About Raymond Van Gestel
<!--V-->Raymond Van Gestel, 90, Belgian footballer (K. Lyra, Verbroedering Geel, national team).
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Full Biography
|Raymond Van Gestel (20 January 1930 – 17 April 2020) was a Belgian footballer, athlete and pilot. He spent most of his career with Lyra.
Club career
Born in Mol, Van Gestel played as a right winger for SV Mol, Lyra and Verbroedering Geel. In total he played 57 games in the first division scoring a total of 32 goals.
In 1954, when Lyra were promoted to the First Division, he suffered a severe knee injury, largely ending his career. In total he played 168 league games for Lyra, scoring 92 goals.
International career
During his career he also earned 5 caps for the Belgium national team between 1951 and 1953, scoring 2 goals. Both goals came against Spain on 10 June 1951; the first goal was scored after only 17 seconds in the game, giving him the then-record of the fastest goal scored for the national team. Following the game against Spain he was nicknamed Raimundo el rapido and he was close to a transfer to Spanish club Espanyol, but Lyra refused the deal.
In 1954 he was selected for the Belgian squad for the World Cup in Zürich, but he could not join the team due to a military mission in Africa as a fighter pilot with the Belgian air force.
Athletics career
He was also active as an athlete in the long jump and sprints. He was the Belgian long jump champion. Due to his versatility he is one of the few Belgian athletes ever to compete in different sports at an international level in the same year.
Later life and death
Van Gestel was a Fighter pilot for the Belgian air force and flight instructor. As an instructor he trained around 2000 students. Together with his brother he was also one of the founding members of the Belgian Flying club Keiheuvel.
He died in Mol on 17 April 2020, aged 90.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Van_Gestel
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Raymond Van Gestel's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Raymond Van Gestel born?
- A.Antwerp
- B.Molcorrect
- C.Zürich
- D.Brussels
Raymond Van Gestel was born in the city of Mol.
Source: Club career section
2.What was the primary sport played by Raymond Van Gestel during his club career?
- A.Footballcorrect
- B.Cycling
- C.Rugby
- D.Tennis
Raymond Van Gestel was a Belgian footballer who spent most of his career with Lyra.
Source: Introduction
3.How many goals did Raymond Van Gestel score during his time with the club Lyra?
- A.32
- B.92correct
- C.168
- D.57
Raymond Van Gestel played 168 league games for Lyra, scoring 92 goals.
Source: Club career section
4.What event caused Raymond Van Gestel to suffer a career-ending injury in 1954?
- A.A severe knee injurycorrect
- B.A collision during a flying mission
- C.A motor vehicle accident
- D.A broken ankle during training
In 1954, when Lyra were promoted to the First Division, Raymond Van Gestel suffered a severe knee injury.
Source: Club career section
5.Against which national team did Raymond Van Gestel score his two international goals?
- A.France
- B.Italy
- C.Spaincorrect
- D.Germany
Raymond Van Gestel scored both of his international goals against Spain on 10 June 1951.
Source: International career section
6.What nickname was given to Raymond Van Gestel following his performance against Spain?
- A.El Rayo de Mol
- B.The Flying Winger
- C.Raimundo el rapidocorrect
- D.Le Belge Rapide
Following the game against Spain on 10 June 1951, Raymond Van Gestel was nicknamed Raimundo el rapido.
Source: International career section
7.Which Spanish club was interested in signing Raymond Van Gestel?
- A.Barcelona
- B.Valencia
- C.Espanyolcorrect
- D.Real Madrid
Raymond Van Gestel was close to a transfer to Spanish club Espanyol, but Lyra refused the deal.
Source: International career section
8.Why did Raymond Van Gestel miss the 1954 World Cup in Zürich?
- A.A severe knee injury
- B.A dispute with the national coach
- C.A club ban by Lyra
- D.A military mission in Africacorrect
Raymond Van Gestel could not join the Belgian squad for the 1954 World Cup due to a military mission in Africa as a fighter pilot.
Source: International career section
9.In which athletics disciplines was Raymond Van Gestel active?
- A.Shot put and javelin
- B.Marathon and pole vault
- C.High jump and hurdles
- D.Long jump and sprintscorrect
Raymond Van Gestel was active as an athlete in the long jump and sprints.
Source: Athletics career section
10.Raymond Van Gestel held which title in the sport of athletics?
- A.European record holder
- B.Belgian Olympic medalist
- C.Belgian long jump championcorrect
- D.World sprint champion
Raymond Van Gestel was the Belgian long jump champion.
Source: Athletics career section
11.Approximately how many students did Raymond Van Gestel train as a flight instructor?
- A.2000correct
- B.5000
- C.500
- D.1000
As a flight instructor, Raymond Van Gestel trained around 2000 students.
Source: Later life and death section
12.With whom did Raymond Van Gestel found the Belgian Flying club Keiheuvel?
- A.A fellow footballer
- B.His brothercorrect
- C.His father
- D.His wife
Together with his brother, Raymond Van Gestel was one of the founding members of the Belgian Flying club Keiheuvel.
Source: Later life and death section
13.At what age did Raymond Van Gestel pass away?
- A.85
- B.92
- C.95
- D.90correct
Raymond Van Gestel died in Mol on 17 April 2020 at the age of 90.
Source: Later life and death section
14.How many total first division games did Raymond Van Gestel play in his career?
- A.92
- B.32
- C.168
- D.57correct
In total, Raymond Van Gestel played 57 games in the first division.
Source: Club career section
15.How many seconds into the game did Raymond Van Gestel score his first goal against Spain?
- A.17 secondscorrect
- B.32 seconds
- C.10 seconds
- D.57 seconds
The first goal against Spain was scored after only 17 seconds in the game.
Source: International career section
16.Besides being a footballer and athlete, what was Raymond Van Gestel's other professional occupation?
- A.Pilotcorrect
- B.Engineer
- C.Doctor
- D.Teacher
Raymond Van Gestel was a Belgian footballer, athlete, and pilot.
Source: Introduction
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