Vitesse Arnhem Play In Colours Of British 1st Airborne Division In Memory Of WWII Battle Of Arhnem
By Chris Wright
Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem switched from their usual black and yellow-striped kit and played in a snappy claret and blue number against Heracles Almelo at the weekend to commemorate the 68th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem during the Second World War – claret and blue being the colours of the British 1st Airborne Division who carried out ‘Operation Market Garden’ in the Dutch town, with 1st Airborne’s ‘winged horse’ logo also incorporated into the design…
The kit also carries the slogan ‘No Bridge Too Far’ (a reference to the famously sprawling 1977 film about the battle, ‘A Bridge Too Far’, starring the likes of Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Gene Hackman, Laurence Olivier and Robert Redford), which Vitesse have adopted as their official club motto for the 2012/13 season.
The gesture was bought about by the Vitesse Supporters’ Club with cooperation from Heracles and the KNVB, with the individual kits now due to be auctioned off for charity – though not before Vitesse wear them one last time against VV Gemert in the Dutch Cup on Wednesday evening.
Pretty cool, no?
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As an avid Vitesse-hater (I’m from Nijmegen, Arnhem is our nemesis) this goes against every feeling in my body, but I have to admit that these shirts are pretty cool
Yeah i agree. Like the shirts but where do i get one?
I don’t know anything about Vitesse, but classy move on their part.
Total class move. To Maks, regarding the earlier post, get educated. This wasn’t about what team you support or how their kit looked. It was about paying respect to a unit from one of the countries that freed the Dutch from Nazi Germany. Your opinion of “the look” is highly irrelevant.
Gotta love the dutch for this.
But did they win?!
fantastic shirts well done Arnhem – briliant! Where can I buy one of these shirts or who will be auctioning them contact details very much appreciated :)
@ damian griffin: They’re being auctioned off on the Vitesse site… http://www.vitesse.nl
This a great advert for Arnehem and Dutch football. I would love to see these for sale here in UK at Airborne forces etc they would sell like hot cakes, then money made to needy charities. everyone a winner.
as ex para i think this show of respect is fantastic untirnque paratus
I now officially support Vitesse Arnhem, airborne!!!
A brilliant well thought our gesture. My late, geat-uncle was lucky to survive Arnhem but spent 9 months in a prison camp as a result. We are very proud of him. I think he would have appreciated this a lot. Utrinque Paratus.
I had the pleasure of being presented with the shirt,from the team
captain of Arnhem Vitesse FC on the mememorable day in September
when the team played in the Airborne strip for the first time
Johnny Peters Chairman Arnhem 1944 Veterans Club