Someone in the carriage started on the stadium’s opening match. He was able to remember it as if it had happened only yesterday: the bad weather that day couldn’t put a damper on the atmosphere. Very proud they were: they had fixed that nicely. “Brought about by our own forceful spirit”, is how they would call it proudly at Feyenoord. He had saved his ticket of the first match in the new stadium, that colossus of steel, concrete and glass, as a precious relic.

A friendly relationship with Belgian team Beerschot had existed for some years now, so they were invited to play the opening match. Anyone there would never forget: Feyenoord-Beerschot 5-2. The score didn’t matter; it was the new stadium that counted. They knew the names of their heroes that inaugurated the football temple in front of 37.825 people on march the 27th 1937: Van Male, De Groot, Van der Heide, Bas Paauwe, Kuppen, Van Heel, Smits, Vrauwdeunt, Vente, Kantebeen and Linssen.

Another recalled the first match under floodlights in the new Feyenoord stadium. The match was of no importance, but still there were 46.000 people in the Kuip. Feyenoord played Bolton Wanderers and lost 3-0. All goals came after the break. Still, every Feyenoord supporter went home contentedly: the stadium had a fantastic lighting installation. Prior to the game dr. Ir. L.G. Versteege, president -commissioner of the stadium, had ordered all lights to be switched off. After that he asked the crowd to light a match or lighter. That gave a stunning effect: the stadium looked like a Christmas tree. Then the lights on the four masts were lit. A wave of light flooded the pitch. The story was that Vrauwdeunt’s goal against Arsenal on May the 8th 1937 caused a roar that could be heard in Dordrecht. The oohs and aahs of the igniting of the lights must have carried just as far if not further.

Bron: o.a. Feyenoord Compleet, Waanders Uitgevers / Mr. J. Oudenaarden