Vitesse director calls De Graafschap fans’ bus blockade ‘unacceptable’
Vitesse director Willem van der Linden called De Graafschap supporters’ action “unacceptable” after their protest over an away-fan ban led to the cancellation of the match, leaving 17,000 people at the Arnhem stadium.
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Vitesse’s match against De Graafschap was abandoned after the away side’s supporters stopped its team bus from leaving, leaving 17,000 people in the Arnhem stadium, according to Vitesse director Willem van der Linden.
Van der Linden called the supporters’ action “unacceptable” in an interview with ESPN on Sunday. “This is very unfortunate for our supporters. There were 17,000 people in our stadium,” he said. “We had hoped to make it a celebration. I’ve never experienced this before.”
De Graafschap supporters blocked the bus at the club’s ground in Doetinchem in protest at Arnhem’s decision to bar them from the match. The city announced the ban on Saturday.
The bus blockade and cancellation followed a dispute over the exclusion of away fans. An earlier report on the bus protest and the ban said Arnhem authorities cited concerns that some supporters would not follow agreed safety measures, while De Graafschap disputed that account and urged its fans not to travel.
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