Column | Gul – NRC

Lucie van Roosmalen (9) is becoming an increasingly passionate Vitesse supporter, it’s so bad that I get a feeling of guilt. The place in the ranking (last) does not interest her, it is about ‘feeling’. On Friday we went to her insistence again, she was sitting with shirt and Shawl next to me on the train. In the Gelredome stadium she enjoyed sarcasm.

« Nobody is here for fun, » she said.

She had already been fifteen games in total and had never experienced a victory. I would like to say that I myself once started in the first division. She also enjoys it very much when people in the stands are starting to dick up against me about the ups and downs of the club, especially if I can’t shake them away from me. When entering the stadium, a man with a yellow-black fisherman’s hat on the head stairs. I could not pass him without a story about an Arnhems children’s home where I thought I had to come and have a chat about.

She also had a pleasant conversation with a man who compared her to Anne Frank. He thought it was so brave that she sometimes walks around in a Vitesse shirt in Amsterdam. He closed with: « And then they beat you together, well and?! »

« She is nine, » I said.

It was intended as, they don’t do that there, they don’t hit children there, but he interpreted my words differently.

« You have to hit them first. »

We came in 2-0, but in the end Jong AZ was right. A few seats away, trainer John van den Brom spent the last game of a suspension. She enjoyed it that they thanked him for the display.

When leaving, she got a goodie bag, just like all other women present. There was a bottle of champagne and lots of discount coupons, including a 15 percent discount for a Thai massage in the Emmastraat in Velp.

She called it with my phone with her mother from the supporters bus who brought us back to the station.

« Vitesse has given us all gifts, 100 euros for clothes, a bungalow park and a key ring. And for you a massage in Velp! »

That announcement was cheered around her.

Other women came to give her discount voucher to her, so that her mother could be massaged with even more discount.

The next day she was talking about it, she went to tell in class about the infinite generosity of the Arnhemmers.

Marcel van Roosmalen Writes a column on Monday and Thursday.

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