A police strike has caused havoc with the opening weekend of the new Dutch football season as five matches have had to be postponed, the Netherlands Football Federation (KNVB) said Thursday.

Dutch police have been in conflict with the government for months and even threatened to disrupt the start of the Tour de France in Utrecht last month, although their planned action was called off.

"After consultation between the clubs and town halls concerned, the KNVB has decided to postpone five league matches," said a KNVB statement.

"Local authorities have decided to ban those matches due to the police action this weekend."

The ADO Den Haag v PSV Eindhoven, sc Heerenveen v De Graafschap, FC Groningen v FC Twente, PEC Zwolle v SC Cambuur and NEC v Excelsior matches will be played in midweek on Tuesday, August 11 and Wednesday, August 12 instead of this weekend.

Four other matches, including AZ Alkmaar v Ajax and Feyenoord v FC Utrecht, will go ahead as normal, though.

Some supporters of ADO Den Haag, who host champions PSV, held a protest in The Hague in an attempt to "force the police to work".

The police are trying to get a pay rise after four years of salary freezes.