During the Promotion Days in Groningen, Domino ICT auctioned a legendary FC Groningen shirt to visitors of the Promotion Days. It is a shirt from the decisive cup final between FC Groningen and PEC Zwolle on May 3, 2015. FC Groningen sent PEC Zwolle home that day with a beautiful 2-0 victory, securing the coveted cup for the first time in the club’s history. The shirt is covered with signatures from FC Groningen players and is an absolute must-have for every FC Groningen fan.
Raffle during the Promotion Days
The players of FC Groningen couldn’t have made us happier as shirt sponsor with the victory, so we decided to raffle the shirt (with a heavy heart) among the visitors of the Promotion Days in Groningen. We hadn’t quite anticipated that Frisians would also participate in the raffle and that the winner would actually reside in Friesland. The owner of the Leeuwarden company Domino ICT became the ‘lucky’ winner. The ultimate proof that the raffle was completely fair, but whether we at Payt were so happy with that proof… We already saw the shirt disappearing into a desk drawer in an office in Friesland, tucked away, forgotten, and gathering dust. With a heavy heart, Merijn drove to Friesland on November 23, 2015, to hand over the shirt to Domino ICT.
Groningen sentiment
Once there, Merijn Stapert, co-founder of Payt, regained hope. The men of Domino ICT also realized that Friesland could not be the final destination for such a legendary shirt. Werner Bergsma shared his thoughts with Merijn, and in no time, a playful action was organized in good cooperation. Through the website of Onlineveilingmeester.nl, enthusiasts, fans, and supporters of FC Groningen can bring the shirt back to Groningen. The highest bidder can collect the shirt after the FC Groningen – FC Utrecht match on January 17, 2016, in the FC Groningen supporters’ home. The proceeds from the auction will go entirely to KiKa, the foundation in the Netherlands that raises money for research into childhood cancer. Bidding is possible after free registration on Onlineveilingmeester.nl from Friday, December 18, 4:00 PM. The auction closes on Monday evening, December 28, at 8:00 PM.
All’s well that ends well.
The cup victory by FC Groningen is the first since the club’s existence. The Groningen club was in the final once before, in 1989, but lost 4-1 to PSV at that time. Initiator Werner Bergsma, account manager at Domino ICT: “This shirt must return to Groningen. It would be a shame if the shirt with which the Groningen victory of the century was achieved ended up in a desk drawer of a Frisian office. I sincerely hope that the Groningen fans chip in to get the shirt back. Especially since the money goes to a very good cause.” From Payt, we have nothing sensible to add and can only breathe a sigh of relief with the words: “Wise man, that Werner Bergsma!”
