How the
club was
formed...
THE DUTCH CONNECTION
5
RANGERS are always happy to go
Dutch when it comes to football.
In modern times, Holland has produced
some of the finest players and some of the
finest club sides, as well as the top inter
national team.
There has been a slight decline in stan
dards in the past few years, but the signs
are that the Dutch are rebuilding their
national squad round new young rising
stars and that they will be a force again
soon.
Rangers' connection with the Dutch in
European competition ties goes back
quarter of a century.
It was in season 1959-60 that Sparta
Rotterdam came to Ibrox in the quarter
final of the European Cup. Rangers had
already won 3-2 over in Holland and were
confident for the return.
But they learned a lesson that has
repeated itself over and over again in
European soccer take nothing for
granted.
The Dutch won 1-0 and since this was
prior to the days of the away-goals count
ing-double rule (which would have taken
Rangers through) the clubs had to go to
Highbury in London for a play-off, which
Rangers won 3-2.
Incidentally, there was a crowd of
82,507 inside Ibrox for the meeting with
Sparta.
Since that first meeting, Rangers have
played against Dutch opposition three
other times in European ties and have a
good record.
In 1968-69 DWS Amsterdam were Fairs
Cup opponents with Rangers winning
2-0 in Holland and 2-1 at Ibrox.
Not so successful was the encounter
with Twente Enschede in the 1977-78
Cup-Winners' Cup. A goal-less draw at
Ibrox was followed by a 3-0 defeat in
Holland.
But the next season's U.E.F.A. Cup was
to bring Rangers probably their most
significant success agains the Dutch.
Against a star-packed PSV Eindhoven
no-one gave the Ibrox men a chance when
they had to go to Holland for the return
after a goal-less game in Glasgow.
But the game turned into a triumph for
the Light Blues against the PSV side that
had never lost a European tie at home.
They swept to a superb 3-2 victory in an
enthralling match, with the winning goal
created by Tommy McLean and finished
by Bobby Russell, subsequently winning
the award as TV's "Goal of the Season".
It started off in the Cafe East
India, in Kalverstraat, Amster
dam's most elegant shopping
centre. Cn March 18, 1900, a small
group of moustached gentlemen
in top hats met there, in answer to
a summons by 'Pa' Dade to the
leaders of the sporting fraternity at
that time in Amsterdam.
The purpose of the invitation
was to discuss the start of a
completely new Football Club.
They reached agreement very
quickly in a stuffy little upstairs
room of the cafe and Amsterdam
got a new Third Division club by
the name of Ajax.
Football was founded in an
organised form in Holland in 1889
under the name of Netherlands
Football and Athletics Association
- now called the Royal Dutch Foot
ball Association. The name of Ajax
first hit the headlines in 1908 when
it merged with another strong
Third Division club, 'Holland' a
step which was to bring them a
greater football support.
By 1911 Ajax had broken
through and were playing in the
First Division. However, only two
years later, in 1913, Ajax were
relegated again to the Second
Division. 'Pa' Dade, the great
founder of the club, who had, by
strength of personality, held the
club together retired from the
scene. The First World War natur
ally cancelled football in Holland
and it was in 1918 that Ajax again
climbed back into the First Division
and immediately won the National
Championship.
Their coach at that time was an
Englishman, Jack Reynolds, who
did much forfootball in Holland. In
the 30s Ajax became a power in
Dutch football winning five titles in
nine seasons.
After the war, they won the
championship in 1947 but had to
wait another ten years before re
peating the feat. The League in
1960 and the Cup in 1961, were
their only other honours until the
late sixties, when they bagan to
dominate the Dutch scene.
They lifted the title three years in
succession from 1966-68 and also
won the Cup in 1967. They were
champs again in 1970, as well as
Cup winners and then won the Cup
in 1971 and 1972.
Those were the real glory years
because, in addition to the League
title and Cup in 1972, they also
lifted the European Cup, their
second successive triumph and
they won it the following year as
well.
Since 1973 they have won the
championship five times and the
Cup twice, including last season
when they did the double.
THE GLORY DAYS
Ajax clashes in 1973.
Joh an n Neeskens helps to lift the trophy put up for the Rangers v
