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Breakthrough in Amstel Cup crisis: extra tickets for Ajax

27 April: Ajax and its supporters are all set for the Amstel Cup final, on Sunday 12 May in Rotterdam's De Kuip, against FC Utrecht. Club and fanclubs were outraged about the inequal ticket allocations for both finalists. After extensive negotiating with Rotterdam's city council and police, an extra 6,000 tickets were made available to Ajax fans.

Almost immediately after reaching the final, FC Utrecht was sent a ticket allocation of 15,000. Much to the annoyance of Ajax and its fans, the Amsterdammers only received 5,900 tickets. Fan protest actions were announced and Ajax suggested that the final should be played somewhere else than in Rotterdam if equal allocations were impossible.

Hard work by several Ajax fan groups, however, had the desired result. The Rotterdam council will allow an extra 6,000 Ajax fans to travel by bus. The initial 5,900 fans will travel by train. In total, some 12,000 Ajax fans will attend the final in De Kuip. Ajax fans involved in the negotiations claim that this number excludes officials and special guests, so that the total number of Ajax supporters will be well over 13,000. All fan groups involved are satisfied with this allocation.

Mayor Opstelten of Rotterdam initially wanted to keep attendance down to approximately 50% of De Kuip's total capacity. It is not known yet whether the maximum capacity of De Kuip will be used in the new situation. Mr Opstelten considers the Amstel Cup final a maximum risk event, due to the presence of Holland's three largest 'high risk' fan groups on the same day in the same city: Ajax, FC Utrecht and Rotterdam residents Feyenoord. (MP)

(Source: NOS Teletekst, OFA.nl)