The remainder of the match between ADO Den Haag and Jong PSV started a few minutes later than planned on Tuesday evening, because the stadium lighting again caused problems. The match was canceled after 26 minutes last month, because at the time the light poles went out due to a power outage and that problem could not be solved. It seemed for a while that the same problems would end the game again, but the players are now on the field for the remaining 64 minutes, which Jong PSV started with a 0-1 lead.
While the ADO and Jong PSV teams had already started the warm-up, one of the four stadium lamps turned out to be out of order. Giovanni Franken – trainer of the home team – had a conversation with ESPN initially know that there would be no play if this lamp did not come on before the scheduled kick-off time of 8:00 PM. “This is kind of the season so far, I must say”, Franken sighed. “But I am more positive, because there is only one today. They are busy with it.”
No joke, one stadium lamp went out in The Hague. This is a make up game as the stadium lights went out ?? “If the lamp doesn’t come on, we won’t be able to play” pic.twitter.com/j9DRVGHtoh
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) April 19, 2022
“If that light doesn’t come on, we can’t play. That is the hard and painful conclusion,” emphasized Franken. “I will discuss it a little more briefly this time, also with colleague Ruud (van Nistelrooij, ed.). Last time I felt quite responsible that we had started, because that was not good for anyone. I don’t want another scenario of us sitting in the locker room for an hour. We might be able to wait fifteen minutes, but not an hour and a quarter like last time. Sometimes it’s unbelievable what happens. You cannot retell this.”
Due to the regulations it is not possible to play with three stadium lights on. “It has to do with the incidence of light, cameras, you also need light… These are technical things that I don’t know much about, but there must be four light poles on,” says Franken. His colleague Ruud van Nistelrooij couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. “If this doesn’t go through, we’ll just play in the Philips Stadium. The lights always work there. Let’s not overdo it. I assume that the lights will come on and then we will start.”
Where Franken firmly said that kick-off had to be done at 8 p.m. at all costs, this starting time was not so sacred. ESPN reported that referee Clay Ruperti initially planned to watch the conditions on the pitch with three stadium lights on. Then the fourth stadium lamp came on shortly before eight, allowing Ruperti to go get the players to go onto the field. The game is restarted with a referee ball.
The match between ADO and Jong PSV was stopped on March 12 after 26 minutes of play. Due to a power failure, the lighting went out about 45 minutes before the scheduled kick-off time, while some players were already on the field for the warm-up and the necessary supporters were in the stands in the stands. Initially it was possible to get the power supply going again with an emergency generator, so that kick-off was still possible more than an hour after the planned start time. The power went out again early in the game, after which the game was stopped permanently. Jong PSV stood in front of the stadium lighting for the second time after 26 minutes of play due to a goal by Johan Bakayoko on a 0-1 lead.
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