![]() Lenstra in 1951 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Abe Minderts Lenstra | ||
Date of birth | 27 November 1920 | ||
Place of birth | Heerenveen, Netherlands | ||
Date of death | 2 September 1985 | (aged 64)||
Place of death | Heerenveen, Netherlands | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1936–1955 | Heerenveen | 395 | (471) |
1955–1960 | SC Enschede | 107 | (65) |
1960–1963 | Enschedese Boys | 88 | (40) |
Total | 590 | (576[1]) | |
International career | |||
1940–1959 | Netherlands | 47 | (33) |
Managerial career | |||
1946–1947 | Heerenveen (player-coach) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Abe Minderts Lenstra (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈaːbə ˈmɪndərt͜s ˈlɛnstraː]; 27 November 1920 – 2 September 1985) was a Dutch footballer and national football icon in the 1950s who played as a forward. He is regarded as one of the greatest players ever to hail from the Netherlands. He was also a Frisian legend, most notably with the club where he made his name as a football player, Heerenveen.[2]
Career
Lenstra played for a host of clubs such as SC Enschede, Enschedese Boys, PH: DOS '19, WSV, DOS Kampen and vv LTC. However, it was with VV Heerenveen (the previous name of current day sc Heerenveen) where he first was selected for the Dutch national team. When in 1954 professional football was introduced in the Netherlands the already 34-year-old Abe Lenstra moved from VV Heerenveen to the bigger SC Enschede. It was in Enschede where he missed his best chance of ever winning the Dutch title: in 1958 SC Enschede lost the first and last Eredivisie final ever after 180 minutes from DOS Utrecht. In 1960, he made the move to the rivals Enschedese Boys, where he ended his professional career in 1963.
With the national team, for which he played a total of 47 caps scoring 33 goals,[3] he struck a partnership with other internationals such as Faas Wilkes and Kees Rijvers. He was known to stand by his principles and objected to play for the national squad if he was not selected for the position he favoured.
It was Lenstra who put the name of sc Heerenveen on the footballing map, where the club was also fondly referred to as 'Abeveen'. In 1977, long after he retired from football, he was diagnosed with having a brain haemorrhage and spent the remainder of his life using a wheelchair. He died in 1985, just a few days before the first ever international match in the stadium that a year later would bear his name.
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | League Play-Off | Dutch Cup | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Heerenveen | 1936/1937 | 18 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 22 |
1937/1938 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 21 | 24 | |
1938/1939 | 18 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 25 | |
1939/1940 | 16 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 21 | |
1940/1941 | 14 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 20 | |
1941/1942 | 17 | 32 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 38 | |
1942/1943 | 18 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 34 | |
1943/1944 | 16 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 22 | |
1944/1945 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1945/1946 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 26 | |
1946/1947 | 19 | 30 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 45 | |
1947/1948 | 20 | 28 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 41 | |
1948/1949 | 18 | 21 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 33 | |
1949/1950 | 17 | 30 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 35 | |
1950/1951 | 21 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 30 | |
1951/1952 | 26 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 29 | |
1952/1953 | 26 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 19 | |
1953/1954 | 25 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 24 | |
1954/1955 | 34 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 28 | |
SC Enschede | 1955/1956 | 33 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 25 |
1956/1957 | 30 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 17 | |
1957/1958 | 21 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 11 | |
1958/1959 | 27 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 18 | |
1959/1960 | 25 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 15 | |
Enschedese Boys | 1960/1961 | 27 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 31 | 16 |
1961/1962 | 33 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 22 | |
1962/1963 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 8 | |
Total | 578 | 559 | 80 | 71 | 12 | 18 | 680 | 648 |
International
- Scores and results list Netherlands's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lenstra goal.
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 31 March 1940 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–0 | 4–5 | Friendly | [7] |
2 | 21 September 1947 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–0 | 6–2 | Friendly | [8] |
3 | 14 March 1948 | Bosuilstadion, Antwerp, Belgium | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly | [9] |
4 | 18 April 1948 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly | [10] |
5 | 13 March 1949 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
— | 3–3 | Friendly | [11] |
6 | 12 June 1949 | Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly | [12] |
7 | 11 June 1950 | Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland | ![]() |
1–3 | 1–4 | Friendly | [13] |
8 | 15 April 1951 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
4–3 | 5–4 | Friendly | [14] |
9 | 5–3 | ||||||
10 | 6 June 1951 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
2–2 | 2–3 | Friendly | [15] |
11 | 27 October 1951 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–0 | 4–4 | Friendly | [16] |
12 | 25 November 1951 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–2 | 6–7 | Friendly | [17] |
13 | 3–3 | ||||||
14 | 4–4 | ||||||
15 | 21 September 1952 | Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–3 | Friendly | [18] |
16 | 19 October 1952 | Bosuilstadion, Antwerp, Belgium | ![]() |
— | 1–2 | Friendly | [19] |
17 | 7 March 1953 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly | [20] |
18 | 22 March 1953 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly | [21] |
19 | 13 March 1955 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly | [22] |
20 | 14 March 1956 | Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, Germany | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly | [23] |
21 | 2–0 | ||||||
22 | 6 June 1956 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
2–0 | 3–2 | Friendly | [24] |
23 | 15 September 1956 | Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly | [25] |
24 | 11 September 1957 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–1 | 5–2 | 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification | [26] |
25 | 3–1 | ||||||
26 | 25 September 1957 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–1 | 1–1 | 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification | [27] |
27 | 13 April 1958 | Bosuilstadion, Antwerp, Belgium | ![]() |
1–0 | 7–2 | Friendly | [28] |
28 | 4–0 | ||||||
29 | 23 April 1948 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
4–0 | 8–1 | Friendly | [29] |
30 | 8–0 | ||||||
31 | 15 October 1958 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
4–0 | 5–1 | Friendly | [30] |
32 | 5–1 | ||||||
33 | 19 April 1959 | Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands | ![]() |
1–2 | 2–2 | Friendly | [31] |
Legacy
Today, his name has been closely associated with sc Heerenveen and its stadium: The Abe Lenstra Stadion has been named in his honour as a lasting memorial.
Honours
Heerenveen
- Northern First Division: 1941–42, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51
- Netherlands Football League Championship Runner-up: 1946–47, 1947–48
SC Enschede
- Eredivisie Runner-up: 1957–58
Individual
- Netherlands national team all-time top scorer: 1958–1959[32]
- Dutch Sportsman of the Year: 1951, 1952
- Netherlands Football League Championship top scorer: 1946–47, 1947–48
External links
- Abe Lenstra at sc Heerenveen official website (in Dutch)
See also
References
Yme Kuiper, 'Abe Lenstra (1920–1985). Van Us Abe tot nationaal idool,' in: Fryslân, Nieuwsblad voor geschiedenis en cultuur, jg. 6 (2000), nr. 2, pp. 50–53. Online site
- ^ "Prolific Scorers Data - Abe Lenstra - Additional Data".
- ^ "Abe Lenstra". Olympedia. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
- ^ "Abe Lenstra - Goals in International Matches". The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 14 March 2013.
- ^ "Delpher » Kranten, Boeken & Tijdschriften". www.delpher.nl.
- ^ {https://www.goldengoals.nl/berichten/911840_abe-lenstra-cijfers-per-seizoen
- ^ "Voetbalarchieven | Statistieken Nederlandse voetbalgeschiedenis". Voetbalarchieven.
- ^ "Netherlands v Luxembourg, 31 March 1940". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Switzerland, 21 September 1947". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Belgium v Netherlands, 14 March 1948". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Belgium, 18 April 1948". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Belgium, 13 March 1949". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Denmark v Netherlands, 12 June 1949". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Finland v Netherlands, 11 June 1950". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Belgium, 15 April 1951". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Norway, 06 June 1951". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Finland, 27 October 1951". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Belgium, 25 November 1951". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Denmark v Netherlands, 21 September 1952". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Belgium v Netherlands, 19 October 1952". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Denmark, 07 March 1953". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Switzerland, 22 March 1953". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Denmark, 13 March 1955". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "West Germany v Netherlands, 14 March 1956". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Saar, 06 June 1956". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Switzerland v Netherlands, 15 September 1956". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Luxembourg v Netherlands, 11 September 1957". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Austria, 25 September 1957". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "FRIENDLIES 1958 - Europe". football database. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Netherlands Antilles, 23 April 1958". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Denmark, 15 October 1958". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Netherlands v Belgium, 19 April 1959". 11v11. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Abe Lenstra - Goals in International Matches". Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2014.