Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at 12:08• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 12:17

FC Volendam is investigating the possibilities of developing a new stadium, the club from the Kitchen Champion Division wrote on its own website on Wednesday. The current stadium is in the center of Volendam, but the club is thinking of moving to the edge of the fishing village. The working name of the new stadium is provisional ‘t Skip and the name is easy to explain: the first impressions look a lot like a ship. This symbolizes the close bond of the village with the water.

Volendam has been playing at the second level since 2009, but wants to grow into a stable Eredivisionist in the long run. In a press release, the club writes about ‘ten to twelve thousand’ seats in the new stadium, which can also serve as ‘the perfect location for concerts and events’. The current Kras Stadium accommodates 7384 spectators. “There is already interest from various companies that want to invest in (the realization of) the new stadium. Not only within the municipal boundaries, but from all over the country and beyond,” says Volendam. The club repeats several times in the press release that the new stadium would offer more space for entrepreneurs and for collaborations.

Image: FC Volendam

“We want to make our new home port the coziest stadium in the Netherlands, say the low-threshold alternative to AZ and Ajax,” said the board. “You can achieve this, for example, by bringing the supporters closer to the field, in other words less space between players and the stands. People have to feel the sport again in their hearts and skin when they sit in the stands… or stand! “If you get a beer or eel sandwich, you should still be able to follow and feel the match due to the open character of the stadium. Those should be important principles for the design. For the time being, we are thinking of at least ten thousand seating and standing places.”

Volendam is currently in thirteenth place in the Kitchen Champion Division. In 1993 the club finished sixth in the Eredivisie, but since then has finished the Wide Pants never in the left row at the highest level. Yet that is precisely the ambition. “The left row of the Eredivisie, that sounds like a dream… But why not?! Our club meets a lot of conditions to make that dream come true. A new stadium is more or less necessary for that ambition. Of course that is exciting. But look at Heracles and AZ, they also came from very far.” Finally, the club emphasizes that nothing has been set in stone yet and that the plans are still in the research phase. “The sketch is primarily a visualization of ideas. No rights can therefore be derived from it.”

Image: FC Volendam

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