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Sieb Dijkstra: The story of a Scottish football cult hero
By Martin Watt

BBC Scotland
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Dutch goalkeeper Sieb Dijkstra was a fans' favourite at Motherwell and Dundee United
Scottish Premiership: Motherwell v Dundee United

Maybe it was the pencil moustache. Or the mane of dark hair. Perhaps it was the distinctively flamboyant style of goalkeeping.

Whatever it was, Sieb Dijkstra stood apart in Scottish football and his cult hero status endures to this day, even if his famous facial hair has evolved into a goatee flecked with grey.

In his six seasons split between Motherwell and Dundee United in the 1990s, any cross into the box was Dijkstra's domain. He would rush out with limbs failing and not always collect, which explains some of his appeal. Risk-taking and entertainment were all part of the package.

"My time in Scotland was the happiest of my career," Dijkstra tells BBC Scotland. "The fans appreciate a goalkeeper who has a lot of courage and a style that stands out.

"I had a great bond with the supporters at both Motherwell and Dundee United. We clicked immediately. It's good to have banter with the fans and entertain them. I would do things like give them a wave and swing on the crossbar for a laugh.

"I still regularly get messages on social media from fans of both clubs - and even Celtic and Rangers supporters - which is really nice because it's over 20 years since my last game in Scotland."

Smuggling cats & being pals with Cooper
Dijkstra didn't know Motherwell from Manchester when he pitched up at Fir Park in 1991. Initially signed as back-up to Billy Thomson, within a year he was first choice.

Yet in the embryonic stages of Scottish stay, the Dutchman's risk-taking wasn't confined to his antics on the pitch. A trip back to Holland led to a terrifying visit in the middle of the night from customs officials after a 'smuggling' mission gone wrong.

"I had pet cats in Scotland and brought them with me in the car to Holland," he says. "I was aware it was against the regulations, but everything went well until the way back.

"I made it through customs, got off the ferry then had to stop at a petrol station in Hull and I let the cats out for a little while. That was not a good idea as someone saw it and reported me to police.

"I got home to Bothwell but at 3am that night, the doorbell rang and they took the cats away, they had to be in quarantine for six months. I had to pay a big fine. It cost me dearly that mistake."

Dijkstra had struck up an instant friendship with mercurial winger Davie Cooper, which would endure beyond their time as team-mates.

Cooper's sudden death from a brain haemorrhage in March 1995 left his pal devastated.

"When I joined Motherwell I lived two doors down from Davie and he immediately looked after me, showed me around and took me to restaurants. He was such a nice guy," Dijkstra says.

"Even when I moved on to QPR, we would still make a point of seeing each other whenever we were free. When his wife called and told me the news of his death I was absolutely heartbroken."

Dijkstra was the last line of a Motherwell side that finished third in 1994 - his final season at Fir Park - with the four-point deficit on champions Rangers the closest the club have come to a post-war top-flight title.

It remains a bittersweet memory for 53-year-old, now on the coaching staff at Eredivise side Fortuna Sittard as well as running his own goalkeeping academy.

"We had great belief we could win the title. We had players like Chris McCart, Paul Lambert and Tommy Coyne, and an amazing team sprit.

"It was a midweek game at home to Dundee United that we threw away the championship. We lost 2-1, there were only two games left and that was our chance gone."

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Sieb Dijkstra spent six seasons in Scottish football in the 1990s
'McLean was so tough on me'
Dijkstra departed for QPR but barely featured for the London side and was back in Scotland two years later.

The manager who had taken him to Motherwell, Tommy McLean, was at at the helm of Dundee United and signed the keeper a second time for the Tannadice side's return to the top flight.

Just like at Motherwell, the fans took to him instantly and staccato chants of "Sieb! Sieb! Sieb!" would ring round the stands.

Again, a third-place finish was secured - a feat matched only once in United's last 33 seasons in the top flight.

"That was a lively dressing room," Dijkstra says. "Dave Bowman and Andy McLaren - they were great characters and funny guys, always taking the mickey out of players. Also Maurice Malpas, a legend of Dundee United. It was a joy to be part of that team.

"Tommy was really tough on me, but I needed that type of manager. He could also be complimentary, but every day he would say you could do better. He was never satisfied. That made me strong as a person."
 
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Steelmonkey said:
Sieb Dijkstra: The story of a Scottish football cult hero
By Martin Watt

BBC Scotland
You must log in or register to see images

Dutch goalkeeper Sieb Dijkstra was a fans' favourite at Motherwell and Dundee United
Scottish Premiership: Motherwell v Dundee United

Maybe it was the pencil moustache. Or the mane of dark hair. Perhaps it was the distinctively flamboyant style of goalkeeping.

Whatever it was, Sieb Dijkstra stood apart in Scottish football and his cult hero status endures to this day, even if his famous facial hair has evolved into a goatee flecked with grey.

In his six seasons split between Motherwell and Dundee United in the 1990s, any cross into the box was Dijkstra's domain. He would rush out with limbs failing and not always collect, which explains some of his appeal. Risk-taking and entertainment were all part of the package.

"My time in Scotland was the happiest of my career," Dijkstra tells BBC Scotland. "The fans appreciate a goalkeeper who has a lot of courage and a style that stands out.

"I had a great bond with the supporters at both Motherwell and Dundee United. We clicked immediately. It's good to have banter with the fans and entertain them. I would do things like give them a wave and swing on the crossbar for a laugh.

"I still regularly get messages on social media from fans of both clubs - and even Celtic and Rangers supporters - which is really nice because it's over 20 years since my last game in Scotland."

Smuggling cats & being pals with Cooper
Dijkstra didn't know Motherwell from Manchester when he pitched up at Fir Park in 1991. Initially signed as back-up to Billy Thomson, within a year he was first choice.

Yet in the embryonic stages of Scottish stay, the Dutchman's risk-taking wasn't confined to his antics on the pitch. A trip back to Holland led to a terrifying visit in the middle of the night from customs officials after a 'smuggling' mission gone wrong.

"I had pet cats in Scotland and brought them with me in the car to Holland," he says. "I was aware it was against the regulations, but everything went well until the way back.

"I made it through customs, got off the ferry then had to stop at a petrol station in Hull and I let the cats out for a little while. That was not a good idea as someone saw it and reported me to police.

"I got home to Bothwell but at 3am that night, the doorbell rang and they took the cats away, they had to be in quarantine for six months. I had to pay a big fine. It cost me dearly that mistake."

Dijkstra had struck up an instant friendship with mercurial winger Davie Cooper, which would endure beyond their time as team-mates.

Cooper's sudden death from a brain haemorrhage in March 1995 left his pal devastated.

"When I joined Motherwell I lived two doors down from Davie and he immediately looked after me, showed me around and took me to restaurants. He was such a nice guy," Dijkstra says.

"Even when I moved on to QPR, we would still make a point of seeing each other whenever we were free. When his wife called and told me the news of his death I was absolutely heartbroken."

Dijkstra was the last line of a Motherwell side that finished third in 1994 - his final season at Fir Park - with the four-point deficit on champions Rangers the closest the club have come to a post-war top-flight title.

It remains a bittersweet memory for 53-year-old, now on the coaching staff at Eredivise side Fortuna Sittard as well as running his own goalkeeping academy.

"We had great belief we could win the title. We had players like Chris McCart, Paul Lambert and Tommy Coyne, and an amazing team sprit.

"It was a midweek game at home to Dundee United that we threw away the championship. We lost 2-1, there were only two games left and that was our chance gone."

You must log in or register to see images

Sieb Dijkstra spent six seasons in Scottish football in the 1990s
'McLean was so tough on me'
Dijkstra departed for QPR but barely featured for the London side and was back in Scotland two years later.

The manager who had taken him to Motherwell, Tommy McLean, was at at the helm of Dundee United and signed the keeper a second time for the Tannadice side's return to the top flight.

Just like at Motherwell, the fans took to him instantly and staccato chants of "Sieb! Sieb! Sieb!" would ring round the stands.

Again, a third-place finish was secured - a feat matched only once in United's last 33 seasons in the top flight.

"That was a lively dressing room," Dijkstra says. "Dave Bowman and Andy McLaren - they were great characters and funny guys, always taking the mickey out of players. Also Maurice Malpas, a legend of Dundee United. It was a joy to be part of that team.

"Tommy was really tough on me, but I needed that type of manager. He could also be complimentary, but every day he would say you could do better. He was never satisfied. That made me strong as a person."
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I liked him
 
Quick question about refunds for last year's season tickets...

At the end of the refund process, I got this message:

"You will receive £86.78 after fees have been deducted"

This is so cheeky! A fee to pay for claiming my refund. Has anyone else challenged that?
 
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“The Emphasis here is on Ball-Play” – Dave Sexton Points the Way
AUGUST 27, 2020 STEVE RUSSELL
The following article appeared in ‘Shoot’ magazine in 1976:

‘Last season the brilliant, exciting Queen’s Park Rangers suffered the agony of being pipped at the post by Liverpool for the First Division Championship.

It was a melancholy ending to a campaign that had been richly decorated with a sparkling mixture of silky skills and spirited running from a side with a refreshing, adventurous approach.

QPR boss, Dave Sexton, the quiet, modest soccer thinker behind the blue-and-white hooped dynamos of Loftus Road, while paying tribute to the power and cold professionalism of the men from Anfield, is convinced the colourful playing-style of teams like Manchester United, Derby County, and his own Rangers can hoist our standards to Continental level.

I was delighted with the team’s consistency,” says Dave, “and the outstanding industry and team spirit they showed all through a very demanding season.”

“The emphasis here is on ball-play. We move it around from the back, to midfield, and all the time the build-up is aimed at creating chances for the opportunism of players like; Don Givens, Dave Thomas, Gerry Francis and Stan Bowles.”

“I don’t have to drum into the lads where to go, and what to do. They are all first-class professionals and they know instinctively how to cope with any situation that arises.”

“Football is all about crowd entertainment, excitement and goals! If we are going to match the skills and progressive ideas of the outstanding European club sides, there must be a complete breakaway from old-fashioned routines and tactics.”

“This is what we’re committed to. Playing the sort of football that will lure the crowds back, football that will bring enjoyment back to the game for both players and fans.”

“In terms of sheer skill, Rangers who compare favourably with the Continental stars, and when you add speed, creative ideas, ambition, and a playing style based on all-out attack, you have the ingredients of success.”

“Despite our bad start, I’m confident we will again be challenging strongly for honours this season, with the bright, positive football that so nearly brought us the League Championship last season.”

Sexton has never been the type of manager who gives a birth certificate priority over skill. Several of his stars are seasoned campaigners. Indeed, Dave’s first major signing following his take-over from Gordon Jago was the classy little Scot, Don Masson, and what a harvest Rangers have reaped from the 29-year-old midfield ace!

He has brought balance to the team and been the hub of much of the exhilarating soccer that captivated First Division crowds as Rangers strode towards the top of the table.

Capped for the first time in last season’s British Championship, Glasgow belonged to Masson as he wrote his name all over Scotland’s “triple-crown” triumph!

When he watches his players smoothly rehearsing at their South Ruislip training ground, the “sunshine soccer” that warmed the cockles of football’s heart throughout 1975/76, Dave Sexton wouldn’t change places with any manager in the game.

“It’s been said Rangers won’t be able to lift themselves after the bitter disappointment of last term,” says Dave, “but I think that coming so close will be an incentive. We staged some superb football last season, with everybody playing for each other, and going out there to win, both at home, and away.”

“For the first time in their history, Rangers are involved in Europe, in the UEFA Cup, an exciting prospect which should add even more colour to a Loftus Road atmosphere that can match any of the ‘big-time’ grounds in the North.”

Sexton believes the flowing, flamboyant football that swept Gerry Francis and his braves past outfits like; Manchester United, Derby County and Leeds United, and took them within an eyelash length of the Championship, will rocket Rangers right to the very top, both at home and on the Continent!’

Dave moved onto Manchester United at the end of the season and whilst there he took charge of the England U21’s.

Steve Russell

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Just watched Eze against ManU. He looked well qualified there on the left side of Palace midfield. He was involved in the build up to their 3rd goal, looked comfortable on the ball, and made a good run into their box before he was stopped. Good start for him at this level.
 
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