Another cracking bit of football general knowledge for your next pub quiz
The Netherlands and the colour orange. A pair as iconic as Batman and Robin, Rooney and Ronaldo, chocolate and…orange.
However, often in life we don’t stop and question why.
Why do the Netherlands play in orange when it features no where on their flag nor their coat of arms?
Prepare to be enlightened.
The affinity between the colour orange and the Dutch people harks all the way back to the 16th century when the Netherlands were embroiled in the eighty-years war with Spain.
This war was over a number of issues with the main driver being Spanish control over the Netherlands and the Christian reformation.
In revolt of this occupation, William the Silent, the Prince of Orange, and leader of the Dutch Republic, led rebellions against the Spanish which would ultimately end in their ousting of the region.
The title of Prince of Orange has no relation to the colour, but by pure chance is the name of a small town in Southern France and was a title William the Silent inherited in 1544.
During this time of struggle, thanks to the homonym, the colour orange became synonymous with the fight against the Spanish and the Dutch people adopted the colour as a symbol of their nation.
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In fact the Dutch flag used to feature orange on its flag, also explaining why New York, which was founded by the Dutch, also has the colour on its flag.
Although the orange was replaced with red as political change led to further disassociation with the House of Orange, the colour would continue to be a central part of Dutch identity.
Orange features on all national sports kits and there is even a day national day known as Koningsdag, when the whole country dresses up in the colour.
The Dutch even have a name for a mass group of orange-cladded fans at a sports event, Oranjegekte, translating to orange craze.
Well after that history lesson, you should have one more arrow in your quiver for when the next football round on the pub quiz comes rolling around.
