COACHING HAT-TRICK
Since the club's inception in 1900, Ajax have had three coaches in charge at
their Amsterdam base that have shared Spurs connections. John Fennelly
looks back.
TOTTENHAM TRIO
CO
CO
When Jack Kirwan took over at Ajax in 1910 he became
the Amsterdam club's first ever professional
manager. It proved to be a successful appointment
and it took a world war to break the connection.
Kirwan was born in Dunlavin in County Wicklow, Ireland, and
specialised in Gaelic Football. He was good enough to play for
Dublin in the 1894 Alt-Ireland final when they overcame Cork.
He decided that he would seek a professional career in
English football and started out with Southport Central in
the Lancashire League. An extremely lively and tricky winger,
Jack was an instant success and was signed by Everton in
1898, ironically as a replacement for John Cameron who had
left for Spurs a month before.
Despite going straight into the Toffees first team, Kirwan
failed to settle in Liverpool but he did enough to show that he
was capable of making a huge impact in the Football League
- a fact not missed by Cameron who was now our manager.
Although we were a Southern League side at the time, Jack
jumped at the chance to head south and once again settled into
his new side, becoming a real crowd favourite at the same time.
Kirwan played a key role as we won the Southern League
in 1900, creating and scoring goals, and helping to inspire us
to FA Cup success the following year when he played in every
game of that momentous run to the final.
Jack Kirwan helped us win the FA Cup
first time. But the outbreak of World War One ended his dreams
and ambitions as he was forced to return home.
Back in Dublin he coached Bohemians, had a brief spell in
charge of Southport Vulcan before being invited to move to
Italy in September, 1923, to coach Livorno. After that Jack
returned to live in London where he died in January, 1959, at
the age of 80.
Vic Buckingham also had his football dreams shattered by
war but for him it was the 1939*45 conflict which interrupted
his development as a player. Yet he certainly made his mark
as a manager in a journey across Europe that included two
stints in charge at Ajax.
Born in Greenwich, he started out with our junior side
and represented England Schools before signing for us as
an amateur in October, 1931. A versatile defender, he was a
professional within three years and played for our nursery
side Northfleet. He was established in our senior team back
at White Hart Lane when World War Two erupted.
Like so many players of his generation Vic lost possibly
the best years of his career to the war. He joined the RAF and
played in service and representative football - and twice for
England in war time internationals -and even guested for other
clubs depending on where he was stationed. That included
one game for Portsmouth against - Spurs!
When hostilities ceased he returned to the Lane but he
was 30 by then and under pressure for a first team place. He
switched to coaching our juniors and also steered Pegasus -
the combined Oxford and Cambridge universities team - to
Amateur Cup success in 1951
As his reputation as an innovative and radical coach began
to build, Vic was offered the post at Bradford Park Avenue
who he managed from 1951 to 1953 before moving to West
Bromwich Albion, where they won the FA Cup and finished
as runners-up in Division One in his first season.
By May, 1959, he was Ajax manager. He led them to the
Indeed, he had so much possession in the final and replay
as we became the only non-league side to lift the trophy that
he was given the actual match ball at the final whistle!
Jack also became our first ever Irish international and
went on to win another 11 caps as a Spurs player. He formed
a special partnership with David Copeland down our left so
it was a major disappointment when both decided to leave
and join the newly-formed Chelsea in May, 1905-
Kirwan stayed with Chelsea for three years and subsequently
played for Clyde and Leyton before moving into coaching.
In September, 1910, Jack set sail for Holland to take overat
Ajax and within a year had led the club to victory in a promotion
play-off that saw the club reach the Dutch top flight for the
Vic Buckingham managed Ajax twice
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