Walter Christensen
Encyclopedia
John Walther Christensen (September 23, 1918 - December 1, 1965), was a Danish
amateur football
player, who played 10 games and scored one goal for the Denmark national football team
. Christensen spent his entire club career with Boldklubben Frem
, with whom he won the Danish championship
in 1941 and 1944. Christensen was described as one of the greatest Danish football talents of all time, and was a well-balanced player who possessed a fine overview and performed delicate passes.
, Christensen started playing club football for local club Boldklubben Frem
in the amateur-only Danish championship, making his senior debut in August 1937. In 1939, the Danish Football Association
asked professional coach Edward Magner to coach the Denmark national football team
. Christensen was among the 53 players selected for training sessions with Magner, but was excluded from one training session due to his lax attitude. Nevertheless, Christensen made his debut for the Danish national team under Magner in June 1939, as he scored a goal in the 6-3 victory against Norway
. He played an additional six national team matches against Sweden
and three against Germany
; 10 international games in total. His last national team game was in October 1942.
Christensen did deliver the odd bad performance, and was even sent off by Frem team captain Pauli Jørgensen
during a game in May 1941 for not working hard enough. Off the field, Christensen was known to be a bit too fond of alcoholic beverages, and his game began to suffer from bad form and lack of speed though his passing skills and technique were still making him an important part of the Frem team. In his time at Frem, Christensen helped the club win the 1940-41 and 1943-44 Danish championships. He played a total 139 games and scored 23 goals for Frem, before ending his career in November 1947, 29 years old.
In his civil life, Christensen worked as an upholsterer and saddle
r. Christensen was a part of the Danish resistance movement
during the German occupation of Denmark
under World War II
, and towards the end of war he was imprisoned in the Frøslev Prison Camp
.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
amateur football
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...
player, who played 10 games and scored one goal for the Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
. Christensen spent his entire club career with Boldklubben Frem
Boldklubben Frem
Boldklubben Frem is a Danish sports club based in the Valby-Sydhavnen area of Copenhagen. It is best known for its semi-professional football team. Since its foundation in 1886, Frem has won the Danish Championships six times and the Danish Cup twice...
, with whom he won the Danish championship
Danish football champions
The Danish football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in Denmark. The title has been contested since 1913, in a varying form of competitions. Since 1991, the winners have been found through the Danish Superliga championship...
in 1941 and 1944. Christensen was described as one of the greatest Danish football talents of all time, and was a well-balanced player who possessed a fine overview and performed delicate passes.
Biography
Born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Christensen started playing club football for local club Boldklubben Frem
Boldklubben Frem
Boldklubben Frem is a Danish sports club based in the Valby-Sydhavnen area of Copenhagen. It is best known for its semi-professional football team. Since its foundation in 1886, Frem has won the Danish Championships six times and the Danish Cup twice...
in the amateur-only Danish championship, making his senior debut in August 1937. In 1939, the Danish Football Association
Danish Football Association
The Danish Football Association is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in the city of Brøndby and is a founding member of both FIFA...
asked professional coach Edward Magner to coach the Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
. Christensen was among the 53 players selected for training sessions with Magner, but was excluded from one training session due to his lax attitude. Nevertheless, Christensen made his debut for the Danish national team under Magner in June 1939, as he scored a goal in the 6-3 victory against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
. He played an additional six national team matches against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and three against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
; 10 international games in total. His last national team game was in October 1942.
Christensen did deliver the odd bad performance, and was even sent off by Frem team captain Pauli Jørgensen
Pauli Jørgensen
Pauli Jørgensen was a Danish national and international football centre forward and club manager. He was the most capped player for the Danish national team for 22 years ....
during a game in May 1941 for not working hard enough. Off the field, Christensen was known to be a bit too fond of alcoholic beverages, and his game began to suffer from bad form and lack of speed though his passing skills and technique were still making him an important part of the Frem team. In his time at Frem, Christensen helped the club win the 1940-41 and 1943-44 Danish championships. He played a total 139 games and scored 23 goals for Frem, before ending his career in November 1947, 29 years old.
In his civil life, Christensen worked as an upholsterer and saddle
Saddle
A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...
r. Christensen was a part of the Danish resistance movement
Danish resistance movement
The Danish resistance movement was an underground insurgency movement to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the unusually lenient terms given to Danish people by the Nazi occupation authority, the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale...
during the German occupation of Denmark
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
under World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and towards the end of war he was imprisoned in the Frøslev Prison Camp
Frøslev Prison Camp
Frøslev Camp was an internment camp in German-occupied Denmark during World War II.In order to avoid deportation of Danes to German concentration camps, Danish authorities suggested, in January 1944, that an internment camp be created in Denmark...
.