KNVB Cup: Ajax face FC Haarlem in 'round of sixteen'
09 November: Ajax are in the 'round of sixteen' (fourth
round) of the Dutch cup competition after their
2-0 victory over ADO Den Haag this evening, and
everyone will agree that the Amsterdammers should normally make
it to the quarter final, too. The opponent that came out of the
bowl live on Talpa television was FC Haarlem, currently 8th in
the Jupiler League (previously known as First
Division). Ajax's blue and red neighbors from Haarlem will
visit the Amsterdam ArenA on Wednesday 24 January 2007,
kick-off 20:45 CET.
FC Haarlem made it to the 'round of sixteen' by eliminating
amateur outfit Sparta Nijkerk in the second round (1-6) and
Jupiler League side FC Den Bosch (1-0) in the third.
It is a while ago that Ajax-1 played an official game
against the Redshorts, one of the oldest professional
football clubs in The Netherlands (founded 1889). The last
Eredivisie game between the two teams was played on 03 April
1990: 5-0 to Ajax at De Meer. FC Haarlem finished bottom in the
Eredivisie that season - and never returned to the highest
level. In recent years Ajax did play a few friendlies against
FC Haarlem, most recently on 17 July 2002,
06 August 2003 and
11 January 2006. Ajax never convinced in those games. The
latter encounter actually ended in a 0-0 draw.
The first ever game between Ajax and FC Haarlem was played
on 03 September 1911, as part of a friendly tournament at the
home ground of Sparta in Rotterdam. The 'Silver Ball' was
at stake and FC Haarlem triumphed: 1-3. Eversince that very
first encounter, more than 95 years ago, Ajax and FC
Haarlem faced each other in a KNVB Cup game three times.
The first one, on 15 May 1949, was an unusual one: a game
in a so-called 'in between round' of the competition
(in between the second and third rounds, to be precise). The
final score was 1-1 and there was no extra time or replay. On
25 May 1961 the Amsterdammers eliminated Haarlem in the second
round (2-1) and on 14 October 1979 FC Haarlem were unable to
cause an upset in the second round: 2-4 to Ajax.
The most recent cup encounter between the two clubs was on
19 September 2001, when Young Ajax took on FC Haarlem's first
team and booked a painfully easy 4-0 win over
the club Ajax still have a technical partnership with. The
two clubs signed their partnership contract in October 2000.
Initially, FC Haarlem was a 'satellite club' for Ajax:
Haarlem's coaches were on the Ajax payrole and
several young Ajax players were 'stalled' at FC Haarlem.
The nature of the partnership has now changed. FC Haarlem are a
completely independent club, but the clubs still
exchange know-how and the odd youth player on a regular
basis. (MP)
The draw for the 'round of sixteen' of the KNVB Cup in
full:
- Sparta Rotterdam - RKC Waalwijk
- FC Twente - NAC Breda
- AZ - MVV
- Willem II - De Graafschap
- Ajax - FC Haarlem
- PSV - Go Ahead Eagles
- FC Utrecht - RBC Roosendaal
- Roda JC - Young AZ
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