American Football in the Netherlands has been on the map both nationally and internationally since the 1980s. However, it took almost 40 years before the first American Football game played in the Netherlands was followed up. In 1946 two American University teams played an exhibition game in the Olympic Stadium (Amsterdam). Not until 1980 did the following step appear, when René Koningsferander issued a request on the TV sports programme 'Sprekershoek' for people who were interested in doing something with American Football in the Netherlands.