Twente miss Pothuizen for start of season

12 July 2002

Twente will miss central defender Patrick Pothuizen for the start of the season after he tore a thigh muscle which will keep him out of action for the coming 6 weeks.

Twente's John van 't Schip resigns

10 July 2002

In a surprise move John van 't Schip has resigned as Twente's coach and why he's decided to exit Enschede at the beginning of the pre-season warmup is a mystery! The reason he's given is that it would not be in the club's best interest for him to stay on! Assistant-trainers Eddie Achterberg and Rini Coolen will take over until a new coach is appointed. Last season began well for the "Tukkers", who were even Ere Divisie leaders at an early stage, but they fell further and further down the table, ending in 12th place. The 2000/2001 Amstel Cup winners lack of success led to repeated calls by supporters for his 'head' but the squad remained supportive of their trainer although there were rumours that not all of the players were happy! Twente was the former Ajax and Oranje player's first job as head trainer after spells as Ajax's youth, and later, assistant trainer.

Uilenberg leaves Twente & returns to KNVB

05 May 2002

Ex-referee Jaap Uilenberg, who hung up his ref's boots 3 years ago to take over the job as Twente's technical director, has been offered a new job with the Dutch FA (KNVB) as referee supervisor. The KNVB want Uilenberg to train, manage and appoint referees in Dutch professional football. Uilenberg is delighted with his new appointment saying, "FC Twente is a great club with great people, but my heart lies with the referees, and when the KNVB asked me for this position I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I fell as though I've grown three years older during my one year at Twente. Despite that, I would have stayed in Enschede if the KNVB had not asked me. I don't think I have failed here. I have made mistakes of course, but who doesn't?"

Twente beat Utrecht 2-0

28 Apr 2002

Twente lineup: Boschker, Van der Weerden, Grujic, El-Brazi, Heubach, Cziommer, Ten Hag, Van der Doelen, Van der Laan, Booth, Van de Paar. Utrecht lineup: Wapenaar, Vreven, Roest, Schut, Van Mol, Tanghe, Jean-Paul de Jong, Bosschaart, Van den Bergh, Roiha, Gluscevic. Second half goals by Björn van der Doelen, on the hour (60th), and Jack de Gier (67th) gave the "Tukkers" a much needed win (they've not had many of those this season) that lifts them into 10th place on 41 points, dislodging Willem II who lost at Vitesse. Utrecht get knocked off 6th into 7th place by NAC 's win against Eerste Divisie bound Fortuna .

Ten Hag swaps football for youth scheme

23 Apr 2002

Twente's Erik ten Hag has decided to hang up his boots at the end of the season. The 32 year-old defender was given the opportunity to continue his playing-career with Go Ahead Eagles but has opted instead for a job with Twente as head of their youth scheme. Ten Hag, who has played for Twente, De Graafschap, RKC and Utrecht, will play his last home match this Sunday when the "Tukkers" face Utrecht.

Twente and PSV draw 1 - 1

20 Apr 2002

Twente lineup: Boschker, El-Brazi, Van der Weerden, Grujic, Heubach, Van der Doelen, Ten Hag, Pothuizen, Van de Paar, Caïro, Cziommer. PSV lineup: Waterreus, Bøgelund, Faber, Hofland, Bouma, Rommedahl, Van Bommel, Ooijer, John de Jong, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Ramzi. PSV lost what is probably their last chance of retaining the Ere Divisie title after dropping a couple of vital championship points tonight in Enschede but climb, nonetheless, to 2nd place with 3 points between them and leaders Ajax. They made a mess of theng half, wasting chances and failing to find the back of the net. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink saw several attempts stopped by goalie Sander Boschker and defender Spira Grujic. The "Tukkers" went ahead, against the flow of play, on the stroke of halftime when Patrick Pothuizen headed in an Ellery Caïro pass, in the 45th minute. Erik Gerets made a few changes at halftime, putting on Arnold Bruggink for Ernest Faber and Georgi Gakhokidze for Dennis Rommedahl. It had the desired effect and  Arnold Bruggink, making his comeback form a recurring hamstring injury, equalized for the visitors in the 47th. Vennegoor of Hesselink and Van Bommel had the opportunity to grab the points for their team but the scoreline remained the same and PSV will be kicking themselves for letting the title slip away. It will be a trophy-less season for them!

Van der Laan signs for ADO Den Haag

20 Apr 2002

Twente's Arjan van der Laan has signed a contract for two years with Eerste Divisie side ADO Den Haag. The 32 year-old had earlier been told that he's no longer needed in Enschede and would not be offered a new contract with the "Tukkers". He was in his 3rd season with Twente and, before that, played 7 seasons for Sparta. The forward has scored 68 goals in 304 matches. Den Haag are also working to sign RBC Roosendaal's Gijs Cales van RBC Roosendaal and Den Bosch's Hilmi Mihci (who's been on loan to Eindhoven).

Fortuna beat Twente 2-0 !!

13 Apr 2002

Fortuna Sittard Lineup: Ruud Hesp, Fritz Emeran, Marcel Akerboom, Jurgen Dirkx, Edwin Hermans, Laszlo Meszaros (84. René van Dieren), Cláudio (76. Mischa Rook), Stijn Haeldermans, Dennis Gerritsen, Ronald Hamming, Rolf Landerl Twente Lineup: Sander Boschker, Fouzi el Brazi, Chris van der Weerden, Spira Grujic, Jeroen Heubach, Björn van der Doelen (81. Patrick Pothuizen), Erik ten Hag, Tom van der Leegte (81. Ruud ter Heide), Kurt van de Paar, Jack de Gier (46. Arjan van der Laan), Ellery Caïro It seems that wonders never cease now that Fortuna has finally managed another win, in fact their third this season. The 1st 45 minutes of the game were aboninable, making stamp collecting look more exciting. The second half was also no better and apparently Ronald Hamming scored in the 53rd and Gerritsen did the same in the dying seconds.

Twente and Heracles sign cooperation pact

09 Apr 2002

The respective chairmen of Twente and Heracles Almelo signed a cooperation document yesterday which should lead to an exchange of players and sharing of scouting expertise. There are also plans to create a regional youth academy which should 'kick-off' in the summer of 2004. The two clubs have traditionally only 'shared' mutual feelings of animosity for each other and this 'pact' has finally come to fruition through the efforts of two 'outsiders', Twente's technical director Jaap Uilenberg and the new Heracles trainer, Gert-Jan Verbeek. The increasing financial problems faced by many clubs has forced Heracles to swallow its pride and face up to the cruel reality of modern-day football where only the financially-fittest will survive the coming years. Both clubs retain their independence while hoping to benefit from pooling their know-how and resources.

Twente beat Sparta

05 Apr 2002

Johnny van 't Schip's days as Twente's trainer had started to look as if they were numbered after tumult in the squad and a disappointing season but tonight's win against Sparta make his prospects look a little brighter. Ellery Cairo put "The Tukkers" into the lead in the 14th minute of the game with a 15 metre shot. He was given so much space by Sparta's defence that he should have put another 3 goals away. In the dying seconds of the 1st half Kurt van der Paar made it 2-0, keeping Sparta in the last-but-one-spot and increasing yet further the risk of relegation.

AZ lose to Twente

01 Apr 2002

AZ  lineup: Oscar Moens, Jannes Wolters (46. Ervin Lee), Peter Wijker, Michael Buskermolen, Barry Opdam, Reinier Robbemond, Barry van Galen, Olaf Lindenbergh, Max Huiberts, Kenneth Perez (46. Jamal Dibi), Robin Nelisse (65. John Bosman) Twente  lineup: Sander Boschker, Faouzi el Brazi, Spira Grujic, Chris van der Weerden, Erik ten Hag, Jeroen Heubach, Scott Booth (84. Thijs Houwing), Kurt van de Paar (90. Ruud ter Heide), Simon Cziommer, Ellery Caïro, Jack de Gier (80. Arjan van der Laan) Twente finally managed an away win yesterday, beating AZ in the "Alkmaarder Hout"  2 - 0. Ellery Cairo put Twente ahead after only 5 minutes when his 30 meter shot surprisingly landed in the back of the net. After theng goal both teams had chances but their forwards were missing that extra bit of finesse that's needed to find the back of the net. In the 60th minute Van Galen went for an early shower after receiving his second yellow card for a foul on Grujic.  11 minutes later Twente took advantage of the man-extra situation. Erik ten Hag picked up the  ball, after AZ had lost possession, and passed to Jeroen Heubach who then lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Oscar Moens.

RKC beat Twente 3 - 1

24 Mar 2002

RKC sneak into the European-football-earning-zone after their home win over lowly placed Twente. Kurt van de Paar put the visitors ahead in the 2nd minute of the game with his 3rd goal of the season. Yuri Cornelisse pulled one back in the 30th and Patrick van Diemen nosed the home side ahead 20 minutes into the 2nd half with his second goal of the season. In the 72nd minute Petrovic went for an early shower after seeing red for kicking his opponent instead of the ball. Jochem Jansen put the final 3 - 1 score on the board in the 81st minute. Patrick Pothuisen was also sent off with just one minute left on the clock after receiving his 2nd yellow card of the evening.

Van der Laan to leave Twente

20 Mar 2002

Arjan van der Laan, who arrived in Enschede a few years ago from Sparta, is to leave Twente this summer - the "Tukkers" are not going to extend the midfielder's contract. Last year Utrecht were the club interested in signing the 32 year-old but this time it's Eerste Divisie ADO Den Haag who are apparently interested in offering him a deal. He's scored 68 goals in 301 Ere Divisie matches.

Twente stand by van't Schip

20 Mar 2002

In spite of discontent by some squad members, FC Twente's chairman Herman Wessels has stated that he still stands behind the former Ajax and Dutch international Johny van't Schip. The novice trainer had angered fans recently after allowing Andre Karnebeek to leave at the end of the season after playing for the club for 13 years. Chairman van Wessels did suggest however that Van't Schip could be leaving in the summer.

Twente lose to Groningen 0 - 1

17 Mar 2002

Twente lineup: Boschker, El-Brazi, Pothuizen, Grujic, Heubach, Cziommer, Van der Doelen, Van de Paar, Van der Leegte, Caïro and De Gier.  Groningen lineup: Beukenkamp, Allach, Schoenmakers, Paul Janssen, Florén, Hoogstrate, Tuhuteru, Van Gessel, Boussaboun, Curovic and Robben.  The "Tukkers" are now back in trouble after a slight recovery in recent weeks. They started off well and launched a series of attcks at the Groningen end in theng 20 minutes but the Northerners held on and seemed to be happy to go home without scoring, but at least with a point. This demotivated the Enschede team and they lost any 'steam' they had in their engine in that dynamic early phase of the match. This encouraged the Oosterpark side to try and score after all! It finally came when Tukker- keeper Sander Boschker was sent off in the 80th, allowing Magnus Johansson to slot home the penalty for the points in the 82nd. The match was suspended due to crowd trouble for a while but on resumption saw no change in the score. Twente drop to 13th on 31 points from 27 played while Groningen gratefully climb to 12th on 32 points from 27 played.

Twente test young Norwegian

18 Mar 2002

Twente are giving the young Norwegian player Jan Gunnar Solli a trial this week. The youth international has made 18 appearances for Odd Grenland this season and can play equally well in defence or in midfield. He'll end the week's trial in a friendly between Twente's youth team and a Swedish eleven.

Twente extend Heubach's contract

18 Mar 2002

Twente have extended Jeroen Heubach's contract for another 2 seasons. The 27 year-old left-back has been with the "Tukkers" since the 1994/1995 season but was on loan for 2 seasons to MVV.

Twente drop Scott Booth

18 Mar 2002

Twente have 'relegated' their Scottish striker Scott Booth to the reserve team for 'unprofessional' behaviour. It's the second time this season he's been dropped from the 1st team and it begins to look increasingly likely that his time in Enschede is coming to an end.

Vitesse beat Twente 2 - 0

09 Mar 2002

Vitesse lineup: Jevric, Tim Cornelisse, Knol, Stefanovic, Laros, Hofs, Kreek, Fortes, Sikora, Van Beukering and Amoah. Twente lineup: Boschker, El-Brazi, Grujic, Pothuizen, Hulshoff, Cziommer, Van der Doelen, Van de Paar, Van der Laan, Caïro and De Gier. Vitesse stay on course for their goal of a place in Europe next season with this hollow victory in a match characterised by bad passing and sloppy football. Neither side 'deserved' to win but 2 goals in the last 15 minutes gave the Arnhemmers the points. Dejan Stefanovicd the score from a Michel Kreek freekick with his second goal of the season and Belgian substitute Gert Claessens made it 2 - 0 for Vitesse in the dying seconds of a match that never came alive.

No contract extension for Ten Hag

09 Mar 2002

Twente have told Erik ten Hag that his contract will not be extended this summer when his current deal runs out. The 32 year-old defender has been offered a job behind the scenes with the "Tukkers" but has not yet given his reaction.

Hulshoff returns to Eagles

04 Mar 2002

Twente's Dennis Hulshoff returns to his former club Go Ahead Eagles at the end of the season. The 32 year-old defender, who previously played for Go Ahead between 1989 and 1997, has signed a contract for 3 years. He made his professional debut on December 23rd 1989, playing 327 matches since then, scoring just once (a penalty in the 2 - 1 defeat by Twente on October 29th 1995).

Twente beat NEC 2 - 0

03 Mar 2002

Twente lineup: Boschker, El-Brazi, Pothuizen, Grujic, Heubach, Cziommer, Van der Doelen, Van de Paar, Van der Laan, Caïro and De Gier.  Feyenoord lineup: Gentenaar, Schuurman, Koning, Wisgerhof, Maes, Van Rijswijk, Wielaert, Latuheru, Ax, Simr and Dennis de Nooijer. Twente have struggled for so long this season under John van 't Schip but the "Tukkers" finally seem to be back on track, can hold their heads up again and jump 3 places from 13th to 10th with another well earned 3 points after this win against NEC. They were the better team and had little trouble controlling the match. Jack de Gier put them ahead in the 35th minute and Jeroen Heubach made it 2 - 0 in the 74th. Twente are 10th on 31 points from 25 played while NEC drop a place to 13th on 29 points from 24.

Karnebeek on trial with Dunfermline

26 Feb 2002

André Karnebeek is off for a trial with Scottish side Dunfermline Athletic at the end of this week. The 30 year-old defender is currently having a trial with Groningen but, if his trial with Jimmy Calderwood's side is successful, will most likely choose to sign for the Scottish club. The "Tukker" is no longer needed in Enschede and has been told he can look for a  new club.

Den Haag want Twente's Van der Laan

21 Feb 2002

ADO Den Haag are interested in signing Twente midfielder Arjan van der Laan whose contract in Enschede runs out this summer. He'd prefer a move to another Ere Divisie club and has had, as yet, no personal contact with Den Haag but is not ruling out a possible move to the Eerste Divisie side.

Karnebeek on trial with Groningen

21 Feb 2002

André Karnebeek is being given a short trial with Groningen who would like to add him to their squad for next season. The 30 year-old defender still officially has a contract with Twente till 2003 but the "Tukkers" are prepared to let him go transfer-free this summer due to his service to the club. He's  been with the Enschede side for all 13 years of his professional career, playing his first match against Roda on August 13th 1989 and going on to appear in 322 matches.

Twente lose to NAC 1 - 2

17 Feb 2002

Twente lineup: Boschker, Van der Weerden, Grujic, Pothuizen, El-Brazi, Caïro, Van der Doelen, Cziommer, Heubach, Booth and Houwing. NAC lineup: Babos, Penders, Schenning, Versteeg, Gudelj, Petö, Hersi, Schreuder, Stewart, Cristiano and Bobson. NAC stay on course for European football next season with another win while Twente remain too close for comfort to the playoff-zone. Brazilian striker Cristiano put the Breda side ahead in the 18th minute, the goal being allowed despite Twente protests to the contrary. It took until deep into the 2nd half before the "Tukkers" deservedly drew level when Simon Cziommer scored in the 72nd minute. Although the Enschede side continued to be more worthy of the points it was substitute Glen Salmon who grabbed them for NAC in the 83rd. They stay in 5th on 38 points from 23 played, just ahead of Vitesse on goal average. Twente drop a place to 14th on 25 points from 23 played.

Twente hit by flu!

16 Feb 2002

Twente have been hit by one of the many flu virusses going around this winter and, as a consequence, the "Tukkers" miss Erik ten Hag, Tom van der Leegte, Arjan van der Laan and André Karnebeek plus the injured Chris De Witte and Jack de Gier together with Dennis Hulshoff (sitting out a suspension). Trainer John van't Schip, himself felled by the virus, has been forced to call up youth player Ruud ter Heide for tomorrow's Eredivisie duel with NAC.

Karnebeek leaves Twente

08 Feb 2002

After 13 years of loyal service to the "Tukkers" André Karnebeek has been told he can leave the club transfer-free. He's become superfluous in the Arke Stadium and has not made a single appearance for them this season under John van't Schip. The 31 year-old defender made his debut for the Enschede side on August 12th 1989 in the 1 - 1 against Roda, scoring 5 times in 322 matches.

Twente in 4 - 0 win against Den Bosch

08 Feb 2002

Twente lineup: Boschker, El-Brazi, Grujic, Pothuizen, Heubach, Caïro, Van der Doelen, Van der Leegte, Van der Weerden, Cziommer and Houwing. Den Bosch lineup: Mampaey, Faerber, Van der Hoorn, Uneken, Plum, Mourad, Deckers, Michels, Van der Laak, Van den Eede and De Freitas. After 5 home draws in a row the fans could hardly have believed the final score as the "Tukkers" got a welcome and deserved win tonight against Den Bosch. What with Scott Booth and Jack de Gier injured, plus Van der Laan on the bench, it looked as if they were in for a tough encounter with the 'legendary' 'giant-killers' who'd come so far with their defensive style. Within 5 minutes the home team were ahead as Tom van der Leegte put away the first of his two goals, Den Bosch managing only one good 1st half chance via Bart van den Eede. The visitors were then reduced to 10 men when Jan Michels got his marching orders in the 40th. The "Tukkers" continued to dominate the match after the break and a confidence boosting score was the result. Björn van der Doelen increased Twente's advantage in the 57th, Van der Leegte added his 2nd in the 73rd and Patrick Pothuizen made it 4 - 0 in the 76th. They climb to 11th on 25 points from 22 and Den Bosch stay where they were in 12th on 25 points from 21 played, behind on goal difference but with a game in hand.

Twente's Nick Hoekstra on loan to Zwolle

08 Feb 2002

Twente are hiring out Nick Hoekstra to Zwolle for the rest of the season. The defender returned from VVV, where he'd also been on loan, at the beginning of this year after all three parties expressed their disatisfaction with the arrangement. He's played 17 games for VVV and 10 for the "Tukkers".

Zwolle hire Rahim Ouédraego from Twente

30 Jan 2002

Zwolle have hired Twente's Rahim Ouédraego till the end of the season. The 21 year-old Burkina Faso defender, who's been with the "Tukkers" since 1997, has not seen any 1st team action under John van 't Schip. He replaces Claus Boekweg, who's gone to Groningen.

Roda beat Twente 2 - 1

26 Jan 2002

Roda lineup: Kalac, Sonkaya, Vrede, Luijpers, Lachambre, Vicelich, Van Dessel, Nygaard, Soetaers, Anastasiou and Zafarin. Twente lineup: Boschker, Heubach, Pothuizen, Grujic, Ten Hag, Van der Laan, Van der Doelen, Booth, Van der Leegte, Caïro and De Gier. Regilio Vrede made himself unpopular (with the Kerkrade crew that is!) by giving away an own goal in the 2nd minute! The conditions were difficult for both teams with a strong wind blowing the length of the pitch. After the break Roda went enthusiastically, if scrappily, in search of an equalizer and were rewraded for their efforts in a swift one-two when Ivan Vicelich equalized in the 78th and Edrissa Sonko put them ahead in the 79th. Roda will be glad of the points, climbing to 13th on 22 from 20 while Twenteare 15th on 21 from 20 played.

Friendly Roundup

19 Jan 2002

Twente drew 1 - 1 against Borussia Mönchengladbach in their friendly, Jack de Gier scoring the "Tukkers" goal.

Twente departures - new job for Ten Hag?

15 Jan 2002

The "Tukkers" are letting Jan Willem van Ede, Boudewijn Pahlplatz, Edwin Hilgerink and Marc Veurink go in the summer. 'Veteran' 31 year-old midfielder Erik ten Hag is having talks with the club about his future - there could be a contract extension but he could perhaps get a job with the technical staff.

Pauuwe and De Visscher return to Twente

15 Jan 2002

Cees Pauuwe is returning to Twente at the end of the season - the 24 year-old goalie has been on loan during the last two years to Eerste Divisie Cambuur Leeuwarden. Striker Jeffrey de Visscher, currently on loan to Emmen, will also be returning to Enschede.

Unhappy players at Twente

14 Jan 2002

Three of Twente's players are very unhappy men at the moment - Arjan van der Laan, Dennis Hulshoff and Jeroen Heubach have been told they'll have to wait till the end of March to hear whether or not their contracts will be extended at the end of this season. All three are mightily unamused and Van der Laan (currently the club's top scorer on 5 goals) says he'll still do his best for the "Tukkers" but, under the circumstances, now feels forced to start looking around for another potential employer!

Twente to hire out Roland Kollmann

09 Jan 2002

Twente want to hire out their Austrian striker Roland Kollmann who's lost his place in the lineup since the arrival of Jack de Gier from Dunfermline. The "Tukkers" feel he'll develop better if he returns to play in Austria and that their reserve team isn't sufficiently taxing enough for him to make the right kind of progress in Enschede. The 25 year-old was bought as the successor to Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink last summer but had a bit of a false start in Enschede due to injury and was rather disappointing when he did play. Technical director Jaap Uilenberg doesn't rule out the possibility that he'll be sold if the right offer comes along.

VVV send Hoekstra back to Twente

04 Jan 2002

VVV have sent Nick Hoekstra back to Twente - the 20 year-old midfielder was hired out by the "Tukkers" to the Eerste Divisie side but has failed to show any real progress.

Willem II and Twente draw 3 - 3

22 Dec 2001

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Victoria, Landzaat, Mariana,- Ceesay, Bombarda and Shoukov. Twente lineup: Boschker, Heubach, Pothuizen, Ten Hag, El-Brazi, Van der Laan, Van der Doelen, Booth, Van der Leegte, Caïro and De Gier. Willem II have only won 1 match in the last 13 and this was their 7th draw out of the last 10 at home. It was an exciting match between two teams eager to play attacking football - Scottish striker Scott Booth headed the "Tukkers" ahead after 15 minutes and Chris Janssens headed in an equalizer for the "Tricolores" in the 28th. Denny Landzaat gave the home team the lead in the 61st from the spot for his 10th of the season. Scott Booth drew the visitors level in the 63rd but 3 minutes later Arjen van der Laan put Twente ahead again in the 66th before Mariano Bombarda scored his 7th of the season in the 72nd to level the score once more.

Twente beat Feyenoord 3 - 2

19 Dec 2001

Twente lineup: Boschker, El-Brazi, Pothuizen, Ten Hag, Heubach, Caïro, Van der Laan, Van der Leegte, Van der Doelen, De Gier and Booth. Feyenoord lineup: Zoetebier, Gyan, Van Wonderen, Paauwe, Rzasa, Emerton, Tomasson, Ono, Smolarek, Van Hooijdonk and Elmander. The Enschede side have been having a disappointing season and were stuck in 17th place. They gave their all tonight and made a strong start to the match - Scott Booth put them ahead in the 34th. Pierre van Hooijdonk equalized in the 59th before Patrick Pothuizen gave the Rotterdammers the lead with an own goal in the 61st. Things started to look as though they were going to go horribly wrong for the "Tukkers" after all their effort of the first 60 minutes. It took until almost the final whistle but Pothuizen was able to make up for his error by scoring in the 89th and Jack de Gier gave Twente some well needed and deserved points with a 90th minute winner. The win lifts them into 13th place while Feyenoord lose the no.1 spot to Ajax who beat Vitesse 5 - 1.

Twente and AZ in goalless draw

15 Dec 2001

Twente lineup: Boschker , Van der Weerden, Heubach, Grujic, Hulshoff, El-Brazi, Van der Doelen, Van der Leegte, Van der Laan, Booth and De Gier. AZ lineup: Moens, Wolters, Buskermolen, Wijker, Lindenbergh, Kromkamp, Robbemond, Van Galen, Huiberts, Perez and Nelisse. The pressure remains on trainer John van 't Schip to turn things around at Twente as they fail once more to score and/or win, this time against AZ. Scottish striker Scott Booth made his reappearance after being dropped and telling the club he wanted to leave. Arjan van der Laan, Jack de Gier and Booth all created the chances but lacked that last extra touch tonight. The "Tukkers" remain sunk in 17th place, with Sparta, Groningen and De Graafschap only a point ahead. AZ drop a place to 11th.

PSV beat Twente 1 - 0

09 Dec 2001

PSV lineup: Waterreus, Ooijer, Faber, Nikiforov, Heintze, Rommedahl, Lucius, Vogel, Ramzi, Gakhokidze and Vennegoor of Hesselink. Twente lineup: Boschker, Van der Weerden, Pothuizen, Grujic, Hulshoff, Ten Hag, Van der Doelen, Van der Leegte, Van der Laan, Cziommer and De Gier. A controversial penalty awarded by referee René Temmink was needed to give the home team the points and André Ooijer put away the 63rd minute spot-shot, the only goal in an unconvincing PSV performance. Twente had come for a point to take home and went on the defensive while PSV were back to their lacklustre Ere Divisie selves. They lacked sting up front, wingers Rommedahl and Ramzi both having off days. After the penalty goal the "Tukkers" went on the attack but Waterreus saved a Van der Leegte effort and Jack de Gier hit the post with a header. They sink to 17th place after their 6th match wihout a win while PSV climb to the no.3 position, so completing the traditional top 3 (Feyenoord leading, Ajax in 2nd place) but their closest rivals Heerenveen, Vitesse and Utrecht all have a game in hand.

Twente offer Mikko Rahkamaa contract

09 Dec 2001

Twente have offered the young Finnish goalie Mikko Rahkamaa a contract for two and a half years. The 20 year-old currently plays for Finnish side FC Jokerit but, after impressing the "Tukkers",  has flown back to negotiate a move to Enschede.

Twente miss De Witte till after Xmas

06 Dec 2001

Twente will have to do without the help of striker Chris de Witte till after Christmas - he's just had an operation to remove pieces of cartilage from his knee.

Kurt van Paar out till winter break

05 Dec 2001

Twente will miss Kurt van der Paar for the rest of their pre-Christmas matches after the Belgian striker tore a thigh muscle in the match against Fortuna at the weekend.

Twente and Fortuna draw 1 - 1

01 Dec 2001

Twente lineup: Boschker, Van der Weerden, Grujic, Pothuizen, Polak, Van der Doelen, Van de Paar, Van der Leegte, Van der Laan, Caïro, and De Gier. Fortuna lineup: Hesp, Akerboom, Dirkx, Volmer, Hermans, Emeran, Van Dieren, Haeldermans, Landerl, Gerritsen and Cramb. The match began promisingly as Kurt van der Paar and Jack de Gier put together a flowing move which gave Arjan van der Laan the chance tothe score in the 2nd minute. The fans were ecstatic as they watched the first goal scored by their team in the Arke stadium since August 25th in the 3 - 0 against Roda. Unfortunately "The Tukkers" failed to build on their lead and Fortuna began to get to grips with the match. It took a long time but Scottish striker Colin Cramb finally found the back of the net with an equalizer in the 83rd. By the end of the match the Twente fans were calling for trainer John van 't Schip's scalp!

Scott Booth wants to leave Twente

29 Nov 2001

Scottish striker Scott Booth is irritated by being dropped after the recent game against Utrecht in favour of Kurt van der Paar and wants to leave Twente. He's said that he doesn't 'deserve' to be on the bench and the only solution as far as he's concerned is to change club. Trainer John van 't Schip thinks it's premature to be already talking about a transfer and "The Tukkers" will only consider selling him if they get a good price.

Ajax beat Twente 3 - 2

28 Nov 2001

Ajax lineup: Grim,- Heitinga, Chivu, Bergdølmo, Maxwell - Galásek, van der Meyde, van der Vaart - Mido, Ibrahimovic, Wamberto Twente lineup: Boschker - van der Weerden, Grujic, Pothuizen, Polak - el-Brazi, van de Paar, van der Leegte, van der Laan - Caïro, de Gier. Jack de Gier proved what a good idea it was for the "Tukkers" to bring him home from Scottish side Dunfermline with a 4th minute goal and another in the 15th (his 125th and 126th professional goals). It didn't improve the ArenA crowd's opinion of trainer Co Adriaanse who's been under fire due the recent string of poor performances. At the break it looked as if his days as coach in Amsterdam (which already looked to be numbered) were over, especially after Ajax's Mido got a red card in the 40th. It left Ajax with ten men to repair the damage but the disadvantage seemed to inspire the home team into a spirited 2nd half performance. Andy van der Meyde got one back for the Amsterdammers in the 53rd, Rafael van der Vaart evened things up with a freekick in the 76th and Brazilian striker Wamberto got the match-winner in the 86th. It keeps Adriaanse in the saddle for the time being, at least until Christmas and Ajax stay in 2nd place, 2 points behind Feyenoord who won in (RKC) Waalwijk!

Twente and Heerenveen in goalless draw

24 Nov 2001

Twente lineup: Sander Boschker, Spira Grujic, Patrick Pothuizen, Tommie van der Leegte, Sjaak Polak, Kurt van der Paar, Arjan van der Laan, Ellery Cairo (66th Thijs Houwing), Björn van der Doelen, Chris van der Weerden and Jack de Gier (83rd Scott Booth). Heerenveen lineup: Hans Vonk, Said Bakkati, Tieme Klompe, Erik Edman, Gérard de Nooijer, Anthony Lurling, Romano Denneboom (76th Mika Väyrynen), Daniel Jensen, Thomas Holm (68th Jeffrey Talan), Mika Nurmela and Marcus Allbäck. Twente have not scored in their last 3 home games and  missed their opportunity to do so against Heerenveen. Both teams were on equal terms in the 1st half but the home team created more goal-scoring opportunities. New-boy-on-the-block Jack de Gier, in particular, missed scoring chances and, despite being clearly the better side in the 2nd half, "The Tukkers" failed to convert their after-the break superiority into goals-in-the-back-of-the-net. The result means Heerenveen drop from 2nd to 4th place and Twente are in 13th.

Den Bosch lose to Twente 1 - 3

17 Nov 2001

Den Bosch lineup: De Jong, Faerber, Van der Hoorn, Uneken, Peelen, Mourad, Michels, Deckers, Maximiano, Van den Eede and De Freitas. Twente lineup: Boschker, Van der Weerden, El-Brazi, Grujic, Polak, Van der Doelen, Van der Leegte, Van der Laan, Caïro, De Gier and Van de Paar. This was Twente's first away win since May 11th (when they beat Fortuna) and their first in Den Bosch since a 0 - 2 win on September 12th 1972 - it was also Den Bosch's first home defeat this season (their first in fact since a 1 - 2 defeat by Haarlem in December 1999). Twente had gotten off to a poor start to the season and were stuck in 15th place while the home team were keeping their 'head above the waters of the relegation zone' thanks to their 'famous' defensive wall. The "Tukkers" recent win against Grasshoppers in the UEFA Cup, the arrival of Jack de Gier and the 1 - 1 draw at Utrecht have given them some encouragement. A defensive error gave Kurt van der Paar the chance to blast in theng goal in the 21st but another defensive blunder (this time by Boschker, who came out of goal to collect a Grjuic backpass) gave Jan Michels theng to equalize in the 61st. De Gier provided Tom van der Leegte with a through-ball and it disappeared behind goalie De Jong for the 2 - 1 in the 69th. Sjaak Polak put away a spot-shot for the 1 - 3 in the 72nd to seal Twente's 3rd win of the season - their first away win lifts them into 12th, just behind AZ.

Twente and Heracles in partnership talks

16 Nov 2001

Twente and Heracles Almelo are holding talks which could lead to a partnership between the Ere Divisie and Eerste Divisie neighbours in the Dutch province of Overijssel. Earlier attempts to forge links between the two clubs have all failed but there is renewed hope of cementing a mutually beneficial relationship. The "Tukkers" director Jaap Uilenberg has already been talking to Heracles' trainer Gert-Jan Verbeek and both sides hope that further discussions to be held next week will lead to a cooperation pact within the next few months.

Twente hunt for new goalie and new sponsor

09 Nov 2001

Twente are looking for a new reserve goalie after their current no.2, Jan-Willem van Ede, developed a hernia, putting him out of action for 6 months. The "Tukkers" are also faced with the search for a new sponsor after their current main shirt sponsor, energy company "Essent", announced that this would be their last season (although they will continue to support the club financially).

Utrecht and Twente draw 1 - 1

04 Nov 2001

Utrecht lineup: Wapenaar - Vreven, Roest, Zwaanswijk, van Mol - Tanghe, Jean-Paul de Jong, Bosschaart, van den Bergh - Gluscevic, Kuyt Twente lineup: Boschker, Van der Weerden, Pothuizen, Grujic, Polak, Caïro, Van der Doelen, Van der Leegte, Van der Laan, Van de Paar and De Gier. The "Tukkers" were obviously boosted by their hard fought performance against Grasshoppers on Thursday (even if they did exit the UEFA Cup) and their new face Jack de Gier, recently signed from Scottish side Dunfermline, paid back some of his transfer fee with a 1st minute goal. Stijn Vreven's pass gave Dirk Kuijt the chance to equalize in the69th and save Utrecht's unbeaten home record (coincidentally Twente were the last team to win in the Domstad on September 17th 2000).

Twente beat Grasshoppers 4 - 2

01 Nov 2001

Twente lineup: Boschker, Grujic, Pothuizen, Van der Doelen, Ten Hag, De Witte, Cairo, Van de Paar, Booth, Polak and Van der Weerden. Grasshoppers lineup: Huber, Gerber, Tararache, Hodel, Smiljanic, Bouba Diop, Spycher, Cabanas, Morales, Nunez, and Petric. Twente are out - they put on worthy 2nd half performance and had far and away the best chances throughout the match. They could easily have won by a far greater margin, and earned a place in the next round but it wasn't to be. The match got off to a heated start (6 cards, 5 for the Dutch  and 1 for the Swiss in the 1st half) and remained at an elevated temperature throughout the 90 minutes. Twente fought hard to make good their 4 - 1 defeat in Switzerland and Van der Paar's shot in the 18th was the best of the early chances for the "Tukkers". Van der Laan finally struck in a fine goal from the edge of the area in the 36th minute from a nicely judged back-pass by Van der Paar (who made a good impression throughout) and Cairo slotted in the 2nd in injury time (admittedly a slight deflection). After the break Van der Paar headed just wide in the 54th. Twente persevered, gaining in confidence and were rewarded for their efforts when substitute El Brazi (replacing Pothuizen) got hold of a rebound from Booth's shot to put it away for the 3 - 0 in the 61st. Swiss substitute Chapuisat got the rather unexpected away goal for Grasshoppers in the 71st. Cairo was swapped for Thijs Houwing in the 76th (he'd scored twice this season, both times as a substitute, could he do it again?). Van der Laan slotted away a fine 4th goal in the 79th minute with help from Booth who back-passed Houwing's cross for the striker to securely put away. Unfortunately for Twente the first real chance Grasshoppers got in the 2nd half was headed in by substitute Benjamin Mwaruwaru in the 84th to undo all the hard work put in by the Enschede side. Let's hope the "Tukkers" will take heart from their performance tonight and continue it in the Ere Divisie.

Twente sign Jack de Gier

30 Oct 2001

Twente have signed Dunfermline's Jack de Gier on a contract for one and a half years. The 33 year-old former NEC striker (who only signed for the Scottish side last summer and has only played 14 games for them) has agreed terms with "The Tukkers" and could play his first match for them this coming weekend. When the Enschede side sold Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink to PSV they had high hopes that Thijs Houwing and new signing Austrian striker Roland Kollmann would provide sufficient firepower up front but the duo have failed to deliver the goods. A recent move for Schalke 04's Youri Mulder fell through when the German side decided to hold onto him leaving Twente searching for another candidate.

Twente and Vitesse in goalless draw

27 Oct 2001

Twente lineup: Boschker, Van der Weerden, Pothuizen, Grujic, Polak, Van der Leegte, Van de Paar, Van der Doelen, Van der Laan, Caïro and Booth. Vitesse lineup: Van Fessem, Nanu, Knol, Kreek, Tim Cornelisse, Diarra, Janssen, Van der Schaaf, Claessens - Amoah and Sikora. The "Tukkers" were the better side but were unable to convert their dominance into goals - their 'hardcore' fans are so fed up with their performance so far this season that, as a sign of protest, they didn't take their seats until 10 minutes after the kickoff. Sjaak Polak and substitute Richard Kollmann saw their attempts go just over and just wide. Vitesse stay in 2nd place while Twente are stuck in 14th.

Twente interested in Youri Mulder

24 Oct 2001

Twente have expressed an interest in bringing Schalke 04's Youri Mulder back to Enschede. The striker was told he could leave transfer-free (for his years of loyal service to the club) but Schalke have changed their minds and the "Tukkers" will be deciding this week whether they have enough money to tempt him back to Holland.

NEC beat Twente 2 - 0

21 Oct 2001

NEC lineup: Gentenaar, Schuurman, Wisgerhof, Hesp, Wielaert, Zonneveld, Latuheru, Ax, Simr, Tumba and Jansen. Twente lineup: Boschker, Van der Weerden, Grujic, Pothuizen, Polak, Van der Laan, Van der Doelen, Van der Leegte, Ten Hag, Booth and Kollmann. The "Tukkers" seem to have learned nothing from their 4 - 1 UEFA Cup defeat in Zurich, where they gave the match away to "Grasshoppers" while having the chances to win. Today they let valuable league points slip after again being given enough chances to score - Scottish striker Scott Booth had the best of the whole match. NEC won despite not being particularly convincing themselves -  a mistake by Chris van der Weerden gave Patrick Ax theng tothe score in the 24th minute. Zico Tumba added a 2nd goal in the 51st, NEC remaining dangerous with counters while Twente searched for a way to get a ball in the back of the net.

Grasshoppers beat Twente 4 - 1

18 Oct 2001

Twente only have themselves to blame for this unnecessarily heavy defeat - they were at least as good as their opponents were on the evening. Uruguyan striker Richard Nuñez was a thorn in their side and he scored a hattrick in the 30th, 35th and 90th minutes. The "Tukkers" had their chances in the 1st half but Thijs Houwing's attempt found goalie Stefan Huber's arms while Arjen van der Laan and Ellery Cairo missed. After the break they upped the pressure but it was Mladen Petric who put away the 4th for the home team in the 52nd. Sjaak Polak got one back for Twente in the 66th but the 4 - 1 disadvantage will be practically impossible for the "Tukkers" to undo in the Arke stadium.

Twente's El Brazi gets 6 match ban

10 Oct 2001

Twente's Fouad El Brazi has been handed out a 6 match ban by the Dutch FA (KNVB) for spitting at and hitting a player in the match between the "Tukkers" reserve side and Cambuur's B-team. He's already been fined by his club!

Twente and Willem II in goalless draw

09 Oct 2001

Twente lineup: Boschker, Hulshoff, Grujic, Pothuizen, Polak, Van der Doelen, Van der Laan, Van de Paar, De Witte,Booth and Kollmann. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Victoria, Janssens, Van Nieuwstadt,Landzaat, Caluwé, Mariana, Ceesay, Bombarda and Abdellaoui. If Willem II had won this scrappy match they could have gone 3rd in the table. Twente had the best chances and striker Roland Kollman did a good job of missing several of them. As it is trainer Henk Westerhof can be pleased to leave Enschede with a point and to remain in 5th place while the "Tukkers" drop from 11th to 12th.

Twente let Van der Paar go

04 Oct 2001

Twente have told Kurt van der Paar that he can start looking for another club. The 23 year-old Belgian midfielder joined the "Tukkers" from Anderlecht, playing 33 matches for them in his first season and none at all, due to injuries, in his second. Injury robbed him of his place as a regular in the 1st team but he still managed to get in 23 appearances, scoring just once,  for the Enschede side. He's hoping to move to England - he says that West Ham are interested in him.

Sparta and Twente draw 1 - 1

30 Sept 2001

Sparta: Kooiman, Elzinga, Goossen, Winter, Van der Meer, Mendes, Bezzai, Zijm, Boukhari, B. Marbus and Blinker. FC Twente: Boschker, Va The "Tukkers" were allowed to dominate by the home team but failed to cash in on their chances, only getting one ball in the back of the net. Van der Laan scored the lonely goal in the 6th minute. Sparta created a few dangerous moments in front of the Twente goalmouth but it took a mistake by goalie Sander Boschker to give Marbus the equalizer for the home team in the 60th minute. Sparta were reduced to 10 men in the 64th when Van der Meer got a red card but the visitors couldn't find a way to benefit themselves of their advantage in numbers and the "Tukkers" even had their 'sending off' when Van der Leegte got his 2nd yellow card in the 88th.

UEFA 2nd Round draw announced

28 Sept 2001

The draw for the next round of the UEFA Cup has been announced: Ajax meet FC Cagen, Roda meet Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Twente meet the Swiss team Grasshoppers and Utrecht will have the most difficult task of all as they try to get passed Parma.

Twente to let Pahlplatz go

27 Sept 2001

Boudewijn Pahlplatz has been told that he can leave Twente transfer-free. The 29 year-old has not been given a chance to play since the arrival of new trainer John van 't Schip and is unlikely to get one, even though he's one game short of the magic 2000 which would earn him a testimonial. The former PSV and Heerenveen winger has played 199 Ere Divisie matches, including 76 appearances for Twente, 43 for PSV and 80 for Heerenveen.

Van Weerden fit for Polonia Warsaw match

26 Sept 2001

Twente coach John van 't Schip will be able to call on the services of Chris van der Weerden for tomorrow's UEFA Cup return against Polonia Warsaw. The defender is fully recovered from a groin injury.

Twente beat Polonia Warsaw 1 - 2

20 Sept 2001

Twente's first European match in 4 years was played in a very empty Lodz stadium in Poland  - the noise of the few fans there were echoed around it's bare walls. After a couple of great chances for Twente in theng quarter of an hour - the Polish keeper Mariusz Liberda snatched a distance shot by defender Dennis Hulshoff out of the corner of the net - the rest of the 1st half was pretty uninspiring stuff. The tempo was pretty low and it seemed to encourage mistakes, neither side was being creative and the play was not pretty to look at. A left footed shot from the edge of the area which went straight into Boschker's safe hands in the 33rd was the best looking effort by Polonia. Van der Laan tried a 35 metre shot in the 41st but it sailed over the bar. The last attack in the 45th was by the Polish side but the finishing was poor. After fifteen 2nd half minutes Twente's Austrian striker Roland Kollman gave them the lead in the 60th. Bak scored Polonia's equalizer in the 78th and upped the tempo for a while, putting the "Tukkers" under a bit of pressure. From then on Twente were unable to make any impression and seemed happy to get themselves a point. They can count themselves lucky that Van der Laan gave them victory in the 86th and that Boschker dealt so well with the few worrying Polish attacks in the last quarter of an hour.

Van't Schip confident of good performance

20 Sept 2001

John van 't Schip is confident that Twente will put on a good show against their opponents Polonia Warsaw in the "Tukkers" first European match in 4 years. He's seen the Polish side in action and has concluded that they are a physically strong side with a dangerous counter.The match takes place in Lodz because UEFA have rejected the Warsaw club's stadium as a suitable venue.

Groningen beat Twente 3 - 0

16 Sept 2001

Groningen won surprisingly easily against "The Tukkers" - a Joost Broerse spot-shot put Groningen ahead in the 33rd minute after Arjen Robben took a bit of a 'dive' in the box. Twente had several good chances to score but wasted them while Groningen didn't - Martin Drent blasted one in 'out of the blue' in the 45th for the 2 - 1 and Ignacio Tuhuteru curled another into the far corner, out of reach of Sander Boschker, in the 76th to give the Oosterpark team the points.

Twente win 3 - 0 against Roda

25 Aug 2001

Twente and Roda started the match on equal terms, both teams went on the attack which produced attractive football entertainment for the fans. The visitors gradually looked to gain the upperhand as the half progressed - both Fredrik Berglund and Yannis Anastasiou had early shots go wide or over the bar. In the 22nd minute Roda got their bestng but Sander Boschker pounced on the ball at Anastasiou's feet as the striker made a rush at goal. It began to look only a matter of time before they did score but it was, however, "The Tukkers" who went ahead - Arjan van der Laan headed the ball firmly behind goalie Kalac in the 30th and Chris de Witte added a 2nd in the 40th. Jan van Dijk brought on Eric van der Luer to try and add some extra creativity up front but it didn't help to change the balance. After Nygaard missed a great chance to head one in, and Houwing was replaced by the Austrian striker Roland Kollmann (making his debut), Patrick Pothuizen was awarded a disputed goal (did it cross the line or didn't it?!) to take the tally to 3 - 0 in the 73rd minute.

Polonia Warsaw - Twente's UEFA opponent

24 Aug 2001

Polonia Warsaw is unknown territory as far as Twente trainer John van 't Schip is concerned  - all that's known about them is that they ended 3rd in the Polish League last season. The away match will not be played in Polonia's own stadium (UEFA have rejected it as a suitable venue) but instead will kickoff in Lodz' stadium. It'll be the "Tukkers" first trip to Poland while other Dutch clubs have won all the matches played against Polish opposition since Ajax beat Ruck Chorzow in 1972.

UEFA Cup First Round Draw

24 Aug 2001

The draw for the 1st Round of the UEFA Cup has been announced: Roda JC will play Fylkir, Utrecht will play Grazer AK, Ajax will play Apollon Limassol and Twente will play away to Polonia Warsaw. The first leg matches are on September 13th and the second leg matches will be on September 27th.

Twente give trial to Milan Mrdrakovic

22 Aug 2001

Twente have offered Yugoslavian Milan Mrdrakovic a trial during the course of this week. The 19 year-old striker currently plays for Anderlecht and has been given until this coming Monday to impress the "Tukkers" sufficiently for them to consider hiring him from the Belgians.

NAC draw with Twente 3 - 3

22 Aug 2001

Both teams are among the Ere Divisie top 5 who have all won their first matches so far - NAC are just ahead in 4th place on goal difference, the "Tukkers" are lying in 5th place. American striker Earnest Stewart put the home side ahead in the 27th minute, saw Sander Boschker stop his penalty just before halftime, but added a 2nd in the 64th as the Nijmegenaars dominated the first 60 minutes. Substitute Thijs Houwing changed all that and the youth international headed one in for the "Tukkers" in the 65th minute and Scott Booth drew them level in the 72nd. Youssouf Hersi (on loan from Ajax) put NAC back in the lead in the 73rd with a header only for Houwing to slam in his 2nd goal of the evening for the equalizer in the 82nd.

Twente beat RKC 1 - 0

18 Aug 2001

The first goal of the new Dutch Ere Divisie season took just 7-and-a-bit minutes to be scored - Arjan van der Laan was the happy man and a practically full stadium with 13,350 fans witnessed the ball disappearing into the back of the net. It was the only goal of the match but was enough to give the "Tukkers" their first 3 home points of 2001/2002. The home team had looked rather ineffective against PSV in the Super Cup match last Sunday but started this match in more convincing style. The Waalwijkers, however, showed that they were seriously weakened by the absence of Patrick van Diemen (suspended), Zeljko Petrovic and Dejan Goveradica. A one-two with Chris de Witte gave the Twente captain the opportunity to put his side ahead in the 8th and they could have increased the number-on-the-board only Scott Booth, himself hit too many missers tonight. The visitors didn't do any better and only bothered Sander Boschker once in 90 minutes. Ellery Cairo was brought on for De Witte but that too didn't change the final score. Twente go top but not for long methinks!

Twente hire Verlinden to Eendracht Aalst

17 Aug 2001

Twente and Belgian side Eendracht Aalst have reached agreement on a one-year hire contract which sees 24 year-old defender Jan Verlinden go south for the coming season. He joined the "Tukkers" from KV Mechelen in 1999 but failed to become a regular face in Enschede and spent last season on hire to Lierse SK.

PSV win 6th Super Cup 3-2 against Twente

12 Aug 2001

PSV picked up a prize just before kickoff for being the most sporting team of last season. Erik Gerets had made it clear in the run-up to this match that any Cup with Cruijff's name on it was worth fighting for and has kept his word by fielding his strongest eleven. Twente, in their first official match under new trainer John van 't Schip were finding it difficult to settle while the Champions started in confident fashion, keen no doubt to revenge themselves for their defeat by "The Tukkers" in the Amstel Cup Final. It took Mateja Kezman only 4 minutes to get his first of the season -  Bruggink found space on the left and turned the ball back for the Yugoslavian to pounce and hit the ball into the roof of the net - he made it look simple. Twente tried to break back quickly but in the 8th minute Bruggink got the 2nd and also made it look easy! The Champions were in control of the first 25 minutes before Twente's De Witte tried a long lob from his side of the halfway line which almost beat Waterreus as the "Tukkers" settled down. De Witte got his reward for all his good work with a really nice solo goal in the 34th minute - persevering, twisting and turning in the box until he finally beat Waterreus - and it certainly gave the Twente fans something to cheer about as their team started to show they were back in the match! A piece of surprisingly good news for Ajax is that the playing surface in the Amsterdam ArenA has survived the Amsterdam Tournament and  the first half of this match intact! Twente came out fighting after the break and Van der Paar had an early distance shot turned away. In the 57th minute Vennegoor of Hesselink (in his first match against his old club) and De Jong came on for Bruggink and Ramzi. From the corner which was given immediately following his appearance, V.of H. almost put away a rebound from a Hofland header. De Jong was soon to get a chance of his own but saw his diving header turned away by the ever-dependable Sander Boschker in the 64th minute. Twente's winger Ellery Cairo was being treated on the sideline (shortly after to be replaced by Kuali) when Rommedahl pounced on a rebound from a corner to slot one away high in the roof of the net for the 3 - 1! Ten Hag replaced Van der Paar for Twente in the 75th minute and in the 77th Heintze replaced Vogel for PSV. The rest of the match was disappointing until ex-PSVer Van der Doelen put away a last minute 2nd goal for Twente - if only they'd scored it 20 minutes earlier we could have been treated to an erupting, exciting finale. Three minutes of injury time proved insufficient for Twente to pull an equalizer out of the hat though they had put on a reasonably good performance, controlling the midfield more than expected and a just little bit unlucky this afternoon. The Johan Cruijff trophy goes for the 6th time to PSV and Eindhoven gets yet another party!

Twente without Roland Kollman

14 July 2001

Twente will have to get on with their pre-season preparations without their new Austrian striker Roland Kollman. He scored twice in a 10 - 0 friendly against Enschedese Boys before leaving the pitch with an ankle injury. He'll be in plaster now for at least a week before an estimate can be made of exactly how long he'll be out of action.

Van der Weerden signs with Twente

28 June 2001

As we reported earlier, the clubs were already in agreement over the transfer, and now Chris van der Weerden has agreed his own personal terms with Twente and the 28 year-old defender leaves PSV to join up with the "Tukkers" for 3 years.

Twente sign PSV's Chris van der Weerden

26 June 2001

Twente and PSV have agreed to the transfer of Chris van der Weerden from Eindhoven to Enschede - now it's up to him to negotiate terms with his new club. The 28 year-old right-back was not seeing regular action for the champions who can field André Ooijer, Ernest Faber and Rob Wielaer (recently returned from Den Bosch) in the same position.

Serious fire strikes Arke Stadium

25 June 2001

Twente's Arke stadium was seriously damaged by fire yesterday - two skyboxes were completely destroyed while some the supporting structure for the roof and parts of the main stand underneath were also subject to severe water damage. It's not known how much it will cost to repair the damage but the club hopes the stadium will be ready for theng match of the 'Tukkers' new season on July 28th against Anderlecht.

PSV sign Vennegoor of Hesselink

14 June 2001

PSV have finally agreed terms with Twente (who've been paid in the region of €9,08 million Euros) and have signed Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink on a contract for 5 years. The 22 year-old had been with the Tukkers for the last 5 seasons, and will be reunited with his buddy Arnold Bruggink.

Twente sign striker Ronald Kollmann

13 June 2001

Twente have signed the successor to Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Austrian striker Ronald Kollmann. The 24 year-old,  nicknamed "Roli", is a former FC Tirol Innsbruck player and has been bought from Austrian Champions and Cup Winners FC Kärnten where he scored 27 league and 13 cup goals.

PSV and Vennegoor close to deal

11 June 2001

PSV and Twente are close to agreeing the transfer of the Tukkers' international striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink to Eindhoven. It's going to cost the champions between €9,8 and €11,34 million Euros to sign their replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy (off to Manchester United). They're also looking to beat Anderlecht to the gun and add Michael Lamey to the squad, allowing him to ripen for another year at his current club RKC (as they're also doing with Groningen's Arjen Robben) before bringing him to Eindhoven.

Vennegoor move to PSV looks unlikely

08 June 2001

The current negotiations between PSV and Twente concerning the transfer of the Tukkers' Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink looks to have reached stalemate. The champions are simply unwilling to meet the price asked for the tall international striker and the deal could fizzle out in the next week or so.