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Entrance gate Emma stadium

Emma stadium The Emma was the largest coal mine of The Netherlands. In the peak years ten thousend miners where employed here, six thousand of them where down in the mines. The mine opened in 1911 and closed in 1973. There are only a few visible memories left. One of these is the entrance gate to the Emma stadium. The Emma stadium is build by the Ondergrondse Vakschool, OVS, (vocational school for underground miners) and was opened in 1948. The soccer pitch was the home of Sportclub Emma, which was founded as Sportvereniging Staatsmijn Emma in 1917. Also the students of the OVS and the BVS (vocational school for above ground miners) where training daily here. The opening of the cinder-path surrounding the soccer pitch was on July 30, 1950. The cinder-path is also build by the OVS. The opening was celebrated with a large track and field event with well known names. Among others Foekje Dillema and Olympic champion Fanny Blankers-Koen appeared at the starting line. The entrance gate with the five Olympic rings is now serving as the entrance gate for AVON, Atletiek Vereniging Oranje Nassau, named after another coal mine. AVON is stationed here since 2007.

Students of the OVS sporting at the Emma stadium around 1950. In th background the coal mine Emma.2

Emma stadium, 07-28-1970²

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Monkey business at the Emma stadium