First Edition Football Memories RKC Waalwijk was a big success
On September 1st, the first edition of the RKC Waalwijk Football Memories took place in the Willy Naessens Lounge of the Mandemakers Stadium. During this session, the senior citizens present collected and memories about the club.
The decorated table was filled with shirts, newspaper clippings and photos of RKC Waalwijk heroes from past and present. The participants present shared old anecdotes and memories from the past, which is exactly the aim of Football Memories. After all, the project is about social contacts, talking about the past while enjoying a snack and a drink. Dutch Eredivisie side RKC is the common interest here. At the end of the session, they watched a documentary about club icon Ad van de Wiel, a familiar face to the RKC members present. After an hour and a half of talking about the club, players and matches, both participants and organisation looked back on the first session very positively!
For most RKC Waalwijk supporters, the footage ESPN used for the documentary Het Wonder van Waalwijk (The Miracle of Waalwijk), about long gone times when the football club still belonged to the ranks of the amateurs, will be completely unknown. But not for the dozen or so who have gathered in the stadium this Thursday morning. Most of them were there when RKC won the 1982 national amateur championship in Veenendaal by beating IJsselmeervogels in a decider. That game made the NOS News because of the misbehaviour of the Spakenburg players.
“I experienced everything here. That we lost in the Brabantse Bond to De Schutters in Stampersgat, now we play against Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV.”
John Beerens who has been a supporter for over seventy years
Football Memories lasts two times three quarters of an hour. This time, a documentary is shown during the break.
“Next time, we might opt for a guided tour of the stadium or an exercise activity, and we do this every other week. From ten to half past eleven.”
Ellen Maas, project manager of the Samen RKC foundation.
“It went very well there, twenty people attended every time. Due to the pandemic, only half of those are left. So we still need to work on this.”
Arjen Pijfers introduced the football talk table for seniors at Willem II
Football Memories originated in Scotland. More clubs have embraced it, RKC Waalwijk is the eleventh club in the Netherlands.
Jan has dementia, he’s a real RKC’er. So we came here. Maybe it will stir something up.”
Peter Engelenburg joined the group with his friend Jan Schwebke (who has dementia)
Towards the end, Huub Leijtens happens to walk in. John Beerens has an anecdote about him. In 1963, Huub scored the winning goal against Blauw Geel’38. The next day, he cycled through Waalwijk. Proud as a peacock. Huub laughs. A memory that lasts.
