Je nieuwe fan uit Wales

[WelshFan]

Hallo! Hoewel ik geen Nederlands spreek, ben ik vloeiend in het gebruik van Google Translate!

Ik ben al meer dan 30 jaar fan van Swansea City maar sinds onze promotie naar de Premier League geniet ik minder van het kijken naar ons. Er is te veel geld in de Premier League en geen van ons team komt zelfs uit Swansea. Ben Davies was de laatste speler die succesvol afstudeerde van onze academie, maar hij ging 3 jaar geleden naar Tottenham. De spelers die we hebben willen alleen het geld. Ze hebben geen verbinding met onze stad.. Daarom ben ik vorig jaar begonnen met het kijken naar de Eredivisie omdat ik me weer wilde verbinden met gepassioneerd voetbal. Dat is toen ik Heerenveen begon te volgen.

Ik ben de afgelopen twee weken op vakantie geweest in Nederland. Helaas is mijn vakantie nu ten einde en ben ik terug in mijn geboorteland Wales. Ik had 2 mooie weken in jouw land en had het geluk om kaartjes te kopen voor je wedstrijd tegen AZ Alkmaar. Het was een plezier om in het Abe Lenstra Stadion te zijn! Die passie is niet langer hier in Swansea City.

Het resultaat tegen AZ was duidelijk een grote teleurstelling. Het doet altijd pijn als je op het laatste moment verliest. Maar mijn bezoek aan het Abe Lenstra Stadion was een van de beste momenten van mijn bezoek aan Nederland. Het personeel in het loket was erg behulpzaam voor mij. Op een dag weet ik dat ik zeker weer terug kom om Heerenveen te zien!

Ik zou nog een ding willen zeggen. Normaal gesproken schrijf ik geen korte zinnen zoals een robot! Maar Google Translate werkt veel beter met korte zinnen

Veel succes voor de rest van het seizoen. Het punt dat is behaald in Sparta heeft hopelijk de rotting gestopt.

[Appie_M]

Most of us can speak English just fine, so no need to use Translate . Yes, the results of the last few weeks have been a real downer, including the AZ game, but hopefully the draw in Rotterdam will serve as a step up for the weeks to come. It will be necessary, there's a few tough games coming up. Anyway, nice to hear that you've enjoyed your experience here. You're always welcome to swing by again.

[Satyr]

Welcome, as long as you don't write in Welsh, all should be fine.


Frisian and Welsh look a bit alike, although we use more vowels

[WelshFan]

Most of us can speak English just fine, so no need to use Translate . Yes, the results of the last few weeks have been a real downer, including the AZ game, but hopefully the draw in Rotterdam will serve as a step up for the weeks to come. It will be necessary, there's a few tough games coming up. Anyway, nice to hear that you've enjoyed your experience here. You're always welcome to swing by again.

Yes, I was very impressed by the fact so many Dutch speak English to a good standard, but to be polite I thought it best to use Google Translate. Denmark is the only other country I have visited where the locals speak English to a high standard so your education system is doing well. In Wales our education system focuses more on teaching teenage girls how to use contraception properly so that they don't fall pregnant

[WelshFan]

Welcome, as long as you don't write in Welsh, all should be fine.


Frisian and Welsh look a bit alike, although we use more vowels

I remember that game, it was against Crystal Palace last season! Their fans wanted to sack Alan Pardew so produced that great banner.

Is Heerenveen the only club in the Eredivisie that sing an anthem before kick off? It felt like an international match. I have never previously experienced that before in club football.

[jeewee]

I remember that game, it was against Crystal Palace last season! Their fans wanted to sack Alan Pardew so produced that great banner.

Is Heerenveen the only club in the Eredivisie that sing an anthem before kick off? It felt like an international match. I have never previously experienced that before in club football.

Indeed, we are the only club in the Eredivisie that sings an anthem before the match. It is the Frisian Anthem.

Probably one of the most beautiful versions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6XZaNrfl5U
Cup Final 2009

[WelshFan]

Indeed, we are the only club in the Eredivisie that sings an anthem before the match. It is the Frisian Anthem.

Probably one of the most beautiful versions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6XZaNrfl5U
Cup Final 2009[/quote]

That is a wonderful video. I'm sure there are a lot of similarities between Wales and Friesland. Fans of Swansea City and Heerenveen have a lot in common.

My final question is about another piece of music. Does anybody know the name of the dance anthem that gets played inside the stadium when a Heerenveen player scores? When Vlap scored against AZ I remember this big dance theme playing out on the stadium's speakers and I loved it! This sort of music is my guilty secret pleasure.

[Appie_M]

My final question is about another piece of music. Does anybody know the name of the dance anthem that gets played inside the stadium when a Heerenveen player scores? When Vlap scored against AZ I remember this big dance theme playing out on the stadium's speakers and I loved it! This sort of music is my guilty secret pleasure.

This one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Me0AY4tTxk

[WelshFan]

Yes, that is the one! Thanks for the link, I cannot get that tune out of my head. SUPER FRIESAN...

[Jazz]

It's really refreshing to see someone support a club not because of their success in the leagues, but because of their values and uniqueness. Heerenveen is only one of a handful clubs in the Eredivisie who stick closest to their core values: being a warm, welcoming family club who like to play attractive football.

[WelshFan]

It's really refreshing to see someone support a club not because of their success in the leagues, but because of their values and uniqueness. Heerenveen is only one of a handful clubs in the Eredivisie who stick closest to their core values: being a warm, welcoming family club who like to play attractive football.

2 years ago you could have said exactly the same thing about Swansea City. A small, provincial, family club that played attractive passing football and made it into the Premier League in 2011, less than 10 years after they almost disappeared completely. A club that was also 20% owned by the fans and was seen as the model club to follow in the English sytem.

And then this happened - https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... -investors

I've lost the love for my own hometown team. Heerenveen now gives me back something I once felt.

[Appie_M]

Yup, English football is all about profit nowadays, with clubs, their audiences and stadiums all becoming soulless, sterile and interchangeable. You can see this at Swansea in the link you shared. Other examples are numerous, with Vincent Tan changing Cardiffs colours, that Egyptian guy wanting to rename Hull City to Hull Tigers or something like that and Wimbledon FC being moved out of town and being rebranded as Milton Keynes. This is English football nowadays. Fans being treated as cash cows and customers, the message being 'pay up, or f*ck off'. If you're into English football culture, you might just as well visit a department store instead of a football stadium. That way you don't have to put up with hordes of tourists from China or Japan with their selfie sticks. It should save you a serious amount of cash too.

I've visited some English football matches and have seen and felt this for myself, with Crystal Palace being an exception to some degree(nice detail: when i went to Crystal Palace, they where playing Swansea ). I love going abroad for football trips, but i don't really feel the need to cross the north sea again in the near future. I much prefer German football, it's much more authentic and stays true to it's fans in my opinion. I'm glad we don't have this kind of nonsense here in the Netherlands to be honest. Sure, money might get you more success, but is it worth it if you have to sacrifice anything that makes football fun, just for a few extra wins?

Okay, i'm done preaching now. I'm heading into town for a few beers.

[hhage]

Over wales gesproken,laatst was er op fox een docu over Ton Pentre,daar kan ik ook van genieten het kleine stadion sterk verouderd, clubmensen, ons kent ons cultuur prachtig!!!!