text proudly notes, offering a €10 voucher for the FanCorner as an early-bird incentive. Right below this administrative announcement is another crucial piece of news: defender Johan Kappelhof had extended his contract until 2017.
For the fans filling out their renewal forms in March 2014, they were simply maintaining their beloved bi-weekly ritual at the Euroborg. They were hoping for a stable season, maybe a push for the European playoffs. They had absolutely no idea that they were purchasing a golden ticket to the greatest season in the club’s history.
A Look into the Future
The 2014/2015 season ticket advertised on this page became the most valuable piece of plastic a Groningen fan could own. The squad being assembled—anchored by players like the newly extended Johan Kappelhof—would go on a miraculous run, culminating in the KNVB Cup Final 2015 in Rotterdam. When captain Maikel Kieftenbeld lifted the first major trophy in the club’s history, the fans who had blindly renewed their tickets back in March 2014 were there to witness it. This small news block is the quiet, administrative prologue to a historic triumph.