Edu Snethlage

Everardus "Edu" Snethlage (9 May 1886 – 12 January 1941) was a Dutch physician and footballer who played as a forward for HVV Quick and the Netherlands national team, becoming the all-time top scorer of the latter in 1909.

Snethlage spent his entire playing career at HVV Quick in The Hague, thus being part of the so-called one-club men group. In total, he scored 53 goals in over 80 matches for the club, with his goalscoring performances proving crucial in helping the club win the Dutch championship in 1908,

Club career Everardus Snethlage was born on 9 May 1886 in Ngawi, Dutch East Indies, to a former German pastoral family. Snethlage began playing football with HVV Quick, which he joined in June 1901, at the age of 15, together with his two-year older brother Bram, who would also make it to the first team. Snethlage would only play in the lower teams for a year. As early as 1903, barely 17 years old, he was already a regular in the first team. Snethlage spent the night before the bronze medal match in the London nightlife, emerging only at the field with just a few minutes to go. In all of his international matches, Snethlage formed the right wing together with Caius Welcker, just like with Quick. He was, therefore, the first player to reach double figures for the Netherlands national team and retired from the team being its all-time top scorer.

Snethlage also played for the De Zwaluwen team. Snethlage scored the very first goal in the history of De Zwaluwen on 21 November 1907 at the HVV site when two Zwaluwen test teams played against each other there. On 23 May 1909, Snethlage played for the last time in Zwaluwenverband in Amsterdam on the grounds of RAP against the Bolton Wanderers. Here too he formed the right wing with Welcker. Despite the heavy defeat, Snethlage had apparently made a big impression on the "Trotters" given the offer Snethlage received six months later to play with Bolton.

After football Snethlage took the State Examination for admission to the university's Faculty of Medicine from 25 to 27 August 1904 and passed. Snethlage went to study at Leiden and, in October 1906, passed the preparatory examination in medicine. This was followed by July 1908 by the bachelor's examination and finally, in September 1911, by the doctoral examination in medicine. For the last part of his training, Snethlage left for Amsterdam, where he was promoted to physician on 31 May 1913 by the State Medical Commission. After retiring from football in late 1910, he returned to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and practiced as a doctor.

Snethlage has been married twice. On 6 February 1925, he married Louise Henriette Van der Jagt in Soerabaja; the marriage ended in divorce in the early 1930s. A second marriage took place on 15 June 1931 with Wilhelmina Maria Antonia Josephina Van der Poel. Both marriages remained childless.

Death Snethlage died on 19 October 1940 at the age of 54. The cause is unknown, but it cannot have anything to do with World War II because the Japanese would not invade the country until a year later. Snethlage's burial at the General Cemetery in Medan attracted great interest.

International goals Netherlands score listed first, score column indicates score after each Snethlage goal.

+ List of international goals scored by Snethlage. No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition 1. 26 April 1908 Prinsenlaan, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1–0 3–1 1908 Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad Beker 2. 10 May 1908 1–0 4–1 Friendly match 3. 4–1 4. 23 October 1908 White City, London, England 2–0 2–0 1908 Olympic Bronze medal match 5. 25 October 1908 De Diepput, The Hague, Netherlands 1–0 5–3 Friendly match 6. 4–3 7. 21 March 1909 Beerschot A.C. ground, Antwerp, Belgium 1–0 4–1 1909 Coupe Vanden Abeele 8. 25 April 1909 Prinsenlaan, Rotterdam, Netherlands 2–0 4–1 1909 Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad Beker 9. 3–0 10. 4–0

Honours HVV Dutch championship: 1907–08 KNVB Cup: 1908–09, 1909–10, and 1910–11

Netherlands Olympic Games Bronze medal: 1908