Who am I?

Hertog (the ‘Duke’)
In the fifteenth century, Arnhem was part of the Duchy of Gelre. Like every other Duchy, the Duchy of Gelre had its share of warriors and knights. And it was the task of these knights not only to protect the population of the Duchy but also to entertain them. Many things have changed over the past centuries, but we still like to gather together to watch our ‘knights’ fight for our honour and the honour of our city. The only difference is that the battles are no longer fought in the Duke of Gelre’s castle gardens but in the GelreDome. Which, of course, is the domain of Hertog, the club’s own eagle!



Club mascot  
Hertog has been Vitesse’s club mascot since the 2008|2009 season (Hertog I, Ed.). The eagle is a symbol that can also be found in the club logo and in the city’s coat of arms: Hertog, the African Martial Eagle. It was this eagle, which is known for its courage, strength, speed of flight and agility and which exudes power, beauty and independence, that became the symbol of Vitesse.

Vitesse decided to look for an expert and enthusiastic falconer to realise this concept − and actually found two: Gerard and Bettine van den Brink. A young martial eagle was acquired from a breeding programme in the UK – because they cannot, of course, be removed from their natural habitat in Africa. In nature, birds of prey hunt very little every day and spend the rest of their time preening themselves and resting. An adult bird weighs around five kilos.

The name Hertog is a reference to the ‘distinctive’ club value and the history of the Duke of Gelre. In this day and age, football and identity are inextricably linked to each other. That is why football supporters must be able to identify with the club, the players and the club ethos. Not just in the stadium, but also in the city. When Hertog takes flight, it means the action – the battle! − is about to begin. That is the feeling that Vitesse wants its supporters to experience.

Hertog I
The bird, which was christened Hertog in September 2008, was allowed to fly every day so that it could feel the same type of movement it would experience in the wild. Hertog was fed top-quality food. And it is this food that binds the bird to the falconer. Because the bird knows it will be rewarded with meat, it always flies back to the falconer’s glove. By familiarising Hertog with all kinds of noises (stadium and otherwise) and situations from an early age, it became a trustworthy and reliable partner, just like a trained police horse. As part of that training, Hertog was even woken up in the mornings to the tune of our anthem Geel en Zwart zijn onze Kleuren (Yellow and Black are our Colours)!

In his second season, Hertog unfortunately contacted the disease aspergillosis, a fungal infection that attacks birds of prey. After a rapid decline in his health, Hertog I died on 7 October 2009. Hertog, who was born on 16 June 2008, was just a little over one year old when he died.

Hertog II
Hertog II, the successor to Hertog I, was presented to the Vitesse supporters in GelreDome on Sunday 31 January 2010 prior to the match between Vitesse and PSV. For the sake of continuity, it was decided to name the white-tailed eagle Hertog II. After all, everybody had now become accustomed to ‘Hertog’ as the name of the club mascot. Hertog II takes to the air before the start of Vitesse’s home games and his popularity is increasing week by week.