Rob Rensenbrink RIP

Snickers Man

It just came to my attention that Rob Rensenbrink, one of the very best Dutch footballers of the 1970s and a key player in both teams that made the World Cup Finals in 1974 and 1978, passed away about six weeks ago. He had been suffering from a form of motor neurone disease for some years.

I know that this properly belongs in the Soccer forum, but the blackballing regime there is fairly strenuous and so I don't have posting rights. There doesn't seem to have been any mention made there of the event. Then again, perhaps most people in that forum are too young to remember him.

He might have been more famous if his shot in injury time of the regulation 90 minutes in the final of 1978 had actually gone in rather than hit the post. That would surely have given the game and the Cup to Holland, but as it happened, Argentina rode their luck and outlasted the exhausted Dutch in extra time. Despite appearing in three finals, they have yet to win one.

Rensenbrink was an amazing dribbler on the left wing and also starred at club level for Anderlecht of Belgium. Surprisingly, he never really played much for any Dutch team.

Here's the moment in question. Rest in peace Snake Man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1lIy6dzEwg

Well before my time but from what I've heard, and the clips I've seen, he was majestic. I was unaware he had died until I read this thread.

The Tetrarch

RIP great player.

I had 50 pounds at 8/1 on the Netherlands to win that World Cup, and remember that tragic miss, as do all Dutch.
I had travelled from Zambia to Ireland to watch the WC on TV, a big trip in those days, arriving half an hour before first match kick off.
About two years ago I bought DVDs of all Netherlands matches in the World Cups. Their football was amazing.

Quantum Erasure

Rensenbrink of Anderlecht is dead

jprboy

Ah, thanks OP, the memories.....

- 1st World Cup that I remember.

- Loved that Dutch team, too young and down South to be aware of the "Orange"!!!

- My memory always had that attempt that hit the post as being from a much tighter angle so interesting to see it again after 42 (:eek::eek::eek:) years.

- I can remember at least 2 fantastic Dutch free kicks from 40/45 yards out in the earlier games (one of which beat the legend Dino Zoff)

- Mario Kempes, who was the villain again in the 1980 European Cup Winners Cup Final when he scored the winner for Valencia against Arsenal after the game finished 0-0 AET.

- Argentina's 6-0 win against a very good Peru team (Cubillas) when they needed to win by 6 goals to proceed...… hmmmm..

- The military junta in Argentina and all that went with that - wasn't aware of any of that until I was much older.

- The collection and swapping of player stickers

- Maradona, probably a year too early for him to make the team?

- Black and white TV in our house !!

Bobblehats

jprboy wrote: »

My memory always had that attempt that hit the post as being from a much tighter angle so interesting to see it again after 42 (:eek::eek::eek:) years

It looks as if it hit a divot or some godawful misfortune. Brutal luck! RIP.

Snickers Man

jprboy wrote: »

Ah, thanks OP, the memories.....

- 1st World Cup that I remember.

Huh! Young whippersnapper!

jprboy wrote: »

- I can remember at least 2 fantastic Dutch free kicks from 40/45 yards out in the earlier games (one of which beat the legend Dino Zoff)

Both from Arie Haan. And forgive the OCD but they weren't actually free kicks. They were just long range rockets. The one against Italy was a peach, right enough.

jprboy wrote: »

- Black and white TV in our house !!

They had colour in those days? Only in rich countries.
I remember pundits at the time saying that Rensenbrink was the nearest thing they had in 1978 to what Cruyff had been in '74. Which wasn't entirely fair. But he was still a terrific player.
As were Krol, Neeskens and Rep. And the Van de Kherkoff twins were pretty useful too.
Still I think my favourite team outside of Ireland. When they play well, the Dutch still come closest to how the game should be played. IMHO. At least among European countries.

Hotblack Desiato

We had a (rented) colour TV then, most people did.

Snickers Man

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

We had a (rented) colour TV then, most people did.

Wow! Check your privilege :eek:

Of course we had it tough. Living in paper bag in septic tank in middle of motorway and having to get up every morning to lick road clean with tongue......:D

Bobblehats

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

We had a (rented) colour TV then, most people did.

That must have appeared some truly brilliant orange. Literally bleeding out all over the pitch!

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Snickers Man wrote: »

I know that this properly belongs in the Soccer forum, but the blackballing regime there is fairly strenuous and so I don't have posting rights. There doesn't seem to have been any mention made there of the event. Then again, perhaps most people in that forum are too young to remember him.

We are all too busy slagging and trolling each other to notice anything besides PL and CL football :pac::pac:

Seriously though it's not that hard to enter and you have enough posts, you should sign up.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mod note: As this discussion is best carried out in the Soccer forum, I'll close this and move it over now.

Please note the change of forum and forum rules before posting again in this thread.

Buford T. Justice