A seriously ill Ajax fan invited to be the only supporter in attendance for the completion of their abandoned game against Groningen on Tuesday, was unable to realise his final wish after experiencing worsening health.
The fan, named Peter, is living in a hospice and had expressed the desire to attend an Ajax game for the last time. They had arranged for him to visit the original fixture on Sunday but there was immense disappointment when it was curtailed within five minutes of kick-off owing to a huge pyrotechnic display by a section of the support.
Fireworks were thrown again when an attempt to resume was made 40 minutes later and the remainder was scheduled for Tuesday. Although the game officially took place behind closed doors, Ajax had allowed Peter to fulfil his wish and watch from the stands.
It emerged on Tuesday that Peter was too ill to attend the game’s second iteration. “When the volunteers arrived at the hospice this afternoon to fulfil Peter’s last wish, it unfortunately turned out that Peter’s condition had deteriorated to such an extent that his last wish will never be fulfilled,” read a statement on RTL News from WensenAmbulance Noord-Holland, a charity that helps people who are dying or have serious chronic illness to fulfil their final wishes.
“Peter has played football all his life, has also been a referee, and follows Ajax closely,” said André, a staff member from Wensenambulance Noord-Holland, before Tuesday’s turn of events. “Football is his whole life, so [the hospice] wanted to let him go to one last match.”
André, who accompanied Peter along with Peter’s adult son, recounted the story of a Sunday afternoon that turned sour due to the fans’ behaviour. “When we arrived at the stadium, we were given excellent guidance by the stewards,” he said. “We got a great spot behind the goal. Peter was very disappointed [by the abandonment]. This is, of course, incredibly frustrating.”
A raft of posts on social media had highlighted Peter’s plight and urged for him to be granted access to the rescheduled game. Wensenambulance Noord-Holland had confirmed that Peter would be permitted to attend, but he was unable to make Ajax’s 2-0 win in a game that restarted in the sixth minute.
Sunday’s abandonment prompted Ajax to “emphatically distance ourselves from this misconduct” and describe the fans’ behaviour as “utterly outrageous”. The supporters in question are believed to have been commemorating a deceased fan. The Eredivisie will conduct an investigation into the events that led to the game being stopped.
