NEC Nijmegen's iconic Balkenshirt was reinstated as the permanent home kit in 2016 following a referendum among the club's supporters. Fans voted by 53 percent to restore the classic design featuring a green central panel framed by thick black borders, ending a long period of varied and often unpopular shirt designs.
Until the mid-1990s, the Balkenshirt was the standard home attire. That changed when Puma became the technical sponsor for the 1998/99 season, introducing a predominantly red kit inspired by templates from that year's World Cup. The central bar was gone. FILA took over in 2001 and launched a shirt split vertically into red and green, with black shoulders. Lotto even tried a checkered design in 2004/05 but soon reverted to the split version.
Fan referendum
That split red and green base remained the home kit from 2005/06 through the 2015/16 season, despite several sponsor changes. During those years, the NEC shirt was repeatedly voted the worst in the Eredivisie. On 23 March 2016, the club therefore launched a referendum among season-ticket holders. Nearly two thousand votes were cast to choose between keeping the existing design or bringing back the classic Balkenshirt. A narrow majority of 53 percent opted for the bar.
Patrick, then responsible for implementation, ensured the new shirt was ready for the 2016/17 season. Since then, the Balkenshirt has once again formed the visual identity of the club, even as NEC competes on the European stage. The first-team squad, with players like D. Fonville, A. Kaplan, E. Mor and C. Bischoff currently sidelined, wears the kit with pride. Fans can follow upcoming fixtures, including the recent 2-1 win over GO Ahead Eagles on 17 May, via the fixtures page and check the latest squad list.
Background and full detail: nss-sports.com
