Ajax History

[Kowalczyk]

25 years ago today: Marco van Basten's final goals for Ajax.

He scored them in the cup final against FC Den Haag (2-4 Ajax a.e.t.). Here they are.

I remember this very clearly, which probably means I'm getting old.

I also remember very clearly writing an article about this cup final in my '15 Years Ago' series for Ajax USA. So even that's ten years ago now. F*ck me, time flies.

K.

[Orange14]

Thanks Ko,

There is also a great compilation of van Basten goals here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KysjEyRs ... re=related 1/2 are when he was at Milan but check out the one at the 5 minute mark. Can't tell who the Eredivisie opponent is.

[Kowalczyk]

Thanks Ko,

There is also a great compilation of van Basten goals here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KysjEyRs ... re=related 1/2 are when he was at Milan but check out the one at the 5 minute mark. Can't tell who the Eredivisie opponent is.

Yay! That's his famous overhead bicycle kick against FC Den Bosch, in 1987. One of the most perfectly executed bicycle kicks ever.

K.

[Blind3]

I have that photo in Het Ajax Book. Had gone to Den Helder a few years ago with Bertrand to watch the then MvB - led Jong Ajax play in the tourney. Spoke to John van't Schip for a few seconds before the match. He said Marco would be around after the match . was hoping to have him sign the page. Just my luck, MvB was named national side coach that night and left for Amsterdam w/ John van't Schip at halftime. Hope to one day have him sign the page.

[Cedric]

Nice interview from our dear moderator on The Official Ajax Website (yes sir!) about one of his project : Sporen van Ajax.

http://www.ajax.nl/Nieuws/Nieuwsarchief ... n-stad.htm (dutch)

[Kowalczyk]

Ha - thanks for posting, mate.

Indeed, I was interviewed about my project Sporen van Ajax ('Traces of Ajax', literally): stories about specific locations in Amsterdam with an Ajax history.

It started out as a series of 27 articles for Ajax Life, the bi-weekly paper of the Official Ajax Fanclub. I knew from the outset: this is great stuff for a book. The book has 28 chapters (one wasn't published in Ajax Life). I totally revised and re-wrote all of the stories. They're all twice as long as the versions in Ajax Life, so the book is more than a simple 'collection' of articles. Twice as many historic photographs, too. These stories are about Ajax, in many cases they're personal, but they're also about Amsterdam, perhaps more than anything else. Conclusion: Ajax is everywhere in the city, even where you can't see it anymore. There's Ajax history downtown, but also in North, East, West and South, in the Amsterdamse Bos and in the suburbs. It's a book of stories, a history book, but also an 'Ajax city guide' of sorts.

Anyway - when the book was finished, the people of Ajax TV got in touch. They wanted to do a series of short videos with me, about locations from the book (although they didn't want it to be 'book promo', they wanted their videos to be series in its own right). There's a new installment every Wednesday, on Ajax TV Exclusive (via Ajax.nl), but also on Eredivisie Live 1 (pay-TV) on Wednesday around 19:30 CET, with several re-runs on Wednesday night and Thursday.

I think you can watch one of the videos for free by clicking the link at the bottom of the Ajax.nl interview.

It's all in Dutch (and so is the book) so it's probably all gibberish to you, but hey: if you want to be kept posted, I will keep you posted.

K.

[aveslacker]

Thanks Ko,

There is also a great compilation of van Basten goals here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KysjEyRs ... re=related 1/2 are when he was at Milan but check out the one at the 5 minute mark. Can't tell who the Eredivisie opponent is.

That goal at 1:15. Wow.

[Blind3]

A beautiful walk down memory lane. Thanks for posting MvB's greatest hits.

[kezme44]

my favourite ajax goal was the one finidi george scored against bayern in the CL semi-final in amsterdam in 95. litmanen letting it pass through his legs and finidi hitting it with the outside of his boot from 20 meters right into the upper right corner, curling away from the keeper.

i hated bayern in those days and was quite happy with the 5-2 trashing

[aveslacker]

my favourite ajax goal was the one finidi george scored against bayern in the CL semi-final in amsterdam in 95. litmanen letting it pass through his legs and finidi hitting it with the outside of his boot from 20 meters right into the upper right corner, curling away from the keeper.

i hated bayern in those days and was quite happy with the 5-2 trashing

That was an amazing goal. Great memories.

[Kowalczyk]

I just came across a wonderful old photograph from 1968.

Check it out.

Caption: "A football supporter, who has had a few beverages too many, is kindly escorted off the pitch by Ajax captain, Velibor Vasovic (Fortuna '54 vs Ajax, 1968)."

K.

[martinkohout]

I just came across a wonderful old photograph from 1968.

Check it out.

Caption: "A football supporter, who has had a few beverages too many, is kindly escorted off the pitch by Ajax captain, Velibor Vasovic (Fortuna '54 vs Ajax, 1968)."

K.

LOVE.

[Blind3]

Love the photo. Many thanks for posting the link . Fantastic captain of an amazing club . R.I.P.

[Cruijff]

Great picture! I remember I saw this one in a magazine or a book during this year. And what about this:



The Olympic Stadium of Amsterdam this afternoon. You'll expect bad weather on 28 December, but today is a great sunny day, up in the sky it looks like Summer! Tom_ I will take you to the Olympic Stadium on 20 January when you come over to visit Ajax-Feyenoord!

[Kowalczyk]

That's a great photo.

What I like about it is that it doesn't look like summer at all. The sun is shining, but you can tell it's golden winter sunlight. You can almost feel the cold, but the weather's great. Love it.

K.

[Tom_]

The Olympic Stadium of Amsterdam this afternoon. You'll expect bad weather on 28 December, but today is a great sunny day, up in the sky it looks like Summer! Tom_ I will take you to the Olympic Stadium on 20 January when you come over to visit Ajax-Feyenoord!

Sounds great!

[Cruijff]

Allright Ko I have to agree with you that the sky looks a little bit like the sunny blue sky during a ski vacation.

Tom_ as the Ajax-Feyenoord game starts at 16:30 instead of 12:30 we have plenty of time to visit the Olympic Stadium. I'm pretty sure the Phanos people will be training in the stadium so it will be open and we can walk in.

[Kowalczyk]

Tom_ as the Ajax-Feyenoord game starts at 16:30 instead of 12:30 ...

Mind you: kick-off time is 14:30... Check THIS.

K.

[Cruijff]

Damn that throws away my schedule a little bit. I had it all planned, playing my own soccer match on the Sunday morning, then a visit to the Olympic Stadium, a couple of beers and after the match directly to Bullewijk to see Studio Sport at 7 pm.

Well, we will still manage to make sure it will be a great day!

[aveslacker]

Damn that throws away my schedule a little bit. I had it all planned, playing my own soccer match on the Sunday morning, then a visit to the Olympic Stadium, a couple of beers and after the match directly to Bullewijk to see Studio Sport at 7 pm.

Well, we will still manage to make sure it will be a great day!

I think I speak for the rest of us out here when I say that we're all insanely jealous of you two (and everyone else on these boards who might be at an Ajax game this season).

I remember visiting the Olympic stadium with Ajax-USA a few years back. Great memories.

[Cruijff]

Those memories will last forever.

And aveslacker, you are always welcome to cross the ocean and move your life to Amsterdam.

[aveslacker]

Those memories will last forever.

And aveslacker, you are always welcome to cross the ocean and move your life to Amsterdam.

One day!

[Kowalczyk]

I suppose this is the most appropriate place for this...

Mr. Wim Schoevaart has passed away. He was 94 and the only Ajax club member who could remember every Ajax league championship, including the first one from 1918. Mr Schoevaart was a youth player and also played for the second team (the team we now call Young Ajax), but never made it to the first team. He also played cricket for Ajax, when the club still had a cricket section.

As a youth player he contributed to the opening ceremony of De Meer in 1934. He was officially a member of the club since 1930. For several decades he worked as a team manager for several Ajax teams (first team and lower teams alike).

Mr Schoevaart practically lived at De Meer and the ArenA for many years. He kept the club archives and was the first (unqualified but well-respected) club historian. He knew everything.

I had the privilege to meet Mr Schoevaart on a few occasions, over the years. He was class. So friendly. The last time I met him was a couple of years ago and he was still razor-sharp: walking was getting harder, but thinking... nothing wrong with the old brain.

Mr Schoevaart ('Mister' was his first name, pretty much) was a great Ajacied. A gentleman, a unique 'club man', a human monument of Ajax culture, a human Ajax encyclopedia.

He will be remembered with the utmost respect and gratitude. Mr Schoevaart, thank you for those many, many years - and for everything you did. Rest in peace.

Some photos on Ajax.nl: http://www.ajax.nl/Nieuws/Nieuwsarchief ... n-Ajax.htm

Edit: Mr Schoevaart and I are both in this BBC report about Jack Reynolds, by the way...

K.

[rjf1]

Thanks for that.

[Blind3]

RIP Mr. Schoevaart . Ko, thank you for posting link .