Sigi Lens
Encyclopedia
Sigi Lens is a retired Dutch
-Suriname
footballer
and currently is a football player's agent. During his career he served AZ and Fortuna Sittard
. He was one of the footballers that survived the Surinam Airways Flight PY764
air crash in Paramaribo
on June 7, 1989. His nephew Jeremain Lens
is also a professional footballer.
. Despite the appearance of these goalscoring players he was the club's top goalscorer in the season, scoring a total of 17 goals. His efforts came out best in counter attacks as his pace could be used optimal.
Lens left AZ in 1986 and signed a new contract at Fortuna Sittard
. In his three years at Fortuna Sittard he became the club's top goalscorer in the 1986-87 and 1987-88 season. In the 1988-89 season only John Clayton
scored more goals. He had a great effort in the matches against AFC Ajax, Feyenoord Rotterdam
and PSV Eindhoven who were all beaten at Fortuna's homeground De Baandert
that season.
crashed during approach to Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, killing 176 of the 187 on-board, making it the worst ever aviation disaster in Suriname's history. Among the deads were a total of 15 members of the Colourful 11, only three of them, including Lens survived. One of his best friends Fred Patrick
with whom he played together at AZ was among the deaths. Lens would never play professional football again due to a complicated pelvic fracture
he suffered during the crash.
of 1995 that made it easier for players to switch clubs.
Sigi Lens for instance started his own agency named Pro Athlete. The relations between Lens and the players he worked with were so close, that when Lens started Pro Athlete they immediately followed him and most of them stayed with him until now or until they ended their careers. Other retired footballers and friends of Lens Paul Nortan and John Veldman
were appointed as his partners. Several of the players Lens worked with and still works with are André Ooijer
, Denny Landzaat
, George Boateng
, Giovanni van Bronckhorst
, Mario Melchiot
, Michael Reiziger
and Winston Bogarde
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
-Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
footballer
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...
and currently is a football player's agent. During his career he served AZ and Fortuna Sittard
Fortuna Sittard
Fortuna Sittard is a football club in Sittard, Netherlands. The club currently plays its football in the 12,500 capacity Trendwork Arena and features in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. The club was a merger of former clubs 'Fortuna 54' and 'Sittardia' to merge as the Fortuna Sittard Combinatie on July 1,...
. He was one of the footballers that survived the Surinam Airways Flight PY764
Surinam Airways Flight PY764
Surinam Airways Flight 764 was an international scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands to Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport in Suriname on a Surinam Airways DC-8...
air crash in Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
on June 7, 1989. His nephew Jeremain Lens
Jeremain Lens
Jeremain Lens is a Dutch-Surinam footballer who currently plays for PSV Eindhoven. He is a versatile offensive player, the best known for his pace and stamina, primarily being used as a winger or a striker, but he can successfully play as a second striker. In August 2010 he received the first...
is also a professional footballer.
Playing career
In his playing career Lens was a tall, but quick forward who was able to play as a right winger or a striker. He made his professional debut at AZ in the 1985-86 season when he featured in a team with players like Kees Kist and Pier TolPier Tol
Kees "Pier" Tol is a Dutch retired international footballer who made over 300 professional appearances in the Dutch league, scoring over 100 goals.-Club career:...
. Despite the appearance of these goalscoring players he was the club's top goalscorer in the season, scoring a total of 17 goals. His efforts came out best in counter attacks as his pace could be used optimal.
Lens left AZ in 1986 and signed a new contract at Fortuna Sittard
Fortuna Sittard
Fortuna Sittard is a football club in Sittard, Netherlands. The club currently plays its football in the 12,500 capacity Trendwork Arena and features in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. The club was a merger of former clubs 'Fortuna 54' and 'Sittardia' to merge as the Fortuna Sittard Combinatie on July 1,...
. In his three years at Fortuna Sittard he became the club's top goalscorer in the 1986-87 and 1987-88 season. In the 1988-89 season only John Clayton
John Clayton (footballer)
John Clayton is a retired Scottish professional football striker. He was forced to retire from football in 1994 due to injury...
scored more goals. He had a great effort in the matches against AFC Ajax, Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
and PSV Eindhoven who were all beaten at Fortuna's homeground De Baandert
De Baandert
De Baandert was a multi-use stadium in Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands. It was used mostly for football matches and hosted the home matches of Fortuna Sittard. The stadium was able to hold 22,000 people...
that season.
Disaster
After that season he was invited by Sonny Hasnoe, the founder of the Colourful 11 to be part of the team and travel to Suriname to play in the "Boxel Kleurrijk Tournament" with three Surinamese teams. The Surinam Airways Flight PY764Surinam Airways Flight PY764
Surinam Airways Flight 764 was an international scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands to Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport in Suriname on a Surinam Airways DC-8...
crashed during approach to Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, killing 176 of the 187 on-board, making it the worst ever aviation disaster in Suriname's history. Among the deads were a total of 15 members of the Colourful 11, only three of them, including Lens survived. One of his best friends Fred Patrick
Fred Patrick
Frederik Arnold Patrick was a Dutch-Suriname footballer. During his career he served AZ Alkmaar and PEC Zwolle. He died at the age of 23, when on June 7, 1989 he was killed in the Surinam Airways Flight PY764 air crash in Paramaribo...
with whom he played together at AZ was among the deaths. Lens would never play professional football again due to a complicated pelvic fracture
Pelvic fracture
Pelvic fracture is a disruption of the bony structure of the pelvis, including the hip bone, sacrum and coccyx. The most common cause in elderly is a fall, but the most significant fractures involve high-energy forces such as a motor vehicle accident, cycling accidents, or a fall from significant...
he suffered during the crash.
After his career
After his career Lens was appointed by the VVCS (Vereniging Voor Contract Spelers) [Association For Contract Players] and became one of their player's agents. He would work mostly with the black players, with whom he built up close relatioships. The VVCS reasoned that a black agent would sooner gain the trust of the black players. After a few years half way during the 1990s he and colleague Peter Gerards were charged for a possible fraud. It was said they might had been earning money for transfers without the VVCS or the player in question knowing. As a result both were fired by the VVCS, but as a result of the rumours a lot of the players at the VVCS left as well. The affaire with Gerards and Lens in the main roles made it possible for commercial investors to start their own agencies. This was also due to the Bosman rulingBosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
of 1995 that made it easier for players to switch clubs.
Sigi Lens for instance started his own agency named Pro Athlete. The relations between Lens and the players he worked with were so close, that when Lens started Pro Athlete they immediately followed him and most of them stayed with him until now or until they ended their careers. Other retired footballers and friends of Lens Paul Nortan and John Veldman
John Veldman
John Fitzgerald Veldman is a former Dutch football player in the defender role. He started his professional career for PSV Eindhoven, and then moved on to Willem II, Sparta Rotterdam, AFC Ajax, Vitesse and RBC Roosendaal...
were appointed as his partners. Several of the players Lens worked with and still works with are André Ooijer
André Ooijer
André Antonius Maria Ooijer is a Dutch football player who currently playing for AFC Ajax as of August 2010.-Early career:Ooijer was talented even as a child, joining his first amateur football team when he was just five years old and started playing for other amateur clubs SDW and SDZ when he was...
, Denny Landzaat
Denny Landzaat
Denny Domingoes Landzaat is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Dutch Eredivisie club FC Twente.-Early life:Landzaat is born and raised in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
, George Boateng
George Boateng
George Boateng is a Dutch footballer who plays as a midfielder for Nottingham Forest in The Championship.-Club career:...
, Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement....
, Mario Melchiot
Mario Melchiot
Mario Deno Patrik Melchiot is a Dutch football defender who currently plays for Qatari Stars League club Umm Salal. He can play as either a right-back or a central defender, and has also occasionally played in midfield....
, Michael Reiziger
Michael Reiziger
Michael John Reiziger is a retired Dutch footballer who played mainly as a right defender.After making a name for himself at Ajax, with whom he won one Champions League, he went on to represent three teams in three different countries, namely appearing for FC Barcelona, for which he played in...
and Winston Bogarde
Winston Bogarde
Winston Bogarde is a retired Dutch professional footballer.A player of immense physical strength, he played mostly as a central defender, although he could occasionally appear on the left, and was best known for his spells at Ajax, FC Barcelona and Chelsea.With the latter side, he garnered...
.