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Roelof Luinge reaches 500
Tuesday 04 November 2008
Referee Roelof Luinge will lead
his 500th match in the Eredivisie on Saturday.
The Dutch FA (KNVB) have allocated
him the match between NEC and PSV in Nijmegen for the
occasion.
This is Luinge's last season as
a referee in professional football.
The 53-year-old made his professional
debut 25 years ago in the match between NAC - VVV (0-0)
in what is now the Jupiler League.
He led his first Eredivisie match
on 2 June 1985: FC Utrecht - Go Ahead Eagles (2-0).
"500 Games in the Eredivisie
in 25 seasons; they are nice figures and of course I
am very proud of that,." Luinge said.
"I am still very passionate
about refereeing. I think that is why I held out so
long."
Luinge says he has seen his trade
change over the years.
"It hasn't become any easier,
that's for sure. The game has become much faster and
the stakes are getting higher. Nowadays there are so
many cameras and all is being analyzed extensively.
Today each decision is put under a magnifying glass."
The KNVB announced that they won't
let Luinge's jubilee go unnoticed.
After Saturday's match he will
be honored.
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