Club history: the first years

AFC Ajax was founded in 1893 as a soccerclub to play friendly matches. After an enthoustic start the club named "Footh Ball Club Ajax" wasn't playing very good. And like so many other soccerclubs that were founded in those days there were efforts to professionalize the team. In 1900 there was written a letter by the temporarily board: sir Stemple, sir Dade and sir Reeser to everyone interested. It asked people to think about founding a whole new soccerclub which could be more succesfull. As a result "Football Club Ajax" was founded on 18 March 1900 in Cafe Oost-Indië in the Kalverstraat 2 in Amsterdam. Sir Floris Stempel was chosen to be the first chairman of the board. The club signed in with the Amsterdamsche Voetbal Bond, a regional football association. They rented a soccer field north of Amsterdam to play their home matches. This field was behind a farm in a street called "Middenweg"; later this same street was used for the stadium De Meer, which opened in 1934. The first years of official soccer were quite good. In 1900 Ajax was placed in the second class competition. In this competition of only 6 matches, Ajax becomes second and promotes because of the results and the good organization. Ajax enters in the Nederlandsche VoetbalBond (Dutch SoccerLeague) in the third class West. In 1902-1903 is plays in the NVB and also in the AVB and becomes first and third, respectively. Ajax ends the AVB league and promotes to the NVB second class competition. The next succes is in 1906 when Ajax wins a competition between 8 clubs from Amsterdam and wins the gold cross award. In 1910-1911 Ajax promotes to the NVB first class. Ajax changes it players outfit from red-white stripes to all white with one wide red vertical stripe, to avoid confusion with the outfit of competitor Sparta. The new outfit has remained ever since. In 1913-1914 Ajax is placed back to the second class, but in season 1916-1917 succeeds in promoting again. In 1917-1918 Ajax becomes national champion of the Netherlands for the first time ever. In 1918-1919 Ajax again becomes national champion, but this time without losing any match in the season. This performance was realized only once later on in Dutch soccer competition, again by Ajax, in season 1994-1995. The great AFC Ajax was born and has taken its first steps. One of Ajax greatest coaches was Englishman Jack Reynolds. This coach came to Ajax in 1915 and left in 1925 after a conflict with the board. He returned in 1928 and stayed untill 1940. In 1945, after the second world war, he returned and stayed untill his retirement in 1948. He kept involved with the club and was honered in 1959. Reynolds passed away in 1962 and in 1965 a tribune was named after him. Reynolds meant a great deal for Ajax. He was coach of all Ajax teams for 25 years, gave Ajax its unique playing style and started training of youth. Related subject >> Next phase in history: Ajax untill 1939