Knud Bastrup-Birk (12 December 1919 – 25 August 1973) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

amateur

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played 18 games for the

Denmark national football team The Denmark men's national football team ( da, Danmarks herre-fodboldlandshold or ''herrelandsholdet'') represents Denmark in men's international football competitions. It is controlled by the Danish Football Association (DBU), the governing bo ...

. Bastrup-Birk was born in Gentofte and played club football for Akademisk Boldklub (AB). Bastrup-Birk was a talented

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, a good rower, and an excellent 100 m sprinter and long jumper. He played as a full-back, but his footballing style was ahead of its time. He played almost as an attack-minded libero, dribbling and passing the ball upfield when he had dispossessed an opposing player, but the attacking fashion was criticized by the leaders of both AB and the national team. He made his international debut in 1943, but due to injury, he was an unused substitute in the Danish team that won bronze medals at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

. He played his last game for Denmark in 1951.

Honours

Denmark *

Olympic Bronze Medal An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal to be won: gold, silver, and bronze, awarded to first, second, and third place, respectively. The granting of awards is laid ou ...

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

References

1919 births 1973 deaths Men's association football defenders Danish men's footballers Akademisk Boldklub players Olympic bronze medalists for Denmark People from Gentofte Municipality Footballers from the Capital Region of Denmark {{Denmark-footy-defender-stub