Frank Mijnals

Frank Mijnals

Personal information
Full name	Frank Mijnals
Date of birth	8 February 1933
Place of birth	Moengo, Surinam
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
	Remo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1951–1957	SV Robinhood	?	(?)
1957–1961	USV Elinkwijk	66	(7)
1961–1964	VV DOS	?	(?)
National team^‡
1954	Suriname	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of (18:50, 17 January 2016 (UTC)). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of (18:50, 17 January 2016 (UTC))

Frank Mijnals (born 8 February 1933) is a former Surinamese football player who has played for S.V. Robinhood in the Surinamese Hoofdklasse, and for USV Elinkwijk and VV DOS in the Dutch Eredivisie. He also played for the Suriname national team.^[1]

He is the son of former Surinamese international football player Louis Mijnals, and the younger brother of Humphrey Mijnals, an international footballer as well with whom he played for the majority of his career.^[2]

Career

Early career

Mijnals started his playing career on the Mr. Bronsplein in Paramaribo, Suriname, together with his brother. The two would be coached by their father, then Hoofdklasse player, and Surinamese International Louis Mijnals. Mijnals played in the youth ranks of Remo on the Bronsplein before getting picked up by S.V. Robinhood.^[3]

SV Robinhood

In 1951, Mijnals joined Robinhood where his older brother had already been playing. As an attacker he was known for his speed and goal scoring ability. While his brother departed for a professional career in Brazil, Mijnals remained in Suriname, helping Robinhood to four national titles during his tenure with the club.^[4] In 1957, Mijnals moved to the Netherlands in pursuit of a professional career, joining USV Elinkwijk of Utrecht where he would play with his brother once more.

USV Elinkwijk

In 1957, Mijnals joined USV Elinkwijk from Utrecht competing the Dutch Eredivisie, the top flight of football in the Netherlands. He joined his brother and former Robinhood teammates Michel Kruin and Charlie Marbach once more. Together they made up what was known as the "four-leaf clover", a group of Surinamese players who had been signed by the club. He amassed 66 caps for Elinkwijk scoring 7 regular season goals in three seasons with the club. He was then transferred to VV DOS, remaining in Utrecht.^[5]

VV DOS

In 1961, Mijnals, Kruin and his older brother were transferred to crosstown rivals VV DOS, remaining in the top flight. A 7th-place finish in the league table was his best result, in his second season with the club. Mijnals would go on to play three more seasons with DOS before retiring as a player.^[6]

International career

Mijnals played for the Suriname national team. He made two appearances in 1954, in a set of friendly matches against the Netherlands at the André Kamperveen Stadion in Paramaribo. The first match ended in a 4–3 loss, with his brother scoring the third goal of the match. The second encounter ended in a 2–0 loss.^[7]

Personal life

Mijnals is the second son of former Suriname International Louis Mijnals. His older brother Humphrey Mijnals played for both the Netherlands, and the Suriname national teams, and was the first player of Surinamese descent to play for the Dutch national team. He and his brother played together for almost the entirety of their playing careers. His younger brother Stanley Mijnals was also a professional football player in Suriname.^[8]

Honours

Club

S.V. Robinhood^[9]

• SVB Hoofdklasse (4): 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956

References

1. "Frank Mijnals profile". Soccer-db.info. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
2. "De omhaal van Humphrey Mijnals trof'". NPO Geschiedenis. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
3. "Mr. Bronsplein; De eerste Surinaamse sportencyclopedie (1893-1988)". dbnl.org. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
4. "'Robinhood mi boi!'". Star Nieuws. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
5. "Humphrey Mijnals". Betaald Voetbal Utrecht. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
6. "Dominee kende goeie voetballer: een Surinamer". Trouw.nl. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
7. "Frank Mijnals - International career". Soccer-db.info. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
8. "Humphrey Mijnals, voetballer van de eeuw, gehuldigd". Star Nieuws. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
9. "Frank Mijnals - Career Honours". Soccer-db.info.