June 1987

Ajax... Fifteen Years Ago

England has a tradition of F.A. Cup finals played at Wembley, but the final of the deflated Dutch KNVB Cup takes place in a different stadium each year. Hosting a cup final is normally quite an honour for a city, but as the KNVB is trying to find a venue for the 1987 edition, all stadium managements shake their heads. Hosting FC Den Haag vs Ajax… No city feels like hosting the next war between Mid-North Side and F-Side. The football association ends up choosing for The Hague's Zuiderpark and immediately announces that the stadium will only be half-filled, for safety reasons.

Empty stands, white riot police helmets and only 8,000 spectators form the miserable setting of the final, on the unlikely day of Friday, 05 June 1987. Johan Cruijff still has to miss out on defenders Spelbos and Blind; Aron Winter plays at right back.

The game is spectacular. John Bosman gives Ajax an early lead (12'), but striker Remco Boere (44') and Den Haag's human battering-ram Tony Morley (66') make it 2-1. Den Haag's central defenders, Martin Jol and Heini Otto, are probably the tallest in Holland, but not tall enough to neutralize John Bosman, who is nicknamed 'The Stork', because of his seemingly long and flexible neck, with which he adds such amazing power to his headers. He levels the score, only eight minutes before the end. Luckily, he's staying at Ajax for at least one more year.

Which can not be said about Marco van Basten. The 'master himself' makes the difference in extra time by scoring twice: 2-4. Wearing the yellow and green shirt of the opponents (swapped with FC Den Haag captain Martin Jol) Van Basten lifts a trophy over his head in the name of Ajax - for the very last time. It's the 11th Dutch cup in club history. After the game, things remain relatively peaceful. The country sighs in relief.

Officially, Ajax and FC Den Haag still have 45 minutes of league football to play: the remainder of the game broken off on March 01. However, all parties decide to accept the half-time score (0-2 to Ajax) as the final result. It no longer matters: PSV is the champion, but Ajax is safely out of Feyenoord's reach. FC Den Haag is safe from relegation but can not qualify for 'Europe'. This season will become the first ever season which Ajax finishes with 33½ league games played.

The last match of the season, away to FC Twente on 08 June, is a formality as well. Left-footer Erik Groeleken becomes the match winner by firing two fine goals past Stanley Menzo. In between, Bosman scores his 25th of the season. Marco van Basten's very, very last game as an Ajacied ends in a 2-1 defeat. He finishes the season with 31 goals scored in 27 league games, plus another 13 goals in domestic and European cup matches. Last season, his average was even better: 37 goals in only 26 league games. As an Ajacied, Van Basten was so productive it frightens you.

The 1986-1987 Eredivisie table is now complete:

1.  PSV             34-59  (99-21)
2.  Ajax            34-53  (92-30)
3.  Feyenoord       34-42  (73-43)
4.  Roda JC         34-39  (51-45)
5.  VVV             34-37  (46-45)
6.  FC Utrecht      34-36  (62-56)
7.  FC Twente       34-36  (39-44)
8.  Sparta          34-34  (52-48)
9.  FC Den Bosch    34-32  (43-52)
10. Fortuna SC      34-32  (47-49)
11. PEC Zwolle      34-31  (61-57)
12. FC Haarlem      34-31  (32-57)
13. FC Groningen    34-30  (43-43)
14. FC Den Haag     34-28  (46-64)
15. AZ              34-27  (31-57)
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16. Go Ahead Eagles 34-23  (23-48)
17. SC Veendam      34-23  (37-67)
18. Excelsior       34-19  (40-91)

PSV enters the European Champions Cup and Ajax will get to defend its European Cup Winners Cup, whereas Feyenoord (directly) and FC Utrecht (after winning the UEFA Cup play-offs) pull into the UEFA Cup. Go Ahead Eagles, SC Veendam and Excelsior go down to the First Division, from which Willem II (Tilburg), DS '79 (Dordrecht) and FC Volendam are to make the jump.

Logically, there's praise for Johan Cruijff in the Dutch sports press, for bringing the darkest period for Dutch football since the 'Golden Seventies' to an end, and for reviving his beloved club. But there's criticism as well: how did Cruijff manage to not win the championship with this team, despite the presence of more than 50% of the Oranje line-up, including Frank Rijkaard (voted 'Player Of The Year' in dominant Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf) and two target-men who scored 56 league goals together? According to some, Cruijff neglects the defensive aspects of football and deserves blame for finishing so far behind PSV.

While the players enjoy their vacations, Cruijff presents his twofold answer to Van Basten's departure: Roda JC striker Hennie Meijer (25), scorer of 19 goals this season, and all-time Ireland topscorer and English Premier League veteran Frank Stapleton (now 30, but he will have turned 31 by the start of the new season). Stapleton wore the shirt of Arsenal before playing over 250 games for Manchester United. Man-U now let him go for only $140,000, but Stapleton's signing is considered a big transfer for Ajax.

The new strikers seem to announce a new Cruijff philosophy: light-footed Marco van Basten was sometimes compared to a ballet-dancer, but with these big-boned, loutish replacements, Cruijff obviously has something different in mind for next season. (MP)

Next month:

• Getting to know the new players
• Preparing for the 1987-1988 season