Jan van Beveren

Jan van Beveren (; 5 March 1948 – 26 June 2011) was a Dutch footballer and coach, who played as a goalkeeper.

Van Beveren was born in Amsterdam, but moved to Emmen as a teenager. After reaching the first team with amateur side VV Emmen in 1963, he joined Sparta Rotterdam two years later. In 1970, Van Beveren moved to PSV Eindhoven, where he won three Eredivisie titles, two domestic cups and the UEFA Cup in 1978. In 1980, he moved to the United States to spend three seasons with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. After playing indoor soccer for two years with the Dallas Sidekicks, Van Beveren retired and settled in Texas. He later served as a youth coach at several clubs. He died at the age of 63, on 26 June 2011, at his home.

Van Beveren played 32 caps for the Netherlands national team. Although a first choice in the late sixties, his international career was cut short due to a long feud with Johan Cruyff. It resulted in Van Beveren missing the 1974 FIFA World Cup, and retiring from international football in 1977.

Early years Van Beveren was born on 5 March 1948 in Amsterdam, where he spent his first years. His father was Wil van Beveren (1911–2003), a sprinter who appeared at the 1936 Olympic Games, competing against Jesse Owens in the 200 metres event. His mother was a regional athlete. Van Beveren immediately started playing football as a goalkeeper at age 3 with his brother Wil (born 1945). Van Beveren was placed in the seventh squad of the under-14s, but his talent was recognized and he quickly rose through the youth ranks.

He made his debut for Emmen's first team at age 15.

Club career Sparta and PSV Eindhoven

At Sparta, Van Beveren trained with coach Wiel Coerver, who turned out to be instrumental in his development. They would frequently hold training sessions together three times a day. Van Beveren reached the fifth place twice with Sparta and in his last season, that spot enabled them to enter the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

In 1970, the ambitious Van Beveren aimed for a bigger club, and Ajax, Feyenoord, Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven tried to sign him. Real Madrid had to cancel the deal because the Spanish league was being closed for foreigners. Of the remaining clubs, only PSV managed to meet the financial demands from Sparta and Van Beveren, with the transfer fee being 1 million Guilder. In his first season, the team reached the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup, but were eliminated by Real Madrid. In the following years, Van Beveren established himself as PSV's first goalkeeper choice; in 1973 he signed a new seven-year contract with the club. Van Beveren had an unlucky start to the 1977–78 season when he collided with the woodwork in an exhibition match against Hapert, leaving him with a concussion. In the UEFA Cup final, Van Beveren kept a clean sheet in both matches. PSV won 3–0 on aggregate and Van Beveren lifted his first and only European trophy.

An incident in 1978 motivated Van Beveren to leave the Netherlands. Throughout his international career, a public dispute between Van Beveren and Johan Cruyff resulted in the public siding with the latter and viewing Van Beveren's international retirement as a 'betrayal'. When he was asked to appear as a pundit for a 1978 FIFA World Cup national team match, the Dutch public broadcast channel received many threats aimed at Van Beveren, his property and his family. His television appearance was cancelled, and that night Van Beveren decided to leave the Netherlands for good.

He remained at the club for three years, at the time competing in the North American Soccer League (NASL). Because of the demise of the NASL after the 1983 season, Van Beveren was left without a club. In April 1984, he went on to play in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) by joining the Dallas Sidekicks. Van Beveren was the first player ever to be signed by the newly founded Sidekicks. His first season was disappointing: he lost 22 of the 30 matches he appeared in, and the Sidekicks ended last in the league. In the 1985–86 season, he played three more games for the club, before being officially released in February 1986.

International career Jan van Beveren (left) and Johan Cruyff (right) travelling for a match between the Netherlands and Poland in 1969.

After playing only 17 games at the highest level, Van Beveren debuted for the Netherlands national football team at age 19. For the 1974 World Cup, he played four qualification matches, but a groin injury sidelined him for the final matches.

Weeks before the World Cup, Van Beveren almost regained full fitness and he was tested by coach Rinus Michels in a friendly match against Hamburger SV. Van Beveren insisted on playing only one half, but Michels refused to give in to his demands and sent him home, later citing a "lack of character". Behind the scenes, Van Beveren faced a different issue. A problem emerged with the division of sponsorship money: for the World Cup, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) decided to allocate a greater amount to Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Willem van Hanegem and Piet Keizer, leaving smaller amounts for the remaining team members. When Van Beveren found out, he informed the team. Subsequently, Cruyff pressured Michels and the KNVB to remove Van Beveren. The Cruyff clan, who were backed by then-coach George Knobel, proceeded to antagonize Van Beveren and the other PSV players. Some of them contemplated quitting the team, but Van Beveren persuaded them to stay. In October 1975, the Dutch team lost a first leg qualification match against Poland 4–1. In the aftermath, Cruyff publicly blamed the PSV players for the loss, while Van Beveren criticized Cruyff's superstar behavior: before the Poland match, Cruyff personally decided to arrive at the training session a few days late.

Post-career

After retiring, Van Beveren remained in Texas where he unsuccessfully tried a collectible postage stamp business. In December 1999, he was invited by Cruyff to play in the "Game of the Century"—a match between the Netherlands' best players ever and the best foreign players ever to have appeared in the Eredivisie. Tributes were held by the Spindletop Select players two days later. PSV Eindhoven commemorated Van Beveren during the Eredivisie match between PSV and NAC Breda in December 2011. That day, a sculpture of Van Beveren was also revealed at the Philips Stadion. Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

1966–67

1967–68

1968–69

1969–70

Total 101!!0!!0!!0

1970–71

1971–72

1972–73

1973–74

1974–75

1975–76

1976–77

1977–78

1978–79

1979–80

Total 291!!0!!46!!0

1980

1981

1982

1983

Total 110!!0!!0!!0

1984–85

1985–86

Total 33!!0!!0!!0

535 !!0 !!46 !!0

International

Notes and references