The fairytale-like facade of Het Kasteel (The Castle) is a beloved background for Instagram photos. It’s home to the traditional club Sparta Rotterdam, located in the old Spangen district of the modern city. A football club loved and adored by many in the region.
Why does Sparta play in a castle? Opinions differ, but the first version of the stadium was built in 1916 by architects J.H. Roos and W.F. Overeijnder. It was the first football stadium in The Netherlands. The biggest renovation was in 1998-1999 when almost the entire stadium was refurbished and the pitch was turned by 90 degrees. Only the facade with its two towers remained after the renovation.
Many talents in the academy have grown up in the Spangen or Schiemond district of Rotterdam. After years of neglect, both the area and the youth academy are on the rise again. Fans of Sparta can be found all over Rotterdam and the surrounding region. You have to travel back many years to find the Sparta of the elite society, but traditions from those times can still be found. Before kick-off, the fans stand up and sing the Sparta Marsch at the top of their lungs.
On the corner of the Huygenstraat at the Kasteel Stand hangs a red and white striped plaque with the text of Sparta’s anthem. Unfortunately, the large black-and-white photo in the Nicolaas Beetsstraat of the movie actress Jayne Mansfield was blown away during a storm in 2017 and has never been replaced. She made the entire stadium drool when she kicked off the game between Sparta and DOS in 1957. Since then, she has been adored by Sparta fans and has continued to be the star actress in their dreams.
If you are lucky, you may see the Dutch rap group Broederliefde play football on the Cruyff court next to Het Kasteel. Nowadays, the popular rap collective has become the house band at Sparta parties.
If you get a haircut at the Jacob Catsstraat 53B by Aad Assman, you will look at yourself in a mirror covered with Sparta stickers. If you look to your left, you will see Laurel and Hardy in Sparta kits. On the right, you will see kits and other Sparta souvenirs in the barbershop that looks straight out of the 1930s. Ask Aad, who’s been a barber since 1962, about Sparta and before you know it, you will have a fresh haircut and newly gained knowledge about his favourite club.
When entering café Ari be careful not to trip over the colourful wooden silhouette of Jules Deelder (1944-2019). The poet and most famous Sparta fan lived next to café Ari, at the Mathenesserlaan 168. Deelder loved grabbing a drink at the bar of his best friend and fellow Sparta fan Ger Koedam. Nowadays, it still is a popular bar amongst Sparta supporters. All over Rotterdam, you will find poetry by Deelder, and of course, Het Kasteel could not be left behind. Here you will find the sentence ‘Dat de hemelpoort veel weg heeft van Het Kasteel’ (‘The stairway to heaven looks a lot like Het Kasteel’).
During the match between Sparta and Feyenoord in 1970, Feyenoord goalkeeper Eddy Treijtel accidentally kicked the ball against a seagull flying in the sky. Both rivals claim they stuffed the famous animal and are now displaying it in their museum. We will, unfortunately, never know whether the real seagull can be found in Sparta or Feyenoord’s museum.
At the Eendrachtsweg, you will find Panenka, the most beautiful sports bar in the Netherlands. Take a seat on one of the Chesterfield sofas, the terrace, the wooden stand or in the skybox and watch a live sports match whilst enjoying the delicious food from the chefs. Poolcafé Delfshaven (Aelbrechtskolk), De Gouden Snor (Kleiweg) or Tapperij Vanouds ’t Kraantje (Schiedamseweg) are more popular for Sparta fans if you want to surround yourself amongst them. Sparta’s players enjoy going to coffee shop Hopper or UEB West.
Tickets can be bought on Sparta’s official website. Given the club’s current success, it is advised to buy them early before tickets are sold out.
Het Kasteel can be easily reached by public transport. Tram 8 can bring you directly to Spartastraat, which is right in front of the stadium. You can also take metro lines A, B or C to Marconiplein. From there it is an eleven-minute walk to the stadium. The train station Schiedam Centrum is a 21-minute walk away from the ground.
Images: Shutterstock, ANP, Panenka
