League: Jupiler League
Hospitality Package: Business Club
- Admission to Rabobank Venlo BusinessLounge (pre- and post match)
- Admission to Lindeboom VVVoetbalcafé (pre- and post match)
- Executive seating
- Half-time and full-time refreshments
- Carvery buffet (Rabobank Venlo BusinessLounge)
- Inclusive of wines, beers, soft drinks and coffee/tea
- Watch Man of the Match presentation in Lindeboom VVVoetbalcafé
- Dedicated waiting staff and hostesses
- One allocated parking place per 2 tickets
Stadium
Stadion de Koel opened on the 19th of March 1972 with a match between VVV and Cambuur (1-1). The stadium has hardly changed since its opening, though received a refurbishment in 2007 when VVV promoted to the Eredivisie (Dutch Premier League). De Koel lies in a den, which translates to Koel in the Dutch dialect that is locally spoken. The dressing rooms are located on top of the banks, which mean that the players have to walk down an open-air flight of stairs to reach the pitch. A very fascinating sight, which brings back memories from the past! In 2005, the stadium got renamed Seacon Stadion as part of a sponsorship deal. De Koel is one of the smallest grounds of the Dutch Eredivisie and lacks many modern facilities. VVV Venlo have therefore been planning a move to a new stadium with 15,000 seats, but several planning issues and the relegation of the club to the Jupiler League (Dutch Championship) have put the project in jeopardy.
Hospitality entrance
Entrance for ticket holders in the possession of a hospitality ticket / package is done via the main reception entrance. Right in front of this entrance is where the ticket booth is, where the allocated hospitality tickets can be collected from 7.30PM onwards (for matches with kick-off at 8PM). Very friendly hostesses and a superb local atmosphere!
Rabobank Venlo BusinessLounge and Lindeboom VVVoetbalcafé: Our tickets included access to both these lounges where the Rabobank lounge is the more formal lounge and the Lindeboom lounge is the more informal lounge. Both lounges are located on the half-way line offering very good views over the pitch. The Rabobank lounge is located on in the upper tier of the executive stand, offering a superb carvery meal with all the local and German (as Venlo is close to the German border) specialties in abundance. Waiting staff here is primarily German so try and practice some German language here! The Lounge is more or less divided between a coffee corner, a carvery section and a large bar facility. It all comes together with very nice cocktail type seats and tables offering a formal yet cosy atmosphere. Lots of local business men with their guests.
The Lindeboom Lounge is your typical football café/bar offering a very informal and eclectic setting and is located on the lower tier of the executive stand. Here is where the MoM presentations take place and where all the action after the match takes place. Do expect to see a lot of footballers here, enjoying a drinks with their spouses. Do not feel astonished if a local DJ makes you dance! The party ends at around 12 PM (all drinks until this time are still included in your package) so do take a taxi when visiting a game in this stadium!
Food and Drinks
Included in the package is unlimited wines (red and white), beers, soft drinks and coffe/tea. In our opinion a superb deal given its price and the variety of drinks they offer.
With respect to food, the carvery meal is prepared well and cooked to order. Abundance of food here with a good variety between cold/hot and also for vegetarian guests everything is taken care of.
During half-time, tea and coffee with sweets was provided. Full-time refreshments included a variety of fried snacks as well as the German specialty fries with Curry Gewurz sauce and spices. Never seen this in any other stadium around the world! A very nice touch and given the fact that many people took this meal/snack twice, we think a job well done.
Seating
The seating is located in the executive stand at the half-way line but do not expect luxurious leather padded seats. Just the regular type of seats, however on a superb location. The seats are in close vicinity of the two lounges, so well arranged for. In the middle tier of the executive stand is a small walkway patio where heaters are strategically placed so you can also watch the game underneath a heater with a nice cold beer in your hands. Here you can see the players entering the pitch via an open-air flight of stairs. Also a nice extra dimension to a visit to this stadium.
Costs
EUR 85 (including VAT) per person for Rabobank Venlo BusinessLounge and Lindeboom VVVoetbalcafé or EUR 65 (including VAT) per person for Lindeboom VVVoetbalcafé only
Good to know
Given its excellent value for money, we would advice to go for the package which includes both Rabobank Venlo BusinessLounge and Lindeboom VVVoetbalcafé
Disclaimer: This is not a paid review and we haven’t been asked to write this. All views and words are our own and have not been influenced by anyone else.
