Ab Gritter was a Dutch striker who made his mark at FC Twente during the mid-1970s and early 1980s, a period during which he stood out for his attacking versatility, goal-scoring instinct, and ability to adapt to different attacking roles. Initially used as a center forward, Gritter gradually moved deeper or further out wide, demonstrating tactical intelligence, constant movement, and strong collective play.

With more than 250 official matches for the club, he became a major name in Twente's history, participating in memorable campaigns such as winning the KNVB Beker (Dutch Cup) and reaching the 1975 UEFA Cup final, as well as being the top scorer in the European Cup Winners' Cup (Europacup II) in one of his international appearances, which consolidated his reputation in continental competitions.

Throughout his career at the club, he underwent a stylistic transition: from a more direct, finishing striker, he gradually became a more complete and cerebral player, taking on supporting, distributing, and retaining possession roles in the attacking half. This adaptation even led him to be moved back to more defensive positions towards the end of his career, playing as a "last man" or sweeper—a role that reflected his reading of the game and technical maturity, even though he wasn't a natural defender.

Other Links:
Ab Gritter | FC Twente Statistieken | Dutch
Forme player and coach Ab Gritter passes away at 59 | VI.nl | Dutch

Videos:
1977 (November 2) Brann Bergen (Norway) 1 -2 Twente Enschede (Holland) (Cup Winners Cup) | Gritter scores Twente's first goal
CWC 1977-78 Twente Enschede 3 - 0 Rangers | Gritter scores the first goal
Twente 4 - 0 Vejle BK | Coppa delle Coppe 1977-78 - quarti di finale - ritorno | Gritter scores the third goal
Twente 1 - 0 Feyenoord - Eredivisie 1976-77
RSC Anderlecht vs FC Twente 1977 - 1978 | Full Game

Welcome to the official website of FC Twente '65!
No less than seven seasons and over 250 matches — that was Ab Gritter’s legacy at FC Twente. He won the KNVB Cup, became top scorer of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, and was converted from a striker to a sweeper. We’re talking about Ab Gritter, number 59 in the club’s Top 65.

“I had already spent three seasons at FC Groningen and I wanted to leave no matter what,” begins the then 56-year-old Ab Gritter, as he recalls the moment he came to Enschede. “We were playing in the Eerste Divisie and I ended up as top scorer with over twenty goals. But Groningen didn’t keep its promises, so I absolutely didn’t want to stay at the club. Choosing FC Twente wasn’t hard — the team always competed at the top and had a strong reputation.”

After a successful 1974/1975 season, Twente saw striker Johan Zuidema leave, and looked for reinforcements in attack. The club turned to Ab Gritter from FC Groningen — already a rival at that time. “The rivalry between the two clubs already existed back then. The matches were always somewhat charged. As a player, you definitely felt something special in those games. By the way, I wasn’t the only one who came from Groningen — Jaap Bos made the move a year earlier.”

Life in Enschede suited Gritter very well. He didn’t focus only on football. Gritter explains: “I was a semi-professional, which was still common back then. I worked four mornings a week at a primary school in Boekelo, and we trained in the afternoons. I must say the school was very supportive — whenever we had a European Cup match, it was easy for me to get time off.”

After winning the KNVB Cup in 1977, FC Twente qualified to play in the European Cup Winners’ Cup the following season — and that year was particularly successful for Gritter.
“We played some fantastic matches that year. The one I’ll never forget was against Glasgow Rangers — we won 3-0 and I scored the opening goal with a header. I ended up top scorer of the tournament with six goals, alongside François van der Elst. In the semi-finals, Anderlecht was too strong. At home, with the score still 0-0, Arnold Mühren missed a penalty, and then Anderlecht scored. In the away match, we didn’t stand a chance. If only that penalty had gone in…”

During his first five seasons, Gritter mostly played as a striker or left winger. But in the 1980/81 season, things changed when coach Hennie Hollink positioned him as a sweeper.
Gritter explains: “As a striker, I wasn’t really accepted by the crowd anymore — they preferred to see younger players up front. And since Epi Drost had left, I was given the role of sweeper. I actually enjoyed it. You need a lot of vision in that position because you distribute the game from the back. And I must say I did have that vision. Actually, Martin Jol had been brought in for that position, but I performed so well that, as far as I know, he ended up playing as right-back.”

- Translated from FC Twente.nl - WayBackMachine