Rotterdam Radicals have issued a fierce statement on Instagram in response to the fireworks incident during SC Cambuur v Feyenoord (2-5). In it, the supporters' group turn their fire on the uproar that followed and the media reaction in particular. According to them, there was little wrong with the action itself.
"What should have been a nice afternoon of football was unfortunately marred by, as so often, a small group of people who ruin it for the rest," it begins sarcastically, taking aim at those condemning the fireworks display. "How this can still happen in this day and age is a complete mystery to us. It is high time this small group of people were no longer given a platform, and no longer got away with this kind of behaviour."
"It is time that we start excluding this sort of people and put a stop to them. Their actions do not stem from love for their club. This group are out for personal gain and are purely in it for themselves. Scoring points at the expense of others. And we have been allowing it for far too long. Let us now stand together..."
"Against that very small group of people who seize every opportunity to whine about little incidents at football so that even stricter measures can be introduced again!! Those people who always want to be first in line whenever they can condemn and denounce something once more, preferably on TV with a camera in front of their nose. So everyone can see how good they are."
"Can we still put anything into perspective these days?! SC Cambuur are now reporting that yesterday there were not 5 but no fewer than 7(!) victims. One or two more victims and the media can speak of a new Heysel disaster. Heysel 2.0, obviously caused by Feyenoord supporters. What a joke."
"We will try to put it into perspective ourselves then. There is a pyro display in the stadium with zero intention of hitting supporters in the home sections. The wind blows some smoke from the flares in the away end into the home section. It can happen. A stray thunderking accidentally lands on that same home section via the roof. That can happen too."
"People in the home section inhale some smoke and hear a few bangs. One person or another will indeed have had a piece of fireworks hit them. You will not die from it. But maybe in Cambuur you will. Sem & Sterre cry, dad is not happy either. The housewives are the first to leave the section. The rest follow. What is left behind is trauma for life, if we are to believe the media and those involved."