So it's good-bye to Volendam

Monday 11 May 2009

When they started their campaign they were the laughing stock of the nation, as the season they progressed they straightened their backs and it almost seemed they were going to make it, but on the last day of the season it all went wrong and so it's Volendam who will be relegated directly to the Jupiler League.

They will play their games in stadiums like the Langeleegte in Veendam and in the barracks of Velsen-Zuid where Telstar play football without a spark.

Still chairman Henk Kras yesterday evening celebrated his birthday with an orange-and-black scarf around his neck.

It had been very quiet in the Volendam dressing room after a game that had more turns than a roller coaster.

On the pitch striker Melvin Platje disappeared into the giant comforting arms of goal keeper Jeroen Verhoeven.

The keeper comforted everyone he encountered.

Coach Frans Addelaar walked up to his players, one by one, a camera team on his trail.

It was a whirlwind of emotions on Sunday afternoon in the Vijverberg Stadium in Doetinchem, where the crowds are used to game where bare life is at stake.

Virtually both De Graafschap and Volendam had been relegated during the game and though had been virtually safe at some point.

But in reality Volendam go down an De Graafschap will join Roda JC in the play-offs.

After falling behind 1-0 Volendam fought themselves back into the game and actually took the lead halfway through the second half.

Knowing Roda JC were 1-3 up at the time in Rotterdam, Volendam knew only a victory would save them.

But how silly can relegation become your part.

Gerry Koning, a book keeper besides his job as a footballer, beat his own goal keeper when he wanted to clear a ball from the penalty area, just before Ben Sahar would have tapped it in anyway.

The Israeli striker must have been amazed at the laws of relegation football in the Eredivisie that he has endured since January.

Next season he might be playing his games in London again at the side of Didier Drogba.

But yesterday he was grinding it out against the likes of Tim Bakens and Henny Schilder, who were backed by Steve de Ridder.

The first goal Volendam conceded yesterday had been an odd affair as well.

Stephan Keller headed a free kick against the inside of the post after which keeper Verhoeven cleared the ball from behind the goal line.

It took the referee and the linesman a while to agree on whether or not it was a goal, but in the end it stood.

"It was a peculiar afternoon after a peculiar season," chairman Kras said afterwards.

"In advance I would have settled for a draw, because no one expected that Feyenoord would mess it up against Roda."

Shortly before he had addressed the players and repeated the words he said earlier last week: "In spite of it all it has been a terrific season."

Coach Adelaar was shattered: "This is a big disappointment. Winning and losing can be so close to each other. This feeling will last for a while. It's not something you process in mere seconds. I have to make my players a compliment though for the whole season and for this game."

Adelaar can look back on a season with highs and lows.

In the Cup they did so well and reached the semifinals.

In the Eredivisie they had had a terrible start with seven consecutive defeats.

Everyone was laughing at them then, but later came respect, because of the entertaining way they played.

"But that didn't get us enough points," Adelaar concluded.

He will stay at Volendam next year, but whether players like Tim Bakens and Paul de Lange will want to play in the Jupiler League is yet to be seen.

It's not for nothing that they signed only a one year contract at the start of the season.

"Relegation doesn't look good on your resume," De Lange said.