The "Amsterdamsche Football Club
Ajax" was officially founded in 1900,
although the origins of what was to be
come Holland's most popular and cele
brated club reach back to 1893. After
eight years of steadily improving seasons
and a merger with the "Holland" football
club, Ajax was promoted to the first divi
sion.
Ajax had difficulty maintaining its
position at the highest level in those early
years and was relegated to a lower divi
sion from 1914 until 1917, when they
made a glorious comeback into the first
division and a year later became national
champions for the first time.
In 1919 Ajax again gained the title
and over the next nine years qualified for
the championship competition three times.
This period saw the development of a
fantastic team under the inspiring leader
ship of an unforgettable English coach.
Jack Reynolds. During a period of over
thirty years, Reynolds was to put his
stamp on the club.
The fruits of Reynolds' preparations
were reaped in the thirties when the club
became highly successful. Between 1930
and 1939 Ajax gained the national title
five times. Its position as a leading Dutch
football club brought a great increase in
spectators. The old stadium became too
small and in December 1934 the club
moved to a brand new stadium which has
remained the club's home.
This successful period in the thirties
was followed by a more difficult time
which was largely overshadowed by the
Second World War. Ajax, with its many
Jewish members, suffered considerably
but was able to regain its old strength when
this dark period was over. Still under the
leadership of Jack Reynolds, Ajax won the
national title for the eighth time in 1947.
The introduction of professional foot
ball in 1954 was a momentous change for
Ajax. After two seasons, there was a
selection process to group clubs into dif
ferent divisions. Ajax was placed in the
first division and promptly won the title in
the first season (1956-57). This champi
onship qualified Ajax for the first time for
participation in the European Cup compe
tition.
Ajax secured ten national titles fol
lowed by a down period in the 1964-65
season. The next season a new and ambi
tious coach, Rinus Michels, heading a
generation of highly talented players, laid
the foundation for Ajaxeventual status as
a top national and international club. The
results of Michels' approach already be
gan to show in the 1965-66 season; Ajax
seized their eleventh national title. This
success was repeated in 1967 and 1968, a
period in which the team gained European
stature.
Three years later, ready for the Euro
pean Cup, Ajax won and did so again in
1972 (the year they also won the World
Cup), and again in 1973. Ajax had gained
a solid reputation as a top European club.
After several top players left the team,
Ajax was unable to hold on to its position
of supremacy, although they came close to
another European Cup Finals in 1980,
coached by Leo Beenhakker. In the na
tional competition, however, Ajax contin
ued to be in a class of its own winning
many national titles and cup finals victo
ries between 1976 and the present.
The famous Ajax youth training pro
gram has always played an important role
in maintaining the club's high average.
Through this program, many top players
have gained a place on the Dutch national
team and reaped fame abroad.
AJAX
90 Years of Excellence
