Eddy Pieters Graafland facts for kids
Pieters Graafland in 1970
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eduard Laurens Pieters Graafland | ||
| Date of birth | 5 January 1934 | ||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||
| Date of death | 28 April 2020 (aged 86) | ||
| Place of death | Barendrecht, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1948–1952 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1952–1958 | Ajax | 154 | (0) |
| 1958–1970 | Feijenoord | 356 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1957–1967 | Netherlands | 47 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1979–1981 | Feyenoord (youth coach) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Eduard Laurens "Eddy" Pieters Graafland (born January 5, 1934 – died April 28, 2020) was a famous Dutch football player and coach. He was a fantastic goalkeeper for big teams like Ajax and Feyenoord. He also played many times for the Dutch national team.
In 1970, which was his last year as a professional player, he helped Feijenoord win the Europa Cup. This is one of the biggest football trophies in Europe! He played for the national team 47 times in total.
People often called him Eddy PG. He was very good at stopping penalty kicks. He even kept a special notebook. In it, he wrote down which way different players liked to shoot their penalties. This helped him guess where to dive!
Contents
Eddy's Football Journey
Starting at Ajax
Eddy Pieters Graafland joined Ajax when he was just eleven years old. The usual age to join was twelve, but his dad was on the club's board. This helped Eddy get in early.
When he was seventeen, in 1951, he played his first game for Ajax's main team. In the mid-1950s, Eddy had to do his military service. During this time, he trained with the first team of Vitesse for a year. After his military service, he went back to Amsterdam and Ajax.
On April 28, 1957, Eddy played his first international game for the Dutch national team. They played against Belgium, and the game ended in a 1–1 draw.
Moving to Feyenoord
In 1958, Eddy Pieters Graafland moved to Feijenoord. This was a big deal because he was bought for a record amount of money at that time: 134,000 guilders.
His biggest success came in 1970, during his final year as a player. At first, the Feijenoord coach, Ernst Happel, didn't pick him as the main goalkeeper. Instead, he chose Eddy Treijtel.
But for the important Europa Cup final against Celtic, Happel decided to make Pieters Graafland the starting goalkeeper. Eddy wasn't sure if he wanted to play. He reportedly said, "You haven't seen me all season. I'm not doing it."
However, he changed his mind and decided to play. Thanks to his amazing goalkeeping, Feyenoord won the final 2–1. This exciting match was his very last official game in professional football.
Life Beyond the Pitch
After he stopped playing football, Eddy Pieters Graafland started his own business. He sold special gifts for promotions and businesses.
Eddy also loved making amateur films. He filmed many moments during his sports career. Parts of these films were often shown on TV sports shows. For example, he filmed Jan Janssen winning the Tour de France cycling race in 1968.
In 1999, a group called the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) held a vote. They wanted to find the best European goalkeepers of the twentieth century. Eddy Pieters Graafland was voted the third-best Dutch goalkeeper. Only Hans van Breukelen and Edwin van der Sar were ranked higher than him.
Eddy Pieters Graafland was also honored as a knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau. This is a special award in the Netherlands. In 2017, he and his wife, Teddy, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. This is called a diamond wedding!
Passing Away
Eddy Pieters Graafland passed away on April 28, 2020. He was 86 years old.
Trophies and Awards
Here are some of the major titles Eddy Pieters Graafland won during his career:
Ajax
- Eredivisie (Dutch League): 1956–57
Feyenoord
- Eredivisie (Dutch League): 1960–61, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1968–69
- KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 1964–65, 1968–69
- European Cup: 1969–70
