Feyenoord legend of 60 years hailed by fans on 91st birthday | OneFootball

Gerard Meijer never scored a goal in a Feyenoord shirt.

But he is among the greatest legends of the third-most successful club in the Netherlands.

He is the only person with 60 years of service to the club.

And he received a special birthday tribute after turning 91 last Wednesday (12).

Several fans went to see "Uncle Gerard" for a special homage.

Gerard Meijer began his journey at Feyenoord in 1959. He worked as kit man, masseur, and physiotherapist.

He spent time with Cruyff, Gullit, Henrik Larsson, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Kuyt, and Robin van Persie, for example.

He witnessed up close the club’s greatest achievements: the 1969/1970 European Cup (now the Champions League), the 1970 Intercontinental Cup (Club World Cup), and the 1973-74 and 2001-2002 UEFA Cups (now the Europa League).

De Kuip Stadium even got a "Gerard Meijer" section after he retired in 2009, for example.

Several generations of fans saw him step onto the pitch for treatments with his trademark towel.

Uncle Gerard also served for ten years as a club ambassador.

Making it a total of sixty years of devotion to the club.

Only he has 8️⃣ badges

Every employee who works at Feyenoord for at least one year currently receives a loyalty badge.

The next ones are earned after five years, ten years, and then every ten years after that.

Gerard Meijer picked up no fewer than EIGHT this past July, when he was honored by the club.

He attended the "Ambassadors' Room" accompanied by his wife to be celebrated.

And to take home the mementos of his loyalty.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.