Work is still underway to complete SC Cambuur's new stadium, but the players in yellow jerseys had already turned up at the Kooi Stadion on Sunday, assisted by several thousand fans, to take on Helmond Sport. It promised to be a beautiful affair, but twice a wasted eleven and a post spoiled the inauguration of the modern 15,000-seater.

A series of unfortunate events

13,150 fans turned up in the stands of the just-completed Kooi Stadion to watch the inaugural clash in the Eerste Divisie (Dutch second division) between SC Cambuur and the visiting Helmond Sport. It was a great success, as 1,000 seats were closed for safety reasons and the visiting fans did not fill their sector. The anticipation after two years of work was huge, but the meeting did not go the way of the fans.

Minute 20 saw the visitors break down the yellow defence with a quick action and the score 0:1 appeared on the board. Later on, in the 15th minute of the second half, SC Cambuur were stopped from scoring an equalising goal by the post, but the fans' hopes were revived when the arbiter dictated a penalty in favour of the hosts in the 74th minute.

© SC Cambuur

The usually reliable Milan Smit steps up to take the penalty, but the goalkeeper reads his intentions and makes a save. A groan of disappointment can be heard on the stands, but it quickly turns into relief when the referee orders a repeat of the penalty. However, the goalkeeper once again anticipates the direction of the shot well, burying a unique chance to equalise.

Despite the heavy defeat, the SC Cambuur players thanked the fans for their cheering and presence at the stadium's inauguration. We hope you had a nice afternoon despite the result, the club wrote, summing up the encounter.

Finishing work continues

Finishing work is still underway at the stadium, and some supporters have pointed out shortcomings. We will be working hard on this in the coming weeks. In short, the stadium will be a little nicer at the next home game, the club assured.

Despite the need to work on details, impressions are positive. The new stadium is larger and more modern than the old Cambuurstadion, but retains a similar, typically footballing layout with open stands in the corners. SC Cambuur starts a new era at the Kooi Stadium with an exasperating 0:1 defeat, but they can be incredibly proud of their beautiful new home and one thing is certain: with such a stadium, a golden future is sure to come, promises the club.

© SC Cambuur