Throughout the 2013/2014 season, the halftime break at the Euroborg was dominated by the Gasunie Shoot-Out, a penalty competition for the teenage members of the Green White Bengels. Page 30 of the final regular-season matchday programme documents the thrilling conclusion to this year-long tournament.
The page details the rigorous qualification process: 20 boys qualified for the quarterfinals, which were played on a weekday next to the stadium. Only 9 made it to the semi-finals: Stefan de Vries, Jeffrey Kuil, Pim Wellinghoff, Niels Goedhart, Stefan Wegter, Ingo Jongsma, Sander van Dijken, Ids Hannema, and Gert-Jan de Vries. From that group, the final three emerged to battle it out on the pitch during halftime of the Heracles match: Niels Goedhart, Ingo Jongsma, and Ids Hannema. They were competing to succeed the previous year’s winner, Eduard Gerds.
Alongside the penalty drama, the club maintained its tradition of the matchday Line-up. The 14 children who received the ultimate honor of walking out with the players for the final regular-season game were: Luna Bouwmeester, Tristan Hilgen, Jasmin Hilgen, Jayden Samuel Rahawarin, Koen Balkema, Sven Jesse van der Eide, Roel Balkema, Deswen Stoppels, Koen Spruit, Jaimy Kamps, I. Ewema, Larysa Brouwers, Jayda Kailola, and Daan Vaatstra, with Ellis Huizenga acting as the Junior Reporter.
A Look into the Future
The children whose names are immortalized on this page are now young adults. The club’s investment in these halftime competitions and matchday rituals created a deep, emotional bond that transcends standard fandom. Taking a penalty in front of 20,000 people or walking out of the tunnel for the final game of the season are core memories. Today, those same kids are likely the ones buying season tickets and filling the vocal sections of the stadium, proving that the Junior Club is the most effective fan recruitment tool in the club’s arsenal.