The first month of the 2023-24 football season is officially behind us. All four Northern teams (SC Hereenveen, SC Cambuur, FC Emmen, and FC Groningen) played a total of three matches with varying degrees of success to kick off their campaigns.
There’s still lots of football left to play in the young season but certain teams have already begun to match their ambitions. Others not so much.
As the month of September looms over, here is your monthly recap of what happened throughout the football stadiums of the North during August.
SC Heerenveen cement their position as a strong Eredivisie side
After posting consecutive 8th-place finishes for the past two seasons, SC Heerenveen showcased why they’ll continue to be a staple in the Netherlands’ top division after a strong August.
The only Northern team still competing in the Eredivisie, Heerenveen began the season with two victories, defeating RKC Waalwijk at home 3-1 before traveling to Utrecht to defeat FC Utrecht by two goals to nil.
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An unbeaten start to the season was unfortunately ended following a 3-1 loss to Sparta Rotterdam on the 27th of August. It was a game to forget for Andries Noppert, the Dutch national team’s first-choice goalkeeper, as his inability to make convincing saves punished the Frisian side. The two wins and one loss leaves the team in 5th place after one month of action.
The road does not get easier for SC Heerenveen during September. They’ll have to shake off their loss before heading to Deventer to play Go Ahead Eagles on the 2nd of September. They also have a road date with reigning champions Feyenoord in Rotterdam on the 16th before returning to the Abe Lenstra Stadium in Heerenveen against Excelsior on the 23rd.
De Superfriezen (Super Frisians) close out September with an away match against FC Twente on the 30th of September.
SC Cambuur set themselves as early promotion candidates
With expectations set on promotion for SC Cambuur in the Keuken Kampion Divisie, the club from Leeuwarden did just that to place themselves as early promotion candidates during the first month of the football season.
An early tough test against FC Emmen ended in a 2-2 tie but the match was more than just about a draw between two Northern clubs. Seventeen-year-old academy graduate Wiebe Kooistra, who was born in Harkema, Friesland, made his debut for the club and scored with the last kick of the game to equalize in front of his home fans.
“The supporters went completely wild, it could hardly be better,” a delighted Kooistra told Omrop Fryslan.
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The dream debut seems to have spearheaded SC Cambuur forward. The Leeuwarden-based club won 3-2 against Telstar before returning to Cambuurstadion to defeat Jong Ajax 4-2. Their strong start has left them in 2nd place in the league and with aspirations to return to the Eredivisie as quickly as possible.
Cambuur will be hoping that September is just as fruitful. They travel away to Helmond Sport and Jong Utrecht on the 1st and 22nd of the month respectively. Fans hoping to catch their team at the iconic Cambuurstadion can do so on the 9th, 17th, and 27th of September when SC Cambuur faces Den Bosch, Willem II, and Jong PSV respectively.
A strong start for overlooked FC Emmen
Most stories about football in the North have mostly covered the shocking fall of FC Groningen to the second division or SC Heerenveen’s status as an Eredivisie club. Not many people have been discussing FC Emmen’s chances for promotion as the season kicked off.
Perhaps that narrative has to change.
A strong start for the Rood en Wit (Red and White) has seen them climb all the way up to 4th on the table. The aforementioned draw against SC Cambuur stung as the club led by two goals for the majority of the match before letting it slip away. FC Emmen supporters likely feel the same about the result against VVV Venlo, a match Emmen dominated but finished in another 2-2 draw.
They would finally taste victory for the first time against De Graafschap over the weekend courtesy of a Ben Scholte 81st-minute winner.
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With luck finally falling their way, September could prove to be the month in which we see the full potential of FC Emmen. They host Dordrecht and Jong Utrecht at De Oude Meerdijk on the 1st and the 18th of the month. FC Emmen then must travel away for three successive matches when they meet Jong Ajax (15/09/23), NAC Breda (22/09/23), and TOP Oss (29/09/23).
A shaky start despite high expectations for FC Groningen
One of the stories of last season and the summer was the downfall of FC Groningen into the Keuken Kampion Divisie. Many, including FC Groningen supporters, believed that the Trots van het Noorden (Pride of the North) would be too strong for the second division with promotion fixated on everyone’s mind.
It is fair to say that expectations are yet to be met. Following an impressive 4-1 victory over Jong Ajax at the Euroborg, FC Groningen succumbed to a 1-0 loss away to Jong Utrecht before playing out a dull 0-0 draw against Willem II. They currently sit in 7th place.
It has not been the August everyone had hoped for but support for the club is at an all-time high throughout the city.
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September offers a new chance for FC Groningen to prove their superiority over the Keuken Kampion Divisie. They first travel away to TOP Oss on the 1st before two home matches against Den Haag and Jong PSV on the 15th and 18th respectively.
They close out the month with an away trip to Helmond Sport on the 22nd before hosting Den Bosch at the Euroborg on the 29th.
Follow The Northern Times for more football coverage on the Northern clubs.
