The Football Match

Sports Memories
One of the most sensational football matches ever played in Twente was the encounter between Sportclub Enschede and Ajax Amsterdam in 1936 for the Dutch championship. The Amsterdam team was, as usual, accompanied by a very large number of fans who dominated the cityscape of Enschede as soon as they arrived with their white and red flags, caps and all the trimmings. They were already in a victory frenzy beforehand and firmly convinced of Ajax‘s superiority. During the match it certainly looked like it: The Amsterdam team took a two-goal lead and five minutes before the end, when the score was still 3-1 in Ajax’s favour, the victory for the red-whites seemed mathematically certain. Victory songs echoed, flags were unfolded and in various stands there was much boasting about the Western superiority. The journalists from “Holland” were already leaving the stands to catch an early train. But just before they had gotten into the waiting taxi on the Roesinghsbleekweg, a deafening cheer sounded: Sportclub had scored a counter-goal. After this goal, the Ajax players were completely taken by surprise, and even before the car from the West drove off, the game was already tied. The red-white flags and the other signs of victory suddenly disappeared, as did the boisterous mood of the capital city fans. Fear tightened the Ajax fans’ throats, as in the very last seconds, a high ball from H. Veldkamp came sailing by while a tangle of players stood in front of the Amsterdam goal. The goalkeeper missed, but the ball flew agonisingly slowly just over the crossbar. The final whistle sounded. Like tame sheep, the Ajax fans sneaked towards the waiting train… – 14-11-44

Once upon a time there was a football match,
Where it was, is irrelevant,
One team was very good,
The other was weak

One team, widely celebrated,
Has many victory points
And many thought very decidedly
And many an expert muttered

The weak team surely won’t
Stand any chance,
The strong team, that has strength,
Like a herd of buffalo

It will quietly overrun
The weak team‘s goal
I‘m absolutely not afraid of it,
You‘ll see

The proud strong team counts
Huge numbers of fans,
Who certainly have no doubt,
For these good fellows

They brought to the match
Many flags and many banners
And after the final football kick,
One could already guess,

They would then unfold with a mighty swing
The acclaimed colours
Of the undoubtedly victorious club,
Which always only gained fame,

With cheers and shouts of joy
And with much pride
Because that’s part of it
And is always done so

One watched  the strong with delight,
They went at it like Blücher
And – five minutes before the end
Their victory seemed absolutely certain

And because victory seemed absolutely certain
The friends unfolded
The flags and the banners,
The club members of the strong

Have applauded and rejoiced,
For as one could have predicted
As always, just like today
Victory was awarded to the standouts

To the champions of the football match
Undoubtedly
And elated by the emotion of victory
One was joyful and content.

And yet it was still far too early,
Victory was not yet achieved,
At the end of the match, they realized:
They sang too soon.

The weak came back strongly
And caught up the damage
The course of the match had turned around,
Those always covered with glory

Suffered at last
A terrible defeat,
The group of fans was greatly appalled,
The shock was big.

One rejoiced during the football match
Already too confident of victory
And this incident is much like
The course of war.

In ‘40, for the Third Reich
Victory was entirely beyond doubt,
Yet what remains for you at the end of the match is
The German defeat.