For a member of the Junior Club, every matchday is special, but some fixtures are simply mythical. Walking out of the tunnel at the Euroborg is a thrill, but doing it before a clash against the reigning champions, Ajax, is a story you tell for the rest of your life. Page 63 of the August 2014 matchday programme serves as the official register of the children who won that ultimate lottery.
The page, featuring a photo of the club mascot Groby, lists the 11 children selected for the “Line-Up” to escort the players onto the pitch for this massive encounter: Joep Pasterkamp, Glenn Bisschop, Vinnie Waterman, Meike Bierma, Bas Oolders, Robbe van Oosten, Dylan Dijkstra, Suzanne Staal, Julian Godlieb, Lilian Sloots, and E.J. de Vries.
The intense atmosphere of the match was also experienced up close by the referee escorts: Kyran Kolk, Sem van der Horn, and M.A. de Vries. During halftime, while the stadium buzzed with the tension of a 0-0 scoreline (before Groningen’s eventual 2-0 triumph), five brave kids took to the pitch for the Shoot-Out: Rick Renkema, Jesse van der Wal, Robin Koopman, Vince Haak, and Cedric Tuil.
A Look into the Future
By 2026, the children listed on this page are young adults. They didn’t just walk out for any game; they walked out for one of the most famous victories in the modern history of FC Groningen. They stood on the pitch and felt the electricity of a stadium that was about to witness their team slay the Amsterdam giants. Digitizing this roster ensures that their small, personal connection to that historic afternoon is permanently preserved in the club’s archives.