Raymond Van Gestel

Raymond Van Gestel (20 January 1930 – 17 April 2020) was a Belgian footballer, athlete and pilot.[1] He spent most of his career with Lyra.[2]

Raymond Van Gestel
Van Gestel in 1953.
Personal information
Date of birth (1930-01-20)20 January 1930
Place of birth Mol, Belgium
Date of death 17 April 2020(2020-04-17) (aged 90)
Place of death Mol, Belgium
Position(s) Right winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1946–1948 SV Mol
1948–1958 Lyra 168 (92)
1958–1962 Verbroedering Geel
Total 168+ (92+)
National team
1951–1953 Belgium 5 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Born in Mol, Van Gestel played as a right winger for SV Mol, Lyra and Verbroedering Geel.[3] In total he played 57 games in the first division scoring a total of 32 goals.[4]

In 1954, when Lyra were promoted to the First Division, he suffered a severe knee injury, largely ending his career.[5] In total he played 168 league games for Lyra, scoring 92 goals.[3][6]

International career

During his career he also earned 5 caps for the Belgian national team between 1951 and 1953, scoring 2 goals.[3] Both goals came against Spain on 10 June 1951; the first goal was scored after only 17 seconds in the game, giving him the then-record of the fastest goal scored for the national team.[7][1] Following the game against Spain he was nicknamed Raimundo el rapido and he was close to a transfer to Spanish club Espanyol, but Lyra refused the deal.[8]

In 1954 he was selected for the Belgian squad for the World Cup in Zürich, but he could not join the team due to a military mission in Africa as a fighter pilot with the Belgian air force.[5]

Athletics career

He was also active as an athlete in the long jump and sprints. He was the Belgian long jump champion.[9] Due to his versatility he is one of the few Belgian athletes ever to compete in different sports at an international level in the same year.[10]

Later life and death

Van Gestel was a Fighter pilot for the Belgian air force and flight instructor.[11][12] As an instructor he trained around 2000 students.[13] Together with his brother he was also one of the founding members of the Belgian Flying club Keiheuvel.[10][14]

He died in Mol on 17 April 2020, aged 90.[14]

References
  1. Mon Van Gestel overleden lyralierse.be, 19 April 2020, source in Dutch
  2. Voormalig Rode Duivel en luchtvaarticoon Mon Van Gestel sterft op 90-jarige leeftijd hln.be, 19 April 2020, article in Dutch
  3. "Raymond Van Gestel". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  4. Belgiumsoccerhistory (Peter Mariën), website in Dutch
  5. Hoe is het met? Mon Van Gestel rtv.be, 24 juni 2018, article in Dutch
  6. Broes, Hugo; Mariën, Peter (2016). Kon. Lyra TSV 100 Plus | De Slegte (in Dutch) (1 ed.). p. 294.
  7. Nog meer straffe internationals lyralierse.be, K. Lyra-Lierse Clubmagazine, blz. 21, article in Dutch
  8. Rode Duivel die na 17 seconden tegen Spanje scoort, is niet meer sporza.be, 19 April 2020, article in Dutch
  9. Mon Van Gestel: held op het sportveld en in het luchtruim onderox.be, Jef Aerts, article in Dutch
  10. Gewezen Rode Duivel en mede-oprichter van vliegclub Keiheuvel Mon Van Gestel (90) overleden: “Zijn veelzijdigheid was indrukwekkend hln.be, Wouter Demuynck, 19 April 2020, article in Dutch
  11. Keiheuvel fly-in 2018 motorvliegen.be, 2018, blz. 6
  12. Vlieginstructeur analyseert dodelijke crash nieuwsblad.be, 16 augustus 2006
  13. Luchtvaarticoon en ex-Rode Duivel Mon Van Gestel (90) overleden rtv.be, 18 April 2020
  14. Ex-Rode Duivel en bezieler Aeroclub Keiheuvel overleden gva.be, mto, 19 April 2020, article in dutch
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