Paul Van Himst
Encyclopedia
Paul van Himst is a former talented Belgian
football
midfielder
and a football manager
. Now retired, he still supports R.S.C. Anderlecht
, his former team. He was nicknamed Polle Gazon (Polle is Paul in Brussels
dialect, and Gazon means lawn in French
) due to the large number of fouls committed on him. In 1964, he played in the Belgium-Netherlands
match alongside 10 Anderlecht players after the substitution of goalkeeper Delhasse by Jean Trappeniers.
Van Himst won the Belgian championship 8 times, all of them with Anderlecht, a club for which he started playing his first professional season in 1959-60. With Anderlecht, he scored 233 goals in 457 matches (16 seasons). He then played for RWDM
(another Brussels club) in 1975-76 and for Eendracht Aalst (then in second division
) in the following season.
Between 1960 and 1974, "Polle Gazon" scored 30 goals (in 81 matches) for the Belgian national team. This performance made him Belgium's topscorer—along with Bernard Voorhoof
-- and the fifth most capped player for his country. He made his debut on 19 October 1960 in a match against Sweden
and he was part of Belgium's team which qualified for the 1970 World Cup. Van Himst then helped Belgium reach third place at the Euro 1972. He also holds the record of Golden Shoe
, awarded to him four times.
As a football manager, Van Himst has worked notably for Anderlecht and the national team which he led to the 1994 FIFA World Cup
.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA
's Jubilee, he was named the Golden Player
of Belgium by the Belgian Football Association
as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind=256/newsId=130150.html
He appeared in the 1981 film Escape to Victory
, as Michel Fieu.
He is an ambassador for the Belgian/South-African NGO "Born In Africa" since 2005.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and a football manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. Now retired, he still supports R.S.C. Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
, his former team. He was nicknamed Polle Gazon (Polle is Paul in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
dialect, and Gazon means lawn in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) due to the large number of fouls committed on him. In 1964, he played in the Belgium-Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
match alongside 10 Anderlecht players after the substitution of goalkeeper Delhasse by Jean Trappeniers.
Van Himst won the Belgian championship 8 times, all of them with Anderlecht, a club for which he started playing his first professional season in 1959-60. With Anderlecht, he scored 233 goals in 457 matches (16 seasons). He then played for RWDM
R.W.D. Molenbeek
Racing White Daring Molenbeek was a Belgian football club founded in 1909 as White Star Club de Bruxelles. It then became a member of the Belgian Football Association later the same year as White Star Athletic Club and received the matricule n°47....
(another Brussels club) in 1975-76 and for Eendracht Aalst (then in second division
Belgian Second Division
The Belgian Second Division is the second-highest division in the Belgian football league system after the Belgian Pro League. It was created by the Belgian Football Association in 1905. Between 2008 and 2010 it was named EXQI League after a television channel owned by the league main sponsor,...
) in the following season.
Between 1960 and 1974, "Polle Gazon" scored 30 goals (in 81 matches) for the Belgian national team. This performance made him Belgium's topscorer—along with Bernard Voorhoof
Bernard Voorhoof
Bernard Voorhoof was a Belgian footballer, the Belgium national team top scorer since 1940 with 30 goals in 61 matches. He was joined by Paul Van Himst in 1974 who needed 81 matches to score the same number of goals....
-- and the fifth most capped player for his country. He made his debut on 19 October 1960 in a match against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and he was part of Belgium's team which qualified for the 1970 World Cup. Van Himst then helped Belgium reach third place at the Euro 1972. He also holds the record of Golden Shoe
Belgian Golden Shoe
In association football, the Belgian Golden Shoe is an award given in Belgium at the beginning of each civil year to the best footballer of the Belgian First Division for the past year. The trophy is sponsored by the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws....
, awarded to him four times.
As a football manager, Van Himst has worked notably for Anderlecht and the national team which he led to the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's Jubilee, he was named the Golden Player
UEFA Jubilee Awards
To celebrate the Union of European Football Associations 's 50th anniversary in 2004, each of its member associations was asked by UEFA to choose one of its own players as the single most outstanding player of the past 50 years . The 52 players were known as the Golden Players...
of Belgium by the Belgian Football Association
Belgian Football Association
The Royal Belgian Football Association is the governing body of football in Belgium...
as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind=256/newsId=130150.html
He appeared in the 1981 film Escape to Victory
Escape to Victory
Escape to Victory, known simply as Victory in North America, is a 1981 film about Allied prisoners of war who are interned in a German prison camp during World War II...
, as Michel Fieu.
He is an ambassador for the Belgian/South-African NGO "Born In Africa" since 2005.