De buitenlandsche pers over Ajax. The Game in Holland. Record of the Ajax Club. CLUBNIEUWS DER A. F. C. AJAX 5i Wij ontleenen aan „The Sportsman" d d. 15 Maart 1919 (een Londensch dagblad aan de sport gewijd) het volgende artikel over onze vereeniging. Terwille van de „originaliteit" laten wij het artikel onvertaald Dutch football has improved considerably dur ing the war, compared with what it was five years ago. We should not like to say that it has already reached the high standard of Eng lish football, but if it goes on as it has done these last few years, England will have to reckon with it when it comes to the supremacy of the football world. On Mar. 9 Ajax, the Amsterdam First Divi sion club and champions of the Netherlands over 1917-1918, again won the championship of the Western Division of the Netherlands F.Aand no doubt will repeat hér last year's performance by also winning the championship of Holland The Club, which was established Mar. 18, 1900, started as a schoolboys' club, and has won all possible Dutch football honours. After going through all the divisions of the Amsterdam Foot ball Association they entered the National Or ganisation in 1902 and reached the First Division in 1911, but went down to the Second Division in 1914, to be promoted once more in 1917 Though just promoted, they finished the season by winning both divisional and national cham pionships. In 1917 they won the Netherlands Football Association Cup. The season, playing with the same team as last, they have been far too strong for their rivals, as will be seen by the appended League table, win ning nearly every match by a three goals margin, and up till now five teams failed to score against them either at home or away. Their youngest victims were the H. V V still trained 'by War- burton, who were beaten oy 5-2, the same result as in the first encounter between the clubs .Onley this team and Sparta (Rotterdam) have won the distinction of having had a lend against the champions. Without boasting, we think that Ajax is about the strongest Continental team at present. The man to whom Ajax is largely in- depted for their success is Jack Reynolds, the old Manchester City, Sheffield Wednesday, and New Brompton player, who has been with the club since 1915, and is liked by everybody. The Ajax Club runs at present 16 teams, and has a membership of over 1200 working and honorary members. Besides sometimes a veterans' team takes the field. Years ago Dutch football players called themselves veterans when they had reached the age of 22 or became engaged to a nice Dutch girl. Nowadays the age limit has been raised to 301 To show that the football fever has come over the Dutch, the average gate of Ajax has been this season between ^400 and ^500; most times the gates had to be closed. There are two big stands 011 both sides of the playing field and terraces behind the goals. The local rivals are the Blauw-Wit Club, which plays in the Stadion, and stand a good chance of being runners-up to Ajax. As you know, Stephen Bloomer has been training them for a while. But no doubt what you will not know is that Stephen has had his last chance of ever winning a final cup medal when he was over here. During the summer he has been assisting the V. V. V. Cricket Club here, as did Edwin Dutton, the old Newcastle player. Perhaps it will interest you to hear that Mr. Jasper Warner, the chairman of the Netherlands Football Association, after having occupied that position for over twenty-five years, has now thought that the time has come to resign. It will be very difficult indeed to find a man who can take his place and perform his duties as well as Mr. Warner has done all these years. Luckily Mr. Hylkema is still the secretary of the Asso ciation. The Dutch have great desire to meet Belgium, perhaps to settle at the same time all contro versies about the Scheldt and Limburg! There are further rumours that an official Dutch team will visit Norway, and Ajax will pay visits to Copenhagen and Stockholm. For professionals whose playing days are over there are plenty of good openings here with Dutch clubs as trainers But they must be good coaches, and if they can

AJAX ARCHIEF

Clubnieuws Ajax (vanaf 1916) | 1919 | | pagina 7