HlöTORY
On 13 March of the year 1900, the Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax ivas
formed, although the club had existed for some years before this official
action. There had been a club called 'Ajax' as early as 1393, and we know of
an actual membership charter from 1394 of the club which now, more than
one hundred years later, is a football club with worldwide fame because of its
vision, its style and results.
Three years after the official formation, the young club was admitted to
organised competitions by the national football association. The second
division of the Amsterdam Football league was the platform on which Ajax
made its debut. During this time, Ajax already presented itself as a very well
organised and excellently managed club. And as an ambitious club. After the
club had narrowly missed promotion to the highest league, Ajax merged with
another club, 'Holland'. The fact that this name subsequently disappeared
and the former 'Holland' players therefore must have integrated into Ajax,
says something for the drive of the club. In 1911, the dub's efforts gained it
promotion to the first division. After keeping its place there for a couple of
seasons, the team was relegated to the second division. This would prove
the only relegation of its first team in the club's history. Two years after
being relegated, Ajax worked its way back up, and from there became
nationally renowned. The first Dutch league championship was celebrated in
1913. It was not just any old league championship: Ajax won the title without
losing a single match, a feat which was only to be repeated 55 years later,
byAjax. The title was won under manager Jack Reynolds, an Englishman
who can be regarded as the very first teacher of the Ajax school of football,
which later became so famous. Reynolds made Ajax play technically refined
and attacking football, and he paid much attention to the development of
young players, something which would become typical for the organisation of
the club. After the second league title in 1919, Ajax continued to play a
prominent role in the Dutch top division, but the club had to wait until 1931
before another title could be celebrated. That championship was the start of
what within the ciub is called 'the Golden Age'. Ajax won no less than five
league titles in the Thirties, while ending the season as runners-up in the
championship play-offs three times. The national successes had their effect
on the Amsterdam youths: to be chosen to play for the Ajax youth teams
was regarded an honour, even in those days. The young talented hopefuls
could only get in after playing a trial game, and the so-called 'open days'
attracted many young players. As in those days, the open days of Ajax are
still very popular among young players.
Ajax by now supplied a steady flow of international players for the Dutch
team. In 1911, Gerard Fortgens had been the first Ajax player to have the
honour to play for the national team. Fortgens' example was followed by
nearly one hundred other Ajax players. This makes Ajax by far the largest
supplier of players to the Dutch national team.
The brilliant Thirties gave the club another highlight. The old stadium, which
was situated near the place where we now find the Christiaan Huygensplein
in the eastern part of Amsterdam, proved to be too small. The stadium was
sold out regularly, and a lot of fans had to be disappointed, especially when
