This thread is the place for talk about upcoming Ajax friendlies.

Any rumors (or, even better: confirmations!) about friendlies for this summer? Post 'em here!

I just read this report on Sky Sports. The last paragraph is interesting:

"Meanwhile, Tigers chairman Adam Pearson has reportedly approached Internazionale, Ajax and Athletic Bilbao about the possibility of playing the Humberside club in pre-season friendlies in the summer."

Would be a nice one!

K.

I'd totally in for such a little trip across the pond. Summer football is often lame but at least you've got to gt the sun shining :D

Too right it would be - my number one son lives just under 1 hour away and my father in law lives in Hull and is within staggering distance.
Great town for drinking and partying.

Would be a nice one to do by ferry! (Rotterdam - Hull).

By the way: according to Football Ground Guide.co.uk it's not the most 'away fan friendly' town in the U.K.

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/park/yfh45/hull.htm

Oh well - it's a friendly and we're not their enemies. I'm sure it will be fine. Never had any problems (Norwich, Nottingham, Derby - wherever).

K.

Cheap flights from Amserdam to Leeds-Bradford or I do believe there is a ferry service (again very cheap) from Amsterdam to Hull.
Away fan friendly and Hull certainly doesn't mix but you could say that for so many places in Europe - if you don't go looking for trouble you won't find it .
BTW, the pies at the ground are absolutely awesome.

Sure? I can only find ferries from Rotterdam (Europoort) to Hull and Amsterdam (IJmuiden, actually) to Newcastle.

If there are cheap flights I will probably go for that (footie fans on ferries... trouble guaranteed, as everyone will be pissed by the time you leave the port).

I hope this rumor is true - and that Ajax try to find another opponent from the same area, like Scunthorpe or Grimsby.

Two years ago we played two teams from the same area (Nottingham and Derby; only a short train trip) and it was great.

K.

It seems that you are correct re the ferry and it doesn't look cheap - I will speak to my father-in-law tonight and see if we are missing something.

Not too sure about Grimsby and Scunthorpe - not the best of places and always bloody cold whenever you go there. Loads of teams in the area though - even Manchester, Newcastle isn't too far away. Could be an awesome trip and Ray will know a pub................ :xyxthumbs:

Bertrand and Philippe: check this out...

http://www.estrepublicain.fr/sportslo/2 ... 47270.html

Are we going to France in the summer...? Any friendlies there...?

K.

Well the article is about Vittel, which is a thermal springs city, and the fact that many football clubs now choose to do the pre-season physical training there (Marseille, Paris Saint Germain, Monaco). And the article is talking about Ajax for next summer, they MIGHT come. Nothing's sure for now but it's a possibility. Well that would be cool...

But Nancy is not the most beautiful place on the world :pukey:.

The article isn't talking about any friendly.

Ajax have not released their pre-season campaign just yet, but I'm sure they soon will... A few amateur clubs have announced that they will play Ajax in pre-season.

A few weeks ago it was already announced (I don't remember where) that Ajax will play WHC in Wezep (close to Zwolle) on Monday, July 11th (kick-off 18:30 CET).

The Twente.nl website (not the website of FC Twente, but the news portal for the Twente, the area) reports that Ajax will, as usual, go on training camp in the village of De Lutte. Over there their first friendly will be against Quick '20 in Oldenzaal (Sportpark Vondersweyde) on Tuesday, July 12th (we also played them in pre-season in 2001, by the way).

Note that Ajax almost never play friendlies two days in a row, not even against amateurs in pre-season... WHC on the 11th and Quick '20 on the 12th...? Not sure if this is all correct.

The local VVV (Tourist Information Service) of the coastal town of Katwijk, meanwhile, reports that Rijnsburgse Boys from the nearby town of Rijnsburg will play Ajax on Saturday, July 16th. The club are celebrating their 75th anniversary that week. The Ajax friendly is the highlight of the celebrations.

As soon as Ajax announce their pre-season agenda a news report will appear on Ajax USA...

K.

In a Dutch-language thread on Ajax Talk a fan also claims that Ajax will play HHC in Hardenberg. They are in the Saturday Hoofdklasse ('Top Class') of Dutch amateur football. Rijnsburgse Boys are also Saturday Hoofdklasse, Quick '20 are Sunday Hoofdklasse and WHC are Saturday Hoofdklasse.

No lower division amateur opponents yet... Which is remarkable. Ajax normally start with one or two games against lower division amateur sides (sometimes even Fourth Class).

K.

what about the Amsterdam tournament ? any dates yet ?

The tourney is usually the weekend nearest to the turn of July into August. so my money is on Friday 29 July and Sunday 31st, this year.

There is always one English club. Chelsea would be nice, but we are about due for another visit from Man U. (ding!).

There is always an Italian club. A. S. Roma would be nice (Chivu, Chivu) but their fans are bastards. So my moneys on Juve.

There is always an a.n. other team just to make up the numbers. Given the Adidas sponsorship, it would be nice if we could have one of the big Adidas teams like Real Madrid, or Spartak or perhaps an interesting Japanese team. But most probably we'll get one of those fat, unfit, South American teams who are only three days into their season preperatiion as usual.

According to ELF.nl FC Porto, Arsenal, Boca Juniors and Ajax will play the Amsterdam Tournament..

That would be one hell of a line-up... :xyxthumbs:

K.

Yeah....a little cross-channel shopping trip for Mr Wenger....

:outtahere:

Disappointing news, folks...

I just read the Dutch language thread about the pre-season friendlies for this summer. Our man 'Brigade Zuid' sent e-mail to info@ajax.nl to find out if they know anything already. The reply was: "No pre-season friendlies have been confirmed as yet. However, we can tell you that there will be no pre-season friendlies in England this season."

That sucks!! One of the nicest traditions of recent years...

X'C X'C X'C X'C

I want U.K. friendlies!!!

Edit: by the way: we will not run the Amsterdam Tournament line-up as news before it's been officially confirmed by Ajax or the tournament website. Last year several magazines had it that Bayern Munich were coming. Turned out that wasn't the case. We will wait for official confirmation.

K.

I doubt it will be Arsenal, they were here just last summer...It would be rather boring to have them here again... I would like to see the Amsterdam Tournament played by the likes of AJAX Amsterdam, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspurs, and Boca Juniors. Don't ask me why though... :blush:

Amsterdam Tournament is the best... Weather is lovely and even if the games are lame the atmosphere is just sweet. I wanna make it this year again.

For the record: the line-up of Ajax, Arsenal, Boca Juniors and FC Porto has been confirmed by Ajax.nl... Check out the English language report (which also includes the matches schedule):

http://english.ajax.nl/show/id=118083/contentid=40317

Last season we played Panathinaikos and not River Plate, which I thought was a real shame. This year it's better: Arsenal and Boca Juniors. I'm looking forward to the latter game in particular!

We will also run this as news on Ajax USA later today. No confirmation of the other friendlies yet...

K.

I've got a friend who will be working in in Belgium in July and me and some other friends were thinking of visiting him sometime. I was kinda thinking that this could be combined with the Amsterdam Tournament, if it's possible date wise.

How about the tickets for the Tournament? Are they hard to get in the last few days before the game?

I'm all for another AT.It would be my third.I have had an absolute blast at the previous 2(2002, 2004).

Okay - apparently it's going to be Germany...

http://www.bundesliga.de/news/liga/articles/23392.php

According to this report (in German) Ajax will play an (away) game against Arminia Bielefeld on July 23. Not sure if it's a one-off friendly or part of a training camp in Germany. If the latter is the case we can expect at least one more friendly in Germany to be added to the agenda.

Where is Bielefeld, by the way? Close to the Dutch border?

Edit: it's also on the official Arminia Bielefeld website now...

Train trip is a piece of cake, by the way: Amsterdam to Duisburg is a direct connection (ICE to Cologne). In Duisburg there's a direct train to Bielefeld. Less than four hours in total. Any Cockney Cloggies up for it?

K.

I am on holiday in Turkey, so count me out of the trip. Also saving money for the 3rd qualifying CL round games in early and late August.

If money starts comin' in, then I'm in.