Cor Coster: Holland’s most famous father-in-law

Johan and Ome Cor…

He never hit a ball. Didn’t wear a football shirt. But still, he was one of Holland’s most influential people in football. Cor Coster died recently. Ome Cor (Uncle Cor) as he was called by most.

Holland’s most famous father-in-law and the first players’ manager.

Recently, Cor Coster drove his Mini Cooper through Amsterdam, which he used as a grocery-car. Some big Mercedes driver cut in fron of him. The passionate Ome Cor got out, abused the guy and the two got in a fight. He kicked a dent in the Merc’s door and crushed the mirror.

Before the judge, he claimed the stress of living in the big city got too much for the old man. He was sorry and would never do this again. The judge felt for him and told him to settle the damages with the “victim”. Cor Coster said he would. The damages were significant, but in the hallway, the Amsterdam born put a 100 guilders note in the hands of the bamboozled opponent and told him in a soft voice, that if the guy would make a scene he’d rip his head off his shoulders…

Cor Coster was a colorful man. Life made him streetwise. His dad had left his mum when Cor was young. He’d organize a motorbike and travel to Switzerland, where he’d buy expensive watches and smuggle them into Holland in his fuel tan. He would then sell the watches with a huge profit in the red light district and to the market vendors on the Waterloo-square. His nickname in Amsterdam would soon be Horloge Cor (Watch Cor). He would become a diamant trader and a real estate tycoon. It didn’t matter to him what he traded, as long as it made money.

Cor Coster acquired wealth and lived on the most expensive locations in Amsterdam. He did very well. He even told his partners that he never wanted to be called at home later than 8 pm unless that call would profit him a minimum of 100.000 guilders (approx 50.000 euros). His reputation was the subject of debates many time, but most people who dealt with him adored him.

Whenever a glass of whiskey was present, Ome Cor started to talk. With humor and self mockery, he’d analyze life. Cor was a great mate, but if you’d cross his path, he could be ruthless and aggressive. He love to tell how he spoiled his children, how his daughter Danny wasn’t able to buy dresses in Amsterdam anymore when she was 14 years old… She had to go to Paris to find stuff she liked.

This daughter, Diana Margaretha Coster (Danny) was a guest on Piet Keizer’s wedding and bumped into young sensation Johan Cruyff. The two started dating. A kid from the poorer quarters going out with a rich kid from the Gold coast. Cor Coster was an average football fan. He did visit the home games of Ajax, but had no ties to the club. He did like the friendly football player.

When the two appeared to be very serious about their relationship, Ome Cor wanted to know how much money Jopie had saved. Cruyff told him he didn’t even have a savings account. And when JC later showed him a copy of his contract, Coster understood why. Coster was astonished. Ajax stadium De Meer was sold out every two weeks, with fans wanting to see the new phenomenon, but Cruyffie got payed a mere 15.000 guilders per season.

As off that day, Cor Coster became the first players’ manager in the history of Dutch pro football. JC married his daughter in 1968 and he didn’t lose a daughter, he gained a son-in-law and a new customer. Chairman Jaap van Praag and financial manager Henk Timman (tax inspector in real life) both despised Coster. When Ajax organized a friendly in the off-season, JC told them that he’d come and play for 10% of the takings. Most people would come to see him play, was his (Coster’s) position.

Football players in those days were basically slaves. They had no rights whatsoever. The Oranje internationals in those times weren’t even insured! The power was with the clubs. The first success of Coster was getting a renewed contract for the number 14: from 15.000 to 50.000 guilders a year. Two years later, JC would sign a seven-season deal, earning him 100.000 guilders a year, while sponsor De Koninklijke Bijenkorf guaranteed a lifetime income until JC’s 65th birthday of 60.000 guilders.

Coster saw that he found a new niche and former Inter Football with Piet Keizer and Maarten de Vos. The leftish media and the players’ union said this was a disgrace. They called him a parasite who wanted to make money over the players’ backs.

Cor Coster – who soon left Inter Football to go it alone – attracted many great players. Most Ajax players from the golden years (Gerrie Muhren, John Rep, Ruud Krol, Johan Neeskens) would end up with Coster, and in 1974 the whole Dutch team was his client. Later, players like Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Wim Kieft would become his customers as well.

Cruyff and Coster had a bit of a fall out (or so the story goes) when JC played in Spain and decided to invest all him money in enterprises of one Michel Basilevitsj. That shrewd business man squandered all JC’s money (a pig farm!) and the star player went broke. Coster stepped in to save him and he made Johan a multi-millionaire for the second time. Cruyff was already in his 30s then. When JC played for Feyenoord for instance, Coster used Feyenoord’s average takings per game of the preceeding season and negotiated a % of the extra takings when JC played.

Note: Many people think the “JC went broke” story was a fluke. It was a trick to con the tax-department. People who know JC well would state that Holland’s best player ever would be much too smart to lose his money the way he did…

Johan left for Feyenoord because Ajax chair Ton Harmsen exploded during the firm negotiations with Coster and yelled: Johan Cruyff is over! A has-been! That afternoon Coster called Feyenoord and a day later a deal was struck. JC would make a lot of money in Rotterdam and in the same time would win the double with Feyenoord.

Cor Coster was the first in Holland to claim that football players were paid too low wages. They were slaves of the clubs, who made lots of money on ticket-sales and tv-broadcasts, while the stars of the show were given a semi-pro contract. Thanks to his efforts, Dutch players started to earn serious money in the 1970s. The KNVB had to cop it too. Before 1974, internationals would get 200 guilders (100 euros) per game. The KNVB claimed that players should play for the honor and for the people. Coster thought it was ridiculous that players had to invest three days per international game for that money, and run the risk of losing their career due to injuries. Before 1974, players weren’t even properly insured if they played for Oranje.

In the last years, Coster stayed in the background. He did have a couple of youngster on the payroll taking care of business, but his main focus were his grand-children. He single handedly professionalized Dutch football, and mainly because his beloved daughter married one Johan Cruyff.

Three weeks ago he died. Cor Coster was 88 years old.