Football match

…The invitation to play a game between the local school and the crew of the ‘Gelderland’ was eagerly accepted.
And so we played an ‘international’ match in Daiyir, at that time Persia.

On the beach we had already played each other the ball nicely.
We were now going to face a formidable opponent on a real football field.
Well, football field, it was flat, that was the only positive thing.
Chalk lines couldn’t hide the fact that it was a rock-hard field and not suitable for sliding over it with your knees.
As a warm-up we went to shoot goalkeeper Melle Hommes.

Warm-up training for the ‘football game’ in Daiyir.

The temperature had already risen above the comfortable.
We carried a milk churn with water, which was insufficient to quench our thirst.
So who would come up with the idea of playing in the hottest part of the day?
The Dutch custom of playing football in the afternoon?

The players of the school team were changed all the time, we could not run into that.
Also condition and age could not be compared to them.
We lost the game with 3 – 1, the only goal was made by me, with a distance shot.

The ‘football field’!

Next to the football field was the cemetery, but that was not taken into account.
The only danger that came from there was a kind of sandflies.
They could stick very nastily and they were swept from my face by the inhabitants.
Afterwards a fraternization party with the mayor.

A box of beer was already waiting for us on board the ship.