Ajaxtalk

Here, on the other hand, is a pretty complimentary view of the ArenA from a Sunderland supporter who was over for the Amsterdam Tournament.

One particularly interesting passage: "Last season I took in the San Siro, Old Trafford and the Emirates but if I'm honest only the San Siro is better than the Dutch giant's ground - not only is it steep and intimidating but also warm and welcoming at the same time."

He also noted, "the best part of the game [Sunderland lost to Benfica 2-0] was the fact that a cute Dutch girl brought round some teas!"

I would have to agree with that. I think the AA is a great stadium to watch football in, particularly on a european night. Can get a great atmosphere, and compared to many new grounds I have been to, it is probably my second faviourate after Arsenals Emirates.

That said, my friend who has an Ajax season ticket hates it, and I can understand that after seeing how good De Meer looked.

According to a survey by Voetbal International the Amsterdam ArenA now has the 4th best pitch in the Eredivisie. So can the rest of the Dutch people give that myth a rest now, please?

Actually a very good pitch.

K.

For those that have been there once to every match since the opening of the arena, which sections would you recommend for a first timer who wants to be around the best atmosphere in the crowd? I hope to attend my first ever match in the future, possibly this time next year.

aztattooedsean777 schreef:For those that have been there once to every match since the opening of the arena, which sections would you recommend for a first timer who wants to be around the best atmosphere in the crowd? I hope to attend my first ever match in the future, possibly this time next year.

For the best atmosphere, make sure you're on the south end of the ground: either entrance South H (first tier, sections 125 to 129) or sections 425/426 on the second tier (also on the south side, I think entrance South J). That's where 99% of the noise comes from.

If you really want to bounce up and down and sing for 90 minutes, go for 425/426 (home of Vak410, the younger Ajax fanatics). If you want things to be a bit more quiet than that, go for 125-129 (the 'old guard' of Ajax diehards, including myself).

K.

Kowalczyk schreef:

aztattooedsean777 schreef:For those that have been there once to every match since the opening of the arena, which sections would you recommend for a first timer who wants to be around the best atmosphere in the crowd? I hope to attend my first ever match in the future, possibly this time next year.

For the best atmosphere, make sure you're on the south end of the ground: either entrance South H (first tier, sections 125 to 129) or sections 425/426 on the second tier (also on the south side, I think entrance South J). That's where 99% of the noise comes from.

If you really want to bounce up and down and sing for 90 minutes, go for 425/426 (home of Vak410, the younger Ajax fanatics). If you want things to be a bit more quiet than that, go for 125-129 (the 'old guard' of Ajax diehards, including myself).

K.

very cool, thanks for the response!

I was thrilled when the ESPN360 commentary crapped out in the first half. I was left with the sounds of the ArenA crowd. The sounds of singing and the many chants were terrific . Great atmosphere and a wonderful footballing display.

Blind3 schreef:I was thrilled when the ESPN360 commentary crapped out in the first half. I was left with the sounds of the ArenA crowd. The sounds of singing and the many chants were terrific . Great atmosphere and a wonderful footballing display.

I know, I know. It's a real MITZVAH when the studio announcer is absent and the ArenA crowd is all you can hear.

Tickets for 125-129 & 425/426 are usually sold to season ticket holders only. If you can't find someone with a season ticket doing the buying for you, try to get into 124 or 101 to be close to the noise. If you don't mind watching the game from the second tier behind the goal (a loooooong way from the pitch), try 427-430.

Kowalczyk schreef:

aztattooedsean777 schreef:For those that have been there once to every match since the opening of the arena, which sections would you recommend for a first timer who wants to be around the best atmosphere in the crowd? I hope to attend my first ever match in the future, possibly this time next year.

For the best atmosphere, make sure you're on the south end of the ground: either entrance South H (first tier, sections 125 to 129) or sections 425/426 on the second tier (also on the south side, I think entrance South J). That's where 99% of the noise comes from.

If you really want to bounce up and down and sing for 90 minutes, go for 425/426 (home of Vak410, the younger Ajax fanatics). If you want things to be a bit more quiet than that, go for 125-129 (the 'old guard' of Ajax diehards, including myself).

K.

The official Ajax link page thingy of Facebook (I know!) tells me that the old Ajax letters from De Meer are back.

Not sure they are the originals as they look too new but there's a nice little photo spread here http://www.ajax.nl/Nieuws/Nieuwsarchief ... ingang.htm

Nice to see some of the old tradition back after that new club badge idea from a year or two back died a death.....

666 schreef:Tickets for 125-129 & 425/426 are usually sold to season ticket holders only. If you can't find someone with a season ticket doing the buying for you, try to get into 124 or 101 to be close to the noise. If you don't mind watching the game from the second tier behind the goal (a loooooong way from the pitch), try 427-430.

Kowalczyk schreef:

aztattooedsean777 schreef:For those that have been there once to every match since the opening of the arena, which sections would you recommend for a first timer who wants to be around the best atmosphere in the crowd? I hope to attend my first ever match in the future, possibly this time next year.

For the best atmosphere, make sure you're on the south end of the ground: either entrance South H (first tier, sections 125 to 129) or sections 425/426 on the second tier (also on the south side, I think entrance South J). That's where 99% of the noise comes from.

If you really want to bounce up and down and sing for 90 minutes, go for 425/426 (home of Vak410, the younger Ajax fanatics). If you want things to be a bit more quiet than that, go for 125-129 (the 'old guard' of Ajax diehards, including myself).

K.

I don't like being right next to the pitch as it is hard to see everything but I don't want to be so high that I could touch the tires of planes that fly by. I like being just high enough that I can see play develop on the pitch.

The Arena was designed to keep the hotheads behind the goals as far away from the pitch as commercially viable. If you really want to sit/stand/jump/fall on the stands behind the goals, keep in mind that you'll get to face this piece of no man's land in between you and the pitch:



Sounds like halfway up the first tier (rows 10 to 20) would suit you. The second tier has a "watching ants from a rooftop, and don't get hit by a landing gear" kind of feeling.

aztattooedsean777 schreef:I don't want to be so high that I could touch the tires of planes that fly by. I like being just high enough that I can see play develop on the pitch.

As much as I want to be by the people that are showing their appreciation for the wonderful sport rather than sitting on their hands as if they are watching the opera, I definitely don't want to use binoculars to view the match so I might have to sit away from either goal area.


Thanks to everyone that has given some recommendations.

The Europa League final of 2013 is likely to be played at the Amsterdam ArenA. The KNVB suggested this to the UEFA, who will pick the venue for the 2013 final on 15 June. News report in Dutch, on news portal NU.nl.

A Champions League final in Holland is out of the question at the moment, as the venue for the CL final must have a capacity of at least 80,000.

The most recent UEFA final in Holland was in 2006: the UEFA Cup final in Eindhoven (Sevilla vs Middlesbrough 4-0).

K.

Talk about mixed emotion. As much as my mind's eye would love to see Ajax contest a final on home soil, I would rather see us fight the good fight and ride the lightning in the CL.

There you go: Europa League final of 2013 has been given to the Amsterdam ArenA.

K.

Blind3 schreef:I was thrilled when the ESPN360 commentary crapped out in the first half. I was left with the sounds of the ArenA crowd. The sounds of singing and the many chants were terrific . Great atmosphere and a wonderful footballing display.

Oh that must have been awesome, I would love to always have broadcasted matches be like that with no commentators.

Kowalczyk schreef:There you go: Europa League final of 2013 has been given to the Amsterdam ArenA.

K.

"Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) president Michael van Praag was delighted to see the final coming to Amsterdam. "We put the Amsterdam ArenA forward as a candidate because the stadium will be renovated on a large scale in the next couple of years. It will be a state-of-the-art stadium again. The KNVB has built up a good name in organising international tournaments and matches. With this final we will have the opportunity to show we are able to continue that fine tradition."

...renovated on a large scale......what does this mean?

arizonaajax schreef:Oh that must have been awesome, I would love to always have broadcasted matches be like that with no commentators.

I watch them in Dutch, of which I don't understand a word—amounts to the same thing!

SaddlerIan schreef:

Kowalczyk schreef:There you go: Europa League final of 2013 has been given to the Amsterdam ArenA.

K.

"Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) president Michael van Praag was delighted to see the final coming to Amsterdam. "We put the Amsterdam ArenA forward as a candidate because the stadium will be renovated on a large scale in the next couple of years. It will be a state-of-the-art stadium again. The KNVB has built up a good name in organising international tournaments and matches. With this final we will have the opportunity to show we are able to continue that fine tradition."

...renovated on a large scale......what does this mean?

They are trying to crank up the capacity to 70.000 by putting a 3rd ring on the Arena. Also they want to close the gap between the seats and pitch. They had plans to lower the pitch, but I don't know about the current status of that.

GangstaRiB schreef:They are trying to crank up the capacity to 70.000 by putting a 3rd ring on the Arena.

Please god, no.

To do so would mean Ajax having to play somewhere else for a year! What is the capacity of the Olympic stadium?

SPL schreef:To do so would mean Ajax having to play somewhere else for a year! What is the capacity of the Olympic stadium?

The renovation would not interfere with the regular games, so they say. The Olympic stadium has a capacity of ~25000. When the Arena went into use, they demolished the 2nd ring of the Olympic.

Cheers for that. Couldn't quite see them closing the Arena for months.

Maybe the plan is to play the home games down the road in Rotterdam!