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Het Legioen (, ''The Legion'' in English) is the name of the supporters and fans of Dutch football club Feyenoord Rotterdam. Squad number 12 is never given to a player, but is reserved for Het Legioen instead.


Supportersvereniging

Feyenoord have one official fan supporters club, the Feyenoord Supportersvereniging.De Feyenoord Supportersvereniging
, feyenoord.nl
The FSV is completely independent and as of 2006 has a membership of about 23,000. The FSV aim to cater for the wishes and needs of Feyenoord fans, and also operate as a bridge for better communication between the club and fans. Each home game the FSV produce the official match programme rather than Feyenoord itself. FSV also arrange special events known as "supportersavonden" (supporter's evenings)., arrange travel for away matches and the mascot for home matches, and participate in Feyenoord projects like Supporters Platform, TIFO team, Kameraadjes and the yearly Open day. The Supporters Platform formed in August 2005 to improve communication between club and fansFeyenoord Supporters Platform (uitleg)
, feyenoord.nl
Within the FSP about 60 supporters are continuously in contact with the staff of the club to discuss club matters. About five times during a season an open meeting is arranged for all other Feyenoord supporters willing to visit and listen to and discuss explanations.


TIFO team

In 1998 the Feyenoord Supporters Vereniging were wondering about whether or not it would be possible to create more atmosphere inside the stadium mainly during important matches. As a result, a few huge flags were produced and brought into the stadium prior to matches played by Feyenoord.
, tifonet.nl
The flags were a success, but people started asking for more activities and a meeting between fans and officials were arranged. In 2000
Harry Veth Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
was given permission to establish a group of five Feyenoord fans called TIFO team Feyenoord Rotterdam. Besides creating more flags and small pieces of paper released from the second platform the team also started to organise bigger activities. The first big activity was held on 10 December 2000 when Feyenoord faced Ajax and 40 fog machines were activated when the players entered the pitch. In the following years many different and various activities were held to improve the atmosphere inside the stadium. Feyenoord's TIFO team became famous abroad as well and the Italian TIFO foundation awarded Feyenoord the
Best of TIFO Award Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...
2000/2001.


Kameraadjes

Kids supporting Feyenoord between 0 and 12 years old can join the "Kameraadjes" group. De kameraadjes (The little comrades) get a versatility of little gadgets and advantages according to Feyenoord.Kameraadjes
, feyenoord.nl
Members of the Kameraadjes receive the Kameraadjes magazine, a free stadium tour and a welcoming present. During a season, several events for Kameraadjes members are held, like: a Sinterklaas party, special events during Feyenoord Opening day and the first training of the season, beach soccer tournaments and advantages when visiting a Feyenoord home match. As of 2006 there are 26,500 Kameraadjes.


Jeugdproject

Feyenoord's Jeugdproject (Youth Project) concentrates on children between 6 and 12 years of age, playing football at schools and amateur teams.Jeugdproject
feyenoord.nl
To show the kids the importance of sports and sportsmanship, Feyenoord invites the children to De Kuip to see what sport can do to people: happiness, disappointment, excitement, emotions, fear and cosines, it brings people together. In Feyenoord's Youth Project visiting a match is the central point, but there is also an educative and cultural character included. Feyenoord provides schools and amateur clubs with small teaching books and expect these to be filled in by the visiting youth when they enter the stadium on a match day. The groups that support Feyenoord in the most original way and those who can predict the score correctly are awarded with prizes.


First training

Every single year Feyenoord fans look forward to the club's first training of the new season. They show up with thousands together and temporary stands are placed around the training pitch.Eerste training
, feyenoord.nl
Players signed during the summer will be seen by the fans in public for the first time and the players take some time to sign autographs after the training. Around the training pitch there are several other activities held before the first and in between the first and second training of the day. No other club in the Netherlands attracts as much supporters towards the first training and the new players are positively surprised every year. Despite finishing 9th in the Eredivisie in the 2006–07 season for instance the first training of the 2007–08 season broke all records when 20,000 fans showed up to support the team and to erase the previous season out of their minds. Image:FirstTraining2006Feyenoord01.JPG, players applause Image:FirstTraining2006Feyenoord02.JPG, big audience Image:FirstTraining2006Feyenoord03.JPG, temporary stands Image:Feyenoord Training 016.jpg, warming up


Famous Feyenoord fans

Besides a lot of former players who still are fans of the club, there are also many celebrities who openly announce to be a Feyenoord fan. Singer
Lee Towers Leendert "Leen" Huijzer (; born 23 March 1946), better known by his stage name Lee Towers, is a Dutch singer with international success. He remains as one of the best-selling artists and holds the record for the most concerts performed by a singl ...
and actor
Gerard Cox Gerardus Antonius "Gerard" Cox (born 6 March 1940, Rotterdam) is a Dutch singer, cabaret artist, actor, and director. For fifteen years, he played the lead character of the Dutch sitcom ''Toen Was Geluk Heel Gewoon''. Life In 2018, Cox had a le ...
are known as the most fanatic Feyenoord fans around, talking about the team wherever they show up on TV, radio or magazines. Among other famous Feyenoord fans are politicians
Wouter Bos Wouter Jacob Bos (; (born 14 July 1963) is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and businessman. Bos attended the Christian Gymnasium in Zeist from June 1975 until July 1980 and applied at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ...
and
Jan Marijnissen Johannes Guillaume Christianus Andreas "Jan" Marijnissen () (born 8 October 1952) is a retired Dutch politician of the Socialist Party (SP). Marijnissen, a welder by occupation, was selected as Leader of the Socialist Party after the death of ...
, baseball manager Robert Eenhoorn, kidnapped
Arjan Erkel Peter-Arjan Erkel (born 9 March 1970 in Prins Alexander, Rotterdam) is a Dutch former medical aid worker who was head of the relief mission for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Dagestan, a constituent republic of Russia. His main task was carin ...
, judo world champion
Dennis van der Geest Dennis van der Geest (; born 27 June 1975) is a Dutch judoka, who won the bronze medal in the men's heavyweight (+ 100 kg) division at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was born in Haarlem, North Holland. In 2005, he became the world judo ...
,
DJ Paul Elstak Paul Roger Elstak (known professionally as DJ Paul Elstak; born 14 January 1966 in The Hague) is a Dutch hardcore/gabber and happy hardcore DJ and record producer of Surinamese descent. He used to use his full name to create happy hardcore a ...
, tennis player
Raemon Sluiter Raemon Sluiter (born 13 April 1978) is a Dutch former professional tennis player and current coach. His career-high ATP singles ranking is World No. 46, achieved in February 2003. Though he achieved only limited success during his professional ...
and TV star
Renate Verbaan Renate Verbaan (born 27 October 1979) is a Dutch television presenter. Career She was a video jockey at TMF Nederland from 2004 until 2006. From 2006 till 2009 she presented ''RTL Travel, RTL Travel's Hotlist''. In 2007, she participated in ...
. Sluiter, Towers, Van der Geest and Eenhoorn have all officially been Feyenoord ambassadors. Verbaan is the current and first ever female ambassador.


Hooliganism

Aside from the loyalty of the supporters, which earned ''Het Legioen'' the title "Best fans of the country", there is also a hooligan side, which often give the club a bad name. During the UEFA Cup final versus
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
in 1974 Feyenoord fans were confronted with international
hooliganism Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events. Etymology There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a d ...
for the first time. The first Dutch hooligan firms occurred in the late 1960s. Prior to the match English hooligans had been causing damage in the center of Rotterdam already and during the match they climbed over the cages that separated the stands.Feyenoord en de voetbalrellen van 1974
sportgeschiedenis.nl
They were throwing seats, set the istadium on fire and were fighting man to man. About 150 people were wounded and 50 English hooligans were arrested. UEFA-employee Lucien Schmidtlin reported that neither Feyenoord nor Tottenham could be blamed for the riots. After the match the Dutch authorities saw the happenings as a problem that occurred in England and only a few people were warning that these riots might become common, also in the Netherlands. In the years that followed the S.C.F (SCF) was established and a lot of the fanatic Feyenoord fans became part of one of the most feared firms in European football. In Europe they were also known as the "run away" firm and besides fights with other Dutch firms there were some small fights in the 1990s in Germany.
/ref> 15,000 Feyenoord fans were having control over the German police in
Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach (, li, Jlabbach ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine, halfway between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border. Geography Municipal subdivisions Since 2009, the territory of Mönchengladbac ...
, while also in Stuttgart and
Leverkusen Leverkusen () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the south, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne, and to the north the state capital, Düsseldorf. With about 161,000 inhabitants, Leverkusen is o ...
they caused a lot of trouble. The most violent clash where the SCF clinched with Ajax's F-side was on 23 March 1997 when the "Battle of Beverwijk" took place and Ajax fan Carlo Picornie was killed by the SCF. After this incident several members of the original SCF stepped back and a second generation of hooligans joined those who stayed. The additional firm was known as the RJK (Rotterdamse Jongeren Kern/Rotterdam Youth Squad). Two years later a third firm (FIIIR) was established and merged with the RJK, the FIIIR became the youth squad of the SCF. Another big clash between the firms of Ajax and Feyenoord happened in Rotterdam on 17 April 2005 when hundreds of SCF and FIIIR members fought with the police prior to the match versus Ajax.Relschoppers Feyenoord-Ajax
spitsnet.nl
F-side members were at that time held by the police just outside the stadium and when the announcement was made in the stadium several groups of SCF/FIIIR members left the stadium to find the F-side. When the police tried to avoid the groups to get together both sides attacked the police first before clashing with each other. Many people got injured, police officers and members of both firms. On 30 November 2006 Feyenoord faced
AS Nancy Association Sportive Nancy Lorraine (), commonly known as AS Nancy Lorraine, or simply Nancy, is a French association football club founded in 1967 in Nancy, Grand Est and located in Tomblaine, in the inner suburbs of Nancy. The club currently ...
in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, which is at driving distance from Rotterdam. Only 1200 tickets were awarded to Feyenoord fans.Ongeregeldheden in Nancy
nu.nl
Much more than that number travelled to Nancy and tried to get tickets at the
Stade Marcel Picot The Stade Marcel Picot is a stadium located in Tomblaine, France, near the city of Nancy. Built in 1926, it is used by Ligue 2 football team Nancy. The stadium was completely rebuilt and inaugurated in its new configuration in 2003. It is now ...
. Later, during the match inside the stadium SCF and FIIIR members broke a wall of glass between two stands and provoked French fans. The match was suspended for 30 minutes in the 80th minute after the police used tear gas to drive the SCF/FIIIR members back into their own stand. The match was eventually finished, 30 minutes after it was suspended. It was said many of the SCF/FIIIR members were having Dutch stadium bans and should not have been allowed to buy tickets in Nancy.Stadionverboden
/ref> Members of SCF and FIIIR identify themselves with their tattoos
, qontour.nl
Due to this violence, Feyenoord was knocked out of the UEFA Cup for the remaining of the season. In 2013 Independent Dutch film company Cerce Films released the movie "
Roffa ''Roffa'' is a 2013 Dutch independent drama film about football hooliganism. It was directed by Bobby Boermans and stars Loek Peters, Ilse Heus and Joost Koning. In the film, a former hooligan and member of Feyenoord football firm U.D.F. is releas ...
" which is a story based on the hooligans of Feyenoord.


References

{{Feyenoord Feyenoord Association football supporters' associations Ultras groups