Dutch minister demands tighter stadium checks after Cambuur firework injuries

Dutch justice minister David van Weel says access checks at football stadiums must improve after fireworks injured seven people during last Sunday’s Eredivisie match between Cambuur and Feyenoord. Those affected suffered burns, hearing damage and eye injuries after fireworks were ignited by supporters of the Rotterdam club.

Van Weel plans to challenge clubs over how such a large quantity of pyrotechnics entered the ground. “Then you are doing something wrong in that access control,” he told NU.nl. The minister acknowledged that offenders can be inventive and may understand exactly what security staff are looking for, but said screening procedures must adapt accordingly.

The issue will be high on the agenda when Van Weel meets the KNVB, municipalities and police on 9 September. He said it remained unclear whether the problem resulted from limited staffing, sophisticated smuggling methods or another weakness, but insisted that improvements should be possible.

Rotterdam’s municipality has yet to decide whether additional measures will be introduced for Feyenoord’s next home match, against ADO Den Haag. Police, prosecutors, Leeuwarden’s municipality, Cambuur and Feyenoord are due to evaluate the incident first, with potential changes at stadium entrances among the options. Feyenoord have separately announced that they will not take supporters to their next two Eredivisie away matches, with general director Robert Eenhoorn saying the club felt it had no alternative.