General Football Discussion

[carcajou]

I have no idea which team was actually better, but I reckon that the results would have looked slightly different had all voters been of OPH's age.
K.

You can't seriously mean that... I mean it's pretty obvious that the 70's team was far above the lot, and that if all the players had kept on playing altogether and not moved to Spain and stuff they would have won like 5 or 6 Champs League in a row. 95 squad was fine, but individually you can't compare...
Just ask yourself that simple question : "Who was the best player in 95 ?". Then think about Cruyff, Keizer, Muhren and all these players that made history.

In MY opinion the crop of 95 was more about the vision of Van Gaal and the playing system than about pure talent. That is why I choose the 71-73 golden team as my personal reference.

[SPL]

No contest the 71-73 team are one of the all time great teams in the history of Europe along with Madrid of the 1950's. If they had stayed together they would have won 5/6 in a row as was said previously.

[Over Pasanens Head]

BTW the great 1971 to 1973 team lost out in an earlier round to Inter Milan by I think 1 vote - somethings never change - probably a vote in the last second.

Apologies guys - wrong Milan team - the Ajax 71-73 team lost out to AC Milan of 89-90 by one vote.

[Over Pasanens Head]

It appears from the photograph on Ajax.nl of Maradona that he looks in a lot better shape than the last lot of photographs I saw of him. Maybe he has at long last got his act in order after years of abuse of one kind or another.

[Kowalczyk]

Yeah, he doesn't do coke anymore. He's kicked it and has so much control over himself already that he had the courage to spend a week in Amsterdam!

K.

[Bert]

Yeah, he doesn't do coke anymore. He's kicked it and has so much control over himself already that he had the courage to spend a week in Amsterdam!

K.

I did hear the Boca players got some magic in Amsterdam.

[Over Pasanens Head]

Moving on to one of our favourite subjects - namely Italian Football and Inter in particular.

2 small stories which seem to illustrate where Ajax are not exploiting their full marketing potential.

Number 1:- It was my 21st birthday again yesterday (if you feel like sending me money for a present don't be bashful - I take any currency) and I got an e-mail card from Inter saying many happy returns and my name and my new age (21) superimposed on the new Inter strip. Nothing orgasmic about that but at least they have thought about it. As you would guess nowt came from Ajax.

Number 2:- Inter have a fan club based in London which if you join, you are entitled to discounts on a season card, champions league and league games. Yet again they are doing all they can to encourage participation. What do Ajax do - F**k All.

I realise that some of you may think that they have to do all of this to get people to watch Italian football, but that wasn't my point. Inter at least seem to understand the importance of the fans and in particular foreign fans.

[Manneken Pis]

OPH, I think your point is well made...Ajax don't focus adequately on the revenue stream (it's all transfers and CL qualification)....I know this may bug some locals...but there's a distinctly 'provincial' aura about their commercial activities....better than most Dutch clubs perhaps...but that makes Ajax a "tall dwarf"........

[Kowalczyk]

I know this may bug some locals...but there's a distinctly 'provincial' aura about their commercial activities...

It's Ajax's provincialism that bugs me, not your remark.

In fact: after the very first Ajax USA trip to Amsterdam (2001) I actually mentioned that in an article I wrote for Nieuwe Revu magazine, which I later translated into English for Ajax USA. During our first trip things really seemed about to change. They've been very kind to us ever since, but they still don't really understand what they're missing.

Some of you may not have read it yet:
http://www.ajax-usa.com/travel/nieuwe-revu.html

K.

[Over Pasanens Head]

Thought I might as well keep you up to date with events down Cressing Road way. It was the big English Derby match last night and of course Braintree Town came out on top.
There has been a big effort in the last year by Dave Battram to corrupt some of our younger members (Ko being one of them) by giving them Bishop's Stortford shirts. One person has even worn his to an Ajax game.

I hope that this result will convince them of the error of their ways and that they now move away from the dark side.

The push for CL football is still on - lads don't get left behind by still supporting Bishops Stortford.

Report Filed on a Braintree Web-site:-

Subject: Braintree 2 Bishop Stortford 0

Message: An excellent dsplay by the Iron.
Team:
Morgan

Burgess
Wild
Kerrigan
Jones

Quinton
Porter
Martin
Joseph

Ravell
Griffith

The first half was nip & tuck with a lot of hard work from both sides without making any real chances.
The new boys at the back Wild & Kerrigan looked well in control. The only real chance came to Stortford a couple of minutes before the break when they tried to chip keeper Morgan & succeeded but the ball came back off the post.

The second half was a much more open affair. Off went Martin & Griffith & on came Riddle & Baker. Right from the off the Storford no.9 hit the post with an excellent shot. Lots of chances came & went. Ricay Grice came on for Mark Jones & immediately laid off a good pass for Alex Ravell to power a low shot home.
Alex Ravell then scored a second a few minutes later with a superb turn & volley.
All the players did really well including the new lads.
Well done all

[Kowalczyk]

People, you have no idea what a nightmare my life has become since supporters of both Braintree Town and Bishop's Stortford started building a fanbase in The Netherlands by all means necessary. I have received a beautiful book on the history of Braintree's impressive Cressing Road stadium from a Braintree fan whose name I will not mention here. I also received a very stylish Bishop's Stortford FC polo shirt.

I can hardly cope with the pressure and I am seeing a psychiatrist every week now to talk about the issue. This psychiatrist is not officially qualified, but he's a very good one and also a very good friend of mine. His advice: don't take the bait just yet and wait until one of these chaps sends a gorgeous call-girl over to your house, wearing lingerie in the colours of one of the two clubs.

I told you he's a great shrink.

K.

[Over Pasanens Head]

This psychiatrist is not officially qualified, but he's a very good one and also a very good friend of mine. His advice: don't take the bait just yet and wait until one of these chaps sends a gorgeous call-girl over to your house, wearing lingerie in the colours of one of the two clubs.

I told you he's a great shrink.

K.

If you have to go to a shrink to be able to decide what is surely crystal clear to any well informed footie fan plus your support is depedant on such things as a call-girl etc., then I am unsure if you are the type of fan Braintree Town are looking for. Surely you aren't a glory hunter in that Bishop's Stortford are in a higher league?

What gives even more meaning to supporting The Iron is that this year Braintree Town are playing AFC Wimbledon who has an ardent supporter that is also a season card holder at F-Word. What more of a reason does anybody need to support Braintree Town.

[SE6Ajacied]

What gives even more meaning to supporting The Iron is that this year Braintree Town are playing AFC Wimbledon who has an ardent supporter that is also a season card holder at F-Word. What more of a reason does anybody need to support Braintree Town.

But as true footy fans we just can't help but support AFC Dons surely :D

(This is a very long story for those who don't follow lower English league football - suffice to say Milton Keynes Dons (who took the league place) are not the true "Wimbledon" team or fans....)

[Over Pasanens Head]

But as true footy fans we just can't help but support AFC Dons surely :D

(This is a very long story for those who don't follow lower English league football - suffice to say Milton Keynes Dons (who took the league place) are not the true "Wimbledon" team or fans....)

Neither of the teams are the true Wimbledon anymore. However, I would agree that the romantic notion is that AFC Wimbledon represents the true heart of the old Wimbledon.
My point though was to do with extending the Ajax/F-Word rivalry to Braintree/AFC through myself and Womble who occassionaly pops by this board.

You will have to join us SE6Ajacied when Braintree plays at AFC Dons.

[SE6Ajacied]

You will have to join us SE6Ajacied when Braintree plays at AFC Dons.

My last post was slightly toung-in-cheek if it didn't show ;) . Happy to come as long as I can wear my AFC Dons shirt - I do have one (£3 from the market) although I wouldn't say I was really a fan.

[Kowalczyk]

A triumph for all Dutch football supporters!

Press release from the Official PSV Fanclub and the Association of Dutch Football Supporters (SOVS)

Today, Wednesday August 3rd 2005, the judge of the Almelo Court of Justice has come to an important verdict in the lawsuit that the Official PSV Fanclub and the of Dutch Football Supporters (SOVS) started together against the mayor of Almelo. In his verdict the judge quashed the mayor's decision to impose an obligatory way of travelling on the PSV fans (the so-called 'combi ruling').

This verdict is not only important to the PSV supporters who want to travel to Almelo on Saturday 13 August for the Eredivisie fixture between Heracles Almelo and PSV, but to all Dutch football supporters.

"This verdict is a serious threat to the 'combi ruling' that Dutch mayors impose on travelling football fans so frequently and easily," says Ger van Os, the delighted chairman of the Official PSV Fanclub.

The judge concluded that a mayor telling people how to travel outside of the limits of his city, is exceeding his authorities. Also, the judge concluded that obligatory combis are not a solution for the problem of football hooliganism.

Marcel Winkelman, vice chairman of SOVS: "This verdict is ground-breaking. Every Dutch football supporter should be really happy about this."

The judge did stress that commercial interest have their limits and that the KNVB can have no influence on the imposition of combis.

This is, indeed, a very important precedent. Now that this piece of jurisprudence is there, we (the fans) have a very powerful weapon against ridiculous combis (we're not talking about the ones to Feyenoord here, but the silly ones, to Willem II or Heracles or something).

K.

[Antwanvanderstap]

I hear ya..the ridiculous combis where the reason for my friend and me to stop going to away-games.

[jamcocteau]

Has anybody seen this vote

http://www.famousteams.com/

Well it looks like a lot of Bayern fans have been busy and good to see that Feyenoord are where they deserve to be last LOL

Have voted for Ajax but dont really do this sort of thing normally but cannae bear to see Celtic above us :D

[Over Pasanens Head]

What chances Mr V Hoodwink putting one over on his old team-mates on Sunday?
I have taken a chance and bet on NAC winning at 5/1 :eusa_pray:

[Over Pasanens Head]

On the Crystal Palace website http://www.cpfc.org/forums/forumdisplay ... forumid=32
they are running a poll to find the best European Team of all time> The Ajax 95 version has made it through to the quarter finals and are pitted against Benefica. They are currently 12-2 up and should make it to the semi finals. As this may be our only chance of silverware this season how about signing up and voting for our heros.
BTW the great 1971 to 1973 team lost out in an earlier round to Inter Milan by I think 1 vote - somethings never change - probably a vote in the last second.

We lost by a big margin in the semi-final to Barca 92. X'C

[Kowalczyk]

Some remarkable Amstel Cup news...

A couple of weeks ago Heracles Almelo, De Graafschap and Young PSV made it to the second round by eliminating amateur sides DCG, AFC and SHO, respectively. But the KNVB then found out that all three of them fielded a non-eligible player. The matter is currently under investigation and it is highly likely that Heracles, De Graafschap and Young PSV will be thrown out of the cup and that the three amateur sides will advance to the second round...

K.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Heracles and De Graafschap noooo X'C

[Kowalczyk]

Very interesting article in The Guardian about you, me and our millions of fellow football fans... (although it's mainly about English football fans, but that doesn't make it less interesting). It basically explains why we're all idiots.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/ ... 50,00.html

Thanks to Jamcocteau for sending me the link!

K.

[carcajou]

Very interesting article in The Guardian about you, me and our millions of fellow football fans... (although it's mainly about English football fans, but that doesn't make it less interesting). It basically explains why we're all idiots.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/ ... 50,00.html

Thanks to Jamcocteau for sending me the link!

K.

Pricier, uncompetitive and less atmospheric ? Maybe..... But I didn't get to experience live football before 2004, so I don't give a damn.

[Kowalczyk]

Pricier: yes, but in Holland it's still not that bad. It's more expensive than it used to, but compared to theatre, live music or movies it's still not bad. Everyone (not just season ticket holders) could buy a ticket for Ajax - Brøndby for 14 euros. People who complain about that price are kindly advised to stay at home and drink tap water.

Less competitive? Yes. That one's undeniable. The structure of the various UEFA competitions has made it easier for the big ones to get into the Champions League - and harder for the small ones. Also, the big ones have made sure that they receive much more TV money than the small ones. These financial differences have turned almost every European league into a two or three horse race.

Less atmospheric? Possibly, but that's up to the people inside the stadiums. If you want atmosphere: stand up, scream your lungs out and sing all the footie anthems you know. Don't expect others to make the noise, so that you can sit down and listen to it, telling the guy sitting next to you how great the atmosphere is. Atmosphere at football grounds is a DIY thing. Stadiums are as atmospheric as the crowd want them to be. Very democratic.

K.