Geert Meijer (born 15 March 1951) is a Dutch football manager and former professional player.

Geert Meijer
Meijer playing for Ajax in 1975
Personal information
Date of birth (1951-03-15) 15 March 1951 (age 73)
Place of birth Sellingen, Netherlands
Position(s) Left winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1975 FC Amsterdam 41 (7)
1975–1979 Ajax 77 (18)
1976–1977FC Amsterdam (loan) 18 (5)
1979–1980 Bristol City 15 (2)
1980–1983 Sparta Rotterdam 110 (12)
1983 DS '79 13 (0)
1983–1986 NAC Breda 22 (1)
Total 295 (45)
Managerial career
1983–1990 VV Strijen
1987–1988 DCV
1988–1989 Hermes DVS
1989–1990 DCV
1995 Feyenoord (caretaker)
1997 Feyenoord (caretaker)
2005 FC Hämeenlinna
2006–2013 VV Strijen
2013–2015 SV Bolnes
2015–2022 VV Strijen
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Born in Sellingen, Meijer played as a left winger, and began his professional career in 1972 with FC Amsterdam. After moving to city rivals Ajax three years later, where he spent four seasons, Meijer spent a year in England with Bristol City, making 15 appearances in the First Division.[1] Upon his return to the Netherlands, Meijer played for Sparta Rotterdam, DS'79 and NAC Breda,[2] before retiring in 1986.

Coaching career

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While still a professional player, Meijer began his coaching career. He managed the amateur teams VV Strijen, DCV and Hermes DVS. After 3 consecutive league titles with VV Strijen, he became assistant coach at Feyenoord. Between 1990 and 1999 Meijer was the assistant of 7 different Feyenoord managers: Gunder Bengtsson, Pim Verbeek, Hans Dorjee, Wim Jansen, Willem van Hanegem, Arie Haan and Leo Beenhakker.[3]

When Willem van Hanegem was sacked in 1995, Meijer was caretaker manager.[4] In 1997, after Arie Haan was sacked, Meijer was also caretaker manager (together with John Metgod).[5]

Meijer would then work as a youth coach, for 4 years at Feyenoord and for 2 years in Abu Dhabi. In 2005 he became Head Coach at FC Hämeenlinna, which played in the Ykkönen, the second level in Finland.[6] As the Finnish football season takes place between April and October, the team avoided relegation in autumn and in December Meijer became assistant of Henk Wisman in Armenia, at both the National Team and FC Pyunik.[7]

In 2007, Sparta Rotterdam's manager Gert Aandewie was sacked. Sparta's under−23 coach Adri van Tiggelen became caretaker manager in November and December 2007, while Meijer assisted him.[8] This meant that Meijer took over Sparta's under−23 team from van Tiggelen for the next three and a half years.[9]

Meijer would stay a few more years at Sparta as a scout,[10] and as assistant of Jos van Eck when he was Sparta's caretaker manager in the 2nd division.[11] This was from February 2011 until the end of the season. Meijer always combined his work at Sparta with coaching amateur teams SV Bolnes and VV Strijen.[12]).

Meijer's last season at VV Strijen was 2021–22, when he finalised his third spell (each spell lasting seven years) years as head coach at VV Strijen.[13][14][15]

References

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General
Specific
  1. ^ "BRISTOL CITY : 1946/47 – 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  2. ^ "BSRetro: Geert Meijer". www.bsiderats.nl. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Geert Meijer assisteerde zeven Feyenoord-trainers: 'Mooiste voetbal dankzij Arne Slot'". Telegraaf (in Dutch). 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Trouw.nl: Feyenoord gretig, niet doeltreffend tegen Willem II".
  5. ^ VISSERS, WILLEM (6 November 1997). "Feyenoord volstrekt kansloos tegen Manchester". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Meijer vervangt Hoekman bij Finse club".
  7. ^ "Geert Meijer met Henk Wisman naar Armenie".
  8. ^ "Van Tiggelen: "Sparta heeft best een leuk elftal"". FCUpdate.nl. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Jong Sparta verliest titel uit het oog". www.rijnmond.nl (in Dutch). 27 April 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Geert Meijer komt als 'noodhulp', dient later Sparta in tal van andere functies". Sparta Rotterdam (in Dutch). 1 May 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  11. ^ nldevoet-dehdari (24 February 2011). "Jan Everse en Rob Baan stoppen bij Sparta Rotterdam". De VoetbalTrainer (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Geert Meijer: 'Bolnes weer op de kaart zetten' |" (in Dutch). 14 November 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Vandaag in het AD – 'Vader Frenkie' schittert in Arkel 5: 'Als ik honderden mensen met zijn shirt zie, knijp ik in mijn arm. Is dit wel waar?'". Arkel. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Geert Meijer weg bij Strijen". www.rijnmond.nl (in Dutch). 17 January 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Strijen en Geert Meijer na dit seizoen uit elkaar |" (in Dutch). 19 December 2021. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2022.