Welcome to Ajax
Ajaxa legend in Europe
The visit of Ajax, of Amsterdam,
to Burnden Park tonight should leave us
in no doubt that we are in the presence of
one of the world's great football clubs.
They are one of the only three clubs
to lift the European Champions' Cup
three seasons in succession, they have
appeared in four finals, and this year
they won the Dutch Championship for a
record-breaking 18th time!
Ajax, the club that gave the world
the magnificent Johann Cruyff, have
been out in search of foreign stars this
summer in order to boost their European
Cup hopes.
Somehow they managed to persuade
the Hungarian authorities to release the
experienced full-back Laszlo Balint, a
current international with 64 caps, and
their other close-season signings have
included Karel Bonsink, a Dutchman who
was with Belgian side RWD Molenbeek
last season, and Yugoslav international
goalkeeper Savilar.
Though Ajax appear to have an easy
first round draw in the European Cup
against Finish side Helsinki JK they
will be taking no chances as they seek to
further improve their European legend
and become only the second club to have
their name inscribed on Europe's top
prize for the fourth time.
Real Madrid, with six successes, are
the only side to win it more than three
times.
It was in the late 'sixties that Ajax
emerged as a European power, reaching
their first final in 1969 when they were
beaten comprehensively by AC Milan by
4—1 in Madrid.
But they absorbed their lessons from
that experience and it was at Wembley
in 1971 that they beat the Greek side
Panathinaikos by 2—0 to chalk up their
first success. They won the trophy again
for the next two seasons, beating Inter-
Milan 2—0 and Juventus 1—0 in finals
staged in Rotterdam and Belgrade.
Their reign as Europe's supreme
champions came to an end in the second
round of the 1973/74 tournament when
they were knocked out by CSKA Sofia.
There followed a period of readjust
ment and for three years they conceded
the Dutch Championship to Feyenoord
and PSV Eindhoven. Ajax won the title
again in 1977 and proceeded to do well in
the European Cup. But, after finishing
level with Juventus in the quarter-final,
they were beaten in the penalty decider.
The following season it was PSV
Eindhoven who regained the Dutch
championship but last season Ajax
bounced back to win it by three clear
points from Feyenoord and push PSV
into third position.
One man who helped put Ajax back
on top was Englishman Ray Clarke, a
former England youth international,
who had brief spells with Tottenham and
Swindon. Mansfield signed him for
£6,000 in 1974 and for two seasons he
was their top scorer with 30 and 27 goals.
The Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam
signed him for £75,000 and last season he
moved on to Ajax. We shall not see Ray
in the Ajax side tonight, however, for
during the summer he made yet another
move, joining Brugge (Belgium) in a
£200,000 deal.
Over the years Ajax have had many
English connections. Vic Buckingham was
their manager until 1965 when he handed
over to Rene Michels, the man who built
the foundations of thier climb to power.
Ajax F.C. was formed in 1900 and
won their first Dutch championship in
1918. Further successes followed in
1919, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1937 and 1939
prior to the war. They took the title again
in 1947 but then faded from the scene
until emerging again ten years later.
Subsequent championships were won in
1960, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972
1973, 1977 and 1979.
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