Half a Century of Sports, Events, and Dancing at Sporthallen Zuid

Sporthallen Zuid opened its doors in 1975 as a large sports complex with 3 halls under one roof. It was centrally located, close to the Olympic Stadium. Generations of Amsterdammers have grown up here with sports and each other. The hall brings people together.

Field Service

Ben started working at Sporthallen Zuid 42 years ago as a building manager. “I came from field service. Due to back problems, I was looking for other work. I had to get used to working indoors, even to the point of headaches. Still, I immediately liked it. You deal with a lot of people, which makes the job enjoyable. We also receive many schools here.”

‘I learned a lot’

“I learned all sorts of things. I perform small tasks such as welding, repairing, cleaning, and securing goals. Much work is outsourced, for example the electrical work, but not everything. Athletes come in here before 8 a.m. Then everything must be ready. I start at 6 a.m. Then I have time to begin calmly. I walk around and check if everything is in order. My shift starts at 7 a.m. I also sometimes have evening shifts. We supervise every evening with 3 people.”

Sports and Parties

The complex offers many sports, and more. Ben says: “It is a versatile indoor sports location. Think of football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, badminton, handball, fencing, kickboxing.” Downstairs are the 3 halls, upstairs is a fencing and dance hall. Furthermore, there are 12 meeting rooms, a luxury VIP room, a café, an office, a sports point with rental, and a parking lot for 75 cars. Parties are held and international top sports events take place. For example, the Amsterdam Haarlem Basketball Week, international matches of many different sports, World Championships of futsal, handball, korfball, judo and gymnastics, and European Championships including volleyball and fencing. In short, it is always busy.

Famous House Parties

Ben clearly remembers the big parties that were held here. “All major hardcore and house parties were here in the early 90s. Hellraiser, Pandemonium, I still remember the enormous noise of those parties well. Yes, I found that quite intense. These parties are no longer held here. When in 2024, 12,000 gabbers once again went wild at 5 stages with different types of hardcore, it had something nostalgic.”

‘I see everything’

Ben shows the 3 iconic halls where professional basketball players, young, agile hockey players and sporty tennis girls show their skills. A cheerful murmur, sometimes loud hits and cheers fill the halls. Ben: “I like to look at the athletes from the stands. That way I keep an eye on things at the same time. I see everything. Yes, we make sure the sports run smoothly. The hockey boys (he points down) like to keep playing hockey when the footballers are already standing around the field eager to start. Yes, I say something about that. First calmly and friendly, but after 3 friendly warnings, I get strict. Yes, sometimes that is necessary.”

Old School

Ben is, as he says himself, old school. He likes to work fast and tackle things, likes order and cleanliness. If a toilet is clogged, Ben fixes it immediately. “Sometimes I even pull a phone out!” Not everyone is as precise as he is. “I also see what others leave behind, but I can handle that. We have a nice team of about 10 people. I have experienced a lot. Major championships. A fire. I have also resuscitated someone 3 times. Fortunately with good results.”

Moving, or not?

Ben: “From day 1 that I work here, they talk about moving. Eventually, we would move to a strip along the A10, in stacked construction. On the current site, 550 homes were planned.” It was big news on May 12, 2023: Sporthallen Zuid will remain at its old location. They will be renovated and made more sustainable. That is necessary too, because despite all interim renovations, the complex is somewhat outdated.

Retirement

“The location is beautiful. I even played football in front of the door here as a little boy. We then lived in Rijnstraat. Now I live in Almere.” Ben will retire soon. He honestly says: “I will not miss the work, because I have done it long enough. I will do other things. But I am inextricably linked to this place and will miss my colleagues.” He hopes for a beautiful, healthy future for this iconic sports location.