I used to go there a lot [ I was a tour guide] and it was never ever really crowded. We only used to stay for about an hour though as we scooted around the countryside visiting a windmill and a cheese factory, looking at tulips etc. Nice place.
Michael Den Heijer (Unattached FC)
No I didn't , it wasn't on our itinerary. I did go there myself though. Essentially we went straight from Amstelveen to Edam via the ringroad south of Amsterdam - popped into Volendam and then straight into Amsterdam itself for the city tour. You've got me all nostalgic now.
A 2-0 home win for NEC over AZ II, in front of 10,000 people. No minutes for Heijer, as expected.
NEC now on 73 points (+36 GD).
Ajax II (76 points) & Fortuna (75 points with +39 GD) also both unfortunately won. 1 game left in regular season, for all.
NEC play Dordecht away. Dordecht nothing to play for.
Ajax II have MVV at home. MVV nothing to play for.
Fortuna have PSV II at home as their last game. PSV II must be useful as 5th on the table - but in reality also have nothing to play for, as can't be promoted, ie not be included in playoffs.
Ajax II can't be promoted, even if win the league.
NEC win, and Fortuna lose - NEC automatically go up.
NEC win, Fortuna draw comes down to GD I guess.
Wouldn't be too fussed who goes up either way. If it's NEC of course we'll have another Kiwi in a top flight league, if it's Fortuna it'll also be great because their story of narrowly dodging dissolution and finishing near the bottom for years really struck a chord with me, and it would be awesome to see them return to the Eredivisie after so many years (van Marwijk as coach and players such as van Bommel in the team), plus Michael might be able to force his way into the first team in the Eerste Divisie.
I like the Fortuna Sittard story too. Their fans are awesome as well. Was at the Jong Utrecht vs FS game on Friday and the stadium was mostly empty (normal for JFCU) apart from the away section which was packed and they also opened up the members stand for more FS fans. I captured a great video of their fans after the match, I’ll see if I can link it here
This was a little earlier than my video, when the players were still out on the pitch. In my video you can see two injured players at the bottom right of the away zone who came back out to lead some more chants - that was about 30 minutes after the game finished.
https://twitter.com/foxsportsnl/status/987425193076445186?s=21
Also the game finished 1-0 to Fortuna so it was fairly tense with Jong FC Utrecht having plenty of chances - they performed much better than their league position suggests they could. I’d even go as far as saying JFCU were a bit unlucky, although FS had chances and their goal was well taken. JFCU can’t get relegated so they had nothing to play for either, hopefully the last games for the top 3 will all be competitive to make it interesting.
No automatic promotion for NEC after a 3-3 draw. Heijer an unused sub.
Fortuna go up automatically after a 1-0 win.
Ajax II after a 2-1 win, actually win league but can’t be promoted.
Into pro/rel playoffs go NEC.
NEC looking unlikely to be promoted after being trounced 4-0 by Emmen, in first away leg of promotion playoffs.
Surprise result after NEC finished regular season 16 points ahead of Emmen - and only just missed out on automatic promotion.
No mins for Heijer.
Yeah crazy result that. Not going up might be good for Mikey, particularly if they lose any starting players on the back of a good season.
Wonder if Heijer is worth a look at by AWs coaches. At least at a wider training camp in Auckland, before they finalise squad for India.
He's at a club on fringes of Dutch top flight, he's young, he's training daily in a quality pro environment, NEC must see some potential in him
and he would have learnt a lot in the last 12 months.
AWs not exactly strong in midfield.
No promotion for NEC, but they sure gave it a crack after disastrous first playoff leg. Won 2nd game against Emmen 4-1, which was score at HT!
So much have been hugely frustrating 2nd half for home fans.
Anyway yes hopefully a few better players move on, and Den Heijer can get some game time next season.
NEC sacked their manager after failing to gain promotion last season. Michael had a lower back injury at the beginning of the season and now that he’s recovered, doesn’t seem to be part of the new manager’s plans. Could be on the move January or next summer if he can’t force himself into the NEC squad. Harsh reality of pro football
NEC sacked their manager after failing to gain promotion last season. Michael had a lower back injury at the beginning of the season and now that he’s recovered, doesn’t seem to be part of the new manager’s plans. Could be on the move January or next summer if he can’t force himself into the NEC squad. Harsh reality of pro football
Thanks for update Top Left. Had wondered what had happened to Den Heijer. Hopefully he can stay in Holland.
Seems a determined young guy, looking to forge his own path. From memory turning down NZ age group invites (not happy with coaching style?), getting himself to Europe and doing his own marketing to clubs etc.
Nice article about his time in the Netherlands.
In dutch: https://www.voetbalzone.nl/doc.asp?uid=339645
I'm sure you all know how to use google translate ;)
Nice article about his time in the Netherlands.
In dutch: https://www.voetbalzone.nl/doc.asp?uid=339645
I'm sure you all know how to use google translate ;)
NEC have been through some things lately. Relegation. Failing to get promoted. Failing to get promoted again. That kinda triple threat of failure has consequences and it’s been super annoying that Mike den Heijer hasn’t been given more of a pop with the club in his time there. He made some serious progress with the reserves for a while and sat on the bench 27 times in the league in 2017-18. But he seemed to fall off the back of the wagon this past season so it’s not really a surprise that he hasn’t been offered a new contract. In fact it looks like the whole club is in for a shakeup with no less than ten players being released at the end of this month.
Forza NEC: “Van Hiensch (leaving for Bennekom) and Spierings (OSS'20) are already certain that they will not return to NEC. Bakker has been playing on loan for RKHVV since the winter break and is following Hiensch to Bennekom after the summer. Spierings gets company in Oss from Brian Campman, who previously played with Achilles'29. They are certainly not the only players from Jong NEC who make the move to amateur football. Cali Daniel (DUNO), Steven Smulder (Hoek) and keeper Arjan Ardts (Woezik) do the same. Lance Duijvestijn came to try his luck a year ago in Nijmegen after years in the youth academy of ADO Den Haag, but is already returning to the Hofstad. Jack de Gier let the midfielder substitute in last season's first league game against SC Cambuur (2-2). Zija Azizov, who came over from FC Den Bosch a year ago, returns to his home country Azerbaijan to play at Keshla FK. The New Zealander Michael den Heijer is in possession of an expiring contract. His new club is not yet known.”
Up Next: A chat with the agent, naturally
From this weeks Flying Kiwis.
Mods perhaps needs an update to Unattached FC.
"KLIK News: “There are currently five players on trial in Oss. Liban Abdulahi and Karim Loukili have been training for a while and hope to enforce a contract. Last Friday, New Zealander Michael den Heijer (formerly N.E.C.) and the Belgian Milan Vanacker from Club Brugge came for a test. Levi Opdam also trains. The right back has a history with Paris Saint-German and AZ. This coming TOP Oss will play against Willem II in Oisterwijk.”
Ah so there you go. Mike den Heijer had been released by NEC Nijmegen at the end of last month, finishing up what had at times been a really promising stint without actually playing first team footy as the upheaval of relegation (and failing to get promotion again) saw coaches sacked and players come and go. He’s now apparently trying his luck on trial with TOP Oss, another second tier Dutch club… and a team that finished four points above NEC last season. Best of luck to Mikey there… note that they’ve got a friendly coming up against Michael Woud & James McGarry’s Willem II."
Mikey's trial is finished.. so no contract for him there...
https://twitter.com/topossofficial/status/1150718673180663809
translated: The internship is over for Milan Vanacker, Karim Loukili, Mike den Heijer and Reyer van Doorn.
Nix are talking to some Kiwis overseas, could he be one of them? We need central mids
Michael has joined SV DFS, 4th tier of amateur football in the Netherlands. Alongside with Jesse Edge.
https://www.transfermarkt.nl/michael-den-heijer/profil/spieler/264905
It did say on the Auckland City thread that he is in Auckland....just visiting then?
Michael has joined SV DFS, 4th tier of amateur football in the Netherlands. Alongside with Jesse Edge.
https://www.transfermarkt.nl/michael-den-heijer/profil/spieler/264905
Declan setting up another project, this time in the Dutch lower leagues?
Looks like DFS are actually in the sixth tier (4th amateur tier) of football in Netherlands. So presume the two Kiwis are doing coaching etc as well to get by.
Fair play to Jesse Edge, he's not afraid to move around.
https://us.soccerway.com/teams/netherlands/dfs/24598/
https://us.soccerway.com/national/netherlands/eerste-klasse/20192020/zaterdag-d/r53912/
Taking over the world one pub team at a time.
damn, that's a low league for jesse edge
Was something lost in translation there? Surely they mean the 4th tier which is an amateur one and NOT the 4th amateur tier in the country? Still very low if it's the former... But if we're talking the latter he might as well join a Cap 10 side and be done with it..
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nederlands_amateurvoetbal
DFS play 1e klasse which is as you can see amateur niveau 4. ;)
And if you ask me, (I'm dutch and live here), it's a very low level from where he and Jesse came from.
Was something lost in translation there? Surely they mean the 4th tier which is an amateur one and NOT the 4th amateur tier in the country? Still very low if it's the former... But if we're talking the latter he might as well join a Cap 10 side and be done with it..
Maybe lost in translation but Soccerway says DFS are in Eerste Klasse or Dutch 6th tier, which has about 11 regional leagues.
Maybe they will play the winter in Holland, then head up to Sweden for some more hotel football in the Euro summer. Throw in some coaching, and you are a 'pro footballer' in Europe.
re: Edge, it's a pity, I always rated him and thought he could break through to become a good solid european pro in a good league