De Meer Stadion

De Meer Stadion served as the home ground for Ajax, the Dutch record football champions. The club opened the stadium in 1934 after its previous venue, Het Houten Stadion, proved too small. Initially, De Meer could seat 22,000 spectators, with a maximum capacity of 29,500. By the time Ajax left in 1996, its capacity had been reduced to 19,500.

As Ajax’s popularity and success increased, De Meer became too cramped. From 1930 onward, the club played major European fixtures at the Olympic Stadium, which also hosted midweek evening matches because De Meer lacked floodlights until the mid-1970s.

The Netherlands national team played five internationals at De Meer, winning every one. The first, on 22 August 1973, was a 5–0 World Cup qualifier against Iceland. The last, on 25 March 1992, was a 2–0 friendly win over Yugoslavia.

Ajax left De Meer after the opening of the Amsterdam Arena in 1996 (renamed the Johan Cruyff Arena in 2018). The final match, an Eredivisie game on 28 April 1996, saw Ajax beat Willem II 5–1. Finidi George scored a hat trick, but the stadium’s last goal came from Willem II striker Jack de Gier.

After the club’s departure, De Meer was demolished for housing. The site is commemorated with streets named after famous away stadia where Ajax played, such as Anfield, Wembley, and the Bernabéu. The centre spot was symbolically recreated, as the original was built over. Small bridges bear the names of Ajax greats like Johan Cruyff, Piet Keizer, and Sjaak Swart, as well as manager Rinus Michels.