In preparation for the Netherlands’ Euro semi-final clash with England, infrastructure all over the country has been going wild with tournament excitement.
While the iconic Snollebollekes hit ‘Links Rechts’ has grown in popularity with viral videos of Dutch fans dancing in Germany, the celebrations extend back home. As ESPN.NL have reported, supermarkets have closed early, an increased number of ferries have left Amsterdam, and there have also been traffic jams at the German border.
Supermarkets shut early
Several supermarkets are due to close early today, to give staff the opportunity to watch the Oranje take on Gareth Southgate’s England side.
More than 125 branches of the Dirk supermarket chain will close at 20:30 (CET) at the latest. Normally, their branches stay open until 22:00.
For another chain, Hoogvliet, signs are warning customers of the early closing. On the company’s Instagram, they report that the doors will close at 8:30 p.m. “Working together also means watching football together,” the message reads. Hoogvliet also closed earlier during previous European Championship matches.
The branches of DekaMarkt and Lidl will also close earlier. At Lidl, the stores will close at 8 p.m. “We want to give everyone the opportunity to experience this unique event with friends and family,” a Lidl spokeswoman said.
Extra ferries will be deployed to and from Dutch capital
More ferries have been scheduled in recent days from Amsterdam Central Station, as an influx of passengers was forecast with the Dutch team’s progression.
Normally, there are three ferries to and from Buiksloterweg until 20:30. Because of the competition, there will be three until 02:00. The normal service to and from the NDSM site will also be extended until 02:00, and two ferries will sail back and forth. A spokesperson for operator GVB, said:
“We are making every effort, because we expect many people who want to cross the water tonight.”
Traffic jam at the Netherlands-Germany border
On the morning of the game, the rush hour traffic caused a giant traffic jam at multiple border locations. With football congestion no doubt a part of the problem, Arnhem, Enschede and Venlo all saw issues.
German customs are also carrying out checks, which is causing more traffic jams. “The most delays are caused by traffic on the A12 from Arnhem,” writes the ANWB (traveller’s association). The organisation have also provided updates as to which roads are clear.
