CITY
N E W S
Welcome to A.F.C. Ajax
By GERRY HARRISON
A.\
If practice makes perfect then the
next time City venture into serious
European competition they will be
thoroughly prepared and rehearsed.
For tonight, we welcome what is to
be the first of several European
encounters which will give the team
experience and the supporters a lot
of good viewing.
Two years after their defeat by
Ajax in the European Cup, Liverpool
and their supporters can still re
member enough about the Dutch
side to talk about them with respect.
They come here to Maine Road
once again as champions of Holland
and according to reports from the
Continent, Ajax are playing better
this season than ever before.
Liverpool's centre-half Ron Yeates
only last week talked of the Ajax
player Johan Cruijff as being the
best centre-forward he has ever met.
And Cruijff is scoring goals for Holl
and as well this year.
No-one will need reminding of
course that Ajax are due to play the
Turkish team Fenerbahce in the next
round of the European Cup. So what
might have been will play a big part
in this game for City.
The two features of Dutch football
which strike the outsider most are
firstly the mixture of nations in the
top league sides while Dutchmen
predominate they have learned a lot
by A. V. Alexander, City Chairman
It is my privilege and pleasure this
evening to offer a hearty welcome to
A.F.C. Ajax who provide most
attractive opposition.
It is interesting to note that had
we been successful against Fener
bahce, this would have been our
second round tie in the European
Cup Competition.
A.F.C. Ajax come to Maine Road as
Champions of Holland with a wonder
ful record against foreign opponents,
and it is with this in mind that this
match is being played to enable our
team to gain the necessary experience
so that we, Manchester City, will
become a fixture in European
Competition.
May this evening's game be enjoy
able in every respect and may our
new found friends from Amsterdam
enjoy their stay in Manchester.
from German, Yugoslav, French and
Belgian players and coaches; the
other feature is the stiffness of the
penalties handed out to players who
are judged to have infringed the laws
of the gameterms of six months
are not unusual.
Meanwhile back here at Maine
Road there seems to be quite a
bit of action. The first team gains
experience at top level; the lower
ranks recruit for the future.
Willie Donachie, down from Glas
gow for a month's trial was in the
City team that beat United at
junior level.
Paul Smith now an accepted mem
ber of Manchester Boys team is due
to play in the Lancashire Boys trial
Continued on page S
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