Tonny van Leeuwen

Tonny van Leeuwen

File:Tonny van Leeuwen (1962).jpg Tonny van Leeuwen (1962)
Personal information
Full name	Teunis Pieter van Leeuwen
Date of birth	(1943-03-21)21 March 1943
Place of birth	Gouda, Nederlands
Date of death
Place of death	Meppel, Nederlands
Position(s)	Goalkeeper

Teunis Pieter (Tonny) Lions was a Dutch footballer. He was goalkeeper successively Sparta and GVAV and played two games for the Dutch team national team. He was regarded as a major talent. However, his career was abruptly cut short by his death in 1971.

Loopbaan

Lions played in his youth teams Jodan Boys and ONA from Gouda . At the age of 15 he was drafted by Sparta . A year later he already made his debut in the Eredivisie , the absence of regular goalkeeper Andries van Dijk. In subsequent seasons Lions seemed to be the successor to Van Dijk. However, he got injured and had to watch as his contemporary Pim Doesburg his chance grip. In the summer of 1963 Van Leeuwen relocated to GVAV , where he became the successor of Otto Roffel . Van Leeuwen was immediately a regular player in the team of Groningen league table. He was the permanent goalkeeper Junior Team and called regularly from 1964 it Dutch national team , where he was a reserve behind Eddy Pieters Graafland . His selection was delayed by a suspension of eight games he sustained in the 2-1 loss away match against MVV on March 15, 1964, in which he opponent Nico Mares hit the ground and was then ejected. Piet Fransen replaced him in that match as goalkeeper. On April 5, 1967 he made his international debut in an away game against the GDR . The 4-3 lost match but he did not look good and at the next match Pim Doesburg was given the chance to prove themselves. At his own club Lions could not play. On April 23, 1967 he was nominated by supporters of the field as he was a big part thanks to several saves in a 1-0 away win against the later champion of that season Ajax . On May 10, 1967 Lions got a second chance in Orange, in an away game against Hungary . He again made an uncertain impression and kept the rest in a 2-0 disadvantage, injured back in the dressing room. A few months later, he thanked the national team because he felt mentally unable to defend the goal properly. Later, he came back to this, but he was not called. Besides his two caps he was thirteen times on the bench and he played for the Juniors, The Netherlands B and Dutch military football team. Despite a few times was interest from other teams, including Anderlecht , Van Leeuwen GVAV remained loyal. He played semi-pro and was next to his football career representative for sporting goods manufacturer Quick . In 1969 he was a few months to the side after a double knee surgery. In 1970 he was relegated with GVAV to the First Division . Thanks to a second place behind FC Den Bosch was enforced promotion again after one season. With seven goals against Van Leeuwen was the least passed professional football goalkeeper in Dutch. On June 14, 1971, he was previously in Rotterdam by the Dutch FA distinguished. On the way home he came at five o'clock in the morning in an accident killed. Presumably overcome by sleep, he got on the highway 32 in Meppel at the underpass of the railway to Groningen in the wrong lane and collided head on with a truck carrying concrete pipes. His wife survived the crash. On June 19, he was buried in the cemetery of Peize .

Memory

File:Station Stavoren 15.JPG

Named after the Van Leeuwen Spurt

Tonny van Leeuwen-tropy

In memory of Van Leeuwen since 1972 the trophy for least passed goalkeeper in the Dutch professional football named after him. The bronze statue was initiated by the football magazine Voetbal International . Tonny van Leeuwen trophy was finally awarded sixteen times.

season	winner	club
1971/72	Piet Schrijvers	FC Twente
1972/73	Heinz Stuy	Ajax
1973/74	Azing Griever	sc Heerenveen
1974/75	Harry Schellekens	N.E.C.
1975/76	Bert van Geffen	FC Wageningen
1976/77	Dick Beukhof	Vitesse
1977/78	Jan van Beveren	PSV
1978/79	Eddy Treijtel	Feyenoord
1979/80	Azing Griever	FC Groningen
1980/81	Edward Metgod	HFC Haarlem
1981/82	Jan Nederburgh	Telstar
1982/83	Pim Doesburg	PSV
1983/84	Joop Hiele	Feyenoord
1984/85	Jan van Grinsven	FC Den Bosch
1985/86	Hans van Breukelen	PSV
1986/87	Hans van Breukelen	PSV

Positions

FC Groningen honored him by the South Stand of the Stadium Oosterpark to name to Van Leeuwen. Also a street in Groningen it refers to him, Tonny Lion Lane, and carries a spurt (train) his name. On 23 October 2011 it was announced that in the new stadium of FC Groningen, the Euroborg , a stand to Van Leeuwen will be named. There is chosen the northern curve where the fanatical supporters state.

Statue

On 18 October 2014 a statue of Tonny van Leeuwen was placed for the Euroborg . The statue was donated by the Supporters Club FC Groningen, which is celebrating 30 years. The statue was unveiled by Van Leeuwen's close friend and club icon of FC Groningen, Piet Fransen.

Personal Life

Years after his death was announced that Van Leeuwen addition to his two children with his wife, had an illegitimate child. Richard Vennema was born in 1967 and played just like his father as a goalkeeper in professional football. He came between 1988 and 1999 successively for SC Heracles and Veendam .

See also

• List of players for FC Groningen
• List of players for Sparta Rotterdam
• List of players for the Nethelands national football team