“Thanks to you and your team, the grass in De Kuip is always greener.” Last Saturday, the Legion showed retired Lawn Master Erwin Beltman a banner with this text. The man praised by many wants to do other “fun” things after eight years. “I will give advice. My heart is with weed.”

And so love for grass wins love for Feyenoord. It shows how much Beltman loves the harvest, as while in charge of the Feyenoord fields (including the youth and training facility) he has also given his heart to the Rotterdam club.

And considering he joined as a PSV fan in 2013. “I worked on the golf course and it wasn’t a problem that I was for another club. I’ve experienced so many special things now, including with Het Legioen.”

Beltman would therefore have liked to stay with Feyenoord three days a week alongside his consulting work, but that turned out to be impossible. Feyenoord wanted someone to be in charge of the pitch full-time. That was the end for Beltman on Saturday after the disappointing draw against Fortuna Sittard (1-1) at the Rotterdam team. “It’s a shame, because when the players win, I’m happy. But yes, a result like that is also typical for Feyenoord.”

The tie is a tiny blemish in a successful period. Since Beltman took office, the pitch at De Kuip has invariably been voted the best in the competition by Eredivisie players. Furthermore, Orange national coach Louis van Gaal said that the best field in the Netherlands is in De Kuip. And Van Gaal roared it in a not-too-flattering mood, as the rest of the stadium was labeled ‘old junk’ by him.

The lawn champion was not only appreciated in the media, but also directly by the players themselves. “When Steven Berghuis went to Ajax, he thanked me for playing on good fields for years. He also sent me a message last weekend. I was also in good contact with Bryan Linssen. I’m sorry he left. He’s a really nice guy.” .”

Not only (former) Feyenoord players kept an eye on the work of Beltman and his team. “I’ll be having coffee with PEC defender Bram van Polen soon. Maybe he wants to use my knowledge in Zwolle.” Mark van Bommel wanted to bring Beltman to PSV a few years ago, but Beltman stayed with Feyenoord.

Enemies too

Beltman says he didn’t just make friends. “I have just as many enemies, haha.” According to Beltman, this has to do with the way he works. “An incredible amount of time and work went into preparing the pitch. On non-football Sundays, I dropped my wife and daughters off at the cinema in Rotterdam and took my son to the stadium to mow and stab.

Beltman’s team consists of seven people, including his son. Attention was paid to the smallest details. “Spraying, fertilizing, light, sand, mowing, temperature. No two days were the same.” Tending the field wasn’t a trick, it was a craft. “That’s why I got angry when the field was ruined.”

As in the 2014 cup final between Ajax and PEC Zwolle. Ajax supporters threw firecrackers onto the field and Beltman looked on with sadness. “My absolute low point. It was like a war zone.” Beltman also didn’t like that a cube with TV screens was set up on the field in 2017 when Feyenoord could win the championship at Excelsior and fans could follow their side’s performances at De Kuip. Feyenoord lost 3-0 and the field was ruined by this “fucking thing”.

Nonetheless, the peak of Beltman’s career came a week after this event. Feyenoord won the national championship at home against Heracles Almelo. Beltman patched the field together and had a brilliant idea. “The Heracles players were used to artificial grass, which is a bit longer, so we cut the pitch extremely short.”

The rest is history. Within a minute, Heracles defender Mike te Wierik slipped and Dirk Kuijt scored. In the end, Feyenoord won gloriously 3-1. “That was really great.”

Turf enthusiasts should therefore be positive that Eredivisie clubs will no longer be allowed to play on artificial turf from 2025. “Fantastic,” is Beltman’s first reaction. At the same time, there are also concerns. “I fear that the call for artificial turf will return. Not every club can pay as much attention to the turf as Feyenoord. It takes a lot of money, time and manpower. It’s an illusion to think that every club has ‘Kuipgras”’ might get.”

With a barrel full of Feyenoord experience, Beltman will therefore try to ensure that fields from other clubs approach De Kuip’s field. “I’ve learned a lot from my mistakes over the years, so now I have the courage to help other clubs. I am employed by a large company and will now be breaking ground with a fantastic team across Europe. I will also remain active in the Netherlands.”

Also in the Johan Cruijff Arena, the stadium of Feyenoord’s arch-rivals Ajax? Beltman isn’t allowed to say anything about contracts, but his smile says a lot. It shows that the love of weed is above all else. “I think it’s such a beautiful plant.”