By Chris Wright
You may remember, not so very long ago, when the KNVB Cup match between Ajax and Alkmaar had to be abandoned after just 38 minutes when Alkmaar ‘keeper Esteban Alvarado was red-carded (it was later rescinded) for knocking a drunken pitch-invader on his arse and then belting the living daylights out of the 19-year old hoodlum as he sprawled on the turf.
Well, the Dutch FA have confirmed that the match will be replayed on January 19th, but with one stipulation – that the Amsterdam Arena is closed to anyone over the age of 13.
Ajax were initially ordered to replay the game ‘behind closed doors’ in an empty stadium, but the club appealed to the Dutch FA to allow women and children to attend as a compromise.
However, the KNVB ruled that adults with lady parts would not be allowed to attend due to a national equality law in the Netherlands which states that men and women are to be treated comparably at all times.
Therefore, in a move similar to the Turkish FA’s decision to only allow women into a Fenerbache match to punish their male fans for being boisterous dickheads, tickets for the game will be provided free of charge for youth football clubs and primary schools for children aged under 13 – with one adult teacher/supervisor allowed in to look after every six kids.
How lovely. One gold star for the Dutch FA – though we don’t envy the Ajax grounds staff. That’s a whole lot of sticky fingerprints and spilt Vimto that’s going to need cleaning up afterwards.