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gerbieHard Gras 33 – Faas wordt tachtig (03-025)
I like the Hard Gras series; they do not have to follow fashion of the day. They can really go into detail about something they like, at least once a year they have a themed number, completely dedicated to someone. This time the subject is Faas Wilkes. For the younger ones amongst you: Faas Wilkes was one of the first Dutch players to go abroad to play at a professional level, while the game in the Netherlands was still amateur based. More impressive: a little boy from Amsterdam learned to play on the street and always wanted to be Wilkes, he went on to become the best of the world: Johan Cruijff. So if Cruijff chose him as his idol, he must have been good.
According to some he was the best player the Netherlands ever had. He held the all time record for scored goals in the Dutch team until Bergkamp took that record of him. Kluivert has passed him since, which means he is still ahead of star strikers like Cruijff and Van Basten. His dribble was famous around the world, it stunned the San Siro, where he played for Inter. Until this day older Italian fans still remember him as one of them. One story is the story of his days at Inter. Another story, by one of the best sports writers at the moment Hugo Borst, tells the story of the two sons of Wilkes. One of them is a sandwich short for a picnic, the love between the two brothers says something about the family. Edwin Winkels writes about Wilkes in Spain, at Valencia and Levante. Funny coincidence that Cruijff in his late career also played for the second club from Valencia.
I like reading stories from the old days. This certainly counts. Faas Wilkes has turned 80 last year.
I like the Hard Gras series; they do not have to follow fashion of the day. They can really go into detail about something they like, at least once a year they have a themed number, completely dedicated to someone. This time the subject is Faas Wilkes. For the younger ones amongst you: Faas Wilkes was one of the first Dutch players to go abroad to play at a professional level, while the game in the Netherlands was still amateur based. More impressive: a little boy from Amsterdam learned to play on the street and always wanted to be Wilkes, he went on to become the best of the world: Johan Cruijff. So if Cruijff chose him as his idol, he must have been good.
According to some he was the best player the Netherlands ever had. He held the all time record for scored goals in the Dutch team until Bergkamp took that record of him. Kluivert has passed him since, which means he is still ahead of star strikers like Cruijff and Van Basten. His dribble was famous around the world, it stunned the San Siro, where he played for Inter. Until this day older Italian fans still remember him as one of them. One story is the story of his days at Inter. Another story, by one of the best sports writers at the moment Hugo Borst, tells the story of the two sons of Wilkes. One of them is a sandwich short for a picnic, the love between the two brothers says something about the family. Edwin Winkels writes about Wilkes in Spain, at Valencia and Levante. Funny coincidence that Cruijff in his late career also played for the second club from Valencia.
I like reading stories from the old days. This certainly counts. Faas Wilkes has turned 80 last year.
