By Andrew Warshaw
December 5 – Dutch football and society in general has been left shocked and bewildered after a part-time volunteer linesman officiating in a youth league died from severe head injuries apparently sustained while being savagely beaten by a group of teenage players.
Prosecutors say they will charge three players in connection with the death of Richard Nieuwenhuizen (pictured top) who had been running the line for his son’s team, Buitenboys, in the commuter town of Almere outside Amsterdam.
After the match he was attacked by members of opposition archrivals Nieuw Sloten and collapsed hours after the assault before dying in hospital.
The rare and tragic assault sent shockwaves through the country and struck at the very heart of Dutch youth sport where the participation of parents is heavily encouraged.
The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) cancelled all amateur matches for this coming weekend as a mark of respect, while a minute’s silence will be observed at professional games.
The incident has been widely condemned with Sports Minister Edith Schippers, the KNVB and the coach of the country’s most famous club, Ajax, all expressing their disbelief and outrage.
“You can’t believe this could happen, that kids of 15 or 16 like are playing football, you come to watch and see something like that,” Marcel Oost, chairman of Buitenboys was quoted as saying.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter also weighed in with a statement.
“Football is a mirror of society and sadly, the same ills that afflict society – in this case violence – also manifest themselves in our game,” Blatter wrote.
“Nevertheless, I remain convinced that football – through the example set by the tireless efforts of people like Mr Nieuwenhuizen – is a force for good, and we must continue to use its positive example to educate people against these wrongs.”
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