Oranje doesn’t know how to party!

Here’s some of our gladiators saying farewell to the fans, only to be booed off the pitch…

42.000 supporters bought a ticket for Holland-Norway already. A game without any sport significance anymore, but with lots of sentiments.

The fans want to celebrate the WC ticket with the players in De Kuip. However, history shows that Oranje isn’t good in throwing a party after having qualified.

It’s the same with what the people call the “say G’day” games, the last friendlies for the home crowd before the team travels to the big tournaments. Bert van Marwijk has announced however, that he takes this Norway game very serious. Let’s look at four recent games that should have become a party but ended with a earpiercing whistles and booing…

June 4, 2005: Holland – Australia 1-1
The agitation isn’t so much directed at Oranje but the opponent. Guus Hiddink’s Australia kicks and hits at everything that moves in the last serious test before the WC. In particular the challenges of Luke Wilkshire vs Gio van Bronckhorst fuel the anger among the players and fans.

“Disgraceful, this is so without respect. This has nothing to do with football,” says Arjen Robben who compared the Dutch dressing room with M*A*S*H. There’s hardly any real football on show for the 50.000 fans. Marco van Basten doesn’t spare his own players either. He feels that you can’t complain, you have to defend yourself and play well despite the opponent. “You can’t complain during the WC when Argentina or any other nation plays you like this. Be a man and get up and fight back. I’m actually happy with this display by Australia. It will toughen the boys up. You have to be able to handle this and I told them during the break to kick ass.”

November 21, 2007 – Belarus-Holland, 2-1.

Holland has been laughed out of Minsk before. In 2005, with Van der Sar making his debut, Belarus beat Holland 1-0. This time around, the home nation wins 2-1. It’s only four days after Holland qualified for the EC2008 against Luxembourg.

It’s -7 outside and Oranje makes a mess of things. Clarence Seedorf, among others, didn’t want to go. He’s got a full program with Milan and asks permission to stay in Italy. Marco van Basten doesn’t understand the request by a player who has recently made his come back and has a lot to play for but concurs.

Van Basten is annoyed with the attitude of certain players and decided then and there not to extend his deal with the KNVB.

June 5, Holland – Ireland 0-1.

“As far as I’m concerned they should have canceled the party afterwards. I was booed for more than 15 minutes, I’m not in the mood now,” said Jaap Stam after the Ireland game. Frank de Boer and Jaap Stam were celebrated for their big Oranje careers after the match, but the fans felt robbed and kep on booing through the ceremony.

The EC2004 is about to start, but Robbie Keane scored the winner for Ireland. The second loss in a week, after Belgium beat Dick Advocaat’s Oranje with 1-0 as wel.

Phillip Cocu: “I tried to speak to the fans via the microphone but I couldn’t get through the booing. I do hope the people will support us from now on again. We need that.” Stam agrees. “I understand that the fans are disappointed and want to let the team know, but once the game is over and ex-internationals are formally thanked for their roles, I think the boo-ers and whistlers should have stopped. Next time, they can stay home as far as I’m concerned…”

October 12, 2005: Holland – Macedonia 0-0

Van Basten’s Oranje has qualified for the WC 2006 in Germany and plays the last game against Macedonia in a brightly orange Amsterdam ArenA. Never before was the vibe “as orange” as with this game, the paper AD stated.

“It’s not just the fans, dressed in orange. The whole stadium was refurbished in the national colors. There were balloons and banners throughout the whole venue.”

The players were keen to throw a party but the Balkan players didn’t wanna play. Oranje couldn’t break them down and a boring game was the result. The highlight of the game was Edgar David’s return in Oranje after 364 days.