Heerenveen baffled as Wolves pull out of August friendly

The municipality of Heerenveen is baffled by Wolverhampton Wanderers' decision to cancel the friendly scheduled for 1 August, despite police approval and agreed conditions. Heerenveen had already arranged logistics and supporter limits for the event, making the club's sudden withdrawal unexpected.

Police concluded that the friendly could proceed in Heerenveen under specific conditions. The safety advisor explained that the weekend coincided with Sneekweek and the ceremony of the local skûtsje, a major hospitality event last year. He said the police advice was based on these considerations.

Organisers anticipated between 800 and 1,000 Wolverhampton supporters, including roughly 30 to 40 designated as "risk supporters". The advisor noted that the municipality and local hospitality businesses were reluctant to accommodate such a large influx of English fans. This reluctance was reinforced by the police recommendation.

Heerenveen suggested transporting supporters via shuttle buses from Duivendrecht station. The plan had been discussed with Wolverhampton four weeks earlier and coordinated with the municipality of Amsterdam and a bus company. This arrangement aimed to limit crowd movement in the town centre.

Wolverhampton rejected the proposal, objecting to a maximum of 650 supporters and the use of a bus from Amsterdam. Consequently, the match was called off. The municipality expressed surprise, stating, "I understand the disappointment of Wolverhampton fans, but not the club's disappointment; they knew weeks ago we would set these conditions."