Yellow church tower and championship dinner: a century ago NAC was the best in the Netherlands
On Saturday the NAC Museum will celebrate in a big way that the Breda football club became champion of the Netherlands 100 years ago. Due to the corona crisis, a year later than planned, but the anniversary party in the Grote Kerk will be special. For example, the church tower will turn completely yellow and the bells will ring. Also, the championship dinner from 1921 is recreated and served to the guests.
In addition, there is a great role for city carillonneur Paul Maasen. In the early evening he gives a special mini concert on the carillon for the Pearl of the South. Maassen is happy to contribute to the completion of the 100th anniversary.
“NAC is an important part of Breda’s society”, says the carillonneur. “And the church tower is the symbol of Breda. That belongs together. NAC is more than a football club and stands for connection between people. That also applies to the tower of the Grote Kerk.”
“Furthermore, the carillonneur is there for the people in the city and that is why I think it is relevant and of social importance to play during this performance,” says Maassen.
Peter Daalmans, chairman of the NAC Museum does not want to reveal too much about the program. The party night is especially for donors and the 300 cards were received within a few days.
“Unfortunately, we cannot organize a party for the entire city, but we also don’t want to let it go unnoticed,” says Daalmans. Breda will therefore certainly notice on Saturday that NAC, now 101 years ago, was the best in the Netherlands. In addition to the carillonneur’s concert, the church tower will turn yellow and the bells will ring.”
The guests were also served a simulated championship dinner, as in 1921. The planning, service and cooking of the event are in the hands of students from catering school De Rooi Pannen from Breda.
“That is a conscious choice,” says the chairman of the guardians of NAC culture. “We also wanted to do something with Breda’s society and the students can gain a lot of experience with this event.”
“Running such a project is very good for students and very great for us”, says teacher Nicky Pannen. “We don’t have many of this size. Here they can now link theory to practice. See what happens in the real field.”
“We take for granted that they still have to learn and that something can go wrong,” says Peter Daalmans. “The whole church is full of NAC supporters, so they are just that, haha.”
In any case, carillonneur Paul Maasen is customary to play in front of a large audience. The NAC club song can be heard from the tower. He will of course also do that on Saturday, but otherwise he will not let go of much. In any case, his repertoire will not be the same as at the championship in that early summer of 1921.
“It is certain that my guardian Petrus O made my own music from the carillon, but unfortunately he did not write down what he played then. I therefore devise my own repertoire. It will be historicising, but also encompassing.”