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Ex-internationals re-unite

November 25th, 2008 | By: Jan | 19 Comments »

Sjaak Swart, Ben Wijnstekers, ??, Frank de Boer, Pierre van Hooijdonk

150 ex Oranje internationals met at the Oranje hotel “Huis ter Duin” in Noordwijk to restore and old tradition. Some years back the internationals reunion meeting was canceled, but the KNVB decided to bring this yearly event back, supported by some lively former Oranje players.

Eddy Pieters Graafland (former goalie of Ajax and Feyenoord and 47 caps) walks around with a glass of bubbly, smiling when he sees old mates Piet Lagarde (2 caps) and Fons van Wissen (30 caps): “Us youngsters always hang out together, haha. It’s great that the KNVB brought this event back. I am so looking forward to seeing my old mates. There’s Hans Boskamp! Wasn’t he very ill? And Piet Lagarde, who was my sub for a while…”

Mr Feyenoord Ben Wijnstekers (36 caps) walks around to shake as many hands as possible. He is the coach of the old-internationals team. “We have to age groups. One team of 35 – 45 years old and the team of 45 – 55 years old. We play against solid amateur clubs and we really want to represent the Orange as best as possible. We are asked to come and play at celebrations and memorials and those sorts of events.”

It’s great to watch the different generations mingle. Simon Tahamata in discussion with Bryan Roy, Sjaak Swart talking to La Ling. But at another table it’s Adrie Koster, Willy van der Kerkhof and Rinus Israel in a heated debate with Pierre van Hooijdonk and Rob Witschge.

Aron Winter to Ben Wijnstekers: “Remember how Ajax whooped your arse many times?”

Former Feyenoord full back Dick Schneider (11 caps): “Holland doesn’t really have a sports culture. People like Kees Verkerk, Ad Schenk (both ice-skaters) and players like Coen Moulijn would be heroes in Brazil, Italy or England. Or look at the US… Some older players push one of those rolling things, but I do feel we tend to forget…”

Frank de Boer (112 caps) is one of the new boardmember of the new Foundation of Former Internationals. Why does he put in all this energy? “In other countries, former internationals are much more appreciated for what they’ve done. We tend to forget, but most of these players were idols in their days. We’d like to contribute to a needed change in our sports culture. We need to be proud of our athletes. And with this foundation, we can also keep on contributing to charities and events and all that. As an ex-player, you can still add value. And these men all wore the Oranje jersey with proud.” Wytze Couperus (1 cap): “Well Frank, some wore them more than others, hahaha….”

Frank: “That doesn’t matter. As little kids, we dreamed about wearing the Orange and I’m sure we all would do it again if given half the chance…”

Tags: Ajax, De Boer, Group C, Holland, KNVB, Oranje, Pierre, Wijnstekers, Winter

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Comments

By Felipe | November 25th, 2008 at 11:44 pm

Jan: Isn’t the “???” guy Eddy Pieters Graafland?

By Jan | November 25th, 2008 at 11:57 pm

No he isn’t. Definitely not. Maybe Dick Schneider?

By ghost of steve finnan | November 26th, 2008 at 12:56 am

What does it mean that some of the old players in Holland “push those roling things”?

Posted from United States

By Carlos | November 26th, 2008 at 1:53 am

@ghost – It’s a walking aid for older people – My Mum has one. You just hold it in front and it steadies your walk, you can lean on it etc. Some ex Rugby playes with very weak knees (obviously) use them now too.

Posted from Singapore

By Carlos | November 26th, 2008 at 2:25 am

Jan, the ?? is Gerard Brouwer !
I am not that terrific, you can find his name on the telesport page when they reported the event ?

Posted from Singapore

By Jan | November 26th, 2008 at 2:42 am

Well done Carlos

By goose | November 26th, 2008 at 8:14 am

Wijnstekers; one of the worst footballers ever to wear an Oranje shirt! (sorry Jan)

Posted from Netherlands

By Felipe | November 26th, 2008 at 9:27 am

@goose: could we say that, the Euro ‘88 players apart, the guys which wore Oranje shirts during the hard eighties (for example, Wijnstekers, Van der Korput, Metgod brothers, Spelbos) will be forever a stain in Oranje history, for better they were? After all, Holland almost threw away then all the achievements from the ’70s, not qualifying to World Cups, to Euro ‘84…

By goose | November 26th, 2008 at 10:45 am

@Felipe; true ; the period post-Cruijff and pre-1988 was a bleak period in dutch football..(vLoen as striker!)

i reckon the turn around was in the Ireland away game when the team, with a young Gullit, vantSchip and vBasten were 2-0 down and won in the end 3-2..think it was 1985(?) think it was a qualification game for the 86 WC (im not sure, Jan?). I have it on tape and theres a pretty famous moment when Gullit scores and vBasten make a handstand (dont know the english word)..they didnt qualify but that was the arrival of the 88 generation

Posted from Netherlands

By Andrew | November 26th, 2008 at 11:06 am

Goose, I can help you with that. I was living in the UK at the time; it was during the 1984 EC qualifiers. The tenor of the papers in the build up was that it was to be Ireland’s game; that Oranje had receded as a European contender after the JC generation; and that while the current team looked to have a promising future, it was unbelievably young. They rattled off names like Van Basten, Gullit, the Koeman brothers, etc. I went out that night having heard a halftime score of 2-0 Ireland, and didn’t pay much attention, until the next morning…the papers were proverbially gasping about the talent of the young Dutch players…especially Gullit…I never saw the game, but the post game stories were that Gullit had been playing in a defensive role in the first half, but moved forward in the second half, and the Irish had no answer for him. (Again, I’m only going by the papers’ reporting.) Not long after, the same team came back from 1-0 at halftime against Spain, and seemed to have EC qualifying in hand based on goal difference…then came Spain v. Malta.

Posted from United States

By Jan | November 26th, 2008 at 2:57 pm

Yep Andrew . That’s how it was… Gullit playing libero and thundering forward with big steps in the second half.

I do feel that we had an ok group in the beginning of the 80s, but somehow we failed to qualify. The EC1980 was a disaster. The WC1982 was missed by a cat’s whisker, etc 84, 86…

Goose , Van Loen wasn’t in the 80s man . That was post 1988.

In the beginning of the 80s we had Arnold Muhren, Frans Thijssen, Ruud Krol, Kees Kist, Pier Tol, Hugo Hovenkamp, Spelbos, Jantje Peters, La Ling… Not that bad…

By Felipe | November 26th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

Jan, will you talk about Van Hanegem-Happel argument, on the text about 1978?

By Jan | November 26th, 2008 at 6:53 pm

I will. I will also try and find the Kees Jansma interview clip. I’m sure YouTube whizzkid Goose will have it already

By yuluyao | November 26th, 2008 at 8:21 pm

I am an arse playing with little men, whom I envision to be naked

By finnster01 | November 26th, 2008 at 10:58 pm

Powerleveling? Hmmm….Maybe our defence should look into that?

By goose | November 27th, 2008 at 5:05 am

f spam!

Posted from Netherlands

By goose | November 27th, 2008 at 10:49 am

@Jan; vLoen made his debut in 1985 against Belgium (the one we won but didnt qualify in the end)

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ph80TGL64Y

Posted from Netherlands

By Jan | November 27th, 2008 at 11:41 pm

Bloody hell you’re right! He was supposed to mark Grun right?

Geez… I should never second guess you man! Your the Walking Wikipedia of Dutch Football!

By goose | November 28th, 2008 at 9:56 am

@Jan; easy mistake to make ; after his terrible performance in the belgium game vLoen wasnt selected till after the EC88 .. think it was 90 or 91 even

Posted from Netherlands

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