Books on Dutch Football

[Pegleg]

Hello,

I would like to read more about Dutch football.

I have read (and enjoyed):

• Brilliant Orange by David Winner
• Ajax, the Dutch, the War by Simon Kuper
• Johan Cruyff: My Turn

Does anyone have any other recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

[Flynnie]

Ajax, Barcelona, Cruyff by Frits Barend and Henk van Dorp, translated by David Winner IIRC. It's all essentially transcriptions of interviews with Cruijff from the late 60s through to the end of the Dream Team in 1994. Probably a better chronicle of the man than his mediocre autobiography.

Hugo Borst's van Gaal biography is decent, good examination of how difficult the man can be, while also endearing in his own way.

I remain mystified how Auke Kok's books on the 1974 and 1988 teams haven't been translated into English. People would buy them. A sizeable reason for my efforts to learn Dutch is so I can read those books. His biography of Cruijff will probably make it into English if the court case didn't scare people off, so perhaps if that does well there might be some efforts to translate them.

[Gert from the Well]

Another recommendation for Ajax, Barcelona, Cruyff. Simon Kuper's 'Football Against the enemy' has a couple of chapters that might interest you, covering the popular reaction to defeating Germany in Euro 88 and why Robson failed at PSV. To be honest that are far too few books on Dutch football when you consider it's influence in relation to the size of the league.

[Gert from the Well]

Oh and welcome to the board Pegleg.

[Flynnie]

Another recommendation for Ajax, Barcelona, Cruyff. Simon Kuper's 'Football Against the enemy' has a couple of chapters that might interest you, covering the popular reaction to defeating Germany in Euro 88 and why Robson failed at PSV. To be honest that are far too few books on Dutch football when you consider it's influence in relation to the size of the league.

It's strange there isn't at least one decent book in English on Ajax considering their influence on football. Kuper's book is good but it's almost more a chronicle of post-war Amsterdam and the legacy of the Holocaust than about football. There's not really in-depth examinations of how they smashed Bayern in 1973 or anything.

[Gert from the Well]

Have you read Hard Gras? It has a reputation as one of the best football periodicals, I've always imagined it as the inspiration for The Blizzard and Perfect Pitch. On the subject of PP there were a couple of nice articles in them that might be of interest:

a) An Ajax supporter's defence of Jaap Stam.
b) Van Basten's dad and his museum to his son.
c) why Rudd Guillet was not as good as the English press made him up to be.

If you want I can try and scan them for you? Correction I can ask Mrs Gert to do it!

[Pegleg]

Have you read Hard Gras?

No, I haven't. It sounds right up my street though. I'll have to check them out - thanks!

Those articles would be great, but I wouldn't want to trouble Mrs Gert...

[Pegleg]

Hugo Borst's van Gaal biography is decent, good examination of how difficult the man can be, while also endearing in his own way.

This sounds like it could be brilliant. I've always enjoyed van Gaal and whenever I've read about his fall out with Cruyff and his Barcelona years.

[danielmak]

I'll second "Van Basten's dad and his museum to his son."

I have all of the issues of Perfect Pitch but don't remember the other two articles Gert mentions so I think I didn't read those stories yet. I think I finished the first volume and then got pulled in other directions. There are many reasons why getting older sucks, but as my daughter aged I stopped needing to wait for her while she did various lessons. Her decrease in lessons cut into my reading time. Haha. I read that first issue of Perfect Pitch during her weekly ice skating lessons.

[Foot of Astaire's]

Another recommendation for Ajax, Barcelona, Cruyff. Simon Kuper's 'Football Against the enemy' has a couple of chapters that might interest you, covering the popular reaction to defeating Germany in Euro 88 and why Robson failed at PSV. To be honest that are far too few books on Dutch football when you consider it's influence in relation to the size of the league.

Is Robson's PSV stint considered a failure? Seems harsh if he won the league 2 years running. You've reminded me though that I really must get round to reading Kuper's book