Jump to content

User:Bring back Daz Sampson/Professionalism in Dutch football

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Throughout the early years of the Eredivisie, the players remained part-time footballers with day jobs.[1] In 1962 the Dutch Ministry of Labour still refused to licence professional footballers unless they had a job outside football.[2] In the 1965–66 Eredivisie, clubs were permitted to sign four full-time professionals each.[3]

The Netherlands national football team which drew 1–1 with England on 9 December 1964 were all part-time professionals, according to their coach Denis Neville.[4]

In 1965 Piet Keizer signed a new contract as AFC Ajax's first ever full-time professional, closely followed by 18-year-old Johan Cruyff. The rest of the Ajax players were part-timers.[5]

The Go Ahead Deventer team who lost 7–0 on aggregate to Celtic in the 1965–66 European Cup Winners' Cup were part-timers.

According to Bill Murray in The World's Game: A History of Soccer (1998), "the Netherlands took up part-time professionalism in 1954 and full professionalism in 1967".[6]

The Feyenoord team which won the 1970 European Cup Final was predominantly full-time, with just two part-timers in the line-up: Piet Romeijn and Guus Haak.[7]

In 1978–79 there were 136 full-time professionals and 295 semi-professionals in the Eredivisie. In 1979–80 there were 132 full-timers and 283 semi-pros. In the Eerste Divisie there were only six full-time professionals in 1978–79 and four in 1979–80 (SC Amersfoort numbers not included).[8]

Dick Advocaat was a part-time footballer who worked for KLM and then a fruit import and export company: "You dreamed about professional football, but at that time almost every player was semi-professional. You also just had to work."[9] Hennie Ardesch (nl) played in the Eredivisie from 1964 to 1977 and remained semi-professional: "Although always semi-professional, Ardesch, who started playing football with Phenix in youth and later switched to the juniors of SC Enschede, remained permanently at the top of national professional football in the sixties and seventies." Atlético Madrid wanted him to turn full-time in 1971 but were frustrated by red tape.[10]

Bud Brocken played for the Netherlands national football team five times in 1983. He was a semi-professional footballer for almost his entire career.[11] In 1985 his manager at FC Groningen Han Berger wanted to transition the club to full-time training but was unable to agree revised terms with Brocken, who left to stay part-time at Willem II.[12]

When Aberdeen signed Peter van de Ven in August 1990, The Press and Journal (Scotland) reported that his former club Willem II (football club) of the Eredivisie was: "one of Holland's small and basically part-time teams".[13]

MVV Maastricht general manager Marcel Franssen in 2003: "In the early nineties MVV finished seventh in the Eredivisie, while half of the players were semi-pro."[14]

In August 1994 NRC Handelsblad published a profile of Martin Koorn (nl), who commuted from his home and employment on Texel to play for clubs in the top two divisions of Dutch football: "Koorn is semi-pro. One of hundreds in professional football. Footballers who once dreamed of Ajax or Feyenoord, but did not reach higher than Heracles or Haarlem."[15]

Johan de Kock played for the Netherlands in UEFA Euro 1996 as a part-time footballer, as he was employed as a civil engineer: "I know it is rare for an international footballer to have another job as well. I can think of only perhaps only one other in the past, but it is not a problem to me."[16]

In 1995–96 FC Groningen striker Mariano Bombarda scored 19 Eredivisie goals as a semi-professional player.[17] FC Groningen captain Harris Huizingh was also semi-professional and worked for the police.[18] Jan Vreman was also a semi-professional player throughout his football career, being employed in the egg trade.[19]

In the 2003–04 Eredivisie, FC Volendam was the only club to field a number of semi-professionals in the first team. Jack Tuijp was one of those players. He played under a youth contract and was simultaneously a student of business economics at the Hogeschool voor Economische Studies (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences).[20]

Eerste Divisie

[edit]

In the early–mid 90s FC Emmen consistently challenged for promotion from the Eerste Divisie with a semi-professional team: Frank Veldwijk (nl) was employed in a slaughterhouse. Marco de Haan worked for a company who supplied raw materials to bakeries, and then for Wever transport. Etienne Barmentloo (nl) worked in a tool factory. Alfons Arts (nl) was a PhD student.[21]

By 2000, 90% of Eerste Divisie players were full-time professionals. In 2002, amidst a contraction in wages due to the early 2000s recession, the Association of Contract Players (VVCS) reacted to an increase in part-time players by proposing a minimum semi-professional wage of €25,000.[22] The 2003–04 Eerste Divisie season saw a drop in salaries, a reduction in squad sizes and a substantial increase in the number of semi-professional players.[23]

Albert van der Sleen (nl) owned a toy store while competing for Eerste Divisie club FC Eindhoven as a semi-professional goalkeeper from 1983 to 2000. In January 2003 after transferring to NEC Nijmegen he supported the second tier's move away from full-time training: "It is fine that the Eerste Divisie is going back to a form of semi-professionalism".[24]

Fortuna Sittard offered five of their six out-of-contract players reduced semi-professional terms: Geert Brusselers, Rein Baart, Tycho Steegs, Dario Cagnazzo and Georges Tychon. They also planned to offer amateur first team contracts to additional players, mainly from their own youth system.[25]

BV Veendam narrowly avoided bankruptcy then encouranged its players to turn semi-professional, offering assistance to set up their own business.[26]

In 2010 the Eerste Divisie contemplated another move towards semi-professional football. The league already had around 100 amateur players, and according to the VVCS, many contracted players' wages had fallen to between €1300 and €1400 gross: "If that should become even less, clubs should ask themselves whether they are still in place in professional football".[27]

Sjors Verdellen joined MVV on a semi-professional basis in August 2010. MVV ran a "social support" scheme which helped its semi-professional players find work: "The club has access to a professional coaching team and sponsors who are willing to participate in this. Incidentally, current contact players can also make use of this option. MVV Maastricht is working with a number of players."[28] The Maastricht club had been rescued by the local authority, who agreed a leaseback of the stadium and instituted a maximum wage for a smaller, mainly semi-professional, squad.[29]BV

In March 2011 several other Eerste Divisie clubs were "embracing semi-professionalism due to financial need".[30]

The 2012–13 Eerste Divisie saw two clubs expelled due to bankruptcy. Willem Vissers wrote in de Volkskrant: "In the Eerste Divisie, high salaries for football players are already a thing of the past. Quite a number of clubs operate with a budget of around 2 million euros and have converted to semi-professionalism."[31]

In September 2012 around a third of the 950 professional players in the top two divisions earned under the €25,000 salary necessary to claim the Stichting Contractspelersfonds (CFK) benefit when their playing career ended. Increasing numbers of Eerste Divisie players earned the minimum wage, while over 10% of players were on amateur terms. Some amateurs claimed unemployment benefits while their unscrupulous clubs made false promises of a forthcoming professional contract.[32]

Topklasse club Rijnsburgse Boys beat Eerste Divisie part-timers FC Volendam 1–0 in the second round of the 2012–13 KNVB Cup: "The top-class amateurs beat the semi-pro from the Jupiler League 1–0. The goal came after an hour in the name of Remon van Bochoven."[33]

In the 2016–17 Eerste Divisie, TOP Oss finished 15th of 20 clubs with a largely semi-professional squad.[34] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands clubs in the 2020–21 Eerste Divisie were only required to have a reduced number of 14 players on contract. TOP Oss remained semi-professional and also had a contingent of first team squad members earning a "volunteer's allowance" of around €1,750 per annum.[35] Use of these amateur players was widespread at other clubs in the league.[36]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Poort, Joost. "Volendam". Historiebetaaldvoetbal.nl. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  2. ^ Brodie, Malcolm (8 May 1962). "Danny holds reins". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  3. ^ MacDonald, Roger. "Muller, Kips and the birth of Dutch football". In Bed With Maradona. Retrieved 16 January 2021. Salaries cannot yet compare favourably with the vast sums paid in Italy, France and England, but full-time footballers (each club is permitted four) earn between £1,200 and £1,600 a year on an average.
  4. ^ Brodie, Malcolm (9 December 1964). "Dutch using England game as Cup trial". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 16 January 2021. January is not a good month for football in Holland, and in an attempt to keep the side together - they are all part-time professionals - the match has been planned.
  5. ^ Cruyff, Johan; de Groot, Jaap (2016). My Turn. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 19. ISBN 9781509813902. In 1965, a few months after my debut, Ajax offered me my first contract. As I said, I was only the second player to sign full-time with Ajax after Piet – the rest of the squad were still part-time – but I was still doing odd jobs, living my life.
  6. ^ Murray 1998:129
  7. ^ Plant, Michael (20 October 2020). "Remembering Feyenoord's 1968-71 Zenith". Beyond The Last Man. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  8. ^ Muller, Lex (22 March 1980). "Voetballer goed betaald" (in Dutch). Algemeen Dagblad. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  9. ^ Krabbendam, Martijn (20 September 2017). "'In Nederland kun je beter geen bondscoach of premier worden'". Voetbal International. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  10. ^ Leermakers, Frans (1 April 2020). "Hennie Ardesch: altijd semiprof, met de instelling van een full prof" (in Dutch). ADO Den Haag. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Semiprof naast Gullit en Van Basten" (in Dutch). Royal Dutch Football Association. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2021. Maar waar de grote jongens van Oranje al op jonge leeftijd zakken met geld verdienden, daar was Brocken vrijwel zijn hele loopbaan gewoon semi-prof.
  12. ^ Pomp, William (2 December 2018). "De gouden tijd van Bud Brocken" (in Dutch). Dagblad van het Noorden. Retrieved 28 January 2021. Ik was semiprof en trainer Han Berger wilde met louter fullprofs verder. Ik vond dat prima, maar dan moest er uiteraard wel een aanpassing van mijn salaris plaatsvinden. Daar kwamen we toen niet uit.
  13. ^ Dolan, Jim (13 August 1990). "Aberdeen sign utility man Ven". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Semi-profs?" (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. 27 March 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  15. ^ Rommets, Joop (27 August 1994). "Het zombie-gevoel van een Texelse semiprof" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. Retrieved 28 January 2021. Maar veel trivialer is dat Koorn semiprof is. Eén van de honderden in het betaalde voetbal. Voetballers die ooit droomden van Ajax of Feyenoord, maar niet hoger reikten dan Heracles of Haarlem. Voetballers die weinig meer dan een minimumloon verdienen en daarom gedwongen zijn een baantje te hebben.
  16. ^ "Road-builder a possible starter". The Courier (Dundee). 7 June 1996. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Trainer Bert Jacobs blijft optimistisch: 'Ik ben nog nooit gedegradeerd'" (in Dutch). Trouw. 6 May 1996. Retrieved 28 January 2021. Bombarda was met drie doelpunten weer eens doeltreffend. De Argentijn kan met negentien treffers in zijn tweede seizoen als semi-prof terugkijken op een geslaagde voetbaljaargang.
  18. ^ Visser, Jaap (12 October 1996). "Wakker liggen van FC Groningen" (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Jan Vreman (1965)" (in Dutch). Kent u deze Nog. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  20. ^ "Jack Tuyp één van de semiprofs van FC Volendam". Nieuw-Volendam (in Dutch). 12 November 2003. Archived from the original on 29 March 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  21. ^ Horstman, Jan Willem (5 November 2018). "Toppers van toen aan de stamtafel: FC Emmen blijft geheid in eredivisie" (in Dutch). Dagblad van het Noorden. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  22. ^ Derksen, Johan (25 July 2002). "'De spelers moeten salaris inleveren'" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  23. ^ Vissers, Willem (27 March 2003). "Eerste divisie stapt over op deeltijdbanen" (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  24. ^ "De gedaantes van Van der Sleen". NEC archief. 8 January 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2021. "Het is prima dat de eerste divisie teruggaat naar een vorm van semi-professionalisme
  25. ^ "Fortuna biedt vijf spelers contract aan" (in Dutch). Fortuna Online. 13 May 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  26. ^ "Uniek plan van voetbalvereniging Veendam: eigen bedrijf voor voetballers" (in Dutch). Groninger Internet Courant. 13 March 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  27. ^ Hoijtink, Henk (30 January 2010). "'Dit land is te klein voor 38 profclubs'" (in Dutch). Trouw. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  28. ^ Nusselder, Peter (12 August 2010). "Verdellen gaat bij MVV voetballen op semiprofessionele basis" (in Dutch). Voetbal Zone. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Tip: Search for English results only. You can specify your search language in Preferences Revolutie op komst bij MVV; nieuwe naam voor club en stadion" (in Dutch). Elf Voetbal. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2021. Verder behelst het reddingsplan dat MVV zwaar wordt gesaneerd met onder meer een maximum-salaris voor de spelers, die voornamelijk semi-prof zullen zijn. De selectie wordt ingekrompen tot 20 man en de jeugdopleiding wordt afgeslankt.
  30. ^ Vissers, Willem (3 March 2011). "Jupiler League is reddingsboei en opleidingsinstituut". De Gelderlander. Retrieved 28 January 2021. sommige clubs door financiële nood zelfs het semi-professionalisme omarmen
  31. ^ Vissers, Willem (9 January 2013). "Mooie competitie met hardnekkige problemen" (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Hoezo profvoetbal in Nederland? Bijstand dreigt voor steeds meer spelers" (in Dutch). Algemeen Dagblad. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  33. ^ "Rijnsburgse Boys schakelt Volendam uit" (in Dutch). Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  34. ^ Strater, Ronald (26 November 2016). "Angst voor degradatie regeert bij FC Oss: 'Handhaving is van levensbelang'" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. Retrieved 28 January 2021. Nog steeds is een groot deel van de selectie van FC Oss semi-prof.
  35. ^ Butter, Jan-Cees (31 August 2020). "Een middag bij noodlijdend Top Oss. Is dit nog wel betaald voetbal?" (in Dutch). Trouw. Retrieved 28 January 2021. Wat dit alles vraagt van een trainer die van al die sober betaalde semi-profs een team moet zien te smeden?
  36. ^ de Bont, Stef (20 April 2020). "De minima van de KKD: vakkenvullen of bijklussen op de catwalk" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. Retrieved 28 January 2021.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Murray, Bill (1998), The World's Game: A History of Soccer, Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, ISBN 978-0-252-06718-1
  • Cruyff, Johan; de Groot, Jaap: My Turn: The Autobiography. (London: Macmillan, October 2016)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Bring_back_Daz_Sampson/Professionalism_in_Dutch_football&oldid=1003416410"