Seemingly random flag at Saturday’s game…

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BelgianBlade

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One for afficionados of obscure European clubs, this: amid all the excitement of Saturday's game, I spotted this flag on the upper tier, referring to occasional Eredivisie botherers Go Ahead Eagles of Deventer, The Netherlands. I have actually spotted and spoken to a few Dutch tourists lingering around Bramall Lane on matchdays before, but the fact that someone went to the effort of having a flag made suggests that there is something more official going on.

Thing is, I cannot fathom what on earth the connection might be between the two clubs. We play in red and white, they play in red and yellow, I don't think the two clubs have ever played each other in any kind of friendly, there's only one player I can find who's played for both clubs (Len de Goey -- well before my time, but not particularly a club legend here or at Go Ahead as far as I know) and there's no particular link between Sheffield and Deventer as cities...

So, is anyone able to shed some light on this? 🤔

GoAheadEagles.jpg
 

BelgianBlade said:
One for afficionados of obscure European clubs, this: amid all the excitement of Saturday's game, I spotted this flag on the upper tier, referring to occasional Eredivisie botherers Go Ahead Eagles of Deventer, The Netherlands. I have actually spotted and spoken to a few Dutch tourists lingering around Bramall Lane on matchdays before, but the fact that someone went to the effort of having a flag made suggests that there is something more official going on.

Thing is, I cannot fathom what on earth the connection might be between the two clubs. We play in red and white, they play in red and yellow, I don't think the two clubs have ever played each other in any kind of friendly, there's only one player I can find who's played for both clubs (Len de Goey -- well before my time, but not particularly a club legend here or at Go Ahead as far as I know) and there's no particular link between Sheffield and Deventer as cities...

So, is anyone able to shed some light on this? 🤔

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They’re a bunch of lads from Holland who also follow the blades they have been to a few games this season was talking to them at Blackpool
 
biggiesablade said:
I don't know mate but I preferred when we had scary Turkish friends
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DwOfryKXQAAlRM6.jpg

Underestimate provincial Dutch clubs at your own risk when it comes to ultras, flags and flares, but yeah, not quite Fenerbahce!
 
I've seen a few VFL Bochum stickers dotted around the area from time to time. Probably the result of Bochum being Sheffield's twin city.

Call it fancy or modern, but I quite like us having these little friendships with other clubs around the continent, and I sort of wish they were more developed.

I only want the rest of England to hate us.
 
Track22 said:
They’re a bunch of lads from Holland who also follow the blades they have been to a few games this season was talking to them at Blackpool
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So I'm guessing it is just a random interest then, without any particular connection...

I remember speaking to a group of about 10 Dutch lads at a game sometime pre-coronavirus, and there were a couple at the Wigan game a few weeks ago too, but both of those were just on an English football trip, taking in a few games across the north and midlands over a long weekend. Good to see we're on the 'clubs worth going to watch' list, I guess!
 
BelgianBlade said:
One for afficionados of obscure European clubs, this: amid all the excitement of Saturday's game, I spotted this flag on the upper tier, referring to occasional Eredivisie botherers Go Ahead Eagles of Deventer, The Netherlands. I have actually spotted and spoken to a few Dutch tourists lingering around Bramall Lane on matchdays before, but the fact that someone went to the effort of having a flag made suggests that there is something more official going on.

Thing is, I cannot fathom what on earth the connection might be between the two clubs. We play in red and white, they play in red and yellow, I don't think the two clubs have ever played each other in any kind of friendly, there's only one player I can find who's played for both clubs (Len de Goey -- well before my time, but not particularly a club legend here or at Go Ahead as far as I know) and there's no particular link between Sheffield and Deventer as cities...

So, is anyone able to shed some light on this? 🤔

View attachment 159657
Click to expand...
Very tenuous connection here, but when I was studying in Finland there were a couple of Dutch lads staying in the same student housing as me. When we got introduced one of them mentioned he was from Deventer he was impressed when I replied "Go Ahead Eagles!", with being an afficionado of obscure European clubs 🤓.

His mate was from Arnhem, and a fan of Vitesse.

They were great lads and invited me round for pre-going out drinks regularly, although you should have seen the state of their apartment after they necked some bottles and blasted out gabba...bouncing round the apartment shouting and fighting with eachother, kicking and punching holes in the doors and walls! 😂

Absolute maniacs, but top lads.
 
Woolford of Wall Street said:
I've seen a few VFL Bochum stickers dotted around the area from time to time. Probably the result of Bochum being Sheffield's twin city.

Call it fancy or modern, but I quite like us having these little friendships with other clubs around the continent, and I sort of wish they were more developed.

I only want the rest of England to hate us.
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Bochum actually kind of makes sense: officially twin cities, similar steelmaking/industrial history, similar club size, similar track record of having played in every division at some point, with decent stints in the top flight. I'm sure they've occasionally been known to play in some sort of blue and white stripe concoction though, so that's one obstacle to overcome 😬

Talking of more developed friendships, the link between FC Eindhoven and Tranmere Rovers is well worth a Google if you're lost for something better to do!
 
BelgianBlade said:
Bochum actually kind of makes sense: officially twin cities, similar steelmaking/industrial history, similar club size, similar track record of having played in every division at some point, with decent stints in the top flight. I'm sure they've occasionally been known to play in some sort of blue and white stripe concoction though, so that's one obstacle to overcome 😬

Talking of more developed friendships, the link between FC Eindhoven and Tranmere Rovers is well worth a Google if you're lost for something better to do!
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Thanks, I'll have a look into that, I understand Feyenoord and Sunderland also have a bit of a bromance going on. Always interests me how these things develop.

VFL Bochum have taken to playing in darker blue kits in recent times, so I can live with that. I've got no real anti-blue prejudice, as long as there isn't a stupid, badly drawn drug-addled parrot looking thingy on the badge.
 
espoo blade said:
Very tenuous connection here, but when I was studying in Finland there were a couple of Dutch lads staying in the same student housing as me. When we got introduced one of them mentioned he was from Deventer he was impressed when I replied "Go Ahead Eagles!", with being an afficionado of obscure European clubs 🤓.

His mate was from Arnhem, and a fan of Vitesse.

They were great lads and invited me round for pre-going out drinks regularly, although you should have seen the state of their apartment after they necked some bottles and blasted out gabba...bouncing round the apartment shouting and fighting with eachother, kicking and punching holes in the doors and walls! 😂

Absolute maniacs, but top lads.
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I actually grew up in Belgium at the time gabber was a thing just over the border. I mainly remember this as my mother (unwittingly) bought me a jacket from a brand associated with that scene, instantly (but still unwittingly) turning me into the coolest gabber kid at school. Never quite got the moves down though 🤷‍♂️
 
BelgianBlade said:
I actually grew up in Belgium at the time gabber was a thing just over the border. I mainly remember this as my mother (unwittingly) bought me a jacket from a brand associated with that scene, instantly (but still unwittingly) turning me into the coolest gabber kid at school. Never quite got the moves down though 🤷‍♂️
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Australian L'Alpina?
 
Nicolaus_Copernicus said:
There's always a 'Sheffield' flag at the Stadio Olimpico for Lazio home games.

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My mate is obsessed with Italian football and I’ve spotted that when watching games with him. Pretty sure it’s something to do with that lot across the other side though 😒
 

A group of Utrecht fans were over for the Cardiff game to watch us
 
I know for certain that a group of Italians come to The Lane at least once a season. One of the group is English but not from Sheffield and was converted into becoming a Blade by an acquaintance. They all live, I believe somewhere around the Italian lakes and meet in a local bar to watch United games on tv. They also serenade the locals with the GCB, sung in Italian.
 
espoo blade said:
Very tenuous connection here, but when I was studying in Finland there were a couple of Dutch lads staying in the same student housing as me. When we got introduced one of them mentioned he was from Deventer he was impressed when I replied "Go Ahead Eagles!", with being an afficionado of obscure European clubs 🤓.

His mate was from Arnhem, and a fan of Vitesse.

They were great lads and invited me round for pre-going out drinks regularly, although you should have seen the state of their apartment after they necked some bottles and blasted out gabba...bouncing round the apartment shouting and fighting with eachother, kicking and punching holes in the doors and walls! 😂

Absolute maniacs, but top lads.
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Did you go to watch FC Honka whilst there?

There's not much round my way but due to family ties its KuPS for me.
 
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First prize to whoever can answer what this character's connection to the Go Ahead Eagles is...
 
There were about 10 what I thought to be German lads in the BLUT for the Cardiff game, but could conceivably have been Dutch. All with Blades kits on.
 
Woolford of Wall Street said:
Thanks, I'll have a look into that, I understand Feyenoord and Sunderland also have a bit of a bromance going on. Always interests me how these things develop.

VFL Bochum have taken to playing in darker blue kits in recent times, so I can live with that. I've got no real anti-blue prejudice, as long as there isn't a stupid, badly drawn drug-addled parrot looking thingy on the badge.
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I'm a Sheffield native living in Rotterdam, about a mile from the Feyenoord stadium. One of my neighbours told me that the link between Feyenoord and Sunderland was to do with the number of dockers who would travel over to work in the docks in Rotterdam in the 50s and 60s. Dunno if he was winding me up but it kind of made sense.

Not sure of any link between Deventer and Sheffield though.
 
I remember a few Utrecht lads in town with Blades before we played the pigs in the 2-2 draw at the Lane.... Seemed sound enough... Just loved the English Hoolie scene and wanted to take in a Sheffield Derby. This kind of fan touristy thing is very popular both here and abroad.... Take the pigs next game.... 10000 tourists turning up for that fucker.... 😂 😂
 
Woolford of Wall Street said:
I've seen a few VFL Bochum stickers dotted around the area from time to time. Probably the result of Bochum being Sheffield's twin city.

Call it fancy or modern, but I quite like us having these little friendships with other clubs around the continent, and I sort of wish they were more developed.

I only want the rest of England to hate us.
Click to expand...

VFL also got a more formal friendship with Leicester.

Apart from Fener, we’ve obviously got a very strong friendship with St Pats in Dublin with plenty of them travelling over to the Lane and away days regularly.
 

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