Members News: Happy Birthday To Our Dutch Former Sky Blue, Rudi Kaiser!

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Rudi in Sky Blue action

CCFPA says ‘Happy Birthday’ to our member, former Sky Blue outside right RuudRudi’ Kaiser.  The Dutch player was born in Amsterdam on Boxing Day 1960 so is celebrating his 58th birthday today!

Rudi is an example of an overseas player who seemed to hit the ground running at CCFC in the early eighties. Originally playing for Go Ahead Eagles, followed by Ajax (1978) and then Royal Antwerp in Belgium (1980), Rudi was brought to Highfield Road by Dave Sexton in August 1981 for £50k as a junior partner in a swap with Roger Van Gool going the other way for £200k. He made his full debut the following month at outside right in a Sky Blues 2-1 defeat at Notts County and fans quickly took to his energetic style and willingness to take on defenders.

His never say die play sadly contributed to him breaking a collarbone by colliding with a Highfield Road touchline hoarding in an F.A.Cup tie win against Sheffield Wednesday in January 1982. By the time he regained fitness the squad was being thinned and he sadly became ‘surplus to requirements’ having put in 19 Sky Blue appearances and 3 goals. 

Ruud in the Sky Blue

Rudi returned to the continent after his relatively brief sojourn in English football and transferred to French outfit Olympique GC in Nice in July 1982 for £50k. He subsequently turned out for FC Den Bosch in the Netherlands (1984-1988) where he made 150 appearances and scored 30 goals. He then had a spells at SVV (1989) and Witgoor Dessel in Holland from 1990-91  He then moved into coaching earning a reputation for spotting and developing young players. Rudi was seven years with TOP Oss in a variety of sporting development roles before taking on his first full managerial role at RBC in 1997 for a couple of seasons. He then joined KNVB (the Netherlands FA) as an Under 17/19 coach from 2001-05. He returned to the UK  for a season as a youth team coach at Chelsea (2006-07) before becoming Manager at both Dynamo Dresden in July 2008 and FC Magdaberg (April 2010).

He then became technical director of Lierske SK in 2011 but returned to management with FC Den Bosch from July 2013.

Have a great day today Rudi and come back and see us in Coventry when your work commitments allow!

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