De Graafschap fan ban away matches after bus blockade, Digi Mart USA News: De Graafschap will not take supporters to away matches until March 31, 2027. The club made the decision in response to the blocking of the team bus by its own fans, who prevented the Gelderland derby against Vitesse from going ahead on Sunday.
The rescheduled date for the postponed match has been set for Monday, November 23. The measure to leave supporters behind on away trips was taken by the club itself, and the disciplinary bodies of the KNVB, the Dutch football association, are also considering possible sanctions.
The KNVB had earlier called the supporters’ action “unacceptable and insane.”
The supporters blocked the team bus after learning on Saturday evening that they were not welcome in Arnhem to attend the match. The Arnhem safety triangle had imposed that ban.
De Graafschap said it understands that supporters wanted to express their dissatisfaction but condemns the way it was done.
“That cannot be justified in any way. What happened on Sunday cannot, must not, and must never happen again,” the club stated on its website.
It added that by closing the access routes, the team bus was prevented from leaving the grounds, which made an official competition match impossible and interfered unacceptably with the personal freedom of its own people.
Because of the decision to bring no supporters to away matches until the end of March, De Graafschap will play nine matches without away fans, including the rescheduled match against Vitesse. The club acknowledged that the decision is far-reaching, especially for loyal supporters who had nothing to do with Sunday’s events, but considers it necessary given the seriousness of the incident.
The club said it will determine “promptly and carefully” which individuals are responsible for organizing, carrying out or sustaining the blockade. It plans to impose local stadium bans on them and to push the KNVB for a nationwide stadium ban.
It is also having an assessment made of whether criminal legal steps are possible and appropriate.
If all supporters can be identified, De Graafschap said it would reconsider the collective punishment of not bringing away fans. “If it turns out that all those involved have individually received a sanction, we can reconsider this decision,” the Gelderland club said on its website.
