(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Dutch National Archive (Public Domain), Olaf Vonk, RCH and AFC Ajax)
IN MEMORIAM
...Johan Neeskens....
(1951 - 2024)
(© Photo: Rob Mieremet/Anefo/
Dutch Nat. Archives) |
  Dutch soccer-icon and former baseball-player Johan Neeskens passed away
Nederlands
 ALGIERS (Algeria) -
Johan Neeskens, who was one of the major Dutch soccer-stars in the seventies, unexpectedly passed away on Sunday (October 6) at age 73.
The former soccer-star was in the African country of Algeria participating in a development-program of the Royal Netherlands Soccer Federation (KNVB) called KNVB WorldCoaches.
It was reported that Neeskens became unwell on Sunday.
In the intenational WorldCoaches program, the KNVB trains youth around the world to become coaches in their own community.
Johan Neeskens was a legendary and popular soccer-player in some glory-years in the seventies.
In that decade, he played for Amsterdam-based Ajax, as well as for the Netherlands Soccer Team with whom he reached the Final of the World Championship in 1974 and 1978.
Later, he also played for FC Barcelona in Spain, as well as in the USA.
But Neeskens also was a very talented baseball-player in the sixties, before becoming a professional soccer-player.
Johannes Jacobus (Johan) Neeskens was born on September 15, 1951 in Heemstede.
It was in his home-town where Neeskens joined local club RCH (Racing Club Heemstede), where he played both baseball and soccer.
According to stories from that period, while playing baseball, Neeskens skilled himself in learning to take proper slidings, which he later used in his soccer-career.
Playing for RCH, Johan Neeskens showed his talents in both baseball and soccer.
In 1966, at age fourteen, he was selected for the Netherlands National BRL Team, which can be compare with the current Netherlands Junior Team.
BRL stands for Babe Ruth League (age 13-18), the international youth baseball and softball league based in Hamilton, New Jersey (USA).
The League is named after Major League-legend and Hall of Famer Babe Ruth, who played in 22 seasons (1914-1935), including 15 with New York Yankees with whom he won seven World Series.
Until April 1974, Ruth was the All-Time Homerun Leader.
In 1966, the technical committee of what was then the Royal Netherlands Baseball Federation (KNHB) selected 15 players for the Netherlands National BRL Team for the European Championship which was organized in Haarlem (Netherlands) in August.
Neeskens, who primarily was a second baseman, was one of the players.
The Team was led by American coach Howard Fetz, who was assisted by Wim Crouwel, who in those years was the prime catcher in the Netherlands National Baseball Team.
Crouwel himself also played for Fetz, who in 1966 also was the Manager of the National Orange-Team during the Haarlem Baseball Week.
Fetz passed away a year ago on October 9 at age 83.
Remarkably enough, despite being in the Netherlands for only one year (May 1966-May 1967), Fetz had learned to speak Dutch and spoke it so well that he was able to address the young players of the BRL Team in their native language.
Amongst Neeskens' teammates in the Netherlands BRL Team were several players who later would play in the Dutch big league, including Frank Breek, Frank van der Putten (who both then played for HCK), Hans Leenen (ADO), John Ludenhoff, Dirk Spits, Ron Tuinder (all OVVO), Hans Röbken (Schoten) and Peter van der Ster (UVV).
Also playing for the team was Han van Panhuis, who in 1968 won the Ron Fraser Award for Most Promising Youth Player.
...The Netherlands National Babe Ruth League Baseball-team that...
...participated in the 1966 European Championship in Haarlem (Neth.)...
...Johan Neeskens is seated in front row third from right...
...Future big league-players are John Ludenhoff (front row, left),...
...Hans Leenen (front row, 3rd left), Frank van der Putten (front row, 2nd right),...
...Peter van der Ster (front row, right), Ron Tuinder (2nd row, 2nd left),...
...Hans Röbken (2nd row, 3rd left), Han van Panhuis (2nd row, 2nd right),...
...Frank Breek (2nd row, right) and Dirk Spits (3rd row, right)...
...Seated in the back row are coaches Wim Crouwel and Howard Fetz...
(© Photo: Olaf Vonk) |
The 1966 European Championship opened a few days after completion of the Haarlem Baseball Week and games were played in the Pim Mulier Stadium, as well as the home-field of HCK (Kinheim) at the Badmintonpad, both in Haarlem.
Participating were the National Teams of Netherlands, Belgium and Italy, but also American teams representing England, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy and West-Germany, comprised of players of military personnel stationed in those countries.
Haarlem-mayor Oscar Cremers officially opened the event and threw the ceremonial first pitch.
During the tournament, the Netherlands Team stayed at the Ripperda-barracks in Haarlem, where catcher John Ludenhoff was the roommate of Neeskens.
Ludenhoff later played in the Dutch big league for Ajax, Giants Diemen and Amsterdam Pirates.
The following year, 1967, the European BRL Championship was organized in Rome (Italy) and Neeskens again was selected for the Netherlands BRL Team, which now was led by Head Coach Charles Urbanus (Sr), assisted by Wim Geestman (Sr).
Like the year before, American teams participated, representing military bases in WIesbaden (West-Germany), Napels (Italy), Brussels (Belgium) and Sevilla (Spain), where the Babe Ruth League was a popular baseball competition.
The Netherlands and Italy participated with their National Team.
Again, amongst the teammates of Neeskens were some players who would later play in the highest Dutch league.
That were Jaap Bijl (Wassenaar), Edwin Geluk(ABC), Hennie Jenken, Peter van der Ster (both UVV), Martin de Lugt, Dirk Spits (both OVVO), Frank Smit (Giants Diemen), Rudy Stentler (Sparta) and Marten Walsma (Rap).
In those days, the American teams were the better teams.
With that, the Netherlands and Italy (and in 1966 Belgium) played a minor role in these Championships.
During the 1967 Championship, Johan Neeskens was the best Dutch hitter with a .333 batting average.
While playing for RCH in Heemstede, Neeskens also proved to be a talented and valuable player.
He was added to the main-squad at a young age and in 1967, when he was only 15 years old, he already played in several games of the team which played in the Second Division.
Although he also developed into a very talented soccer-player in these years, Neeskens was able to combine both sports.
In 1967, Neeskens was a member of the juniors-team of RCH that captured the Dutch Championship-title in 1967, led by Coach Frans Langeveld.
In 1968, RCH led one of the three Second Divisions.
On the final day of the season, RCH faced SC Haarlem and both teams shared first place at that moment.
Playing at home in Heemstede, the game remained scoreless for six innings.
In the seventh inning, RCH opened the score when Johan Neeskens scored on a basehit by Wim Draijer.
In the eighth, Haarlem came alongside, thanks to a basehit by Peter Tel, which forced extra innings.
In the top of the tenth inning, Haarlem took a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom of the tenth, lead-off hitter Laurens Mouter reached base, then Fred Kaestner followed with a double.
Moments later, Mouter scored the tying run when a balk was called.
With Kaestner on third base, Leo Kaestner and Ron Nieuw were walked intentionally to create force play.
But with the bases now loaded, 16-year old Johan Neeskens delivered a single and accounted for the winning run.
RCH captured the title!
In the following Promotion Series, RCH ended up short against Neptunus and Quick Amersfoort, who both promoted to the First Division.
The Series began with big disappointment for RCH, as the game against Neptunus had to be suspended when Nieuw broke his ankle.
...Johan Neeskens (seated second from right) with the...
...baseball-team of RCH (Heemstede) in the late sixties...
(© Photo: Archive RCH) |
In the winter-season 1968-1969, Johan Neeskens made his debut in the professional main soccer-squad of RCH, which played in the First Division, which was led by Piet Peeman.
Because of this, Neeskens focussed more on soccer than on baseball.
In February 1969, Neeskens is selected for the Netherlands UEFA Youth Team, the national soccer-team age 16-18.
Amongst his teammates are some other players, who like Neeskens, later would play in the highest professional soccer-division, like Johnny Oude Wesselink (Go Ahead), Hugo Hovenkamp (GVAV), Karel Bonsink (DWS) and Joop Korevaar (ADO).
However, during the 1969 baseball-season, Neeskens was able to play in some more baseball-games.
He re-joins the team somewhere in June and immediately shows his skills again.
In a game against Laakkwartier, RCH leads 1-0.
In the fifth inning, two runs can be scored after a successful bunt by Neeskens.
A month later, RCH plays against HFC Haarlem and leads 4-1.
In the ninth, Haarlem comes alongside.
In the bottom of the ninth, RCH wins 5-4, thanks to basehits by Neeskens and Leo Kaestner.
Other teammates of Neeskens in the baseball-team of RCH besides Wim Draijer, Fred Kaestner, Leo Kaestner, Laurens Mouter and Ron Nieuw include Paul Draijer, Ben Prijs, Frans Vrenegoor and Nico van de Wind.
Also in June 1969, it is announced that Neeskens stays with RCH for another professtional soccer-season, but it also becomes more and more clear that the talented player will transfer to another club soon.
In the second half of the 1969-1970 season, RCH is led by wellknown British (interim) coach Leslie Talbot, who in 1953 and 1964 captured the Dutch Championship-title with respectively RCH and DWS.
In May 1970, Neeskens is again selected for the Netherlands Youth Soccer Team for a tournament in Scotland.
Amongst his teammates are several players who later also would become wellknown soccer-players, including Hans van Eeden (ADO), René van de Kerkhof, Willy van de Kerkhof (both MULO), Bert van Marwijk (Go Ahead), Johnny Rep (Ajax) and Wim Rijsbergen (Roodenburg).
In August 1970, it is announced that Johan Neeskens had transfered from RCH to Ajax, which is led (since 1965) by wellknown coach Rinus Michels.
The transfer also ends the baseball-career of Neeskens, who now solely focusses on his soccer-career, which would become very successful.
Neeskens would play for the Amsterdam-based team through 1974, appearing in 171 games and making 39 goals.
Amongst the other players in the star-studded Ajax-team in the years Neeskens played for the club were Horst Blankenburg, Johan Cruijff, Dick van Dijk, Arie Haan, Barry Hulshoff, Piet Keizer, Ruud Krol, Gerrie Mühren, Klaas Nuninga, Johnny Rep, Nico Rijnders, Heinz Stuy, Ruud Suurendonk, Sjaak Swart and Velibor Vasović.
After Michels became coach of FC Barcelona in 1971, he was succeeded by Stefan Kovács (1971-1973), George Knobel (1973-1974) and Bobby Haarms (1974).
Michels would later return to Ajax for the 1975-1976 season.
...Johan Neeskens (seated at right) with the soccer-team...
...of Ajax in the 1970-1971 season...
...Standing: Barry Hulshoff, Heinz Stuy, Wim Suurbier,...
...Dick van Dijk, Gerrie Mühren; Seated: Piet Keizer, Sjaak Swart,...
...Nico Rijnders, Velibor Vasović, Johan Cruijff and Neeskens...
(© Photo: Archive AFC Ajax) |
While coaching Barcelona, Michels was re-united by Johan Cruijff and Neeskens.
Cruijff played for the Spanish team in 1973-1978, Neeskens played there in 1974-1979.
Later in his soccer-career, Neeskens played for New York Cosmos (USA, 1979-1984), FC Groningen (Netherlands, 1984-1985), South Florida Sun (USA, 1985), Kansas City Comets (USA, 1985-1986), FC Löwenbrau (USA, 1986-1987), FC Baar (Switzerland, 1987-1990) and FC Zug (Switzerland, 1990-1991).
While playing for Ajax, Johan Neeskens captured the Dutch Championship-title twice, won the European Cup three times, the European Super Cup twice and the World Cup once.
With FC Barcelona, he won the European Cup II.
From 1991 on, Neeskens was Head Coach or Assistant Coach for several foreign soccer-clubteams.
He first led FC Zug (Switzerland, 1991-1993).
Thereafter, he coached at FC Stäfa (Switzerland, 1993-1995), FC Singen 04 (Switzerland, 1995-1996), FC Barcelona (Assistant of Frank Rijkaard, Spain, 2006-2008), Galatasaray (Assistant of Frank Rijkaard again, Türkiye, 2009-2010) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa, 2011-2012).
In the Netherlands, he led N.E.C. in 2000-2004.
Neeskens also was the Assistant Coach of the Netherlands in 1995-2000 (led by Guus Hiddink (1995-1998) and Frank Rijkaard (1998-2000)) and of Australia in 2005-2006, alongside Guus Hiddink.
In 2009-2009, Neeskens led the Netherlands B-squad.
From 1970 through 1981, Johan Neeskens played in 49 official international games in the Netherlands National Soccer Team, making 17 goals.
In his soccer-career, Neeskens earned several nicknames.
In the Netherlands, he was mostly called De Nees.
Internationally, especially in Spain, he was nicknamed El Torero.
But he was also known as Johan Segundo or Johan the Second, referring to Johan Cruijff when both played for FC Barcelona in Spain.
Like Neeskens, Cruijff was a talented baseball-player while playing for Ajax.
Cruijff passed away in 2016.
In 1974 and 1978, Neeskens was a player of the famous Netherlands Soccer Team that finished in second place in the World Championship.
In the past few days, the national teams in these years were generally recognized as the teams that put Dutch soccer on the map, thanks to the great group of players who were part of them.
In 1974, in West-Germany, the Netherlands lost 2-1 in the Final against the host-country.
The lone Orange-goal in München was scored by Johan Neeskens via a penalty, which became one of his specialities.
Leading the the team as Head Coach was Czech František Fadrhonc.
He was assisted by Cor van der Hart, while Rinus Michels acted as supervisor.
Besides Neeskens, the other players who were part of the team were Ruud Geels, Arie Haan, Willem van Hanegem, Kees van Ierssel, Rinus Israël, Wim Jansen, Theo de Jong, Jan Jongbloed, Piet Keizer, René van de Kerkhof, Willy van de Kerkhof, Ruud Krol, Johan Cruijff, Rob Rensenbrink, Johnny Rep, Wim Rijsbergen, Piet Schrijvers, Pleun Strik, Wim Suurbier, Eddy Treytel and Harry Vos.
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...In Memoriam of Johan Neeskens by Ajax... |
During the 1978 World Championship in Argentina, the team was led by Austrian coach Ernst Happel, who was assisted by Jan Zwartkruis.
Haan, Jansen, Jongbloed, the Van de Kerkhof-twinbrothers, Krol, Neeskens, Rep, Rijsbergen, Schrijvers and Suurbier all returned as player.
They were joined by Johan Boskamp, Ernie Brandts, Pim Doesburg, Hugo Hovenkamp, Adrie van Kraaij, Harry Lubse, Dick Nanninga, Jan Poortvliet, Rob Rensenbrink, Dick Schoenaker and Piet Wildschut.
Unfortunately, the following soccer-heroes of these two Silver-teams have passed away in recent years: Vos (2010), Nanninga (2015), Cruijff (2016), Keizer (2017), Doesburg, Rensenbrink, Suurbier (all in 2020), Jansen, Schrijvers, Strik (all in 2022), Geels and Jongbloed (both in 2023).
The Royal Netherlands Soccer Federation (KNVB) issued the following statement:
,,Being on the pitch with other football fans with the idea of achieving something great together, that was Johan Neeskens in a nutshell.
On the pitch as a player and later off the pitch as a coach, Neeskens was known for his tenacity.
But those who were lucky enough to get to know him better, saw above all a citizen of the world and a gentle family man who was proud of his children and grandchildren and who, until the very end, managed to touch others with his love for football.
The KNVB wishes his wife Marlis, his children Christian, Tamara, Bianca and Armand, his grandchildren Djoy and Lovée, relatives and friends much strength in bearing this great loss''.
Ajax posted the following:
,,Ajax learned with deep sadness of the passing of Johan Neeskens.
With him, Ajax has lost one of its best and most beloved former players.
'The Nees' was 73 years old.
The midfielder was an important link in the Golden Ajax that won the European Cup I three years in a row: 1971, 1972, 1973.
The unyielding Ajax player wore the Ajax shirt 171 times and scored 39 times''.
An extensive lookback to the impressive career of Neeskens can be read here on the website of Ajax.
More lookbacks and reactions can be found on many soccer-websites.
The webmaster of Grand Slam * Stats & News offers his condolences to Johan's wife, children, other family and friends and wishes them a lot of strength with this big loss.
(October 9)
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