Albert Van Coile
Encyclopedia
Albert Van Coile was a Belgian
footballer
. He never played for any other team than Cercle Brugge. He also appeared once in the Belgian shirt.
Van Coile is especially remembered by the Cercle Brugge fans because he is the only player who died because of injuries sustained in a Cercle Brugge match. During a tournament in Tourcoing
, Van Coile was playing as centre forward
by occasion. In the match against US Tourcoing
, he collided with the local goalkeeper. Van Coile suffered no visible injuries, but when his situation deteriorated the day after the match, doctors discovered a tear
in his bowels. A speedy operation
had no result. Van Coile died 4 April.
His funeral received great attention in the media as well as in Bruges
itself, with all the flags half-staff
. Van Coile's team, Cercle Brugge, were namely on the verge of becoming national champions in 1927. Ironically, during the funeral, Cercle's chairman René de Peellaert caught pneumonia
, of which he died 14 days later.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. He never played for any other team than Cercle Brugge. He also appeared once in the Belgian shirt.
Van Coile is especially remembered by the Cercle Brugge fans because he is the only player who died because of injuries sustained in a Cercle Brugge match. During a tournament in Tourcoing
Tourcoing
Tourcoing is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Nord.Tourcoing is situated near the cities of Lille and Roubaix and the Belgian border.-Main sights:...
, Van Coile was playing as centre forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
by occasion. In the match against US Tourcoing
CO Roubaix-Tourcoing
Club Olympique de Roubaix Tourcoing was a French football team playing in the city of Roubaix, Nord. The team was founded in 1945 in a merge between three clubs: Excelsior AC Roubaix, RC Roubaix and US Tourcoing. The team won Division 1 in 1946/1947...
, he collided with the local goalkeeper. Van Coile suffered no visible injuries, but when his situation deteriorated the day after the match, doctors discovered a tear
Gastrointestinal perforation
Gastrointestinal perforation is a complete penetration of the wall of the stomach, small intestine or large bowel, resulting in intestinal contents flowing into the abdominal cavity. Perforation of the intestines results in the potential for bacterial contamination of the abdominal cavity...
in his bowels. A speedy operation
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
had no result. Van Coile died 4 April.
His funeral received great attention in the media as well as in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
itself, with all the flags half-staff
Half-staff
Half-staff is the American term for to describe a flag flying a flag below the summit of the flagpole . The rest of the English-speaking world uses the term half-mast. Technically the flag should be flown one breadth lower to allow for the invisible flag of death...
. Van Coile's team, Cercle Brugge, were namely on the verge of becoming national champions in 1927. Ironically, during the funeral, Cercle's chairman René de Peellaert caught pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, of which he died 14 days later.
External links
Further reading
- Roland Podevijn, Cercle Brugge 1899-1989, K.S.V. Cercle Brugge, 1989, p. 59-62