Abe Lenstra Explained

Abe Lenstra
Fullname:Abe Minderts Lenstra
Birth Date:1920 11, df=y
Birth Place:Heerenveen, Netherlands
Death Place:Heerenveen, Netherlands
Position:Striker
Years1:1936–1955
Clubs1:Heerenveen
Caps1:395
Goals1:471
Years2:1955–1960
Clubs2:SC Enschede
Caps2:107
Goals2:65
Years3:1960–1963
Clubs3:Enschedese Boys
Caps3:88
Goals3:40
Totalcaps:590
Totalgoals:576[1]
Nationalyears1:1940–1959
Nationalteam1:Netherlands
Nationalcaps1:47
Nationalgoals1:33
Manageryears1:1946–1947
Managerclubs1:Heerenveen (player-coach)

Abe Minderts Lenstra (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈaːbə ˈmɪndərt͜s ˈlɛnstraː/; 27 November 19202 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

Appearances and goals by club, season, and competition.Only official games are included in this table.[4] [5]

External links

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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Prolific Scorers Data - Abe Lenstra - Additional Data.
  2. Web site: Abe Lenstra . Olympedia . 22 October 2021.
  3. News: Abe Lenstra - Goals in International Matches . The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130314080255/http://rsssf.com/miscellaneous/lenstra-intlg.html . 14 March 2013 .
  4. Web site: Delpher » Kranten, Boeken & Tijdschriften. www.delpher.nl.
  5. Web site: Netherlands v Luxembourg, 31 March 1940. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  6. Web site: Netherlands v Switzerland, 21 September 1947. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  7. Web site: Belgium v Netherlands, 14 March 1948. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  8. Web site: Netherlands v Belgium, 18 April 1948. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  9. Web site: Netherlands v Belgium, 13 March 1949. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  10. Web site: Denmark v Netherlands, 12 June 1949. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  11. Web site: Finland v Netherlands, 11 June 1950. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  12. Web site: Netherlands v Belgium, 15 April 1951. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  13. Web site: Netherlands v Norway, 06 June 1951. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  14. Web site: Netherlands v Finland, 27 October 1951. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  15. Web site: Netherlands v Belgium, 25 November 1951. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  16. Web site: Denmark v Netherlands, 21 September 1952. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  17. Web site: Belgium v Netherlands, 19 October 1952. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  18. Web site: Netherlands v Denmark, 07 March 1953. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  19. Web site: Netherlands v Switzerland, 22 March 1953. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  20. Web site: Netherlands v Denmark, 13 March 1955. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  21. Web site: West Germany v Netherlands, 14 March 1956. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  22. Web site: Netherlands v Saar, 06 June 1956. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  23. Web site: Switzerland v Netherlands, 15 September 1956. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  24. Web site: Luxembourg v Netherlands, 11 September 1957. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  25. Web site: Netherlands v Austria, 25 September 1957. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  26. Web site: FRIENDLIES 1958 - Europe. football database. 25 April 2024.
  27. Web site: Netherlands v Netherlands Antilles, 23 April 1958. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  28. Web site: Netherlands v Denmark, 15 October 1958. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  29. Web site: Netherlands v Belgium, 19 April 1959. 11v11. 25 April 2024.
  30. Web site: Abe Lenstra - Goals in International Matches . 18 April 2014 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130314080255/http://rsssf.com/miscellaneous/lenstra-intlg.html . 14 March 2013 .

  31. International

    Scores and results list Netherlands's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lenstra goal.

    List of international goals scored by Abe Lenstra
    No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
    1De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands1–04–5Friendly[5]
    2Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands1–06–2Friendly[6]
    3Bosuilstadion, Antwerp, Belgium1–01–1Friendly[7]
    4De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands 2–22–2Friendly[8]
    5Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands — 3–3Friendly[9]
    6Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark1–02–1Friendly[10]
    7Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland1–31–4Friendly[11]
    8Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands 4–35–4Friendly[12]
    95–3
    10De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands 2–22–3Friendly[13]
    11De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1–04–4Friendly[14]
    12De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1–26–7Friendly[15]
    133–3
    144–4
    15Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark 2–02–3Friendly[16]
    16Bosuilstadion, Antwerp, Belgium — 1–2Friendly[17]
    17De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1–21–2Friendly[18]
    18Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1–11–2Friendly[19]
    19Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1–11–1Friendly[20]
    20Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, Germany1–02–1Friendly[21]
    212–0
    22Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands 2–03–2Friendly[22]
    23Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland1–03–2Friendly[23]
    24De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands 1–15–21958 FIFA World Cup qualification[24]
    253–1
    26Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1–11–11958 FIFA World Cup qualification [25]
    27Bosuilstadion, Antwerp, Belgium 1–07–2Friendly[26]
    284–0
    29De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands 4–08–1Friendly[27]
    308–0
    31De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands 4–05–1Friendly[28]
    325–1
    33Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1–22–2Friendly[29]

    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

    SC Enschede

    Individual

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