Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle | Netherlands)

Tits & Bits From The Home Of Football.

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It has now been confirmed born and bred ‘Bluefinger’ coach Ron Jans has extended his contract with PEC Zwolle for one year. Here’s Ron Jans taking on Ajax’s Frank Rijkaard during his heydays.

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Prolific striker and Czech International Tomáš Necid, previously with CSKA Moscow and on loan from Slavia Prague since August 2014, returned to the payroll of CSKA in January 2015.

After having been linked with Juventus and  Chievo Verona, Necid dissolved his contract with CSKA a week ago. He returned to PEC Zwolle as a free agent and signed a contract with PEC Zwolle until the end of the season.

It’s encouraging Tomáš decided for ‘window dressing’ at PEC Zwolle to secure his future elsewhere after the 2014/15 season.

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Australian striker Eli Babalj, has joined the ranks of PEC Zwolle on loan from AZ Alkmaar and is eligible to play from now after having completed red tape with the ruling Dutch football authorities.

This blasphemous outfit will dissolve but not after you have taken notice:

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Meanwhile Australian Trent Sainsbury, just rubbing it in to you Kiwi lot, returned to Zwolle with the Asian Cup and was given a rapturous reception at his ‘home ground’.

With Ryan Thomas completing a trio from two thousand lightyears from home, PEC Zwolle might as well be branded with the ‘The Oceanians’ soubriquet.

Come Sunday. Haka!  Let's have Eagles For Breakfast!

Next season's PEC Zwolle home strip -

^ Um... pic is of PEC v Man U.

Nope. That's potato-face suited up. Angela de M to his right.

Haven’t been able to address you Kiwi lot for a while.

PEC Zwolle are currenly experiencing the downside of a small and injury-prone selection, resulting in four straight losses on the trot.

More worrying of note however as far as I am concerned is the apathy and lack of fighting spirit that seem to have slowly crept into the squad. Comfortably numb. But still on course for qualifying for Europe.

Tomorrow’s home match against SC Cambuur Leeuwarden should mark a turning point with interesting fixtures coming up.

My verdict: 5-1.

Goals from Jesper Drost,Maikel van der Werff, Ryan Thomas and a hat trick from Stef Nijland secured a 6-1 win for Zwolle, who had lost their last four matches.

My apologies to you hakka boys; I predicted a 5-1 recovery after PEC Zwolle’s recent dismal run but it turned out a six star stellar performance. PEC Zwolle inflicted a 6-1 all-time top flight record defeat on SC Cambuur during a second half rout in front of yet another sell-out croud.

The Bluefingers were back in almost full force after a disappoinint spell, marked by injuries,and collective lethargy. Last night’s emphatic rout showed what and in-form PEC Zwolle can do with lethal striker Necid not even being on target. His unlucky comeback inspired Ron Jans to bring on  Stefan Nijland who scored a 24 gold carat hat-trick with twenty minutes left on the clock.

Bambi Thomas put the result past SC Cambuur with a close-range header to make it in the 63th minte as a prelude to gallery play of epic proportions.

PEC Zwolle have now recorded a club record of 13 wins on top flight level with eight matches still to play:

The Bluefingers also brought their points tally to a club record of 42 points:

Home Form:

Away Form:

Coming Saturday PEC Zwolle are away to FC Twente, currently in on and off the field turmoil with 3 points having been deducted for 'financial irregulareties'. A win could almost seal a play-off spot for Europe.

Loving your posts PECZwolle, always a brilliant read - probably the most entertaining and upbeat user on this forum!

And since you're in the know, do you have word on Ryan's future at the club? Be interesting in the off season to see if he would be a target, I know he was linked to a few clubs not too long ago, has there been any further follow up/extra information that we haven't heard back here in New Zealand?

I am not aware of any substantial interest in Bambi Thomas. There are momentarily certainly no obvious flirtations from other clubs from our domestic league that seem to suit lightweight Ryan. He blends in perfectly well.

Surprise-pack PEC Zwolle are going through a transitional stage., both off and on the field. The Bluefingers are on the brink of reaching the Dutch FA Cup for a successive running and are simultaneously heading for a play-off spot for the Europa League.

PEC Zwolle’s progress has propelled my hometown team into a domestic ‘benchmark’ position.The club has become a role model for keen scouting, a sensible managerial approach and free flowing football.

It’s signicant of note and illustrative, star striker Tomás Necid snubbed CSKA Moscow during the winter transfer window and returned to his mates and coach RonJans. He toke the train to Zwolle and on arriving at the station he said, with a broad smile on his face, and I quote:‘I’m back’.

Qualifying for Europe either way could PEC Zwolle in a demanding position and driving seat on the transfer market and could our artificial pitch into a magnetic field. It is my firm belief it will have a pivotal impact on Bambi Thomas, assessing his future career.

Hey PEC Zwolle, any idea how Harry Edge is doing?

2-0 away loss in the Eredivisie to future Cup semi-final opponents FC Twente:

http://www.peczwolle.nl/nl/nieuwsarchief/pec-zwoll...

Full 90 for Ryan.

Remaining fixture list:

http://int.soccerway.com/teams/netherlands/bvo-fc-...

Zwolle play FCTwente again in the Cup semi-final on April 8 NZT

Will be tough as it's played on Twente's home ground in Enschede.

Off after half an hour at home to Excelsior. 

Don't know if injured as I can't live stream. Hudson must be nervously sifting through his notepad of contacts to see if there is anyone else from the far reaches of the world who has some connection to New Zealand. Either that or he's running through a Swedish phone book trying to find someone by the name of Dan Keat...

PEC currently leading 1-0.

Ok... so Ryan Thomas got a mention on Shortland Street. Dr. Warner's "soccer" loving son Harry had a crack at some girl and they both ended up in hospital. An argument ensued over whether or not Messi was better than Ronaldo, and some how Thomas came out on top.

First AW to crack NZ soap? I think so!

And fudge off, my missus watches the shark I just so happened to over hear 

That's kind of awesome actually.

Which episode was it?

The episodes are On Demand here:

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/ondemand/shortland-street

Sounds most amusing.

PEC Zwolle’s internationals Sainsbury, Thomas Necid and Bambi Thomas (both in on 67 minutes) were initially benched for tonight’s home match in the shadow of coming Tuesday’s vital semi final cup clash at Twente’s ‘De Grolsche Veste’.

Bram van Polen slotted home the only goal of the game to earn PEC Zwolle a lame 1-0 victory over Willem II. In the process The Bluefingers displayed their recent string of dismal performances in style.

PEC Zwolle's second win only in 8 matches lifts them to sixth in the table. Willem II, unbeaten in three games prior to kickoff, failed to register one single shot on target until the dying minutes.

Appreciation Graph:

Highlights of the match were a ballboy handling the leather inside the playing area and a puking Willem II player, Ondaan, locally marking the plastic pitch with a hideous graphite and tangerine spot.

Meanwhile, PEC Zwolle have sold out their 1,000 away capacity in a flash last week to secure maximum support in Enschede.

Be prepared for a mouthwatering fixture list to conclude the 2014/15 league season:

Dutch Cup semi PEC vs. Twente at 6 am this morning.

May be a stream here on these sites:

http://www.oleoletv.ws/watch/live/streaming/online...

http://cricfree.sx/watch/live/fc-twente-vs-pec-zwo...

http://ifirstrow.eu/watch/336084/1/watch-fc-twente...

http://www.yopika.tv/20150407/v-haha_sport_1_name-...

Match preview article:

http://www.peczwolle.nl/nl/nieuwsarchief/voorbesch...

PEC Zwolle Twitter:

https://twitter.com/PECZwolle

Starting lineup  - Thomas is starting:

PEC Zwolle @PECZwolle   23 minutes ago

PEC Zwolle: Hahn, Van Polen, Van der Werff, Broerse, Van Hintum, Brama, Rienstra, Saymak, Drost, Thomas, Necid. 

Bench: 

PEC Zwolle @PECZwolle   22 minutes ago

PEC Zwolle wissels: Begois, Sainsbury, Lukoki, Nijland, Dekker, Lam, Fefelis.

About to go to extra time.

Zwolle took the lead after 83 mins and Twente equalized three mins later...

Thomas still on the field and prominently involved.

Streams here:

http://cricfree.sx/watch/live/fc-twente-vs-pec-zwo...

http://livetv.sx/en/eventinfo/303474_twente_zwolle...

Ryan off on 94 mins (now into two periods of extra time)

Penalties...

is ryan taking one? blue fingers crossed

And Zwolle are in the Final early May !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Second semi tomorrow between Groningen and Excelsior (11th and 14th in the Eredivisie; Zwolle are 6th)

Zwolle must really fancy their chances again - in fact the semi was the harder game for them....

the legend continues......turning into one of those 'make a movie' football teams

Groningen won 3-0 in normal time:

http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2015/04/08/netherl...

Zwolle are ten points ahead of them on the Erediviise table and have scored 17 more goals...

So, a great chance for Zwolle to win the Cup again!!!

Interestingly, Groningen had an entirely Dutch squad for the semi except for three Swedes and a Slovakian.

That's a pretty low number of foreign players for an Eredivisie side.

Zwolle started their semi with five foreign players on the bench - and Thomas one of two foreigners starting.

Dear Pete, your observation conjures up visions of 'scoreboard journalism'.  Please don't be deceived by the table. At the end of the day there is not much between the likes of Heerenveen, AZ, Twente, Groningen and PEC Zwolle for that matter. 

In there current form I rank PEC Zwolle as outsiders for the Cup. The Bluefingers are no shadow of the team that took the table by storm in 2014, having lost edge and composure.

Yeah, but more chance than if they were playing Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord....

2-0 away loss on the weekend to lowly Heracles without Ryan in the squad. Injured again.

#PostCupHangover

Highlights video here:

http://www.timesoccer.com/video/pec-zwolle-vs-ajax...

Nice through ball from Ryan to create the Zwolle goal  -but gutwrenching to concede in the 89th minute....

Both PEC Zwolle and FC Groningen have sold out their 18,000 allocation within a flash last week.

The highway between Groningen and Zwolle will be marked by a guirlande of 400 coaches in the morning hours, only to be joined by another 400 coaches at Zwolle to form a 800 convoy to Rotterdam.

Both clubs share the same provincial dna. The entire country is anticipating a 38,000 carnival in the streets of Rotterdam and inside ‘De Kuip’.

PEC Zwolle will be clad in their blue and white home colours and FC Groningen are in green and white, coinciding with PEC Zwolle’s away colours.

What day and time is the game on?......might try and watch it live. It would be great to see "kiwi boy" Ryan Thomas win another Cup Final.

Scheduled for Sunday 3 May 2015, kick-off 18.00 hrs local Dutch time. Please do the math at

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.ht...

Today's paper headlines and on Dutch tv prime time news: 

In the event of The BlueFingers securing another cup win, the trophy shall be handed to Zwolle born & bred coach Ron Jans by his Zwolle born & bred 87 year old father Dries Jans who also played for PEC Zwolle, having had a ten-season spell back in the fifties/sixties. 

One prime motif for Ron Jans to return home to become head coach of PEC Zwolle was to be close to his immobilised and wheel-chaired father who lost his vision for 95%.

Why does Patrick have his name on Zwolle's shirts?