A real steel man of
Nijholt revelled in Motherwell’s ’91 Hampden triumph but also experienced tragedies during his career
IT was October and it was snowing already.’ It is the most innocent of sentences. But it serves as a prelude to a tale of disaster. There is triumph in the life and labours of Luc Nijholt, itinerant footballer and coach. But there is tragedy, too. The most spectacular occurred in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in 1982.
‘I was playing for Haarlem in a UEFA Cup tie against Spartak Moscow,’ he says. ‘There were about 35,000 in the stadium. It was a huge arena. They scored their second goal two minutes from time and people were trying to get back up from the exits to see what had happened. There was a crush.
‘After the game, we could hear only police cars and ambulances. We thought it was maybe fighting. It was seven years later before we knew. The Russians kept it quiet until then. It was worse than Heysel and seems to have been forgotten. But I will not forget it.’
The Luzhniki disaster was first covered up by the Soviet authorities. The death toll has been a matter of controversy. The official account, released in 1989, claims 66 people died. Other sources insist the number of dead could have been more than 300.
Nijholt, now 57, looks back on it with sadness tinged with disbelief.
‘It is hard to understand how that could all be kept quiet but that was Russia then. Later, Haarlem played in a match for the victims, although I was abroad by then. But they are in my memory,’ he says.
His remembrance of times past, however, has much happier themes.
The Dutchman was one of the heroes of the Motherwell Scottish Cup-winning team of 1991 and features in Steelmen, a BBC Alba documentary, that celebrates the achievement of that dramatic 4-3 victory over Dundee United in extra-time.
But even that day in the sun is accompanied by dark clouds. Four of Motherwell’s triumphant squad have died: Paul McGrillen, Jamie Dolan, Phil O’Donnell and Davie Cooper.
Nijholt’s grief is reinforced by the strength of bond among the players of that special time.
‘When I came, they looked after me and my family,’ he says of his comrades. ‘Especially Davie Cooper and Chris McCart.
‘I like the Scottish mentality and the Scottish people. No nonsense. Very open-minded. The level of hospitality was high. The players and wives mixed together.
‘One of the most important things was the team spirit. We got on well with each other. You don’t see that so much now.
‘Yes, we had Coop but it was a team rather than a collection of stars. And Coop never acted the star. He was a fantastic guy.’
The winger was the first of the squad to die, succumbing to a brain haemorrhage in March, 1995, aged only 39.
Nijhol (right) was at Swindon Town when he heard the news.
He adds: ‘It was really devastating but all of the deaths have been. But first, Coop ... terrible, terrible. The news was on the radio as I drove home after training. I went to the funeral. I’ve never forgotten it.’ His memory, too, conjures up the atmosphere in Motherwell as the cup run gained momentum as the closure of the steel works in Ravenscraig loomed, with the loss of more than 1,000 jobs plus thousands more indirectly. Steelmen, the film, poignantly places the football story in parallel to the industrial calamity. ‘It was not a burden,’ he says of the growing expectation that events on the pitch could provide some distraction from the grim reality.
‘If you lived in the area, you could not avoid it. The people were talking about two things — the Ravenscraig situation and the Scottish Cup run. We gave them a little bit back but it was devastating for the area.
‘The cup run was a sort of movie. The confidence grew as we went on. We were all aware that to play in a final may be nice — but to lose in a final is terrible. It was hard but it was one of the best finals in history.’
Nijholt spent his playing career in Holland, Scotland and England and has also coached in China and now in Abu Dhabi. His experience in football has been wide-ranging and rewarding. He says of his highlight: ‘Without a doubt, it was May 1991.’
The Dutchman has moved on from that joy of Hampden to life as a coach in countries where the game is still developing.
As a coach with Meizhou Hakka in Wehua County, China, he also helped to set up academies to produce homegrown players in a country that has both the thirst and the resources to become a global player in football.
‘It will take a decade for China to be a world power. They are very enthusiastic, with big crowds, lots of money. They want to bring in the best players but you have to start underneath. You have to
have a strategy, a philosophy. They are doing better now because they are setting up academies and the talent is there.
‘You must address the basics and they are doing that. They will be fine but it will take about ten years. They want to be World Cup winners in 2050. They could do it if they invest in coaches and training.’
Nijholt’s time in China was educational. He explains: ‘I was there for three years and I found the travelling the most difficult part. For some away games, it could be three hours on the bus simply to get to the airport and then a flight of up to five hours.
‘That’s hard for players. You have to manage preparation and recovery carefully.’
He is now coaching in Abu Dhabi at Al Wahda under Henk ten Cate, the former Ajax manager and assistant at Barcelona.
Nijholt is enjoying the stint in the Gulf but his mind drifts back to Lanarkshire.
He says: ‘I lived in Hamilton and I loved it when my neighbours used to knock on my door on New Year’s Eve and say: “Let’s go for a bevvy”.
‘My Chinese is not so good but I can speak Italian, French, German and Scottish … nae bother!’
There is a playfulness about Nijholt but he has no doubts about what football and Motherwell gave him.
‘It was a chance to be part of people’s memories,’ he says of that cup final victory.
‘A week after the game, we went to Greece on holiday and while we were relaxing by the pool a thought suddenly came into my head. I told my wife: “I think we have made some history”. I was right. All those years on, people are still talking about it.’
If the history lingers, the motivation for Nijholt was pride. ‘I played 500 games and did not stop until I was 35. I played in Holland, Switzerland, Scotland and England. I was very satisfied by all of that,’ he declares.
‘When you are young, you want to be a pro footballer but you don’t know what it takes. You have to work very hard for it. It is never easy.
‘Nowadays, people make millions and millions. Then, we were on 300 quid a week. Money was never the inspiration. It was about pride.’
But there is also memory. ‘Somebody once told me: “When you die, your life will pass before you like a film”. In a flash, I replied: “Mine will have to be a very long story, not a flash”.’
There is a suspicion that any such recollection would resemble the 1991 Cup final that entranced Motherwell. A tale of excitement, drama and ultimate success that inevitably drifts into extra-time.
lSteelmen, produced by purpleTV for BBC ALBA, is available for 30 days on BBC iPlayer.