Football Federation Australia is saddened to hear that former Socceroo Dick Van Alphen passed away last week (21 May 2009) at his home in Hervey Bay, Queensland. Born on the 18th September 1934 in the Netherlands, Dick began his football career with Volenwijkers in Amsterdam.

He moved to Melbourne in 1959 to join Wilhelmenia in the Victorian State League, winning the State League Cup in 1961 and the Ampol Cup in 1962.

Later, Dick was a member of the Melbourne Hakoah team that won the 1966 Dockerty Cup and then played for Caulfield City in the Victorian Metropolitan League from 1974. He was also employed as a Physical Education Teacher at Caulfield Technical College during his working life.

Dick was selected to represent Victoria on several occasions against New South Wales (1962 & 1968), Western Australia (1963) and Northern New South Wales (1963) as well as Moscow Torpedo (1965) and Cardiff City (1968).

Dick made his debut for the Australian National Team in 1967 against New Zealand in the Vietnam National Day Soccer Tournament in Saigon and made 9 A-International appearances for Australia from 1967 to 1968.

He is survived by his daughter Astrid.

Dick Van Alphen's funeral will be held at 10:30am on Tuesday, May 26 at Leslie G. Ross Funerals, Hervey Bay, Queensland.