Florian Evers

Florian Philip Evers (1906-1999) was a Brunanter footballer widely considered to be one of the best in the country. He played for various clubs and the national team.

Biography
Evers was born in rural Drenthe Parish to a poor family of Belgian origin. They moved to Drenthe in the 1910s since his father found work at a factory there. He would play football out in the streets with other boys but his father criticized him for wasting time on games and not on his studies. In 1920 the coach for local side FC Drenthe saw him play and recommended him to the owners. Finding him too young, they refused to sign him on until later.

Drenthe
In 1922 coach Domart (himself a former player) was able to sign him on; young Florian would be making a surprising Th. 1000 per year (more than his father). He made his first senior appearance in 1923, assisting a goal in a game versus the Grijzestad Strijders. He scored 3 goals in 6 appearances that season, contributing one in the 3-2 loss to Fulvia in the final. In 1924 several injuries kept him sidelined for much of the season, but was able to contribute 2 goals. In 1925 he finally broke through, scoring 6 goals in his 5 first appearances and lead the team in goals following a 9-1 thrashing of FC Pieter II (where he scored 4). He led the team to the championship in 1926, scoring the first goal in a 2-1 win over FC Donderar.

Though clearly the star player at Drenthe, Evers felt increasingly unhappy, as he was given less freedom and lower wages than more senior players. And since Domart was fired as coach in 1924 he often clashed with new coach Revier. There was heavy interest from Fulvia and after a dismal 1927 season where Revier allowed him one appearance, he decided to move to Fulvia.

Fulvia
At Fulvia, he quickly earned a place in the starting 11, only missing six matches in his whole career there. And apart from a 1932 finals appearance (which Fulvia lost to Real Koningstad), he scored in every one Fulvia appeared in. In 1928, he scored a hat-trick in the final to down FC Pieter II. He lead the league in goals in 1928, 1930, 1933 and 1934. That year, he led Fulvia to the finals, where he scored 3 goals and set up another to defeat St. Marks Koningstad (at home) 4-2. At Fulvia he broke the record for the highest player salary, earning Th. 21,000 yearly.

He helped the team to the championship again in 1937, but after the Tax evasion scandal at Fulvia (they could no longer afford his salary) Evers left for rivals Real Koningstad.

Later career
At Koningstad, he started the 1938 season with a record 4 goals in one game, but failed to lead the team to a trophy. In 1939 Koningstad made it to the finals, but a missed penalty kick taken by Evers lost them the cup. In 1940 the team started off even worse and Evers was considering a move. At Koningstad he began playing as a midfielder and rarely played as a forward again.

After the war, Evers moved to St. Marks Koningstad. While the 40-year old only played for one season, he still earned a respectable Th. 25,000. He moved soon after to the Grijzestad Strijders, where he led the team to a championship win in 1948. He retired in 1949 and did not play again.

National team
Evers joined the national team in 1923, playing for the youth squad. After seeing his preformance for Drenthe early on in the 1925 season, he was selected for the national team. He played from 1925-40 and briefly in 1946. In total, he scored 32 goals in his 55 appearances. He held the team record for most goals until 1980, when Phil Tompson scored his 33rd goal wearing the Brunanter jersey.