A.F.C. AJAX (Amsterdam)
ON OUR VISITORS
When people talk of Ajax of
Amsterdam they usually finish up
singing the words of Max Bygraves'
international hit song "Tulips from
Amsterdam." The reason is obvious.
However, A.F.C. Ajax have every
right to sing their own praises as
their excellent record speaks for
itself particularly over the last few
years when they have become one of
the most respected sides in European
Cup competitions.
It was in 1900 when they were
formed as a Third Division club and
it took them until 191 I to gain First
Division status but unfortunately
their stay in the premier division was
short lived for they were relegated
two years later. After the cease fire
of the First World War in 1918 Ajax
won the first of their 13 League
Championships and the following
year they became the first Dutch
team to win the national champion
ship in successive seasons.
There followed a lull in the Club's
achievements on the disbanding of
the experienced team and it was in
1930 that the Club embarked
on a wonderfully successful decade
under the guidance of Englishman
Jack Reynolds. This is how the
Championship finished up in the 30's:
Champions
Runners-up
1930-1931
Ajax
Feijenoord
1931-1932
Ajax
Feijenoord
1932-1933
Go Ahead
Feijenoord
1933-1934
Ajax
K.F.C.
1934-1935
P.S.V. (Philips)
Go Ahead
1935-1936
Feijenoord
Ajax
1936-1937
Ajax
Feijenoord
1937-1938
Feijenoord
Heracles
1938-1939
Ajax
D.W.S.
Five national titles in 10 years
meant increased revenue and in 1934
under the inspired leadership of
Marius Koolhaas, Ajax's present
ground was built, seating 24,000 spec
tators. However, for European Cup
matches the Club use the Amsterdam
1928 Olympic Stadium which has a
much greater capacity, holding a
crowd of 65,000.
From 1939-45 Holland and Europe
were ravaged by the Second World
War but immediately hostilities were
over Ajax continued to collect
championships and in 1947 they won
their eighth" golden plaque." The
Club then had a comparatively lean
spell by their high standards and they
did not win the national champion
ship until 1957, three years after the
introduction in the Netherlands of
semi-professionalism.
The "swinging" sixties have pro
ceeded to bring honours to Ajax and
their chief rivals are Feijenoord
Rotterdam, the traditional 'enemy,'
