Ajaxtalk

How long has he been at Ajax? Has he got a good track record?

Sorry if these are stupid questions.

This is something for the Directors, Board, Staff thread (Ton Pronk is head of the scouting department).

Tonny Pronk has been at Ajax forever. He played in the youth system, made his Ajax-1 début on 04 September 1960 and played his last game for Ajax ten years later on 24 May 1970. In total he played 259 league games, 36 domestic cup games and 20 European fixtures for Ajax. He was a defender (very much a man marker) and scored only 8 times. He also played 19 games for Holland.

He belonged to the Ajax crop just before the 'Golden Era'. He played with Sjaak Swart, Johan Cruyff and most of the other greats. He was in the team when Ajax played their first truly glorious European fixture (the famous 'fog game' against Liverpool) and played the European Cup final of 1969, but whereas that final was more or less 'the beginning' for the Cruyff generation, it was 'the end' for the generation of - for example - Pronk and Bennie Muller, who were slightly too old for the 1971-1973 triumphs.

I don't know exactly what happened immediately after his career as a player, but I do know that he's been a scout for Ajax for ages.

He announced his retirement not too long ago. This officially has to do with his age (he's 64), but rumour has it that Ajax have been dissatisfied with his work for a while - and there are also rumours that this is a result of an alcohol problem. But that's 'unofficial'.

K.

Kowalczyk schreef:I don't know exactly what happened immediately after his career as a player.

He used to run a sportsshop at the Middenweg in Amsterdam, near De Meer. This is where, as a child, I bought my first Ajax outfit :cheer: .

and there are also rumours that this is a result of an alcohol problem. But that's 'unofficial'.

I'm not surprised. His nose looks a bit...eh...red..at times... ;) :X

So which Ajax players has he been instrumental in bringing to the club then? I heard he may be going to an English club, Spurs to replace Frank Arnesen.