Tommy
Docherty
Manager
Tonight is a special occasion
the return of competitive European
football to Old Trafford.
And I can think of no better club than
Ajax to help us celebrate an occasion
which, win or lose, means such a lot to
Manchester United.
I have always been aware of this special
affinity between Old Trafford and European
soccer. It goes back to Sir Matt Busby of
course, a great visionary who was one of
the first people in this country to appreciate
the potential beyond our domestic com
petitions.
WORLD GAME
But it wasn't just a commercial aware
ness that made Sir Matt take Manchester
United into Europe, he always saw pro
fessional football as a world game. He had
a wider horizon than most and realised
that sport is the best means of breaking
down national frontiers.
I think Sir Matt also wanted to compete
at the highest possible standard, and this
inevitably meant meeting a world
challenge.
Europe provokes fierce partisanship of
course and over the years there have been
incidents which have done little to further
the cause of sportsmanship or a better
understanding between nations.
But for every shameful game, there are
a dozen which create close bonds of
friendship and builds mutual respect as
well as providing a high order of soccer
spectacle.
That is one of the reasons why I say
that I am delighted we have been drawn
against Ajax on this our return to European
competition after a lapse ofseven seasons.
The first leg in Amsterdam reflected so
much that is good in sport. The match was
fought in a hard, competitive spirit, but
there was nothing vicious. It was in fact
extremely sporting with the emphasis on
skill and entertainment.
I am sure this evening's second leg will
be equally exciting and fairly played. Ajax
come with a one-goal lead which I
believe sets the stage for a very intriguing
match. I think we are capable of turning
the tables on our own ground, but it is
not going to be easy.
Ajax are perhaps not quite the power
they were when they won the European
Cup three years in succession, but they
are still an extremely useful side.
They still reflect a number of the qualities
that made Dutch football so successful at
club level in the early seventies and in the
World Cup of 1974 when Holland reached
the final against Germany, and probably
only lost through over-confidence.
Holland have certainly made a big
contribution towards putting the fun back
into football after the Italian influence of
defensive, negative tactics. They like their
defenders to attack and it was of course
Rudi Krol, one of their great players, who
came from the back four to create and
score the only goal of the game in
Amsterdam a fortnight ago.
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