During an Eredivisie match, Jetro Willems, a former Newcastle player who now represents Groningen, was punched by one of his own supporters. Groningen is currently struggling in the Dutch top flight, having won only four out of 26 games this season. The incident occurred when the team was 2-0 down against Heerenveen, and fans invaded the pitch as stewards struggled to restrain them, leading to the match being suspended in the 80th minute. Willems went over to their supporters to try and calm the situation down, but a fan punched him in the face. The supporter was arrested for the incident, and thankfully, the left-back did not appear to be seriously hurt. The referee decided to send the teams back to their dressing rooms with fears growing that the match would be suspended altogether. However, the final ten minutes of the match were able to be completed with Groningen unable to change the 2-0 scoreline.
Willems only joined the relegation-strugglers in February this year and has made four appearances for the club. He is remembered fondly for his time on Tyneside after spending the 2019/20 campaign on loan, making 20 appearances in the process.
