H.R.H.
Prince Willem Alexander of Orange opened the Abe
Lenstrastadium on Saturday the 20th of august. The stadium
was opened with a firm kick-off from him in the direction
of the south stand. The inaugural match was against PSV
Eindhoven. The match ended in a goalless draw. The prince
was given some presents, among them a pair of clogs and a
bottle of Beerenburg, a local herbal drink (which we can
recommend for cold match days). Before
the match fans were invited to take a view at the new
stadium. In front of the stadium a statue of Abe Lensta
was uncovered.
One
more note about this match: It was the first ever match of
one Ronaldo, playing for PSV, on Dutch soil.
The
Abe Lenstrastadium has a capacity of 14.400 covered seats
of which about 600 are reserved for guest supporters. This
is a temporary figure because the stadium is on the verge
of a massive refurbishment. The capacity will be doubled
within three years. The first ever match for the Dutch
league played in the new Abe Lenstrastadium was a match
against local rivals FC Groningen. In front of a sell-out
crowd SC Heerenveen won the match with the narrow margin
of one goal; 1-0. Tom Sier made the very first goal in
this arena. Season tickets were sold out instantly and
have been ever since.
The
audience can see the match without being obstructed by
fences or other obstacles. The trench surrounding the
field is 3 meters deep. The Abe Lenstrastadium is one of
the safest stadiums in the Netherlands. Cameras monitor
the crowd so in the event of crowd troubles the police can
act swiftly to prevent further escalation. The stadium can
be empty in 6 minutes in case of a trouble
