COACH: Edmond DELFOUR


GOALKEEPERS:

1 Frans DE MUNCK

DEFENDERS:

2 Gerrit VREKEN
3 Arie DE VROET
5 Cor VAN DER HART

MIDFIELDERS:

4 Rinus SCHAAP
6 Joop DE KUBBER

FORWARDS:

7 Bram APPEL
8 Kees RIJVERS
9 Jan VAN GEEN
10 Theo TIMMERMANS
11 Bertus DE HARDER
Wilhelm VAN LENT
Johannes RÖHRIG



3-4-3/3-2-5 FORMATION:

France Vs Dutch Professionals XI - "Watersnoodwedstrijd" (12/03/1953)



GK DE MUNCK
RB/CB VREKEN
CB VAN DER HART
LB/CB DE VROET
DMF SCHAAP
DMF DE KUBBER
AMF/SS RIJVERS
AMF/SS TIMMERMANNS
RWF APPEL
LWF DE HARDER
CF VAN GEEN

Captain: Bram Appel
Short Free Kick: Joop de Kubber
Long Free Kick: Joop de Kubber
Free Kick 2: -
Left Corner: Bertus de Harder
Right Corner: Bram Appel
Penalty: Bram Appel


INFO:

In the night of 31 January 1953 to 1 September 1953 the heaviest flood in the North Sea during the 20th century (called the "watersnood" in the Netherlands) struck the Netherlands, Great Britain and Belgium, killing 2551 people and causing heavy damage, especially in the Netherlands. The Dutch football association hosted a match of the NT against Denmark on 7 March 1953 to raise money for the Stichting Nationaal Rampenfonds (National fonds for catastrophes).
Since the KNVB didn't allow professionalism at that time, many of the best Dutch players during those years weren't banned from the NT. Theo Timmermans who played for Olympique Nimes first wanted to organize a match against a selection from Southern France but his idea turned into something bigger: Together with Bram Appel from Stade Reims and with support from French football association he organized a Dutch XI of professional football players - almost all of them played in France, only Frans de Munck played in Germany during that time. Faas Wilkes had been contacted as well but his club Torino didn't allow him to participate.
When KNVB officials heard of those plans, they were furious and even tried to forbid the match but after an intervention by Prince Bernhard (who was head of Stichting Nationaal Rampenfonds) the game could be played - although the Dutch team wasn't allowed to wear orange kits and even the official anthem wasn't allowed to be played.
The preparation for the game was special as well: Some of the players had never met before and except for Cor van der Hart there were no defenders in the squad, so Gerrit Vreken (who usallay played as right winger) and Arie de Vroet (who was left-half) played as side backs for the first time in their career. Edmond Delfour (manager of Stade Francais at that time) decided to join the team as coach for that match.
Despite those circumstances and beeing 0:1 down the Dutch eventually won the game on 12 March 1953 2:1 thanks to goals from de Harder and Appel.
After the game (that gained another 110000 gulden for Stichting Nationaal Rampenfonds) the Dutch team was praised for their excellent performance. This lead to even louder calls to the KNVB to end the ban of professionalism in Dutch football. One year later the first professional clubs made their debut in Dutch championship and on 13 March 1955 - almost on the same day two years after the "Watersnoodwedstrijd" - the first match of the Dutch NT with professionals took place.


VIDEO:




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