Career
During his career he played for Football Club Volendam. He died at the age of 23, killed in the Surinam Airways Flight PY764 air crash in Paramaribo on 7 June 1989. He was nicknamed "De parel van de Bijlmer" (The pearl of the Bijlmer), named after the Bijlmer district in Amsterdam where he lived.
His main skills were his strength and his pace.
He joined Football Club Volendam in 1987 and was one of the most promising talents in the Eredivisie. He scored a backheel goal against Football Club Den Bosch.
This highlight would continuously be replayed by NOS Studio Sport. Against AFC Ajax he ran through a defence that included Danny Blind and Aron Winter to score another memorable goal against Stanley Menzo.
Although Football Club Volendam did not want to let him go, he was close to signing a contract with Roda JC for the 1989–1990 season.
On 7 June 1989 Surinam Airways Flight PY764 crashed during approach to Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, killing 176 of the 187 passengers on board, including Van Dorpel, making it the worst ever aviation disaster in Suriname"s history. Van Dorpel had never seen his father and was about to change his last name into his mother"s name, "Esajas". He had planned to meet his father for the first time in his life in Suriname during the Colourful 11 trip.
In memory of Van Dorpel, a statue was erected behind the "Amsterdamse Poort" police station.
A hall in Football Club Volendam"s Kras Stadion is also named after him.