Walther Braithwaite

Walther Braithwaite

Personal information
Full name	Walther Braithwaite
Date of birth	November 18, 1933
Place of birth	Nickerie, Surinam
Playing position	Midfielder / Left back
Youth career
	VV Robinhood
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1950–1956	Transvaal	?	(?)
1956–1964	Voorwaarts	?	(?)
Teams managed
1976–1977	Suriname
1985–1986	Suriname
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of December 21, 2015. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of December 21, 2015

Walther Braithwaite (born November 18, 1933) is a former Surinamese football manager and player who played as a midfielder and left back in the Surinamese Hoofdklasse for S.V. Transvaal and S.V. Voorwaarts. He also managed the Suriname national team for the nations 1978 and 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns, finishing in eighth place in the finals in Mexico in the 1978 edition.^[1]

He is also a former cricket player and winner of three gold medals, who played for cricket club Rood-Wit in the Netherlands.^[2]

Football career

Early career

Braithwaite was born and raised in the Nickerie District, Suriname where he joined local football club VV Robinhood (not to be confused with the club S.V. Robinhood from Paramaribo of the same name).

SV Transvaal

At age 17 he moved to Paramaribo and joined S.V. Transvaal. Becoming a key player on the first team, he would go on to play for the team for six seasons, while winning the national championship in 1951, before opting to play for S.V. Voorwaarts instead.

SV Voorwaarts

In 1956 Braithwaite joined S.V. Voorwaarts where he was moved from his usual midfield position to playing left back. In 1957 he helped the club to its fourth national championship and his personal second in the league.

Cricket career

RKSV Rood-Wit

In 1966 he joined RKSV Rood-Wit playing in the Topklasse, the top flight of cricket in the Netherlands.

Managerial career

In 1976 Braithwaite took over the managerial position on the Suriname national team, with Ro Kolf as his assistant he would help the team to an eighth place finish in the finals of the nations 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.^[3] In 1985 he took over as manager of the national team once more, failing to qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup after being eliminated in the qualifying rounds by Honduras.

Honours

S.V. Transvaal^[4]

• Hoofdklasse: 1951

S.V. Voorwaarts

• Hoofdklasse: 1957

References

1. "Walther Braithwaite profile". Soccer-db.info. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
2. "Braithwaite, Walther". Ricky W. Stutgard, De eerste Surinaamse sportencyclopedie (1893-1988). Alberga, Paramaribo, 1990. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
3. "Heroes: André Kamperveen – Suriname's Man of the People". The Home of Caribbean Football. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
4. "Walther Braithwaite - Career Honours". Soccer-db.info.