As you are all no doubt aware, we here at the blog have a fascination with footballers with fun names. The current king of this category is without a doubt new Celtic striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. Having the opportunity to watch the ManYoo/Celtic Champions League match today, I heard an explanation of this fantastic name and figured I had to pass it along. Here goes...
Apparently, in days of old someone from the Vennegoor married someone from the Hesselink family in the Netherlands. The tradition at the time among the aristocracy was for the newly formed family to take the name of the more powerful of the two families. Apparently, there was no obvious difference in status between the Vennegoors and the Hesselinks and the families refused to compromise on one or the other so the decided to go with both. The "of" is apparently Dutch for "or" so he is not Jan Vennegoor who comes from a place called Hesselink but the family name has essentially become Vennegoor OR Hesselink and they have insisted that the entire name be used over time. Fantastic story. Never let it be said that you didn't learn something here on the blog...
BTW, Giggs left the match early - be sure to monitor the situation heading into the weekend...
Favorite. Post. Ever.
ReplyDeletej
You know, I've actually wondered about that before, too.
ReplyDeletegiggs is out for 3 weeks
ReplyDeleteMy dad has been telling me this tale every few weeks since he came on the european scene a few years back.
ReplyDeleteHe tells it slightly different everytime though.
Giggs out for 3 wks while Park out for 3 months:
ReplyDeleteFun names, how about shittu of waford?
ReplyDeleteI think Fitz Hall is hard to beat, or "one size" as the Palace fans used to call him!
ReplyDeleteAnother 1 who has now left these shores is Kiki Musampa, or chris as City fans used to call him (Chris Musamper)
Not aristocrats but farmers.
ReplyDeleteThe Dutch word for "of"/"from" is "van", by the way.