Vale – Jack van der Wal

Football NSW was saddened to hear the news of the passing of Jack van der Wal, a former Hakoah captain coach as well as having managed several other clubs in NSW.
After a career in Scotland where he played for Hibernians and Falkirk and later in England for Crewe-Alexander, the man known as “The Flying Dutchman” because of his aerial prowess in front of goal moved to Australia in 1960 to accept the position of Captain/Coach of the powerful Hakoah side.
After finishing his playing career, he turned his hand to coaching at the International Level with Fiji at the Moscow Olympics and on the local scene with clubs like Pan-Hellenic, Blacktown, Adamstown Rosebuds and Manly.
They all benefited from his no nonsense approach to Football.
It was in the later years that he is remembered fondly for his passion and drive in youth development of football in the western suburbs of Sydney.
Football NSW would like to pass on its deepest condolences to the van der Wal family, may he rest in heavenly peace.