23/02/2024 23:20 | by Wessel Kroon
Visiting Ajax’s European away matches with my mother and two friends. It has now become our standard ritual. We also traveled to Bodø, Norway for the interim round of the UEFA Conference League. Cold, tension and ultimately an insane victory, we experienced it all.
It is Tuesday morning, the morning of departure to Bodø. The alarm goes off at 6.45 am and I pack my last things to exchange the rainy Netherlands for the freezing north of Norway. Once we arrive at Schiphol, the Ajax vests quickly reveal who is going to make the same journey. Yet the number of Ajax supporters on board our flight to Oslo is not very high. Only in the Norwegian capital does it become clear how many Ajax players will travel to Bodø. One by one they gather at gate C7, where the flight from Oslo to Bodø departs. Everyone seems to be looking forward to it, but there is little confidence in a good result. We land in ice-cold Bodø around 7 p.m. It looks like a winter sports village: snow-covered roads, cute houses and beautiful mountains.
The next day after breakfast we take a nice walk. We are not the only ones, because we meet Ajax players everywhere. We walk past each other with a friendly greeting and sometimes we have a quick chat. It is cloudy, but with daylight you can clearly see how beautiful the surroundings of Bodø are. Clear water and beautiful mountains are the eye-catchers of the port town. A little later we pass the Aspmyra Stadium, home of FK Bodø/Glimt. It is a small stadium with one training field next to it. The Norwegians do not have a complex. At 3.30 pm we, like many other Ajax players, settle down in the local sports bar. The pedometer now has more than 20,000 steps. Ordering a beer proves to be a real challenge, as a number of taps have already been emptied.
We leave again around 6 p.m. and head towards the Aspmyra Stadium again, this time for Ajax’s training. Kian Fitz-Jim hits a number of balls wonderfully, nice. After training it is time to have a bite to eat and take a look at the meeting point for Ajax players on match day, Hundholmen Brygghus. We plan to drink one beer, but after singing along to Blood, Sweat and Tears and some other Amsterdam classics, we end up having a few more. With tired legs we return to the hotel to sleep.
The next morning we meet a lot more Ajax players at breakfast. We go for a walk again and after a game of bowling we end up at Hundholmen Brygghus, the meeting point for Ajax players, around 3 p.m. After having a few beers with fellow supporters, we leave for the stadium around 5:30 PM. The wind can be felt in the stadium, making it very cold. Ajax’s game does not make the fans who traveled along feel warmer either. Still, the match is exciting and Steven Berghuis even gives the team from Amsterdam a 0-1 lead. A lot happens after the break. Ajax and FK Bodø/Glimt both received a red card and the Norwegians scored the equalizer about ten minutes before the end. In the stands you can already hear Ajax players saying: ‘It won’t happen, will it?’
A great Diant Ramaj ensures that it goes into extra time. Things are the same in extra time. In the 114th minute Ajax finally made the difference. A cross from Kenneth Taylor ends up in the goal in one go. He, of all people, scores the important goal, and he deserves it. I jump with excitement and immediately slide down. Doesn’t matter, it’s all worth it. After a blood-curdling final phase, the final whistle sounds and the party begins in the away section. Of course it wasn’t good, but let’s enjoy this euphoric moment for a moment. We leave the stadium and of course go to the pub to celebrate the victory.
In the pub we chat with supporters of FK Bodø/Glimt. It is a sporty affair and we admit that we were a little bit lucky. The Norwegians in turn show their respect for Ajax. “For me, there are six legendary clubs in the world: AC Milan, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United and Ajax,” says one of the Norwegian supporters. At midnight it’s my mother’s birthday and so we have another beer to celebrate her birthday and the victory. She has already received her best birthday present: Ajax’s victory. A little later we return to the hotel. We watch some interviews and go to sleep. We return to Amsterdam with a unique experience.
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2024-02-23 22:20:00
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