Ajax Amsterdam Arena Tour...

Today we decided we'd go on a tour of the Amsterdam Arena, home of football team Ajax Amsterdam.

So after going for a swim this morning (which, again, knackered us both completely) we made our way to the front of the hotel and caught the shuttle down to the airport/train station and made our way to the Amsterdam Biljner Arena station.

Even at first glimpse from on the train you can't help but be impressed with the place, its huge.

So we made our way off the train and in the direction of the stadium, we found our way to the main entrance and booked tickets to go on the tour and while we waited for the tour to start we decided to go and have a look around the museum.

They had on show in the center there prize possesions, the 4 European Cups (1 of which is real as they won it three times in a row...

Surrounding this cabinet are matchday shirts of there opponents...examples been...

Juventus shirt from the 1995 final

AC Milan Shirt

Also in one display the 3 latest Eeredivisie (i think thats how its spelt) Championship shields...

There is also a large picture showing the clubs 2 greatest players, Marco Van Basten and Johan Cruyff, obviously they were never in the same XI together competetivly so this would of been taken during a charity match...

There were several other photos that i had taken but due to the glass infront of all of the exhibits and monuments the pictures are pretty shoddy :-(

So out from the museum and back outside the gound to walk back round to the main entrance in order to join the tour, outside the ground there are several large crests (as below) The Club was named after a greek god, and the clubs crest represents this. The interesting thing about the the crest is that the main image only features 11 lines, which is said to represent the 11 players out on the pitch at any one time.

The first part of the tour takes you out into the stadium, in the comfy seats. About half way up the first ring not far off the halfway line with the views as below, as its the summer the stadium is used for concerts so they cover over the pitch with metal plates, then in a few weeks they lift the plates remove the dead, yellow and smelly turf and bring in the new turf by the lorry load!

From here we moved round into the press box, pretty basic room with a couple of seats and the advertising board behind like you see on Sky Sports and Match of the Day. From the press box we made our way back out to the ground via the concourse as we went up to the second ring. On the way you can see the first team training ground...

They have 2 pitches, the pitch on the left is natural grass and is the main surface they use to train on, however for when the weather is particularly poor or there next opponents play on an artificial pitch they use the pitch on the right.

After the escolator ride up to the top ring we were given the chance to walk right to the top and take photo's...

From the top of here we made our way back down stairs as the tour was now done, bit dis-appointed you can't go in the changing rooms and walk out the tunnel to see the size of the place from the bottom.

While at the ground we decided to eat in the sports bar (first meal away from a fast food chain) and we were very very surprised, not by the food being very good...but they have a ring of shirts from former players, and there was a Stoke City shirt...picture clarity isnt brilliant...

So theres a lesson to be learn Cobblers...sign an Ajax players and have the shirt seen by shed loads of people!

Anyway, time for another swim i think