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Promotion to Top Class for Ajax Saturday amateurs

20 April: Not every Ajax supporter follows the performances of the 'lower' Ajax teams. Young Ajax, the club's professional reserves team, gained some prominence by performing spectacularly well in the 'big' Amstel Cup competition, eliminating several Eredivisie sides. Perhaps they will soon be followed by the highest team from Ajax's amateur section, known as 'Ajax Saturday'. Last weekend Ajax Saturday-1 won the championship of its First Class division, good for promotion to the Hoofdklasse ('Top Class') of Dutch amateur football.

The Ajacieden, coached by Bob de Klerk, won the decisive away game at HCSC in the town of Den Helder (0-2). The penalty from which Lenny Macnack made it 0-2, five minutes before game's end, caused an explosion of joy on the Ajax bench. Bobby Haarms, Ajacied extraordinaire, had come to Den Helder to congratulate the amateur Ajacieden and was one of the first to shake Bob de Klerk's soaking wet hand: the coach had just been thrown into the bath tub by his players.

Ajax Saturday-1 made it to the Top Class of Dutch 'Saturday amateur' football three times before, but never by winning the actual First Class championship. On all three occasions, the team got relegated again shortly after the promotion. This time there are better hopes - of course.

The Ajax Saturday amateur section is a rather unknown shoot of the Ajax family tree. This season, however, the value of the amateur section was proven by the amazing story of striker Jamal Akachar. After getting stuck in the A2 youth team, he decided to quit his career at Ajax. He worked as a taxi driver for a while, before he decided to join the Ajax Saturday section - mainly for fun. In no-time, he was added to the Young Ajax squad, got to sign a professional contract and recently made his début in Ajax-1. A unique and truly fascinating 'detour' through the various ranks of the Amsterdam club.

"With Jamal Akachar in the side, we would have clinched this championship three weeks earlier", said Mark Geestman, captain of Ajax Saturday-1.

The promotion to the Top Class provides the Saturday team with a chance to qualify for the 'big', professional Amstel Cup. The season for each Top Class division (there are three Top Class divisions in Saturday amateur football: A, B an C) is divided in four 'periods', with each period consisting of 25% of the total number of games. The winners of the four 'period championships' of each Top Class division qualify for the first round of the Amstel Cup.

Immediately after having won the First Class championship, coach Bob de Klerk was well aware of the possibilities for the near future: the Top Class 'period champions' qualify for the Amstel Cup and so do the champion and the cup winner of reserves teams. De Klerk: "I definitely want to win a period championship in the Top Class! In that case Ajax will have three teams playing in the Amstel Cup the following season!" (MP)

(Source: Ajax.nl)