March 1992
Ajax... Fifteen Years Ago
On Sunday 01 March Ajax can finally make the long trip north
that was vetoed by the mayor of Groningen in September, due to
an imminent, arranged 'hooligan battle' in downtown Groningen.
Today, the game can be played, but safety measures are
overwhelming. Police have blocked off all access roads, as a
trap for Ajax supporters without tickets. Out of fear of fan
violence, local authorities have turned the city of Groningen
into a stronghold.
Oosterpark Stadium is a stronghold in a different way:
Groningen are no longer the title contenders they were last
season, but they're still 6th on the table. It's gonna be a
tough one. Dennis Bergkamp serves his one game suspension
today, as Ajax start in a 4-4-2 with Van 't Schip and Kreek as
the two outer midfielders and both Pettersson and Van Loen
upfront. The deadlock remains intact for well over an hour, but
then suddenly things go very fast. Groningen's battering ram
Harris Huizingh gives his team a 1-0 lead (68'), but Ajax
strike back immediately and decisively. Stefan Pettersson
levels the score (72') and Michel Kreek fires Ajax's second
into the net (75'): 1-2. Wonderful result.
Ajax now have three days to prepare for the first UEFA Cup
quarter final fixture, in Belgium at AA Ghent. Knowing that
Ghent is not very far from Amsterdam (the drive is hardly
longer than Sunday's trip to Groningen, in fact) the local
police fear a large scale invasion of Amsterdam hooligans. Once
again, a beautiful old town - this time in Flanders - waits in
fear for the arrival of the Ajax supporters, who still have a
bit of a reputation in Europe. Fortunately, the Dutch visitors
are at their best behaviour this time.
Defender Claus Boekweg is late.
Stefan Pettersson has equalized against Groningen, 01 March
1992.
It appears that AA Ghent are as afraid of Ajax as the local
police of the Ajax supporters: they hardly have the courage to
attack and wait for opportunities to counter-attack. Ajax
attack cautiously. The Amsterdammers create a number of string
of good scoring chances, but the final score is 0-0, a
promising result for the return leg in Amsterdam. In two weeks'
time European football will finally return to the Dutch
capital, two years and six months after that ill-fated evening
at De Meer in September 1989. A new, provisional light-plant
has been put up at the Olympic Stadium. The old 'concrete
colossus' of Amsterdam-South will be sold out to the last seat.
Ajax, meanwhile, ask the KNVB to make the league game against
FC Twente (scheduled for Sunday 15 March) one day earlier, so
that the team will have an extra day to prepare. The request is
granted: Ajax vs FC Twente is re-scheduled to Saturday evening,
14 March.
But first: another 'Classic', the third of the current
season, in the quarter final of the KNVB Cup. It is played on
Sunday 08 March, one day after PSV's comfortable 2-0 home win
over Vitesse in the Eredivisie. The Dutch cup may not be Ajax's
top priority at the moment ('UEFA Cup fever' is about in
Amsterdam), but the Classic is always the Classic. Ajax get
sucked in in the first half, in which the hosts (John de Wolf
and Henk Fräser, particularly) have their bayonets out and
kick everything that moves. Stefan Pettersson is hit in the
face by Fräser's boot after 31 minutes and has to be
replaced, his face covered in blood.
Ajax have their chances and play the better football as
usual, but it is clear that the match means a bit more to
Feyenoord than it does to Ajax. Two minutes after the half-time
break the Amsterdammers pay the price for it. John Metgod's
thru-pass is converted by Rob Witschge and De Kuip almost
explodes with joy: 1-0. Indeed: good old Robbie Witschge, a
typical Amsterdammer and a typical Ajacied in many ways... That
hurts. Feyenoord close the shop for the remainder of the second
half and Ajax are out of the KNVB Cup.
Need we say more...? Ajax vs FC
Twente, 14 March 1992.
Ajax vs FC Twente, on Saturday evening 14 March, is the last
fixture before the Ghent return match. It is the first time for
Frank de Boer to play against his twin brother Ronald at
De Meer. Their parents are on the main stand, hoping for a
result both of their boys can live with, but after the final
whistle Frank is the only one smiling, whereas Ronald must be
one of the most gutted men on the planet: 7-0 Ajax, after what
was by far the Amsterdammers' best performance of the season.
What a stunning football show it was, with Wim Jonk, John van
Loen and Dennis Bergkamp as the excellent backbone of Louis van
Gaal's team. Their partnership never worked as well as it did
tonight: Jonk sprayed his perfect long passes across the pitch
and Van Loen flicked them on with the head for Dennis Bergkamp,
lightning-quick as always. The opening goal comes from Jonk's
boot (9') and Van Loen nets twice (48', 80'), whereas Bergkamp
hits for three (54', 78', 81'). Aron Winter also scores one
(17'). Frank: seven, Ronald: nil... It is a result the De Boers
won't easily forget.
Noteworthy detail: referee Roelof Luinge decides that
Twente's home and away kits look too much like the red
and white of Ajax. Therefore, Ajax wear their away jerseys in
front of their home crowd: Ajax in green, at De Meer, a unique
sight. The next day PSV book an easy road win at FC Volendam
(0-3). The Eindhoven league leaders now have 45 points out of
27 matches. Ajax have finally leapfrogged Feyenoord (who are
more serious competition than in previous seasons) and are now
second with 43 out of 28.
Oh, have Ajax - and their supporters - missed this... It is
Wednesday 18 March, the first 'European Cup night' at the old
Olympic Stadium since April 1988. Amsterdam is completely and
totally up for it: fireworks, red torches, chants, a constant
roar and a sea of red and white scarfs behind the goal at the
city end... The 'Düsseldorf games' were alright, but this
is a different story. Tonight, Ajax really celebrate
their return to 'Europe'. Coach Louis van Gaal surprises
everyone by benching John van Loen (he was great against Twente
on Saturday) and restore Bryan Roy to favour: it is the left
winger's first appearance in the starting eleven since
mid-February.
GOAL! Michel Kreek slams home
against AA Ghent at the Olympic Stadium, 18 March
1992.
AA Ghent are mere onlookers tonight - and they know it. Ajax
bulldoze their Belgian opposition in the opening phase. Michel
Kreek's slamming header in the 8th minute gives Ajax an early
lead and only two minutes later an erratic backpass from
defender Michel de Groote demonstrates how badly AA Ghent have
lost the plot. Dennis Bergkamp has a free passage and
beautifully chips the ball into the far side netting: 2-0 after
only ten minutes. Ghent are K.O., as 42,000 Ajax supporters go
mad. This is a dream return to the European spotlights.
For 80 minutes the game is little bit dull, to say the
least, but no-one at the 'Olympic' seems to care. Ajax have a
little treat in store for their fans, who are absolutely
wonderful tonight. In the last minute of the game a perfect
demonstration of 'one touch football' via Bergkamp and
substitute Van Loen ends up on an onstorming Wim Jonk's right
boot: his perfect shot from the edge of the box slams into the
corner, out of goalkeeper Petry's reach: 3-0 (90'). Ajax are in
the semis - and what a fantastic party this was. The
draw, on Friday, determines that Genoa 1893, last season's #3
in Italy, are Ajax's next opponents. Away game first, on
Wednesday 01 April, followed by another cracker at the
'Olympic' on 15 April. The fans can hardly wait.
There is no Eredivisie football in the weekend of 21 and 22
March, due to a friendly fixture between The Netherlands and
Yugoslavija, played at a venue the Oranje don't
frequently visit: De Meer in Amsterdam. Four Ajax players are
called up by Rinus Michels: Winter, Van 't Schip, Menzo and
Blind. The game can be regarded Holland win by the score of 2-0
courtesy of two former Ajax players: Wim Kieft and Jan
Wouters.
The last hurdle in the Eredivisie before departure to Genoa
is Sparta. Rob Alflen, Bryan Roy and John van Loen play from
the start at The Castle in Rotterdam. Dennis Bergkamp is
rested, so that Stefan Pettersson rather surprisingly starts as
Ajax's 'number 10'. The hosts are all over Ajax in the first
half and take a well-deserved 1-0 lead, as Edwin Vurens
converts a 20th minute penalty. In the second half, however,
Ajax demonstrate their excellent form of March 1992 by scoring
three goals in twelve minutes' time, as if it were nothing:
Jonk, De Boer and Winter are the scorers, 1-3 to Ajax is the
final score. Meanwhile, PSV book a hard-fought 2-1 win over
Feyenoord in Eindhoven, so the status quo at the top of the
Eredivisie table remains unchanged, but Louis van Gaal's boys
seem to be pretty much unbeatable at the moment - and board
their plane to Italy with confidence. These are good times.
(MP)
This month's wonderful pictures were once again
selected, scanned up and sent to us by Toby, a.k.a. '343'.
Thanks again, mate!
Next month:
- UEFA Cup semi-finals: the Genoa games
- Final sprint for the Eredivisie title
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