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The KNVB speaks! Dutch….
Comments(29)
Kesler studying English on his iPhone before he’ll start translating the site…
I sent another email to the KNVB on their “planned” English version of the website. Here’s there response:
“We realize that there is a huge group of non-Dutch speaking fans in the world whom we don’t service at the moment. A first step in the right direction would be the English version of the site. However, we still don’t have a fixed date or plan to execute this. There are many online projects at the moment which require a bigger priority. We realize that the non-Dutch speaking fans feel that we neglect them. We are very sorry about this and we seriously do not want them to feel we are not interested in them and we don’t want to come across as ignorant or arrogant.”
“In cooperation and after meetings with the editorial staff we will make a new planning for the realization of the English site. When there’s a clear deadline, we will inform you personally. We can only then tell you what type of services we can offer when the planning and the technical/organizational set up is known.”
“We hope you will understand our situation and that the non-Dutch speaking fans will have patience with us.”
“Personally, I actually agree with your criticism, but it is a conscious decision to prioritize other projects. We really will do our best and it’s not because we don’t want to service the non-Dutch speaking Oranje fans.”
Don’t hold your breath guys…
Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 29 comments.
Read the rest of the comments
Personally I’m not too upset… this site has everything we need!
Posted from 
Canada
agreed Caleb ; think we on this blog cover pretty much everything … Jan; did you ask them to put on a link to this blog on the KNVB site?? ill be happy to ask them…
Posted from 
Netherlands
A meeting with Ruud!
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11855_4362207,00.html
Posted from Canada
@caleb and goose: I agree not much lost there. This site has everything we need.
However, what hurts me is the disrespect KNVB is showing non-dutch fans abroad. I have been an Oranje fan as long as I can remember, I am the proud owner of a genuine Johan Neeskens 1972 No 7 Ajax jersey given to me by my brothers ex-wife who dated Johan for a summer, I have bought every single Oranje official shirt the last 12 years, and here we have some old fat and happy KNVB cat saying that they have so many “higher priority web projects to do” and it is OK to leave us foreign fans by the sideline.
Not only is it wrong. It is disrespectful. And that my friends, is where I draw the line. Oranje for Oranje smells. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and living in New York I know what I am talking about. This is a melting pot of people from all over the world, including Holland. And the one thing you learn early on is respect for others, their nationality and culture. Pulling a stunt and making a statement like that if KNVB was American would create a lawsuit bigger than skyscrapers.
Very disappointed by this. I think I may join Bob and stop blogging all together.
It was just about time!!!. But as you all have said before I don’t care because this blog has all the news we need.
Goose, that’s a great idea!!! I will take action and I’ll let you know if I need support…
Finn, thanks for your “rage”. Am I allowed to quote you?
no you wont finn!!!
thanks for the link Bart!
Posted from Netherlands
Am not sure if anyone has tried this.
Search KNVB in google
Before clicking onto KNVB web page – Click “Translate this Page”
Voila ! English page !!! Some translations are litteral but the headlines come out OK….
Dutch Managers are well known all over the world for understanding the “local” mentality and appreciating different cultures AND speaking the native language quicker than anyone else. How did this guy EVER become head of an organization that has more worldly following than most Dutch Companies. Can’t see the forest for the trees ! – Finn don’t go – I’ll miss your fine contributions !
Posted from 
Singapore
How much will we have to wait?
Will we have to wait forever to watch a video on ONSOranje (it seems ridiculous, but you try to see a video there and… “these streaming videos are available only at Switzerland, Austria and Netherlands”)?
Definitely, if Oranje has a world-class team, KNVB has a BS staff…
But I know this reality. Brazil’s CBF site just doesn’t have an English version too…
@Finnster: do not leave us, please!
I agree with Carlos…would be a loss if you stopped posting, Finn.
Posted from 
United States
It’s really not a huge project to translate a few pages into English, but I take issue with the entitlement that some of you feel simply for owning a Neeskens jersey. The Dutch NT isn’t a club team… it technically doesn’t “owe” foreign fans anything, especially those who have probably never contributed financially to the organization.
Perhaps we should charge the KNVB because here all the important articles are published and the KNVB is very poor. No deadline???Who works today without them???
Well, there is a deadline I assume, but I don’t know it… That’s more what I meant.
Finn: I forbid you to go! Ok? That’s an order. You wouldn’t take your money out of the stockmarket now, would you? This is the time when you hang in 
I don’t agree with Bobo, to be honest. The KNVB wants to win goodwill back. It’s important for Dutch business and export and all to have a good reputation. Big firms sponsor the KNVB to get their name out. Every fan abroad, of Dutch lineage or not, is worth keeping. For Holland Promotion! If you, Felipe, Finn, Bobo or whoever, love the Dutch team and you have the option at a restaurant to order Portuguese cheese for dessert or Dutch cheese, what do you order
@Bobo, The Dutch NT “technically” “owes” its non-Dutch fans nothing? Mmmmmm. I don’t know about that. They know how popular the NT is worldwide. Hard to think that’s not a positive for the nation to have such a beloved football team worldwide, right?? Surely that benefits the nation and the KNVB at some very real level, no? They OUGHT to give all fans of their squad a chance to read about their squad in the world’s most widely spoken language. And the Dutch are such great English speakers, it should be super easy to do. Probably most of the people at the KNVB could do it themselves in about an hour or two. Makes me think there is some prejudice of some sort at play here on the part of the KNVB. Have no idea why, but why else be so arrogant and stupid? But this site is the best site on the net anyway…
Posted from United States
Damn, Jan. You made my point while I was typing!
And I thought I had an original thought for a second.
Posted from United States
i agree with carlos
guys use google “Translate a web page” pick dutch to english.
Posted from United States
I was born in Holland and have supporting the Oranje all my life, yet I cannot read it. I’m disappointed that I cannot read the site.
Posted from 
Switzerland
Unfortunately as Jan highlighted the KNVB does not see the intangible benefits here and as so many of you have said Holland is such a popular team, I have yet to come across anyone in my travels in Asia who hasn’t got Holland on their list as either favourite or second favourite team (often after Brazil) especially if their country is NOT participating in the World Cup. As I said can’t see the Forest for the Trees.
Another intangible is the millions of hits the site will get and therefore increase it’s commercial viability. *sigh, its hard to argue with ignorance.
Posted from Singapore
I think there is an enourmous market for dutch football in especially China and Japan, why not start a Chinese/Japanese eredivisie live
Posted from Netherlands
@Alex – you may have a point there. I know that when I was playing football in Japan (just for fun, not professionally of course 
), I certainly saw lots of Japanese guys wearing the Oranje jersey. I think it would only apply to the national team though, not the Eredivisie.
Posted from Canada
My first reaction was like goose, caleb, MR and others: who cares about the KNVB site when i can check this blog whenever i want for the latest news on dutch soccer and trade opinions with knowledgeable fans from around the world…
BUT then i realized that Jan is likely to retire before the KNVB get their act together and then i’ll be left without a good source for news on Oranje.
Posted from Canada
Very true about the amount of NL fans in Asia. The team is worshipped here in Korea as well. Ever since Hiddink took S Korea to the semifinals he became a god here and immortalized the Netherlands as footballing legends.
KNVBs decision is really baffling, from a fan’s perspective and as a business perspective. They could be making a lot of money if they could get some traffic through their site, through merchandise and advertising…. meh… oh well…
Don’t think I would actually check it that often even if it was in English.
dont finn dont even think abt it.
Posted from 
India
Hello again! This blog was most interesting, considering the variety of responses. It is now and has been my opinion that the KNVB response as reported by Jan is representative of their habitual pattern of “missing the point.” As many have stated, this blog offered and presented so splendidly by Jan does provide excellent information for those of us who love Dutch football. What the KNVB misses is that the percentage of fans who follow the Dutch and speak/read Dutch is comparatively small.I would guess that a vast majority of Nederland football followers on a worldwide basis can not read/appreciate the information offered on the KNVB site. Football is part of human entertainment, intended to enhance the quality of life for those choosing such activity. Understandable and readable information about the entertainment (in this case, Dutch football) is part of the experience. Excluding a huge percentage of its fans makes no sense, when considering the purpose of the activity. In addition, the irony is that the Dutch people and culture seem to universally respect and understand English. I was amazed last year when visiting the Netherlands for the first time in several years how many signs and public items of information were in English–everywhere! In summary, the talent for the language is available, the interest in the sport is immense, but what is not there is the willingness/competence/leadership of the KNVB to “just do it!” For the gifted Dutch, this would be an easy problem to solve.
Posted from United States
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no deadline means it will take forever to happen!!!
Posted from
Singapore