Angry De Graafschap fans block team bus before Vitesse match, kickoff in doubt

Bus held back at the stadium

Supporters of De Graafschap held back the club's team bus at the stadium in Doetinchem on the morning of 8 November 2026, hours before a scheduled 12:15 kickoff away at Vitesse. The stadium gate was locked, and club director Marco Bogers told ANP that the bus could not leave. A group of about 160 supporters had gathered at the Vijverberg, according to a report in AD. The players got off the bus again around 11:30, and it was unclear whether the supporters themselves had locked the gate to the car park where the bus stood.

Why the fans were angry

The protest followed a decision taken on Saturday, 7 November 2026, to keep De Graafschap supporters out of the GelreDome in Arnhem. Gelderlander reported that justice, police and Arnhem mayor Ahmed Marcouch made the call because the fans would not accept all safety conditions. Some fans objected to how police planned to check fan material before the match. The restrictions date back to disturbances at the Arnhem fixture in December 2025, after which the club was limited to 500 travelling supporters for this season.

“With that, the necessary trust in a safe course of the match is lacking.”

The municipality said on Saturday that some supporters had not kept to agreed safety arrangements. The club said talks with the Arnhem triangle broke down because away fans could not bring their own fan items, including banners, to the stadium.

Kickoff in doubt

Vitesse said a decision on the match would come around 12:00. According to the club's own account, the fixture could be postponed or not go ahead at all, and AD reported that a heavy penalty for De Graafschap was expected if it were called off. A club spokesperson said the club was in contact with the various parties about what happens next.

“Due to circumstances the bus cannot leave yet. We are in contact with the various parties involved about what happens next.”

The club's position

De Graafschap said it had made every effort from the first moment to meet the security conditions and called itself "very disappointed" with the outcome. It asked its own supporters to respect the decision, while a group stayed at the stadium to protest. The dispute with the city has left the Vitesse fixture, due to start at 12:15, without a confirmed start time.