A century of soccer at Vetkampstraat
Published May 4, 2021
The world of soccer is home to many legendary stadiums. From the San Siro in Milan to Anfield in Liverpool and Camp Nou in Barcelona, legendary soccer stadiums are scattered across the globe. De Adelaarshorst, located in Deventer and home to the Go Ahead Eagles, may be less well known than those mentioned above, but it is no less iconic a stadium.
On May 2, the club celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Vetkampstraat, the street where the home of Go Ahead Eagles is located. Despite the club celebrating the 100-year anniversary in 2021, the first game was actually played at the venue on May 2, 1920, meaning the stadium is in fact 101 years old. Go Ahead decided to postpone the celebrations marking this milestone due to the cancellation of the 2019/20 Eerste Divisie season, the second-highest tier in Dutch soccer, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To commemorate Vetkampstraat reaching a century of hosting Go Ahead, the club created a set of very special retro jerseys. The design of these jerseys is based on the kits worn during the very first game at the Adelaarshorst, a 3-0 win over VOC Rotterdam. The club, in partnership with Hummel, has succeeded in creating an extraordinary jersey that truly captures the full emotion of the stadium’s enduring legacy. Over the 100 years that Go Ahead Eagles have played at the Adelaarshorst, the club has enjoyed many successful seasons and has been crowned champion on three separate occasions on the Vetkampstraat.
The jerseys bear the club colors, with a yellow stripe down the middle and red sides and sleeves. The jerseys also feature a large collar and black buttons down the front, a nod to the original kit worn more than a century ago.
Go Ahead’s crest has also been replaced with the beautiful black coat of arms featuring an eagle sitting on a soccer ball, which is normally located in the middle of the crest itself.
These limited-edition jerseys have proven immensely popular with fans and collectors alike, with the initial 192 jerseys quickly selling out. Due to the enormous demand, an additional 500 jerseys were produced, which also quickly sold out.
Fans and collectors now have one final chance to get their hands on these iconic, limited-edition jerseys, as all the jerseys worn during Go Ahead’s 5-1 victory over Helmond Sport will be up for grabs in the online auction.
The Go Ahead Eagles jerseys will go live on the MatchWornShirt platform on May 5 at 19:00 CET.
