Feyenoord - The De Kuip - Capacity: 51,100 All Seater
The Stadium – The De Kuip Van Zandvlietplein 3, Rotterdam 3007 The De Kuip, or the Tub is one of the best-loved stadiums in Europe. It has been used by UEFA for a number of high profile games – the last being the UEFA Cup final of 2002 when the home team Feyenoord beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2. It was also host to the final of Euro 2000 when France beat Italy to win the title.
The stadium was originally opened in 1937 and soon became a real hostile place for away teams to visit. The stadium was expanded during the next fifty years as and when funds were available. After the appalling scenes witnessed during the home leg of the 1974 UEFA Cup final against Tottenham Hotspurs, there was real danger that the ground was going to be closed permanently. However, the local government stepped in and funded a development programme that cumulated when the De Kuip was chosen as the venue for the European Championships Final.
Most of the seats offer an unobstructed view of the action, although the seats directly behind the goal are temporary and so the step rake is not as high as the rest of the stadium meaning that fans that are shorter than the fans in front may not be able to see very well. However, all of the seats are now offered protection from the (frequent) rain by the new roof.
The perimeter fences were taken down in the late 1990’s although the moat around the pitch still remains. More details of the stadium can be found at http://www.dekuip,nl. This site also includes details of the daily tours that are offered of the De Kuip.
Who Plays There? - Feyenoord - http://www.feyenoord.com Feyenoord have always been the bridesmaids of Dutch football. For so long they sat in Ajax’s shadows, waiting for a chance to shine, and then as the team from Amsterdam faded, then the PSV machine took over and claimed the crown of top dogs in the Netherlands. That is not to say that the club hasn’t had its moments of glory. Without a doubt their most famous achievement was being the first Dutch team to win the European Cup when they beat Celtic in a replay in Milan in May 1970.
The team were formed in 1908 by a group of poor workers in the south areas of Rotterdam, collectively called Feijenoord. The team was originally called Wilhelmina, after the Queen of the Netherlands but soon changed it to the now world famous Feyenoord in 1912. The team soon entered the ranks of the amateur leagues, and eventually reached the top division in the early 1920’s. They celebrated their first Dutch league title in 1924.
In the early 1970’s the team rose to the top of Europe, not only with the European Cup win, but also with Dutch Championships in 1971, 1974 as well as reaching the final of the UEFA Cup in 1974, losing to Tottenham in a game remembered more for the off the field events rather than those that occurred on the pitch. This game also ended the run of success for the team until the mid 1980’s when an aging Cruyff and a young Gullit inspired the club to a domestic double in 1984. Two further titles during the 1990’s were scant reward for a young team who played some exciting attacking football. During the first years of this century the team found it hard to break the Ajax / PSV monopoly although the fantastic UEFA Cup triumph on home soil in May 2002 was a just reward for a team including Paul Bosvelt, a very young Robin Van Persie and the goalscorer extraordinaire Pierre Van Hooijdonk.
Ruud Gullit arrived with a great fanfare in 2003 but his reign was characterised by in fighting and poor on the field discipline. Today, the team has been rebuilt again under Erwin Koeman (Ronald’s brother) and is trying to win back a championship they last had their hands on over six years ago. The season hasn’t started too well with the club soon slipping along way behind PSV and Ajax, but more importantly allowing clubs like Twente and AZ Alkmaar jump ahead of them. They are still in the UEFA Cup though and will hope to push towards a place in the final knock out stages in late January.
How to get to the De Kuip The stadium is easily reached from most parts of the city centre to the north of the Maas River. From the central station catch tram number 23 from the forecourt that runs down to Olympiaweg and Stadionweg. Alternatively bus line 49 runs from central station to Zuid station via Olympiaweg. There is also a special match day train service from the central station that runs around every 15 minutes and takes 5 minutes. Please note that you need a train ticket for this journey, and guards will check passengers tickets on exit. If you are in the Zuidplein area then catch bus 72 or 75 to the stadium.
A taxi from the city centre will take around 15 minutes on a match day and cost about €15. The taxi will not be able to drive down either Stadionwieg or Olympiaweg as these roads are closed to public traffic on match days.
For a view on where the De Kuip is, along with the other stadiums in Rotterdam, go to Footiemap.com to see their excellent map page for the city.
How to get a ticket for the De Kuip Stadium As with all other clubs in the Dutch league, you cannot just book a ticket on spec, or turn up and the ground hoping to get in unless you have a Club membership card. But fear not. Like PSV Eindhoven, the club reserve a number of tickets that are specifically available for foreign fans. In order to reserve a ticket then download an application form from the official website, or email the club at support@feyenoord.nl.
Sparta Rotterdam - http://www.sparta-rotterdam.nl After years outside the top division, tiny Sparta Rotterdam returned to the Eredivisie last season. The club have won the title on six occasions, the last time being in 1959 and have slowly slipped behind not only the big three in Dutch football but also the new teams such as AZ, Hereenven and Twente.
The club play at the 5,000 capacity Stad Rotterdam Verzekeringen to the east of the city centre. Expect tickets to be at a premium for most games though. Tram 1 and 4 run to the stadium from the central station on match days at regular intervals. As at the end of October, Sparta had predictably struggled, gaining just 5 points from their first ten games.
Excelsior - http://www.sbvexcelsior.nl Rotterdam’s third team are located in the Honingerdijk region of the city and are officially the feeder club for Feyenoord. Their modest stadium, the Woudestein holds just 3,527 people which is ample for the majority of games but means the matches versus the big three, plus the derby versus Sparta will sell out, and could sell out ten times over. Last season the club won the 2nd division for the third time in their history. The team have started the 2006/07 season well, gaining most of their points at home.
Getting around Rotterdam is a compact city and most of it is walk able. There is a good network of trams and underground trains that can help you reach the extremities should you need to get to them. Make sure you do buy your €1 ticket before boarding – the Dutch authorities crack down heavily on any fare evaders.
Rotterdam’s small airport is located next to the A13/E19 motorway that links Rotterdam to Amsterdam via Schiphol Airport. It is around 5 kilometres north of the city centre. It is served from the UK by a number of carriers.
Transavia.com are the principal budget carrier at the airport and flies twice daily to and from London Stansted. VLM run up to 4 flights a day on the short hop from London City airport – fares start as low as £49 one way on this route if you book early enough although they do not fly on Saturdays. KLM’s cityhopper service also departs on weekdays on from London City Airport and London Heathrow.
The Bus service 33/43 run by RET runs frequently to the central station in around 20 minutes. A single ticket can be bought from the driver for €2.70. A taxi to the city centre will cost around €20.
The Stadium – The De Kuip
Who Plays There? - Feyenoord - 
Sparta Rotterdam - 
The club play at the 5,000 capacity Stad Rotterdam Verzekeringen to the east of the city centre. Expect tickets to be at a premium for most games though. Tram 1 and 4 run to the stadium from the central station on match days at regular intervals. As at the end of October, Sparta had predictably struggled, gaining just 5 points from their first ten games.
Excelsior - http://www.sbvexcelsior.nl