“Let the games begin” - NFC wins international friendly against UK club Old Salesians

Who needs to watch the World Cup or Champions League on TV when you can bring the magic of international football home with you?

This past Saturday, May 10th, NFC welcomed the UK amateur club Old Salesians for an 11-a-side friendly veterans (35+) match.

Led by captain Alexander Athanassiou, the NFC veterans team pulled off an impressive 5-3 victory. Despite conceding a pair of early goals, NFC rallied and quickly equalized. Top scorers included Alon Goldis and Joost Schardijn with 2 goals each along with Grant Hughes who notched 1 goal and provided 3 assists.

After the match, NFC gifted Old Salesians its 100-year anniversary banner before heading to a family BBQ on the clubhouse terrace where the teams celebrated a stunning weekend of fun, friendship, and football. 

The genesis of the NFC - Old Salesians match came from Matt Wilson, one of NFC’s distinguished international alumni. Matt recently returned to London and resumed playing with Old Salesians (his school club) after many years. Several months ago, he got in contact with NFC leadership about coming for a football tour who welcomed the idea with great enthusiasm. 

Thanks to the efforts of the club leaders including Chairman Daniel Gaulard, Margot Clarenbeek, Joop van Voorn, and Kelvin van Klaveren, NFC was able to organize several trainings, social events, and the pinnacle match and BBQ for both teams, roughly 60 people.

This weekend, the NFC veterans will be on the move again, playing in Portugal against local clubs in the Algarve. In another example of NFC’s international reach, the club was invited to tour by Mark Cathersides, former captain of the veterans team, who moved to the Algarve last year. 

And as the current season winds down and the next one begins, the NFC veterans are looking forward to expanding the international community of football here in Amstelveen and Amsterdam. 

About NFC

NFC was founded in 1919 and now has over 500 members and 24 teams. The club has been one of the earliest clubs to embrace an international spirit of football. Located next to the International School of Amsterdam, and with players from dozens of different countries, NFC has created a strong community of footballers and their families within Amstelveen stretching from its youth to veterans teams.