Joop van Nellen

Johannes Cornelis van Nellen ( born March 15, 1910 in Delft, † 14 November 1992 ) was a Dutch football player. The striker was in the 1920s and 1930s when DHC Delft active. Between 1928 and 1937 he played 27 times in the Dutch national team.

Life and career

The left winger was only 18 years old and played with the DHC still in the Dutch second division, when he was appointed in 1928 by the Selection Committee of the KNVB for the game against Italy on December 2 in the cadre of Oranje. In Milan, he was one of four debutants in the Orange Shirt; with him playing alongside the experienced Wim Tap, who scored the two goals in the 2:3 defeat, the newcomers Beb Bakhuys and Gerard Tap in the attack; also made ​​goalkeeper Leo Hall his first game for the Netherlands. On his second deployment in Amsterdam against Switzerland in March 1929 van Nellen had to be replaced as early as the sixth minute against Felix Smeets, after he had broken his leg. The next eight games he missed the Oranje and only came on November 2, 1930 again in a friendly match against Switzerland back into the team. Despite his early lead hit to 0:1 in the second minute game - this was his first of seven goals in National Dress - lost the Netherlands in Zurich 3:6.

With his hometown club, he was 1930 and 1932 champion of the second division; In 1932 the team managed to climb into the Eerste class, the top division in the Netherlands. He was considered a " quick player with a good shot, " the " without complain did his duty ", in the spirit of the then KNVB chairman Karel Lotsy. He was also in the Netherlands squad for the 1934 World Cup in Italy, however, where the team was eliminated in the second round against Switzerland 2:3. His last assignment for his home country came on May 2, 1937 in Rotterdam against Belgium. Even after his playing days remained van Nellen the DHC Delft faithful, among other things as a coach and board member.