Zeskamp 1971-72 comprised 9 teams

Teams for Zeskamp 1971-1972:

Bladel, Emmeloord (Noordoostpolder), Franeker, IJsselstein,
Lisse, Ridderkerk, Veendam, Venray, Zelhem

All 9 teams played each of the three Round 1 Domestic Heats. Qualification from this Round was on aggregate points scored and the bottom three teams were to be eliminated after Round 1 Heat 3. In Round 2, the remaining 6 teams faced each other in a further three competitions with the league table points reset to zero. The Top 3 aggregate points scorers in Round 2 would reach the Zeskamp Final.

NL

Zeskamp 1971-1972

Round 1, Heat 2

Event Staged: Saturday 6th November 1971
Venue: Martinihal (Martini Hall), Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
Nederland 1 (NL): Saturday 6th November 1971, 8.21-9.40pm (Live)

Weather Conditions: Not applicable as event was staged indoors

Teams: Bladel v. Emmeloord (Noordoostpolder) v. Franeker v. IJsselstein v.
Lisse v. Ridderkerk v. Veendam v. Venray v. Zelhem

Team Members included:
Bladel - Leo Schoots (Team Captain, non-playing), Leo van Avendonk, Wim Bohncke, Frans Brecheisen, Ivon Brecheisen, Marietje Couwenberg, Jan van Elswijk, Jan van Gompel, Liesbeth Hermans, Tonnie Jansen, Harry Keizers, Alda van Korven, Cees Penson, Jenny Schoots, Coby Smets, Jan Tielemans, Kees Tielemans, Peter Tielemans, Henk Tijssen, Sjan van der Wijst;
Emmeloord (Noordoostpolder) - Winie van der Veen, Ran Veraart;

Franeker - Rein Stoelwinder (Team Coach), Rein War (Team Captain, non--playing), Jan Bergmans, Age de Boer, Genne de Boer, Anneke Boonstra-van Langen, Henk Brijker, Piet van Dijk, Siepe Dijkstra, Geert Dilstra, Nynke Faber, Murk de Jong, Tjerkje de Jong-van der Veen, Sietse Koolstra, Jannie Meijer-Vierstra, Joke Plantinga, Rinske van der Molen, Klaas van der Ploeg, Bert Sietsma, Sjoerd Talsma, Tjibbe van der Veer, Bettie Venema-Dijkstra, Mrs Christien Vijver-Heijen, Minke van der Werf-van der Meulen;
Lisse - J. Osephius (Team Manager), Kees Knetsch (Co-Team Coach), G. Kooreman (Co-Team Coach), P. van der Meer (Co-Team Coach), Fred Timmer (Team Captain), Ank van der Berg, Paul Boon, Wil Duivenvoorde, Jan Eichhorn, Rien Faas, Wilmy Hazelaar, Marjolein Heuseveld, Hans Hoogervorst, John van der Horst, Annemarie Kieviet, Lia Kortekaas, Marga Kortekaas, Peter Kortekaas, Piet Langelaan, Harry van Leecq, Ko van Leeuwen, Ria van Leeuwen, Frans Prins, Fred Prins, Hennie Randsdorp, Truus Randsdorp, John Remkes, Bas Rooyakkers, Michael Roux, Marian Snaar, Joke Tjoelker, Martien Tjoelker, Meindert Tjoelker, Ria Verdoes, Gerrit Verhaar, Alie Zuiderduin, Herman Zuiderduin;
Ridderkerk - Kees Bisdom (Co-Team Coach), Floor Oliver (Co-Team Coach), Aad de Zeeuw (Team Captain, non-playing), Liesbeth de Boef, Karel Borkes, Henk de Frise, Klasske van der Heide, Kees Langendijk, Anja Puister, Henk Vormlar;
Veendam - Koos Nieboer (Co-Team Coach), Teun Rozenveld (Co-Team Coach / Team Captain, non-playing), Bé Blauww, Henk Petzinger, Dirk Ruiter, Roelf Scheltens, Hendrik Schoonbeek, Hans Telgen, Wally Walburg;

Venray - Tino Zandbergen (Team Coach), Wim Willemsen (Team Captain, non-playing), Jan Bastiaans, Sraar Bastiaans, Luc Beterams, Hans Bosch, Tonnie Coenen-van Zwol, Martien Custers, Truus van Dijck, Dorien Hendrix, Edu Hout, Annie Jans-Beken, Sraar Jans-Beken, Thea Jaspers, Jos Josten, Tannie van de Kreeke, Wim Loonen, Lia Lucassen, Jan de Massen, Tineke Pleket, Adrie van Stokkum, Piet Theuws, Jan Thomassen, Nelly Vergeldt, Gemma Vorst;
Zelhem - A.M. ter Wal (Team Coach), Cees Lugtenaar (Team Captain, non-playing).

Games: Hanging Test, Swimming with the Dolls, Stiltwalking, Grand Prix Rallycross, Limp Tinus, Baseball on Rafts.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

League

Aggregate

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th

 F • Franeker ●
 IJ • IJsselstein
 Ve • Veendam
 L • Lisse
 R • Ridderkerk
 Z • Zelhem
 B • Bladel
 V • Venray
 E • Emmeloord (Noordoostpolder)

39
36.5
33
31
29
27.5
25.5
24.5
24

69
71.5
48
64
53
61.5
59.5
61.5
52

The Host Town

Groningen, Groningen

Groningen is the capital and largest city of its eponymous province in the north-east of the Netherlands. It has a population of just under 200,000 inhabitants and is located 51km (31½ miles) east of Leeuwarden, 85km (52¾ miles) north of Zwolle, 147km (91¼ miles) north-east of Amsterdam and 35km (21¾ miles) west of the German border.

The city was founded on the northernmost point of the Hondsrug area (a large ridge of sand on which much of the province and neighbouring Drenthe is built). Groningen was founded around AD 950 at the site of a Roman camp and has a rich history, which can clearly be seen from the old medieval buildings in the downtown area. However, the oldest document referring to Groningen's existence only dates from 1040. In the 13th century, when the city was an important trade centre, its inhabitants built a city wall to underline its authority. The city had a strong influence on the surrounding lands and made its dialect a common tongue. The most influential period of the city was the end of the 15th century, when the nearby province of Friesland was administered from Groningen. During this period (1492), the Martinitoren (Martini Tower) in the market square was built, which loomed over the city at a height of 97m (318ft 3in), making it the highest building in Europe at the time. The city's independence came to an end when it chose to join forces with the Spanish during the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648) in 1594. It later switched sides, joining the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands.

In 1614, the University of Groningen was founded, initially only for religious education and in the same period, the city expanded rapidly and a new city wall was built. That same wall was tested during the Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672-1674), when the city was attacked fiercely by the bishop of Münster, Christoph Bernhard von Galen (1606-1678). Fortunately, the city’s wall resisted and this event, known as Gronings Ontzet (Siege of Groningen), is celebrated with music and fireworks on 28th August each year.

Groningen has been called the ‘World Cycling City’ because 57% of all journeys made within the city are by bicycle and, as is the case with most Dutch cities, it is well adapted to the high number of cyclists. A large network of bike paths make it convenient to cycle to various destinations and, within the city, the bicycle is the most popular means of transportation. Groningen's nightlife depends largely on the population of students studying at Groningen University (28,000) and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (25,000). Its cultural scene is vibrant and remarkable for a city of its size with the Grote Markt, the Vismarkt, the Poelestraat and Peperstraat (the surrounding streets) crowded every night of the week, with most bars not closing until 5.00am!

An absolute must for any visitor to the region is an excursion to the village of Bourtange. Located in the province of Groningen, it is actually 48km (30 miles) south-east of the city centre near the German border. Although it only has a population of 430 inhabitants, thousand of tourists flock to the village each year to see the star-shaped Festung (Fort) Bourtange. It was built in 1593 during the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648) when William I of Orange (1533-1584) wanted to control the only road between Germany and the city of Groningen which at the time was controlled by the Spanish. The fort was used until 1851, after which it was given up and it became a normal village. However, around 1960, living conditions in the village deteriorated to such a state that it was decided that Bourtange would be rebuilt to its former glory and today it is used as an open-air museum.

The Visiting Towns

Bladel is located 226km (140 miles) south-west of Groningen.

Emmeloord (Noordoostpolder) is located 79km (49 miles) south-west of Groningen.

Franeker is located 69km (43 miles) west of Groningen.

IJsselstein is located 169km (105 miles) south-west of Groningen.

Lisse is located 172km (107 miles) south-west of Groningen.

Ridderkerk is located 200km (124 miles) south-west of Groningen.

Veendam is located 24km (15 miles) south-east of Groningen.

Venray is located 191km (119 miles) south of Groningen.

Zelhem is located 136km (84 miles) south of Groningen.

The Venue

Martinihal

The venue for this heat was a large events hall known as Martinihal, located adjacent to playing fields which were part of the Stadspark sports facility.

In the late 1960s, the municipality of Groningen revealed that an exhibition complex was to be built on the edge of the Groningen City Park. The Martinihal would consist of exhibition space, meeting rooms and a restaurant. The official opening took place in 1969 and hall had a ceiling height of 30m (8ft 5¼in) in order for it to cater for exhibitions such as boat shows offering sailboats with large standing masts.

In the early 1970s, the building was extended with a multi-function hall for organizing (pop) concerts and sports competitions. The room was separated by a large open square area which could be used for car parking. The Event Hall had a capacity of about 2,500 visitors (concert) or 3,000 visitors (sports). Before the construction of the television studios in Aalsmeer, popular TV shows were frequently filmed here.

In 1978, the Martinihal Centre became a leading location in terms of conferences, meetings and exhibitions and in the early 1980s several extra rooms were built. In 1988, the name of the complex was change to Martinihal Groningen. The following year, the Martinihal was in need of renovation but this could not be financed by the Municipality of Groningen, so the Martinihal needed to find sponsors. However, there were no suitable candidates. The Martinihal was then transferred to the independent Art and Culture Department of the municipality and a new management team was appointed.

Another major renovation of the complex took place in 2000 with the former centre square being replaced by a new event and sports hall, which meets all international standards for sport. The former Event Hall was converted into the Martini Plaza Theatre and, with a capacity of 1600 seats, made it one of the five largest theatres in the Netherlands. In March 2002, the complex was officially reopened under the name Martini Plaza and later that year the complex was taken over by the Onderwijs Cultuur Sport Welzijn (OCSW) (Department of Education, Culture, Sports and Wellness).

The Martinihal became home to professional Dutch basketball club Nationale-Nederlande Donar in 1973, when Dutch company Nationale-Nederlande became the club’s first sponsor. This was to last for nine years after which the company stopped its sponsorship in 1982. Following this, the club reverted back to its original 1881 name of GBV Donar (Groninger Basketbalvereniging), and following several sponsorships between 1986 and 2009, its current name is the GasTerra Flames Groningen, following sponsorship by natural gas supply company GasTerra.

Interestingly, some of the area now occupied by the Martiniplaza was host to the Dutch International in 1976.

Additional Information

This edition of Zeskamp reportedly overran its allotted 8.21-9.40pm timeslot by a massive 35 minutes and disrupted the subsequent Saturday night Nederland 1 schedule, all of which ran very late.

Made in Colour • This programme may exist in Dutch archives

NL

Zeskamp 1971-1972

Round 1, Heat 3

Event Staged: Saturday 4th December 1971
Venue: Groenoordhal (Groenoord Hall), Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
Nederland 1 (NL): Saturday 4th December 1971, 8.21-9.35 (Live)

Weather Conditions: Not applicable as event was staged indoors

Teams: Bladel v. Emmeloord (Noordoostpolder) v. Franeker v. IJsselstein v.
Lisse v. Ridderkerk v. Veendam v. Venray v. Zelhem

Team Members included:
Bladel - Leo Schoots (Team Captain, non-playing), Leo van Avendonk, Wim Bohncke, Frans Brecheisen, Ivon Brecheisen, Marietje Couwenberg, Jan van Elswijk, Jan van Gompel, Liesbeth Hermans, Tonnie Jansen, Harry Keizers, Alda van Korven, Cees Penson, Jenny Schoots, Coby Smets, Jan Tielemans, Kees Tielemans, Peter Tielemans, Henk Tijssen, Sjan van der Wijst;
Emmeloord (Noordoostpolder) - Winie van der Veen, Ran Veraart;

Franeker - Rein Stoelwinder (Team Coach), Rein War (Team Captain, non--playing), Jan Bergmans, Age de Boer, Genne de Boer, Anneke Boonstra-van Langen, Henk Brijker, Piet van Dijk, Siepe Dijkstra, Geert Dilstra, Nynke Faber, Murk de Jong, Tjerkje de Jong-van der Veen, Sietse Koolstra, Jannie Meijer-Vierstra, Joke Plantinga, Rinske van der Molen, Klaas van der Ploeg, Bert Sietsma, Sjoerd Talsma, Tjibbe van der Veer, Bettie Venema-Dijkstra, Mrs Christien Vijver-Heijen, Minke van der Werf-van der Meulen;
Lisse - J. Osephius (Team Manager), Kees Knetsch (Co-Team Coach), G. Kooreman (Co-Team Coach), P. van der Meer (Co-Team Coach), Fred Timmer (Team Captain), Ank van der Berg, Paul Boon, Wil Duivenvoorde, Jan Eichhorn, Rien Faas, Wilmy Hazelaar, Marjolein Heuseveld, Hans Hoogervorst, John van der Horst, Annemarie Kieviet, Lia Kortekaas, Marga Kortekaas, Peter Kortekaas, Piet Langelaan, Harry van Leecq, Ko van Leeuwen, Ria van Leeuwen, Frans Prins, Fred Prins, Hennie Randsdorp, Truus Randsdorp, John Remkes, Bas Rooyakkers, Michael Roux, Marian Snaar, Joke Tjoelker, Martien Tjoelker, Meindert Tjoelker, Ria Verdoes, Gerrit Verhaar, Alie Zuiderduin, Herman Zuiderduin;
Ridderkerk - Kees Bisdom (Co-Team Coach), Floor Oliver (Co-Team Coach), Aad de Zeeuw (Team Captain, non-playing), Liesbeth de Boef, Karel Borkes, Henk de Frise, Klasske van der Heide, Kees Langendijk, Anja Puister, Henk Vormlar;
Veendam - Koos Nieboer (Co-Team Coach), Teun Rozenveld (Co-Team Coach / Team Captain, non-playing), Bé Blauww, Henk Petzinger, Dirk Ruiter, Roelf Scheltens, Hendrik Schoonbeek, Hans Telgen, Wally Walburg;

Venray - Tino Zandbergen (Team Coach), Wim Willemsen (Team Captain, non-playing), Jan Bastiaans, Sraar Bastiaans, Luc Beterams, Hans Bosch, Tonnie Coenen-van Zwol, Martien Custers, Truus van Dijck, Dorien Hendrix, Edu Hout, Annie Jans-Beken, Sraar Jans-Beken, Thea Jaspers, Jos Josten, Tannie van de Kreeke, Wim Loonen, Lia Lucassen, Jan de Massen, Tineke Pleket, Adrie van Stokkum, Piet Theuws, Jan Thomassen, Nelly Vergeldt, Gemma Vorst;
Zelhem - A.M. ter Wal (Team Coach), Cees Lugtenaar (Team Captain, non-playing).

Games included: Roller Skaters' Tug-o-War, The Long Cycle Tour, Saint Nicholas and Black Peter, Grand Prix Rallycross.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

League

Aggregate

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th

 R • Ridderkerk ● ●
 IJ • IJsselstein ●
 V • Venray ●
 L • Lisse ●
 B • Bladel
 Ve • Veendam
 F • Franeker ●
 Z • Zelhem
 E • Emmeloord (Noordoostpolder)

36.5
34
32.5
29.5

28.5
28
27.5
26.5
24

89.5
105.5
94
93.5
88
76
96.5
88
76

The Host Town

Leiden, Zuid-Holland

Leiden is a city which lies at sea level elevation with a population of around 120,000 inhabitants in the province of South Holland. It is situated on the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) river, a 52km (32¼ miles) branch of the Rhine, and is located 16km (10 miles) north-east of Den Haag and 36km (22¼ miles) south-west of Amsterdam. The city lies at what has traditionally been an important junction where waterways and roads cross and will enchant all who visit. The city is famous for its almshouses, university, museums and glorious history. The spirit of the Golden Age lives on here, a place where artist Rembrandt (1606-1669) was born and inspired so many other influential painters. But even after this era, Leiden continued to attract scientists, artists and industry. The canals, the historical buildings, the alleyways, the treasuries of knowledge, culture and science in Leiden are definitely worth a visit.

By the end of the 15th century, Leiden was the largest city in the county of Holland. This was largely due to the international cloth-making industry. However, the economic tide began to turn with the advent of the 16th century. The reformation led to mass prosecution of Protestants and in 1572, Leiden joined the Dutch resistance against Spain's oppression. The people of Leiden succumbed to disease and starvation and the Spanish nearly conquered the city. However, they successfully drove the troops out on 3rd October 1574. The great liberation, known as Leidens Ontzet (Relief of Leiden), is still lavishly celebrated today. This huge party is not the only result of the Spanish occupation but also that the city was allegedly given the university as a reward for its heroic resistance.

The Relief marked the beginning of a new Golden Age. In 1577, tens of thousands of Dutch people from the south flocked to Leiden on account of their Calvinist faith. These were experienced textile workers and business people who helped revive the failing wool industry in Leiden with new products, techniques, capital and labour and Leiden became the second largest city after Amsterdam. Despite major plague epidemics, the population quadrupled resulting in the city being expanded in 1611, 1644 and again in 1659, when the network of canals was laid out in its current incarnation. At the height of the boom around 1670, the city was densely populated by some 60,000 people. After Amsterdam, Leiden is the city with the most canals with the city’s historic centre having more than 28km (17¼ miles) of canals and waterways. To cross all these waterways, you obviously need bridges, and Leiden has no less than 88!

The city’s wool industry was steadily declining in the 18th century with work drying up and people moving elsewhere. This downturn caused by the failing wool industry led to unrest and the ongoing war waged by Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) only aggravated the situation. The final straw came when Leiden was struck by catastrophic disaster. On 12th January 1807, a ship loaded with 17,400kg (38,360lb) of gunpowder exploded in the middle of Leiden, killing 151 persons. Over 2000 others were injured and some 220 homes were destroyed. King Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846) personally visited the city to provide assistance to the victims. Although located in the centre of the city, the area destroyed remained empty for many years, with the space eventually turned into a public park in 1886.

After 1815, the city began to show signs of recovery once more when Leiden's industry began to diversify during the second half of the century with emerging new sectors such as metal, printing and canning. Leiden underwent a dramatic transformation during the last 30 years of the 20th century. In the 1960s, it was a rundown industrial city with the university as its main claim to fame. By the early 1980s, the industries had disappeared, and unemployment was rampant. However, the city managed to again bounce back by tapping into new sectors.

The Visiting Towns

Bladel is located 101km (63 miles) south-east of Leiden.

Emmeloord (Noordoostpolder) is located 106km (66 miles) north-east of Leiden.

Franeker is located 135km (84 miles) north-east of Leiden.

IJsselstein is located 40km (25 miles) south-east of Leiden.

Lisse is located 11km (7 miles) north of Leiden.

Ridderkerk is located 34km (21 miles) south-east of Leiden.

Veendam is located 193km (120 miles) north-east of Leiden.

Venray is located 124km (77 miles) south-east of Leiden.

Zelhem is located 129km (80 miles) east of Leiden.

The Venue

Groenoordhal

The games were played in the Groenoordhal, the largest of a complex of halls called the Groenoordhallen, which played host to a large regional cattle market for several decades. It was built in 1969 on land that had originally been part of the Groenoord Estate.

In 1355, Leiden was given an urban extension, which led to the Haarlemmerstraat being located within the city walls. The swampy area outside of the walls was reclaimed and on the polder, garden nurseries, fruit farms and the Groenoord were created.

In 1572, the city council decided that all wooden buildings on the nurseries had to be demolished to protect the city from being set alight during the current siege by the invading Spaniards. As the cloth industry expanded, a window field was set up in the western part of the Groenoord. On wooden windows, the painted wet sheets were stretched to dry.

In 1756, Johan Aegidius van der Marck (1707-1770), chief officer of the city of Leiden, requested that he be allowed to build a playhouse on the grounds of his country estate. This consisted of a house with a beautiful dome, a carpenter's house, a fishing pond, a park, a peach greenhouse, three pieces of warmus land and 50 rods of pasture (0.3125 acres or 1,264.64m²). The total area was about six hectares (60,000m² or 645,835ft²) and covered the area which today is surrounded by the main railway line to the west, Willem de Zwijgerlaan to the south, Gooimeerlaan to the east and the Stinksloot dyke to the north. After Van der Marck's death, the land was passed down to his brother. When he, too, died in 1788, the land and all its property were sold by his heirs and then, in the early part of the 19th century, it was resold to Abraham Harteveld, Jr. (1793-1866). He constructed a large house on the land in 1830 or thereabouts, which was given the name Groenoord. His mother died in 1837 at the Groenoord house.

The estate and house then remained in private hands for almost a century. The last owner of the estate was artist Floris Henrik Verster van Wulverhorst (1861-1927) who lived there with his wife Jenny Kamerlingh Onnes. In 1926, following her death a few years earlier, he sold the country estate to the municipality of Leiden for the princely sum of 27,000 guilders (roughly £2,500 at the time), equivalent to approximately £110,000 in 2020, under the proviso he could remain in residence until his demise. He was a one-eyed man and within a year of the sale, he was found drowned in the carp pond in the garden.

The house was then rented out to the art critic and expert Willem Cornelis Feltkamp and his cousin Willem Hendrik Mühlstaff (1894-1982), painter and director of the Rotterdam Academy of Art, who during the war offered shelter to amongst others, painter and graphic artist Dirk Hidde Nijland (1881-1955).

The forest of more than 400 trees remained standing for a long time, much to the delight of hikers and children at play. However, during World War II (1939-1945), it was cut down by mainly black-market traders for their own gain, barring one large chestnut tree.

In 1960, the lease on the property was cancelled by the municipality and the country estate was demolished in 1961 to make way for a new residential area and a complex of halls that would host the regional cattle market and other large events.

Comprising several small halls and one large hall (the Groenoordhal), the Groenoordhallen (Groenoord Halls) building was quickly put to effective use. In addition to its main purpose, it was also regularly used for sports meetings, television broadcasts and music concerts by bands such as Genesis, U2, The Police, Dire Straits, Iron Maiden, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Metallica, Santana, Kiss, The Osmonds and Backstreet Boys, among other events.

However, following the FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease) crisis of 2001, the cattle market was no longer viable and finally closed its doors in 2005. Following some renovation work, the hall was reopened and hosted many national and international trade fairs, exams, product presentations, conferences, parties, concerts and other events including Disney on Ice and paranormal shows.

In 2006, the Groenoordhal played host to tennis. A Davis Cup promotion / relegation match between the Netherlands and the Czech Republic was held there, with the Netherlands losing 1-4 and being relegated. However, despite all its uses, it was decided that the hall had run its course by the middle of 2009, and in order to make way for homes and business premises, the Groenoordhallen building was to be demolished.

The demolition was postponed until mid-2010 and then the work finally started, after which only the tower and part of Escher Groenoord Plaza remained.

The Rehearsals

Zeskamp dress rehearsals generally commenced at midday on the day of recording. By this third heat, the Franeker team were getting wise to how to approach them: they would intentionally under-perform on the games and watch closely how other teams tackled them. In this instance, they scored only a handful of points and, as in the dress rehearsals of previous heats, finished in the lower placings - they were aiming to finish 7th, 8th or 9th of the nine teams. As part of a report on this programme in the Leeuwarder Courant newspaper, the thinking behind their approach was not to bother about achieving a good result in rehearsals, instead using them to work out the best tactics and technical approach based on the performances of others. Above all, this strategy was designed to improve the team's mental attitude and encourage them to reach their peak physical performance at the time when it mattered the most - during the actual recording in the evening!

Additional Information

Due to a tie on aggregate points between the teams of Bladel and Zelhem, it was not possible to eliminate three teams as planned after Round 1. The teams from Emmeloord and Veendam finished in a joint 8th place with 76 amassed league table points and were therefore automatically excluded from Round 2. The teams of Bladel and Zelhem were tied on 88 points each, thus presenting the Zeskamp organisers with a problem. Their solution was to stage an additional event - entitled Zeskamp Extra - which took place on Saturday 8th January 1972 at two locations, one in Bladel, one in Zelhem - with the contest being filmed for delayed broadcast on Friday 21st January 1972 between 7.05 and 7.30pm. The winner of this event would continue into Round 2, while the loser would qualify for Jeux Sans Frontières as the highest-scoring eliminated team.

After contesting this event, Veendam team member Bé Blauww returned to the parking lot outside the Groenoordhal to find that his Fiat 850 car, registration number 13-34 AU, had been stolen. Mr. Blauww - a teacher by profession - also lost his wedding photographs in the theft as they had been inside the car at the time. He had been one of the few Veendam competitors not to travel to Leiden on the team bus, as he chose to celebrate Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas Day) with his school children on the Friday afternoon and then drive to Leiden in his own car.

Made in Colour • This programme may exist in Dutch archives

NL

Zeskamp 1971-1972

Zeskamp Extra

Event Staged: Saturday 8th January 1972
Venue: Terrein van Openluchtzwembaden Obbinkmark (Grounds of Obbinkmark
Open Air Swimming Baths), Priesterinkdijk, Zelhem, Gelderland, Netherlands and
Marktplein (Market Square), Bladel, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
Nederland 1 (NL): Friday 21st January 1972, 7.05-7.30pm

Weather Conditions:
Overcast and Cold (Zelhem)
Overcast and Cold with Rain Showers (Bladel)

Teams: Bladel v. Zelhem

Team Members included:
Bladel - Leo Schoots (Team Captain, non-playing), Leo van Avendonk, Wim Bohncke, Frans Brecheisen, Ivon Brecheisen, Marietje Couwenberg, Jan van Elswijk, Jan van Gompel, Liesbeth Hermans, Tonnie Jansen, Harry Keizers, Alda van Korven, Cees Penson, Jenny Schoots, Coby Smets, Jan Tielemans, Kees Tielemans, Peter Tielemans, Henk Tijssen, Sjan van der Wijst;
Zelhem - A.M. ter Wal (Team Coach), Cees Lugtenaar (Team Captain, non-playing).

Games: The Ski Slalom, The Human Caterpillar, Push the Jeep (all played in both locations over two rounds).

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

1st
2nd

 Z • Zelhem ● ●
 B • Bladel ●

6
3

As the highest-scoring eliminated team, Bladel qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Delft, Netherlands: staged on Wednesday 16th August 1972

The Host Towns

Zelhem, Gelderland

Zelhem is a town with a population of around 11,000 inhabitants in the province of Gelderland and is located 129km (80 miles) east of Rotterdam.

Zelhem is more than 1,200 years old with its modern name originating from Salehem. (Sale meaning 'house' and heim meaning 'place where people are home'. This name was given to the village when a chapel was built and a gift-document was presented to the inhabitants. The founder of this chapel was a passionate preacher called Liudger (742-809).

The town has a myth of 'Smoks Hanne' who lived in Zelhem. Legend has it that she got the name because she shuffled around (smocked) on clogs that were far too big for her. She was a herbalist, who probably also had supernatural gifts, such as clairvoyance, and a power to heal people and animals. Many people came to her for advice and help. At midnight she once flew over the village and lost a clog which pierced right through the spire of the church tower. Statues of her appear all over the town portraying her as a good witch flying on a broom wearing just one clog (on her left foot) and the broom she's flying on is backwards. When the town celebrated its 1200th anniversary, the theme was all about her!

An old tradition in Zelhem is that the porridge bell is sounded at 9pm every evening. The bell used to be rung in the evening to announce the closing of the city gate. This was the sign for the people who worked on the land that the day's work was done. As soon as the porridge bell rang, people went home to eat a plate of warm porridge, and hence the name.

Bladel, Noord-Brabant

Bladel is a town with a population of around 20,000 inhabitants in the province of Noord-Brabant and is located 80km (50 miles) south-east of Rotterdam.

Despite its size, Bladel has several points of interest. One is a memorial to Flemish writer and journalist Augustinus Snieders (1825-1904) who was born in the town. He started his career as a typesetter, first in 's-Hertogenbosch and later in Antwerpen in Belgium, where he became editor of Het Handelsblad in 1845. In 1849, he was promoted to editor-in-chief, a position he held for 50 years until his retirement in 1899 at the age of 74. Under his management, Het Handelsblad became one of the most important Flemish newspapers and he himself became a leading journalist. His brother Renier Snieders (1812-1888) also gained fame as a literary scholar.

Behind the Town Hall is one of the strangest statues ever created. Sculptured in bronze, it depicts Maria ‘Mie’ Moors (1872-1965), a woman who sold roosters and lived in Eersel (located south-east of Bladel). She was one of the most distinctive people in her village, an active and intelligent woman with a strong personality. She married five times - the first occasion was in 1897, and the last in 1939. She was married to her fifth husband for over 25 years. Mie was a merchant who traded eggs, chickens, rabbits and young goats. She would walk on foot through De Kempen, a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-eastern Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands, in order to sell her wares.

The Visiting Towns

Bladel is located 105km (65 miles) south-west of Zelhem.

Zelhem is located 105km (65 miles) north-east of Bladel.

The Venues

Terrein van Openluchtzwembaden Obbinkmark

The games in the early morning session were played on the grassed leisure areas of the heated Obbinkmark swimming pool located to the east of the town at Priesterinkdijk. It was a beautiful leisure destination comprising a 50-metre competition pool with diving boards, a family and toddler pool, play equipment, a canteen with terraces and a sunbathing area. The inhabitants of Zelhem themselves had contributed to the construction of the pool in the early 1970s.

In 1990, the pool was closed to make way for a new cultural centre and new indoor swimming pool and fitness centre complex 'de Brink' to be built in the town at Stationsplein. The then Commissioner of the Queen in Gelderland, Dr. Jan Terlouw, came to Zelhem to perform the official opening of 'de Brink'.

The Obbinkmark pool was left to deteriorate into ruin and was finally demolished in the early 2000s. Aerial imagery from 2019 revealed that more than a decade later the former location of the pool and its surrounding grounds were still waiting to be redeveloped.

Marktplein

The games in the afternoon session were played on the Marktplein in the centre of Bladel. The square was home to several cafés and coffee houses in addition to the Town Hall built in the 1964 along with its distinctive 23m (75ft 6in) high clock tower.

Today, the market square is completely different from how it looked at the time of the Zeskamp filming back in 1972. Virtually all the buildings on three of its four sides have been replaced and the old Town Hall has greatly expanded, with a new modern red-brick extension now obscuring both the 1964 council offices and most of the clock tower when viewed from the market square.

In 2010 and 2018, the market and the adjacent catering buildings were all renewed. This has significantly improved the appearance of the market. The renovation, together with the redesign of the Sniederslaan and a new destination for the Posthof, is part of a multi-year plan to renew the centre of Bladel.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

All three games were played over two heats, with the first heat of each taking place in Zelhem and the second heat following later in the day in Bladel. The first rounds of all three games were completed in Zelhem first, with the times - and in the case of ‘Push the Jeep’ game, distances - attained being recorded on a chalkboard, with no points being awarded at the Zelhem venue. It was only during the afternoon heat at Bladel, after the second heats of each of the games had been played, that the aggregated times / distances determined the results and game points to be awarded.

Game 1, Round 1 - The Ski Slalom

The first game of the morning session in Zelhem - ‘The Ski Slalom’, Round 1 - was played in unison and featured a 50m (164ft) straight slalom course and eight competitors (four males and four females) from each team on sets of long skis. On the whistle, the four males on one set of skis and the females on the other, had to get into rhythm and walk down the course. After 10m (32ft 9¾in) of travel, the competitors then had to zigzag their way around ten ski slalom poles and, once these had been negotiated, then had travel a further 10m to cross the finish line. The times for the two quartets of competitors (male and female) to complete the course would be added together to give aggregate times. These totals would be recorded for use at the awarding of points later in the day.

From the outset, it was obvious that Zelhem would dominate this straightforward game with both of their quartets storming ahead. The males completed the course without mishap in 31.9 seconds followed by their female quartet in 39.4 seconds, giving them an aggregate time of 1 minute 11.3 seconds. Contemporaneously, the Bladel male quartet were having a torrid time back at the start of the course and appeared to be unable to get into synchronisation with each other. The female quartet, despite being slower at the start, overtook their male team-mates and finished the course in 47 seconds. Having remedied their footwork, the Bladel males completed the course in 56.5 seconds, giving the team an aggregate time of 1 minute 43.5 seconds.

Game 2, Round 1 - The Human Caterpillar

The second and penultimate game of the morning session in Zelhem - ‘The Human Caterpillar’, Round 1 - was played in unison and featured ten competitors (five males and five females) armed with eight large rubber balls and ten normal-sized footballs. Before the start, the competitors had to line up behind each other and place one of the large balls between each person. The second to tenth competitors then had to press forward whilst the lead competitor pressed backwards to ensure the balls remained in place. The ten smaller balls then had to be held individually above the heads of each of the competitors. On the whistle, the teams had to make their way down a straight 50m (164ft) course whilst ensuring that the balls between their bodies did not fall to the ground and that the other balls were held above their heads at all times. At the end the course, the teams had to traverse a pole and turn around for the return journey which involved passing underneath a 1.5m (4ft 11in) high hurdle. If any of the balls between the competitors came adrift or any balls were dropped from their hands, the team had to stop and recompose themselves before continuing. The teams could decide the order in which the competitors stood in line. The finishing times of each team would again be recorded for later use.

As was the case in the first game, Zelhem set off at a cracking pace, making this straightforward game look easy and completed the return journey without mishap in 1 minute 01.8 seconds. Bladel, on the other hand, made heavy weather of the game and suffered several mishaps before and during the turn around. Despite this, the team persevered and completed the game in 1 minute 13 seconds.

Game 3, Round 1 - Push the Jeep

The third and final game which concluded the morning session in Zelhem - ‘Push the Jeep’, Round 1 - was played individually over three rounds and featured two males from each team and a Jeep (registration number KP-94-46) with a female competitor sitting in the driving seat and its brakes disengaged. The female would not perform an active role in the game other than to ensure that the vehicle remained on a straight course and did not career into the watching spectators who were no more than 1m (3ft 3¼in) from the side of the Jeep. On the whistle, the competitors had to set the vehicle in motion by hand from a stationary position by pushing and pulling at the rear of the vehicle from behind a line of hay bales. Once the competitors decided that the vehicle had the required movement, they both had to give one final push forward and then release their hold - being careful to remain in physical contact with the hay bales at the point of release - thereby setting the vehicle in motion. The distance travelled by the vehicle would be measured and be the target for the other team to emulate. After the first essay (and to provide some amusement for the watching crowd), a podium with a small clay statue of a gnome would be placed in front of the vehicle at the exact distance travelled. Any greater distance achieved subsequently would knock both the podium and statue to the ground. The vehicle would then be returned to the start for the next team to compete. The greatest of the three distances measured by each team would be recorded for later use.

The first two attempts at this strength-draining game saw Bladel participating first and setting the benchmark followed by Zelhem who emulated their distance and set a new target length.

The second two attempts saw Bladel unable to beat the new target followed by Zelhem increasing the target length even further.

The third attempt by Bladel is missing from the archive film but it is apparent that they had beaten the distance set by Zelhem and increased it to 7.73m (25ft 4½in). The third essay by Zelhem was also to prove fruitful after they increased the distance travelled by the Jeep to 7.82m (25ft 8in).

Game 1, Round 2 - The Ski Slalom

The first game of the afternoon session in Bladel - ‘The Ski Slalom’, Round 2 - was an exact copy of the one played earlier in the day, but instead of being staged on grass, it was executed on the cobbled stones of the market place.

From the outset, it appeared that the Bladel team had learned a great deal from their performance in Zelhem with their female quartet storming the game and crossing the finish line in 32 seconds. Not to be outdone, the four females from Zelhem also put up a good show and crossed the line in 33.6 seconds. The two male quartets, despite experiencing mishaps and having their own personal battle back down the course, they both put on a late spurt and crossed the line within 1/10 second of each other, with Zelhem having the edge in 40.3 seconds followed by Bladel in 40.4 seconds.

The total time taken by Bladel in this session was confirmed as 1 minute 12.4 seconds and the Zelhem time as 1 minute 13.9 seconds.

The morning times were then added to these to give aggregates. The total time for Zelhem was confirmed as 2 minutes 25.2 seconds (1 minute 11.3 seconds (morning) + 1 minute 13.9 seconds) whilst the aggregate for Bladel was 2 minutes 55.9 seconds (1 minute 43.5 seconds (morning) + 1 minute 12.4 seconds).

Game 2, Round 2 - The Human Caterpillar

The second and penultimate game of the afternoon session in Bladel - ‘The Human Caterpillar’, Round 2 - was also an exact copy of the one played earlier in Zelhem.

In the Bladel market square, the two teams await the start of the game

From the outset, this was a very close run race on the outward journey but then Bladel put on a spurt of confidence and sped ahead, finishing the course in 45.5 seconds followed by Zelhem in 51.7 seconds.

The morning times were then added to these to give aggregates. The total time for Zelhem was confirmed as 1 minute 53.5 seconds (1 minute 01.8 seconds (morning) + 51.7 seconds) whilst the aggregate for Bladel was 1 minutes 58.5 seconds (1 minute 13 seconds (morning) + 45.5 seconds).

Game 3, Round 2 - Push the Jeep

The third and final game which concluded the afternoon session in Bladel - ‘Push the Jeep’, Round 2 - was an exact copy to that played in Zelhem earlier but with a different Jeep (registration KP-59-97). The opening target was set 7.82m (25ft 8in), that being the target set by Zelhem at the end of the morning session.

Although only one of the three attempts by either team survive in the film archive, it is known from the existing material that Bladel were able to push the vehicle to a distance of 9.77m (32ft ½in) and Zelhem to a distance of 10.15m (33ft 3½in).

The morning distances achieved were added to these to give aggregates. The total distance for Zelhem was 17.97m (7.82m (morning) + 10.15m) or 57ft 8½in whilst the total distance achieved by Bladel was 17.5m (7.73m (morning) + 9.77m) or 57ft 5in.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

The film unit captures the event for posterity in the Bladel market square

Zeskamp Extra is something of an oddity in Jeux Sans Frontières-related programming in that it was made entirely on film. Ordinarily, Zeskamp and other similar National Domestic and International programmes of its type were recorded on videotape by Outside Broadcast units which would transmit video signals back to the broadcaster who it would be transmit it live or record it on videotape for later screening. For Zeskamp Extra it seems that either the Outside Broadcast units were busy with other productions (quite possible as Zeskamp Extra was a late addition to the NCRV schedules), or that the logistics of recording at two separate venues in different towns made the use of a small, mobile 16mm film unit with lightweight cameras a more sensible choice. For Zeskamp Extra, which was edited together in post-production much as a feature film would be, it is clear that at least two 16mm cameras were filming at Zelhem and Bladel. The sound was recorded in-camera and also separately on reel-to-reel audiotape as a back-up should there have been an error with either recording.

Additional Information

This programme was added to the NCRV Nederland 1 broadcast schedule to act as a tie-break decider between the two teams - Bladel and Zelhem - that had finished in joint 6th place in the Round 1 League Table. One had to be eliminated and one had to continue into Round 2 and this additional contest was considered the fairest way in which to resolve the deadlock between the teams. Other Jeux Sans Frontières-related tie-breakers generally took the form of a single head-to-head game or even in extreme cases the toss of a coin, so this idea to stage a mini-Zeskamp does indeed seem to be an extraordinarily equitable arrangement. A similar hastily-organised tie-break competition had been staged in similar circumstances by the BBC in Great Britain during the 1968 season of It's A Knockout.

On the evening of Friday 7th January 1972, the Bladel team arrived at the Totenbulten bungalow park in Zelhem. They spent the night at the bungalow park in order to be able to start their decider match the following day in good condition. Zeskamp Extra was unusual in that it was staged in the open air, something not seen in Zeskamp since its first series in 1968, when it was contested by teams from Belgium and the Netherlands in town market squares and other outdoor venues. It was also unusual in that - in common with the first two series of Jeux Sans Frontières in 1965 and 1966 - it was staged in two locations, one in each team's home town. Filming at these locations was completed within a single day - on Saturday 8th January - with the games in Zelhem played in the morning and those in Bladel in the afternoon. This necessitated a journey of approximately 105km (65 miles) being made in between the two games sessions by the Zeskamp teams, presenters and crew. Of course, staging a Zeskamp outdoors in January in northern Europe was a brave decision that required members of the production and presentation team as well as spectators to wrap up warmly and turn out in warm coats, scarves, bobble hats and such like. Of course, the competitors didn't have that luxury...

Made in Colour • This programme exists in Dutch Archives

NL

Zeskamp 1971-1972

Round 2, Heat 1

Event Staged: Saturday 29th January 1972
Venue: Martinihal (Martini Hall), Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
Nederland 1 (NL): Saturday 29th January 1972, 8.21-9.35pm (Live)

Weather Conditions: Not applicable as event was staged indoors

Teams: Franeker v. IJsselstein v. Lisse v.
Ridderkerk v. Venray v. Zelhem

Team Members included:
Franeker - Rein Stoelwinder (Team Coach), Rein War (Team Captain, non--playing), Jan Bergmans, Age de Boer, Genne de Boer, Anneke Boonstra-van Langen, Henk Brijker, Piet van Dijk, Siepe Dijkstra, Geert Dilstra, Nynke Faber, Murk de Jong, Tjerkje de Jong-van der Veen, Sietse Koolstra, Jannie Meijer-Vierstra, Joke Plantinga, Rinske van der Molen, Klaas van der Ploeg, Bert Sietsma, Sjoerd Talsma, Tjibbe van der Veer, Bettie Venema-Dijkstra, Mrs Christien Vijver-Heijen, Minke van der Werf-van der Meulen;
Lisse - J. Osephius (Team Manager), Kees Knetsch (Co-Team Coach), G. Kooreman (Co-Team Coach), P. van der Meer (Co-Team Coach), Fred Timmer (Team Captain), Ank van der Berg, Paul Boon, Wil Duivenvoorde, Jan Eichhorn, Rien Faas, Wilmy Hazelaar, Marjolein Heuseveld, Hans Hoogervorst, John van der Horst, Annemarie Kieviet, Lia Kortekaas, Marga Kortekaas, Peter Kortekaas, Piet Langelaan, Harry van Leecq, Ko van Leeuwen, Ria van Leeuwen, Frans Prins, Fred Prins, Hennie Randsdorp, Truus Randsdorp, John Remkes, Bas Rooyakkers, Michael Roux, Marian Snaar, Joke Tjoelker, Martien Tjoelker, Meindert Tjoelker, Ria Verdoes, Gerrit Verhaar, Alie Zuiderduin, Herman Zuiderduin;
Ridderkerk - Kees Bisdom (Co-Team Coach), Floor Oliver (Co-Team Coach), Aad de Zeeuw (Team Captain, non-playing), Liesbeth de Boef, Karel Borkes, Henk de Frise, Klasske van der Heide, Kees Langendijk, Anja Puister, Henk Vormlar;
Venray - Tino Zandbergen (Team Coach), Wim Willemsen (Team Captain, non-playing), Jan Bastiaans, Sraar Bastiaans, Luc Beterams, Hans Bosch, Tonnie Coenen-van Zwol, Martien Custers, Truus van Dijck, Dorien Hendrix, Edu Hout, Annie Jans-Beken, Sraar Jans-Beken, Thea Jaspers, Jos Josten, Tannie van de Kreeke, Wim Loonen, Lia Lucassen, Jan de Massen, Tineke Pleket, Adrie van Stokkum, Piet Theuws, Jan Thomassen, Nelly Vergeldt, Gemma Vorst;
Zelhem - A.M. ter Wal (Team Coach), Cees Lugtenaar (Team Captain, non-playing).

Games included: The Mini-Bikes, Grand Prix Rallycross, The Balance Beam, Rapid Walking.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

League

Aggregate

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 IJ • IJsselstein ●
 R • Ridderkerk
 V • Venray
 Z • Zelhem
 F • Franeker
 L • Lisse

26

24
23.5
22
16
14

26
24
23.5
22
16
14

The Host Town

Groningen, Groningen

Previously visited in Round 1, Heat 2.

The Visiting Towns

All teams had previously competed at this location and venue in Round 1, Heat 2.

The Venue

Martinihal

Previously visited in Round 1, Heat 2.

Looks Familiar?

The mini-bikes utilised in this game would resurface and be used again at the Dutch International staged in Arnhem’s market square in 1973.

Additional Information

During the planning, production and staging of this event a documentary programme, Zeskamp Achter de Schermen (Zeskamp - Behind the Scenes) was being filmed. It looked into all aspects of making a Zeskamp show and still survives in Dutch archives - which is more than can be said of the programme itself!

Made in Colour • This programme may exist in Dutch archives
(though sections survive in the documentary Zeskamp Achter de Schermen)

NL

Zeskamp 1971-1972

Round 2, Heat 2

Event Staged: Saturday 26th February 1972
Venue: Rijnhal (Rhine Hall), Elden, Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
Nederland 1 (NL): Saturday 26th February 1972, 8.21-9.35pm (Live)

Weather Conditions: Not applicable as event was staged indoors

Teams: Franeker v. IJsselstein v. Lisse v.
Ridderkerk v. Venray v. Zelhem

Team Members included:
Franeker - Rein Stoelwinder (Team Coach), Rein War (Team Captain, non--playing), Jan Bergmans, Age de Boer, Genne de Boer, Anneke Boonstra-van Langen, Henk Brijker, Piet van Dijk, Siepe Dijkstra, Geert Dilstra, Nynke Faber, Murk de Jong, Tjerkje de Jong-van der Veen, Sietse Koolstra, Jannie Meijer-Vierstra, Joke Plantinga, Rinske van der Molen, Klaas van der Ploeg, Bert Sietsma, Sjoerd Talsma, Tjibbe van der Veer, Bettie Venema-Dijkstra, Mrs Christien Vijver-Heijen, Minke van der Werf-van der Meulen;
Lisse - J. Osephius (Team Manager), Kees Knetsch (Co-Team Coach), G. Kooreman (Co-Team Coach), P. van der Meer (Co-Team Coach), Fred Timmer (Team Captain), Ank van der Berg, Paul Boon, Wil Duivenvoorde, Jan Eichhorn, Rien Faas, Wilmy Hazelaar, Marjolein Heuseveld, Hans Hoogervorst, John van der Horst, Annemarie Kieviet, Lia Kortekaas, Marga Kortekaas, Peter Kortekaas, Piet Langelaan, Harry van Leecq, Ko van Leeuwen, Ria van Leeuwen, Frans Prins, Fred Prins, Hennie Randsdorp, Truus Randsdorp, John Remkes, Bas Rooyakkers, Michael Roux, Marian Snaar, Joke Tjoelker, Martien Tjoelker, Meindert Tjoelker, Ria Verdoes, Gerrit Verhaar, Alie Zuiderduin, Herman Zuiderduin;
Ridderkerk - Kees Bisdom (Co-Team Coach), Floor Oliver (Co-Team Coach), Aad de Zeeuw (Team Captain, non-playing), Liesbeth de Boef, Karel Borkes, Henk de Frise, Klasske van der Heide, Kees Langendijk, Anja Puister, Henk Vormlar;
Venray - Tino Zandbergen (Team Coach), Wim Willemsen (Team Captain, non-playing), Jan Bastiaans, Sraar Bastiaans, Luc Beterams, Hans Bosch, Tonnie Coenen-van Zwol, Martien Custers, Truus van Dijck, Dorien Hendrix, Edu Hout, Annie Jans-Beken, Sraar Jans-Beken, Thea Jaspers, Jos Josten, Tannie van de Kreeke, Wim Loonen, Lia Lucassen, Jan de Massen, Tineke Pleket, Adrie van Stokkum, Piet Theuws, Jan Thomassen, Nelly Vergeldt, Gemma Vorst;
Zelhem - A.M. ter Wal (Team Coach), Cees Lugtenaar (Team Captain, non-playing).

Games: The Steeplechase, The Canoe Race, Battling the Boxer, The Commentators' Race, Grand Prix Rallycross, The Tandem Race.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

League

Aggregate

1st
2nd
3rd
3rd
3rd
6th

 V • Venray ●
 IJ • IJsselstein
 F • Franeker
 L • Lisse
 R • Ridderkerk
 Z • Zelhem

27

23
20
20
20
18

50.5
49
36
34
44
40

The Host Town

Arnhem, Gelderland

Arnhem is a city with a population of around 150,000 inhabitants in the province of Gelderland. It straddles the Nederrijn river and is located 56km (35 miles) west of Winterswijk, 61km (38 miles) south of Zwolle, 88km (55 miles) north of Roermond and 98km (61 miles) east of Rotterdam.

The earliest settlement in Arnhem dates from around 1500 BC, with some traces of settlement in the inner city dating from around 700 BC. Though the early tracks of settlements did show that the early residents of Arnhem descended from the forests on the hills, Arnhem was not built on the banks of the river Rhine, but a little higher along the Sint-Jansbeek stream which today flows down from the hills of Zijpendaal through the Sonsbeek park and then into the river. Arnhem arose on the location where the road between Nijmegen and Utrecht / Zutphen split. Seven streams provided the city with water, and only when the flow of the Rhine was changed in 1530, was the city located on the river.

Arnhem was first mentioned as such in 893 AD as Arneym or Arentheym. In 1233, Count Otto II of Guelders from Zutphen, conferred city rights on the town, which until then had belonged to Prüm abbey. The city entered the Hanseatic League in 1443 and joined the Union of Utrecht during the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) in 1579. After its capture from the Spanish forces by Dutch and English troops in 1585, the city became part of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands.

In the 19th century, Arnhem was a genteel resort town famous for its picturesque beauty. It was known as ‘het Haagje van het oosten’ (The little Hague of the East), mainly because a number of rich former sugar barons or planters from the Indies settled there, as they did in Den Haag.

The city’s main claim to fame occurred in Second World War (1939-1945), during Operation Market Garden (September 1944). The British 1st Airborne Division, under the command of Major-General Roy Urquhart (1901-1988), and the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade were given the task of securing the bridge over the Nederrijn. Glider infantry and paratrooper units were landed into the area from 17th September. The bulk of the force was dropped rather far from the bridge and never met their objective. A small element of the British 1st Airborne, the 2nd Parachute Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel John D. Frost (1912-1993), managed to make its way as far as the bridge but was unable to secure both sides. The British troops encountered stiff resistance from the German 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions, which had been stationed in and around the city. The British force at the bridge eventually ran out of ammunition and was captured on 21st September, and a full withdrawal of the remaining forces was made on 26th September. A second battle of Arnhem took place in April 1945 when the city was finally liberated on the 16th April by the British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division fighting as part of the First Canadian Army.

The events of the above conflict were graphically dramatized in the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far, directed by Richard Attenborough (1923-2014) and featured a plethora of famous actors including Dirk Bogarde (1921-1999), James Caan (1940-2022), Michael Caine, Sean Connery (1930-2020), Edward Fox, Elliott Gould, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier (1907-1989), Ryan O'Neal, Robert Redford and Maximilian Schell (1930-2014). However, as the area around Arnhem bridge had changed too much to represent WWII-era Arnhem, the scenes were filmed in Deventer, located 36km (23 miles) to the north-east, where a similar bridge over the IJssel river was available. As a tribute for his efforts, the rebuilt Arnhem bridge was renamed 'John Frost Bridge', in honour of the commander of the paratroopers.

The main tourist attraction is the 93m (305ft 1½in) high Grote Kerk (or St. Eusebius Church) which stands at the northern end of the Markt. Built between 1452 and 1560, it is the largest church, and the largest building in Arnhem. The church was extensively damaged and completely burnt out during the Second World War (1939-1945) British-German battle resulting from Operation Market Garden in 1944. Later the tower, weakened by the fire, collapsed entirely. However, following a renovation programme overseen by the Dutch architect Berend Tobia Boeyinga, the church was restored and part of it was reconstructed to a modern design and opened in 1964. Officially the tower is not part of the church and is owned by the municipality. Notably the building contains an elevator that was added to the church in 1994, which allows visitors to travel to the top of the spire and view the city of Arnhem from its highest point. More intriguing perhaps, visitors can also enter the crypt at the rear of the church which contains a number of full skeletons lying in state, in the darkness of the church's crypt.

The Visiting Towns

Franeker is located 136km (85 miles) north of Arnhem.

IJsselstein is located 59km (37 miles) west of Arnhem.

Lisse is located 98km (61 miles) north-west of Arnhem.

Ridderkerk is located 90km (56 miles) west of Arnhem.

Venray is located 50km (31 miles) south of Arnhem.

Zelhem is located 30km (19 miles) east of Arnhem.

The Venue

Rijnhal, Arnhem

The games were played at the Rijnhal which was a 5,000-capacity multi-purpose indoor arena whose floor could also be utilised as an ice-skating rink during the winter months. It was located on the opposite side of the river to the city in the suburb of Elden, adjacent to the GelreDome and the Kronenburg Shopping Centre. Opened in 1972, it was primarily used as a sports centre and had facilities for show-jumping, soccer, martial arts and tennis.

By the end of the 1970s, the hall began being utilised for concert and events. In 1978, English rock band Genesis played in the hall as part of their ‘...And then there were three’ tour. Over the years of its operation, musical legends AC / DC, Dire Straits, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Joe Jackson, Fats Domino (1928-2017), Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022), James Last (1929-2015), Julio Iglesias, Lenny Kravitz, Sting, Gloria Estefan and even illusionist David Copperfield all performed at the Rijnhal. In addition to this, a number of annual events took place, such as flea and Christmas markets, fairs and business contact days.

However, although it had 8,000m² (86,111ft2) of floor space, the Rijnhal soon became too small for the increasing number of fans attending major pop concerts, and these began being staged at the adjacent Gelredome football stadium, home of football club Vitesse Arnhem. Opened on 25th March 1998, it features a retractable roof, as well as a convertible pitch, that can also be retracted. It has a maximum capacity of 34,000 people for sports events or 41,000 during concerts.

The Rijnhal Foundation went bankrupt at the end of 2011 and the hall was used for just local flea markets. On 1st June 2015, the Rijnhal finally closed. Since 2016, the building has been owned by sports and leisure outlet Decathlon, but Belgian media company Euroscoop has plans to purchase the site for the construction of a mega-cinema.

Looks Familiar?

The third game - 'Battling the Boxer' - was very similar to a game played in Heat 7 of the 1979 Jeux Sans Frontières series at St. Albans, Great Britain.

Made in Colour • This programme may exist in Dutch archives

NL

Zeskamp 1971-1972

Round 2, Heat 3

Event Staged: Saturday 25th March 1972
Venue: Groenoordhal (Groenoord Hall), Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
Nederland 1 (NL): Saturday 25th March 1972, 8.21-9.30pm (Live)

Weather Conditions: Not applicable as event was staged indoors

Teams: Franeker v. IJsselstein v. Lisse v.
Ridderkerk v. Venray v. Zelhem

Team Members included:
Franeker - Rein Stoelwinder (Team Coach), Rein War (Team Captain, non--playing), Jan Bergmans, Age de Boer, Genne de Boer, Anneke Boonstra-van Langen, Henk Brijker, Piet van Dijk, Siepe Dijkstra, Geert Dilstra, Nynke Faber, Murk de Jong, Tjerkje de Jong-van der Veen, Sietse Koolstra, Jannie Meijer-Vierstra, Joke Plantinga, Rinske van der Molen, Klaas van der Ploeg, Bert Sietsma, Sjoerd Talsma, Tjibbe van der Veer, Bettie Venema-Dijkstra, Mrs Christien Vijver-Heijen, Minke van der Werf-van der Meulen;
Lisse - J. Osephius (Team Manager), Kees Knetsch (Co-Team Coach), G. Kooreman (Co-Team Coach), P. van der Meer (Co-Team Coach), Fred Timmer (Team Captain), Ank van der Berg, Paul Boon, Wil Duivenvoorde, Jan Eichhorn, Rien Faas, Wilmy Hazelaar, Marjolein Heuseveld, Hans Hoogervorst, John van der Horst, Annemarie Kieviet, Lia Kortekaas, Marga Kortekaas, Peter Kortekaas, Piet Langelaan, Harry van Leecq, Ko van Leeuwen, Ria van Leeuwen, Frans Prins, Fred Prins, Hennie Randsdorp, Truus Randsdorp, John Remkes, Bas Rooyakkers, Michael Roux, Marian Snaar, Joke Tjoelker, Martien Tjoelker, Meindert Tjoelker, Ria Verdoes, Gerrit Verhaar, Alie Zuiderduin, Herman Zuiderduin;
Ridderkerk - Kees Bisdom (Co-Team Coach), Floor Oliver (Co-Team Coach), Aad de Zeeuw (Team Captain, non-playing), Liesbeth de Boef, Karel Borkes, Henk de Frise, Klasske van der Heide, Kees Langendijk, Anja Puister, Henk Vormlar;
Venray - Tino Zandbergen (Team Coach), Wim Willemsen (Team Captain, non-playing), Jan Bastiaans, Sraar Bastiaans, Luc Beterams, Hans Bosch, Tonnie Coenen-van Zwol, Martien Custers, Truus van Dijck, Dorien Hendrix, Edu Hout, Annie Jans-Beken, Sraar Jans-Beken, Thea Jaspers, Jos Josten, Tannie van de Kreeke, Wim Loonen, Lia Lucassen, Jan de Massen, Tineke Pleket, Adrie van Stokkum, Piet Theuws, Jan Thomassen, Nelly Vergeldt, Gemma Vorst;
Zelhem - A.M. ter Wal (Team Coach), Cees Lugtenaar (Team Captain, non-playing).

Games included: Grand Prix Rallycross, The Racing Bike Jump, The Roller Skiers, Rope Climbing, The Olympic Rings.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

League Aggregate

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 V • Venray ● ●
 R • Ridderkerk ●
 IJ • IJsselstein ● ●
 Z • Zelhem ●
 F • Franeker ● ●
 L • Lisse ●

28

24
23
18
17
16

78.5

68
72
58
53
50

Franeker qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Spa, Belgium:
staged on Tuesday 23rd May 1972

IJsselstein qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Bern, Switzerland:
staged on Wednesday 7th June 1972

Lisse qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Sheffield, Great Britain:
staged on Wednesday 2nd August 1972

Ridderkerk qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Westerland (Sylt), West Germany:
staged on Tuesday 20th June 1972

Venray qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Codroipo, Italy:
staged on Wednesday 5th July 1972

Zelhem qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Nice, France:
staged on Wednesday 19th July 1972

The Host Town

Leiden, Zuid-Holland

Previously visited in Round 1, Heat 3.

The Visiting Towns

All teams had previously competed at this location and venue in Round 1, Heat 3.

The Venue

Groenoordhal

Previously visited in Round 1, Heat 3.

Made in Colour • This programme may exist in Dutch archives

NL

Zeskamp 1971-1972

Domestic Final

Event Staged: Saturday 22nd April 1972
Venue: Sportpaleis 'Ahoy' (Sports Palace 'Ahoy'), Zuidwijk,
Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
Nederland 1 (NL): Saturday 22nd April 1972, 8.21-9.35pm (Live)

Weather Conditions: Not applicable as event was staged indoors

Teams): IJsselstein v. Ridderkerk v. Venray

Team Members included:
Ridderkerk - Kees Bisdom (Co-Team Coach), Floor Oliver (Co-Team Coach), Aad de Zeeuw (Team Captain, non-playing), Liesbeth de Boef, Karel Borkes, Henk de Frise, Klasske van der Heide, Kees Langendijk, Anja Puister, Henk Vormlar;
Venray - Tino Zandbergen (Team Coach), Wim Willemsen (Team Captain, non-playing), Jan Bastiaans, Sraar Bastiaans, Luc Beterams, Hans Bosch, Tonnie Coenen-van Zwol, Martien Custers, Truus van Dijck, Dorien Hendrix, Edu Hout, Annie Jans-Beken, Sraar Jans-Beken, Thea Jaspers, Jos Josten, Tannie van de Kreeke, Wim Loonen, Lia Lucassen, Jan de Massen, Tineke Pleket, Adrie van Stokkum, Piet Theuws, Jan Thomassen, Nelly Vergeldt, Gemma Vorst.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 V • Venray ●
 R • Ridderkerk ●
 IJ • IJsselstein ●

22
19.5
18.5

The Host Town

Zuidwijk, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland

Previously visited in Round 1, Heat 1.

The Visiting Towns

All teams had previously competed at this location and venue in Round 1, Heat 1.

The Venue

Sportpaleis 'Ahoy'

Previously visited in Round 1, Heat 1.

Reunions

Venray

On Tuesday 16th August 2016, members of Dutch team Venray met for a reunion to celebrate their 45th anniversary of participation, organised by local radio station Omroep. The date of their reunion commemorated their first appearance in Dutch Domestic series Zeskamp in 1971 (for the 1972 series of Jeux Sans Frontières).

In the media coverage of the reunion it came to light that the Venray team had been informed on Saturday 17th July 1971 that they had been chosen to participate in the series.

Additional Information

This Domestic Final was attended by members of all nine teams, with those from the six eliminated teams present as spectators. After the contest, all were invited to a big party to celebrate the successful conclusion of Zeskamp 1971-1972.

Made in Colour • This programme does not exist in Dutch television archives
(a copy however resides in the Venray archives)