Sports fans are loyal. No one wants to be considered a fair-weather fan, right? Fans of FC Den Bosch, a Dutch soccer team that plays in the Netherlands’ second-tier Eerste Division, just lost 13-0 to league leaders PEC Zwolle. It was a record loss.
The club, recognizing the brave fans who stood in support while their beloved club got ruthlessly battered, sent a token of their appreciation: a branded keychain with part of the club’s crest and the message “Dé was kut. Mar ik war dr bi.”
That’s Dutch for, “That was sh*t. But I was there.”
The club sent the keychains along with a letter to the supporters that said (translated from Dutch):
You were there.
You stood there and watched.
If we have something to celebrate later, you can say, that was then and this is now.
You are a success supporter for a while, FC player for life.
The letter was signed by the club president.
De perfecte reactie. Ik had deze wedstrijd niet willen missen. #pecdbo pic.twitter.com/I3qhdrJBqW
— Josse (@Zuidhintham) April 6, 2023
No one wants to watch their team lose in that way. One time I watched the Mets beat the Phillies by 14 runs. It was the first and last time I ever sat behind home plate. And I left Citizens Bank Park with nothing but bad vibes. The team never mailed me any letter that said, “Hey, sorry you watched the wrong team put on a batting clinic. Here’s a free ice cream helmet.”
This shows that even a bad time can be turned into something fun and positive. The club took a day that could have left an extremely sour taste in their fans’ mouths, and made it something positively memorable. It encourages fans to keep coming to the stadium and cheering on the team, hoping that a day like that never happens.
And it allows fans to show how loyal they are with the keychain. It was bad, but they were there.
