Fortuna Sittard And Roda JC To Merge, But Can It Work In Football?

In the precarious financial climate in which we currently find ourselves, mergers of big banks are becoming increasingly commonplace. Bank of America and Merrill Lynch did it, Lloyds TSB and HBOS did it too. Mergers are one way to help firms reduce costs, expand market share and increase the new, larger institution’s power all at the same time.

But can it translate to football?

In the Netherlands it has recently been announced that second division Fortuna Sittard and top flight club Roda JC Kerkrade are to merge at the end of the season, because of financial difficulties affecting both southern clubs. A committee involving the boards at both Roda and Fortuna have been discussing formative plans for a merge for some time, and having come to a final decision, made public on Wednesday their agreement to join together.

Fortuna Sittard and Roda JC both reside in the south Netherlands; Sittard lies roughly 25 kilometres from Kerkrade where Roda JC is based. The two clubs are bitter rivals, the equivalent of Tottenham merging with West Ham United.

Fortuna Sittard were founded in 1968, themselves emerging from a merge between Fortuna 54 and Sittardia, and currently play in the Dutch Eerste Divisie, the second tier of football in Holland. Though not exactly a force in Dutch football, they are three time winners of the Eerste Divisie and have twice made it to the domestic KNVB Cup final, most recently ten years ago where they lost to Ajax.

Roda JC have played in the Eredivisie, Holland’s top flight, for twenty-six consecutive years now following promotion in 1973, and have also won the KNVB Cup twice, most recently in 2000. Known as the coal-miners’ team, they too possess a complex history of mergers. No fewer than six different clubs have boiled down to create them as they are in their current guise. In 1962 Roda Sport and Rapid JC united to create Roda JC, and the club’s honours include Rapid JC’s 1955/1956 Eredivisie – their one major league title. In 2007/2008 Roda got to the KNVB Cup final but lost 2-0 to Feyenoord.

Financial problems

The reason Fortuna and Roda JC are being forced to merge, reputedly, is to ease the financial strife surrounding both clubs.

Since being made to relocate in 1999 so that the local government could replace their old De Baandert stadium with new houses, Fortuna Sittard have struggled to pay off the debts incurred from their new Fortuna Stadion. Lack of investment inevitably led to poor performance on the field, and in 2001 Fortuna were relegated to the Eeerste Divisie, further damaging their earning potential. With debts of over €16 million and rent costs of €1.2 million per season, their financial problems are very real.

For their part, Roda JC, while nowhere near as financially crippled, have suffered slightly thanks to rising costs from their own new stadium in Kerkrade, completed in 2000.

News of the merger has not gone down well amongst fans.

Fan reaction

‘Roda JC RIP, 1962 – 2009′ reads the graphic on the frontpage of a Roda fans website. One Fortuna Sittard site has opened a condolence book to commemorate what they see as the death of their club. Supporters can leave e-tributes, moving final testaments to the club they once loved that is no more. The mood is clear.

Fans of both teams are bitterly disappointed. They also feel helpless because both local government and the Dutch FA are in support of a merge and against the respective sides’ wish to retain individuality.

The Dutch FA is seeking to reduce membership of Holland’s second tier to 18 clubs (currently 20), and getting rid of Fortuna conveniently aids this goal. Meanwhile, local government quite fancies the idea of an ‘FC Limburg’ united front, and has been attempting to bring people round with talk of a €20 million boost in finances and the ultimate carrot, the prospect of European football coming to south Holland. Few people are buying it.

Amidst the maelstrom of sadness, anger and resignation from supporters there has also been one other reaction – defiance.

The fightback

Fans and sponsors of Fortuna Sittard started a foundation named Trots op Fortuna (Proud of Fortuna) in December 2008 to save the club. Since then almost €300,000 have been raised. €500,000 would mean they could place someone on the board and start creating havoc in order to help block the merge.

And the Roda-Supporters Fan Project has hired a lawyer to look into accusations of deliberate financial mismanagement, believing that the poor financial position the club directors claimed to be in was strategically exaggerated to make a
merger appear necessary.

If fans eventually have their way and the deal does not go through though the question remains – for how long can the two sides continue to stay afloat?

Ultimately, the problem with mergers in this realm is that, while they may work in the business world, they cannot function as effectively in football. Local rivalries dictate that. Fan support is non-transferable; two grocery stores merging to form one beastly, all-conquering supermarket may make things easier for the customer, but clubs have independent fanbases, loyal to their identity.

Often that very identity directly involves disdain and even hatred aimed at ‘them next door’, making it nigh on impossible to simply throw the two together in the interest of convenience. It might make sense financially, but fans do not think of football strictly in business terms.

We will be keeping a close eye on developments in the Fortuna/Roda JC situation and will keep you updated. In the meantime have your say:

What do you think about the concept of club mergers? Can it work in football? Leave a comment, share your thoughts.

Dutch Football, Fortuna Sittard, Holland, Politics and Society, Roda JC