Dutch Linesman Dies After Being Beaten On The Pitch By Teenage Players
By Chris Wright
Sad news to start the morning in that a Dutch man has died as a result of the injuries he sustained when he was attacked by a group of teenage players while acting as linesman in a Sunday league match.
Richard Nieuwenhuizen, who was 41, was punched and kicked repeatedly by three players from Amsterdam-based club Nieuw Sloten then collapsed and was taken to hospital. He died the next day, effectively kicked to death in front of his own son on a Sunday league football pitch.
As he did every weekend, Nieuwenhuizen had been running the line for Buitenboys football club while his own son had been playing in the game.
According to the BBC, three teenagers, aged between 15 and 16, have been arrested and taken into police custody.
Buitenboys broke the tragic news on Monday evening via their official Twitter feed: “Our linesman Richard died at 17:30 in front of his family. This violence must stop on the pitch! #stopsenselessviolence.”
Buitenboys’ club chairman Marcel Oost also told Dutch broadcasters NOS: “[Richard] enjoyed doing it. He was a real football man; he was always here.”
Nieuw-Sloten said they were “deeply shocked” by the incident, and that they fully intend to issue lifetime bans to the three players responsible. They have also pulled their team out of the league and ‘temporarily suspended all their operations as a club.’
There are no words.
(Image: Spitsnieuws)
Remembering Ivan Turina – A Football Report
Moyes Has Done Sod All To Deserve United Job – Johnny Nic For F365
Anfield: The Victims, The Anger And The Shameful Truth – Guardian
The A-Z Of Football Boot Brands – The Boot Room
Man Utd Coach Delivers Opinion On Rooney's Form – Off The Post
19 Rules Of Playing Football When You're A Kid – BuzzFeed
Chiles, Keane, Dixon & Southgate Preview Madrid vs Dortmund – The False Nine
Brilliant 'Punk Aesthetic' West Ham Artwork – Is Saitch Yer Daddy?
Very American, Not Very Good: The 1971 St Louis Stars – IBWM
Paolo Di Canio Sings The Hits – Fitba Thatba
A lifetime ban for manslaughter ?!
@Chimpo: Given that the club have no judicial powers, it’s probably the most they can do. Unless you’re shocked that the punishment is too harsh?
I’m sorry but I just can’t get my head around this!! Thoughts with the family of this guy
A lifetime ban from freedom would be enough…
@chris
Shocked that’s the only punishment mentioned!
@Chimpo: Think they’re probably going to get a stern ticking off from their parents too. Oh, and a jail sentence.
Their club don’t have any legal authority to do more than ban them They cooperate with the police in this case
Little update from Holland. 3 teenagers have been arrested and will be tried for Manslaughter (not sure in voluntary or involuntary). All amateur league matches have been suspended next matchweekend and both professional leagues will honor Richard with one minute of silence before every match.
A terribly tragedy indeed.
Being from The Netherlands I can tell you that these boys can get a maximum FA ban for three years for being minors. It used to be a lifetime ban, but they thought ‘hey kids deserve a second chance’. I don’t believe they gave the linesman his, so now the national politics will probably interfere and change the rules back. Unfortunately, these kids will get away with minor jailtime, because that is how we roll here. Minors will almost never get more then 5 years, and since they called it manslaughter instead of murder, it will be even less. So they’re 19, they are free to go and play soccer. Well I’ll be damned it they let that happen. Freakin’ pussycountry I live in…
Would it not be considered insensitive to label this article in the “fail” category, alongside other tragedies such as Liam Ridgewell wiping his arse on money?
Just a thought
[...] Dutch football at the moment as the country continues to mourn and lament the tragically senseless death of amateur linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen and, with that firmly in mind, referee Serdar Gozubuyuk made a pronounced [...]