Pieter Vink
A Dutch police officer turned referee who had the historic honor of blowing the first whistle at the new Wembley Stadium in 2007.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Dutch football referee·Birthday: March 13·Generation X
Biography
Pieter Vink’s path to the world’s top football pitches was anything but ordinary. For years, he balanced the high-pressure duties of a Dutch police officer with the intense scrutiny of refereeing elite matches. His calm authority and sharp judgment eventually led FIFA and UEFA to appoint him for major European fixtures. Vink’s career pinnacle arrived in March 2007, when he was selected to officiate the England U21 vs. Italy U21 friendly, marking the inaugural match at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium—a symbolic passing of the torch for the iconic venue. The demands of top-tier officiating ultimately led him to leave the police force, becoming one of the Netherlands' first full-time professional referees. After hanging up his whistle, he channeled his competitive spirit into the fairways, becoming a dedicated golfer.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Pieter was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Pieter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Pieter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was the first referee to officiate a match at the newly opened Wembley Stadium in 2007.
- Served as a FIFA and UEFA listed referee, overseeing international club and youth competitions.
- Transitioned from being a serving police officer to a full-time professional referee in the Netherlands.
Did You Know?
His primary career outside of football was as a police officer in the Netherlands.
He is an avid golfer.
The first match at the new Wembley he refereed was an Under-21 international between England and Italy.
“I was a policeman, so I was used to making decisions under pressure.”
