Holland Tour 2023 review

Despite a delayed start, the first post-pandemic edition of the club's Holland Tour proved to be a great success on and off the pitch as members of Royal Wootton Bassett Town's Under 12, 13 and 14 sides took to the continent from Saturday 1 to Wednesday 5 April.

A day-by-day account of the tour is below.

Day One - Saturday 1 April

It was a very early start for all involved with the Tour party meeting at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground at 4.15am for a prompt departure at 4.45am. A long day was therefore in store - but it soon became even longer than expected.

As well as being the first Tour post-pandemic, this was also the first post-Brexit edition of the Holland Tour. And with numerous other coach trips to the continent as the Easter holidays began, the port at Dover became overwhelmed.

Upon arrival, the Tour party were met with the news that they could expect up to a ten hour delay. Rather than get the 10.15am ferry as planned, this meant a huge amount of time waiting around. Eventually by early evening - after an eight hour wait during which the children had waited patiently with minimal fuss - the ferry was boarded to complete the first part of the journey across the Channel.

The long drive through northern France and Belgium was still to come though and finally - at 1.30am - the party arrived at the Hostel StayOkay Biesbosch on the outskirts of Dordrecht. Rooms were quickly allocated and tired heads finally able to get some sleep.

Day Two - Sunday 2 April

The late arrival had a knock-on effect on the schedule for the first full day on Dutch soil though. Due to driver hours regulations, it was not possible to travel to SC Monster on Sunday morning for the scheduled slate of games, meaning that - sadly - it will have to be another year before Bassett return to Monster.

Instead, the teams had a late breakfast - with many of the players getting their first taste of Dutch cuisine, loading up with fruit and chocolate sprinkles on toast. The financial consequences of such culinary choices for the dental bills the players' parents pay will no doubt arise down the line…

After breakfast, the tour party departed for the Stadion Galgenwaard for the Eredivisie fixture between FC Utrecht and relegation threatened FC Volendam. The action on the pitch certainly wasn't a classic, with the game ending in a goalless draw. But at least the sun shone on a gorgeous afternoon in an excellent stadium, while the players enjoyed themselves - particularly the opportunity to visit the FC Utrecht club shop prior to the match - and were entertained by three controversial VAR decisions during the game.

After the match, the teams travelled back to the hostel with the rest of the afternoon spent unwinding in the adjoining parkland. Following the evening meal it was then quiz night, with the players getting the chance to have a laugh at their managers performing charades representing sports, music and films in what has become a tour tradition.

Day 3 - Monday 3 April

It was a bright and early start on Monday with an 8am walk around the hostel grounds followed by breakfast. The tour party then left at 10am for Scheveningen and a trip to the beach. In mid-afternoon the short journey was made to the Juliana Sportpark, home of sister club FC 's-Gravenzande, ahead of that evening's games.

The Friendship Trophy was up for grabs - and Bassett ensured 'The Lady' would return to England for the first time in five years, winning two out of the three fixtures.

While the Under 12 Blues fell to a 3-0 defeat, both the Under 13 and 14 Blues triumphed. The Under 13s' fixture was a closely fought affair but a pair of Alex Greenouff goals secured the win for Bassett. Meanwhile the Under 14 Blues triumphed 8-0, with Phanuel Asenso (2), William Cherry, Jacob Edds, Liam Lye-Owens, Sonny Parmaku, Lewis Small and Felix Williams scoring.

Results vs FC 's-Gravenzande:

Under 12 Blue: Lost 3-0 (Player of the Match: Dylan Stewart)
Under 13 Blue: Won 2-0 (Player of the Match: Stanley Lockley)
Under 14 Blue: Won 8-0 (Player of the Match: Indy Iles-Jones)

After the games, the teams socialised in the FC 's-Gravenzande clubhouse, with the Friendship Trophy being presented to the winning Bassett teams. A special presentation was also made to Jan van der Deijl, who will be handing over the organisational reigns on the Dutch side to Simon Zwijgers after three decades of being involved. Jan is a special individual and great friend of our club - and we will forever be grateful for his efforts and support over the years.

Day 4 - Tuesday 4 April

The third and final full day in Holland began with another early breakfast. The sun was shining again and a special treat was in store for the players as, to make up for the postponed fixtures against SC Monster, an excursion to nearby Rotterdam was arranged with visits to the De Kuip - home of Dutch giants Feyenoord - and Het Kasteel - the picturesque ground of fellow Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam. The players had the chance to visit the fan shops of both clubs and purchase more merchandise, while the obligatory group photos were taken too. After that, the tour party returned to Dordrecht to visit FC Dordrecht's Matchoholic Stadium where they enjoyed a meal in the Eerste Divisie side's players' lounge. There was also the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the FC Dordrecht squad training before a brief return to the hostel to relax prior to the evening's games against local side EBOH. Four matches took place - including two games for the Under 12 Blues - and were played in a friendly spirit. Bassett triumphed in all four. The first of the Under 12 Blues' games was won 7-0 with goals from Rooney Antwi Wilson (2), Dexter Brown (2), Corey Cooper, Carlos Green and Lachlan Lye-Owens, before a narrower 4-1 triumph in the second fixture courtesy of goals from Jack Candy, Harry Kersey, Joshua Rae and Alfie Stewart. The Under 13 Blues triumphed 5-1 with Charlie Booker (2), Aleksander Goralczyk, Alex Greenouff and Stanley Lockley on target. Meanwhile the Under 14 Blues secured a 10-1 victory. William Cherry (3), Indy Iles-Jones (3), Phanuel Asenso, Grejdi Murati, Theo Slade and Lewis Small got the goals for Bassett.

Results vs EBOH

Under 12 Blue: Won 7-0 and 4-1 (Player of the Match: Dexter Brown)
Under 13 Blue: Won 5-1 (Player of the Match: Oliver Maslen)
Under 14 Blue: Won 10-1 (Player of the Match: Lewis Small)

Holland Tour award winners

After the games against EBOH, the teams made their way back to the hostel for an evening meal, the presentation of that evening's Player of the Match awards and the end of tour presentations. Player of the Tour award winners were:
Under 12 Blue: Rooney Antwi Wilson
Under 13 Blue: Oliver Maslen
Under 14 Blue: Karol Czekanski The prestigious Outstanding Contribution Award went to the Under 14 Blue team's Karol Czekanski Commenting on Karol's award, Pete Yeardley said: "Leadership and role models can be defined or shaped in many ways. It quickly became obvious from the onset that Karol stood out from the rest: he is off the field, the same as he is on it – he takes charge." "He is always there to support teammates, from assisting someone who is feeling ill to ensuring that ALL his team leave the facilities spotless – he will simply take charge." "He will accomplish all this and yet you will barely hear him. He is not a shouter nor particularly demonstrative, he leads by example and is thus appreciated by teammates and tour leaders alike." "An outstanding, all energy, committed and talented footballer, he spots and quickly solves problems. He is the heartbeat of the team and by performing that role enables other team mates to flourish." "Unanimously voted for by the tour support staff, Karol is fully deserving of this award. A natural born leader – he bossed it!"

Day Five - Wednesday 5 April

Wednesday saw an even earlier start to allow for breakfast at 7.30am and for the final packing and clearing of rooms to ensure a prompt 8.30am departure to begin the journey back home. Unlike the outward trip, the journey back to the U.K. was a smooth one, with the tour party arriving back at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground at around 6.30pm - around half an hour earlier than envisaged, bringing an end to a long-awaited, successful tour to Holland.

A message from the organisers

Commenting on the Tour, organisers Pete Yeardley and Simon Jones had the following message:

"It was always hoped that these Holland trips leave a lasting memory in the development of our youth section players and the 32nd trip certainly lived up to that!"

"Being delayed for 8 hours by the border fiasco at Dover on the outward journey was certainly not in the planning. That said listening to some of the horror stories from some of the other coaches taking children on trips made us realize that our delay was minimal. At this stage, the intuitive and diplomatic skills of our Barnes coach driver – Dan - must be praised and we arrived safely into our hostel in the early hours of Sunday morning."

"Although frustrating for us the organisers, the lads took the delay in good humour and it became an adventure that ultimately allowed valuable team building within the group."

"Sadly, due to the legislation regarding drivers rest hours, we had to cancel our planned fixtures against SC Monster on the Sunday morning. We very much look forward to visiting our friends at Monster next year though and making up for not being able to play them this time."

"We did resume our schedule as planned under bright blue, clear and sunny skies by watching the Utrecht - Volendam fixture - and, although finishing 0-0 , the match contained no less than three controversial VAR decisions."

"Overall, the trip was a great success. On the pitch, this was highlighted by the winning of the "Friendship Trophy" at our great friends, FC 's-Gravenzande. Off the pitch, the children were fantastic and it was brilliant to see all our Dutch friends again. As the tour's founder Chris Kirkland always emphasised, these tours are about building friendship through football - and that was the case again this year, with an emphasis on rekindling the friendship we have with all the clubs we visit after three long, difficult years of not being able to see them."

"Sincere thanks must be extended to so many for these Holland trips:

The Hostel StayOkay management and staff who always make us feel "special" guests;

Our host clubs FC 's-Gravenzande, EBOH and FC Dordrecht for their warmth and friendliness;

Barnes Coaches and in particular their driver Dan Smee who became an integral part of our team;

And the managers, coaches and support staff who perform that vital role in ensuring that everything runs smoothly and that most importantly the players' welfare and safety are put first."

"To all the boys who attended this year's trip, we have nothing but praise. You overcame challenges both physically and mentally, with patience and humour and were a credit to the club and your parents."

"We sincerely hope that apart from the football, valuable life skills will have been learnt and that we now have 45 boys who make their own beds, tidy their rooms and take responsibility for their own belongings... :)"

"Finally, thank you to the parents for supporting us throughout and, not least, providing us with the cakes that became valuable on this trip more than others."

"All was made possible by TEAMWORK."