Sophus Nielsen

Infobox Football biography
playername = Sophus Nielsen


fullname = Sofus Erhard Nielsen
dateofbirth = birth date|1888|3|15|mf=y
cityofbirth = Copenhagen
countryofbirth = Denmark
dateofdeath = death date and age|1963|8|6|1888|3|15
cityofdeath = Copenhagen
countryofdeath = Denmark
height =
nickname = "Sophus Krølben" (Sophus Twisted Legs)
position = Forward
youthyears =
1898-1902
1902-1904
youthclubs = Concordia
Stjernen
BK Frem
years = 1904-1910
1910-1911
1912-1921
clubs = BK Frem
Holstein Kiel
BK Frem
caps(goals) =
18 0(72)
137 (125) [Number of matches and goals for Frem is for 1904-1910 and 1912-1921 altogether. 125 goals might not be accurate.]
nationalyears = 1908-1919
nationalteam = Denmark
nationalcaps(goals) = 20 (16)
manageryears = 1933
1940
managerclubs = Holstebro BK
Denmark

Sophus Erhard "Krølben" Nielsen (March 15, 1888 – August 6, 1963) was a Danish amateur football (soccer) player and manager, and the first player in history to score ten goals in a full national team match. Nielsen scored a total 16 [17, according to some reports.] goals in 20 games for the Denmark national football team, and won silver medals at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. He was named Danish national team manager for two games in 1940.

Biography

Born in Copenhagen, Nielsen started his senior career with local team Boldklubben Frem. He spent most of his club career with Frem.

Nielsen was called up to the first official Danish national team selection, for the 1908 Summer Olympics.cite website|url=http://www.dbu.dk/page.aspx?id=809 |publisher=Danish Football Association|title=Hurtig dribling gennem 5000 år|date=5 April 2007] Nielsen scored one goal in Denmark's first ever national team game, as the France B team was defeated 9-0. On October 22, 1908 Denmark played France A and the Danes won 17-1. Sophus Nielsen scored a record ten goals; in the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 39th, 46th, 48th, 52nd, 64th, 66th, and 76th minute. [ [http://home6.inet.tele.dk/pin/landsholdet/1908.htm#2) Boxscore of Denmark-France match] ] Denmark went on to win silver medal, after they were defeated 0-2 by Great Britain in the final.

Nielsen's record was matched in the 1912 Olympics, as Germany's Gottfried Fuchs scored 10 in a 16-0 win against Russia. It was not broken until 2001, when Australia's Archie Thompson scored 13 goals in a 31-0 defeat of American Samoa.

After having served his apprenticeship as a blacksmith with Burmeister & Wain, Nielsen and his unemployed carpenter brother Carl, decided to travel Europe as journeymen. Though the two brothers only made it as far as to Kiel where they met the chairman of the local football club Holstein Kiel, whom Sophus knew from an earlier trip with Frem. The chairman provided Sophus and Carl with jobs as a master blacksmith and joiner respectively. In exchange the brothers would sign up to play football with Holstein Kiel.cite book
author=Jørgensen, Palle Banks
title=Landsholdenes 2198 spillerprofiler : fra Krølben til Krøldrup
publisher=Tipsbladet
year=2004
pages=pp.268
id=]

Nielsen went on to win another silver medal at the 1912 Summer Olympics, in which he scored two goals in three games.

After his retirement, he managed Holstebro BK for a short time in 1933. In 1940, he was named interim manager of the Danish national team, and managed Denmark to two draws with Sweden in October 1940.

International goals

:"Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first."

Honours

Footnotes and references

External links

* [http://www.dbu.dk/lbase/playerInfo.aspx?playerId=968 Danish national team player profile]
* [http://www.dbu.dk/lbase/coachInfo.aspx?coachid=2838 Danish national team manager profile]
* [http://www.haslund.info/danmark/as/niesop.asp Haslund.info profile]
* [http://www.123hjemmeside.dk/thoustrup/276218 Fodboldlegender]

Persondata
NAME= Nielsen, Sophus Erhard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Nielsen, Sophus; "Sophus Krølben"
SHORT DESCRIPTION=
DATE OF BIRTH= March 15, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH= Copenhagen, Denmark
DATE OF DEATH= August 6, 1963
PLACE OF DEATH= Copenhagen, Denmark