Memories of Mr Ajax, Bobby Haarms…

March 8th, 2010 | by: Jan | Comments(64)

Bumped into this article recently. Bobby Haarms, unsung hero of Ajax.

Some memories…

Bobby Haarms ends his active career as a player in 1959. Too early, due to injuries. From that moment on, Haarms is full time supporter. His team, his mates, would win the title in 1960, the Intertoto in 1962 and later on even Europa Cups. But the new coach – this in 1965- Rinus Michels hadn’t forgotten about Bobby. When he takes over at Ajax, he asks Bobby to come back to assist him.

The 33 year old highly enjoys the European campaigns. “Those were the days. Han Grijzenhout, Cor Brom and myself assisted Rinus, although he wanted to sit on the bench alone. When we started to play really big matches, like the Benfica one, Michels realized he had to much to do and started to allow us next to him. We did everything, back then. And our day didn’t end at 5 pm. Cor would coach the second team, Han and myself would work with the younger lads. And there were also Saturday amateur teams that needed coaching. Rinus was always there, always commenting and advicing…. Cor was Rinus’ first assistant. I was only employed part time, so I’d took on the amateur teams in my spare time.”

When Brom moved to coach Vitesse, Grijzenhout became the first assistant and Haarms got his full time position.

1971 – Stefan Kovacs

After the first European Cup in 1971, Michels would leave for Barcelona. Stefan Kovacs was his replacement. Haarms had a good relationship with Kovacs and the two would remain close friends. In Kovacs biography “Le Football Total”, Kovacs said he’d develop his football vision on the basis of his long talks with Haarms. When Kovacs died, he left Haarms a large portion of his estate, which brought the tough Haarms to tears.

When Kovacs left for France, suddenly Haarms got a phone call from Strassbourg. Kovacs had tipped them to sign Haarms. With a translator he initiated the negotiations and everything seemed great. A three year deal with 10 times the pay he got at Ajax… Haarms wanted a day to think about it. The next day, he’d call his translator and in that think Amsterdam dialect, he said: “Son, I’m not going to do this. I want to work at Ajax. Period. I would miss my club… Please, call them up and say sorry for me, ok?”.

Haarms as the henchman with Jan Mulder at Ajax

1972 – Horst Blankenburg

Haarms would do anything for his club and he’d take his responsibilities as assistant highly serious. He was working for Ajax day and night. He’d perform training sessions, would help organize all sorts of things and he’d do scouting missions.

Haarms would fly to Munich to watch Munchen 1860 play. Every weekend he’d take the plane to travel through Europe. “With scouting, it’s all about quality. We’d watch a player and we needed four reports, from four different people. With Horst Blankenburg, it was a bit different. It was a secret mission, so I went alone. It was close before the closing of the transfer window for him, we needed a decision by December 15. Michels said he wanted the report by 8.15 am the next morning. This is before the fax and email, right. So, while I’m at the preparation of 1860’s game against Mannheim, I’m informed my flight back that night was canceled. I only had one way of returning in Amsterdam in time: by train. But then I had to leave during the game. When the team was doing their warming up, it was a bit sloppy and messy. No idea behind it. Except for one bloke. He was doing his personal warm up in the corner of the pitch. Stretching all his muscle groups, building it up nicely. The bloke looked truly professional. That was Blankenburg. So, I said to myself: that’s our guy. He’s top! The warm up told me enough. I left that moment, took the train back to Amsterdam, which took me 12 hours. Had to change trains and wait at stations, while I was finishing my report. Michels had it in time and decided to buy him. And we never regretted it. Blankenburg wasn’t a real German in his behaviour. He’s ask me when he came to Ajax, how to present himself to the other players. I basically said: “They’re all typical Amsterdam arseholes. Full of themselves.” Blankenburg walked into the dressing room, said: “I’m Horst, I’m a Kraut and I come to play football with you.” And that was it. He was immediately accepted.”

1972 – Jan Mulder

Michels wanted to sign Jan Mulder. Ajax wanted the Groningen striker before he left for Anderlecht already, but now he was becoming a true super star. Dick van Dijk left the Europa Cup winner to play in France and Mulder was supposed to be his replacement. But Feyenoord wanted to sign him too.
But Ajax won. “I think Jan wanted to play at Ajax. He was a tremendous Cruyff fan. Who didn’t want to play with Johan? But Jan was injured when he left Anderlecht and he’d never recover. We were constantly working with him, the doctors, the physio’s, me… He did play some games for Ajax and he played some very good games too, but it became a national debate. Even supporters started to write in with advice and all that.
One alternative doctor said we needed to use the clay from the stream close to the stadium and apply it to his knee. And we did! But nothing worked. Jan was a tremendous striker, but he was used to being treated as the king in Anderlecht. There he had jersey number 14, in Amsterdam he got 10. He wanted the number 14 but we told him we already had a player with that jersey, haha. And he wanted to shirts per game: one for the first half and one fresh one for the second half. Ajax didn’t do that in those days. He was working on all sorts of details we never though about. Jan would have made Ajax even stronger, but it was not to be.”

1973 – George Knobel

After Kovacs leaves, George Knobel is the first choice for Ajax. The Limburg born coach had done well with MVV. But it wasn’t to be. Cruyff and later Neeskens left and Knobel couldn’t handle the pressure and complications at Ajax. He would give an infamous interview in which he stated that Ajax was going down due to “liquor and women”. Haarms took over with three months to go and secured UEFA Cup football. Haarms: “Knobel was a great guy but he was used to the vibe in Limburg. MVV was allowed to win games, Ajax was supposed to win games. Big difference. Working for Ajax is like working on a volcano. I don’t think Knobel was able to flick that switch in his head.”

1975 – Café Bobby Haarms in the Utrechtse straat

Haarms opened a pub in the Utrechtse Straat in the center of Amsterdam. Wonderful times, lots of parties. After every game that Ajax won. Sometimes 1000s of people would rock up.
Haarms: “Why the pub? Well, my wife came from a hospitality family and she didn’t know better. I was always busy so she wanted to do something. She ran the place and it became a meeting point for fans, players, the local entrepreneurs… great time.”

1976 – Tomislav Ivic

Bobby Haarms highly enjoyed the two seasons with Tomislav Ivic. “The fun thing was, his Dutch was bad but his English pretty good. In my case, it was the other way around. But still we could have in-depth discussions about football. When we decided to talk over the phone as well, we noticed we couldn’t really communicate. Most of our talks were based on gesturers and hand and feet movements, haha… We were great mates, I even taught him how to drive a car. Yeah, we did almost everything together, except for sleeping together.”

1977 – Simon Tahamata

Haarms: “Simon was a very shy and modest bloke. I became his second father. He made his debut under Ivic, but the lad was so small and lean… Dr Rolink – our team doctor – also worked in the cycling world. I talked to him, to see if we could make him stronger. I didn’t mean doping so it took some time but Rolink discovered these protein shakes and all that so he started to work on Simon. He really developed well after that and became quite a player.”

Frank Arnesen got those medications too, Frank was also skinny as… I was harsh on the lads, they always had to finish their meals with me. With Frank and Simon that was always an issue. When Tahamata was invited to play in the World Team, I forbade him to go. He was distraught, but we had an important European match against Lillestrom. The Norwegians had beaten us in Norway with 2-0.
We needed Simon in the home game. And he played the best game of his life. Two assists for Ling and we won 4-0. The fans were going mad, so Ivic said: give him his credits. So, I took him off with only minutes to go. Simon didn’t get it and thought we weren’t happy with him, so he was all depressed when he came off. I had to talk to him and say: Simon, this applause is only for you, man! Enjoy! The fans want to honor you and you alone. Tahamata didn’t realize that players who have a great match sometimes get these replacements to honor them, haha… Simon was eager. He would play the Cruyff film “Number 14″ many times, to copy Johan’s moves….”

1979 – The Danes at Ajax

Haarms always had a soft spot for the Scandinavian players at Ajax. In the 70s and 80s, p,ayers like Lerby, Arnesen Ziegler, Henning Jensen, Jesper Olsen and Jan Molby played for Ajax. Haarms: “One big advantage, after five minutes in Amsterdam they can speak the language. Unbelievable. Soren and Frank came here when they were 17 years old, with their girlfriends. That red (Lerby) was only two weeks with us and played a game with Ajax 2 against PSV 2. He immediately wanted every ball. He’d go: “Me, me want ball, me want ball….”. Phenomenal lads, they adapted so quickly and had a tremendous mentality.”

“Did you know Ajax sent me to go on the road with them when they played for Denmark. The Danish football chairman called me the Ajax Babysitter. And it was needed, yeah… The Danes, they like their beer, man. My strategy was simple, the minute they came back into the hotel I pushed them into the bar and ordered beers. That was the way to do it. They’d get tired and go to bed. If I hadn’t done that, they’d go out all night to clubs and God knows what they’d do next.”

1980 – La Perche d’Or

In 1980, Bob and Tilly Haarms open a new restaurant in Amsterdam. After Cafe Bobby Haarms, a new challenge for Bob and his wife. And the restaurant swiftly becomes the place to be for everything Ajax. In 2007, Bobby and Tilly relocate to France and they sell the place. Ironically, the new owner can’t get the place “passing and moving” and closes the restaurant on the same day Bobby Haarms is laid to rest, June 13 2009.

Bobby Haarms would always be right behind JC

1981 – Leo Beenhakker and Johan Cruijff

Between 1979 and 1981 Leo Beenhakker is Ajax’ head coach. Haarms is his right hand man and is witness to the infamous interference of “Jopie” in November 1980. JC was adviser to the board, and when Ajax trails at home ( 1-3) against Twente, Johan came down from heaven…eh…the stands I mean, and settles next to Leo on the bench. With his typical motor mouth and gestures, Johan explains to Leo where Ajax goes wrong. Ajax would win that game 5-3.
Haarms: “That moment was blown out of proportions by the media. Johan didn’t come down to humiliate Leo and never intended anything nasty. Leo said after the game that he didn’t mind Johan joining us. Leo and Johan never said a word about it after the fact and the players didn’t take offence either. Johan trained with us daily so they were used to his presence. The media made a meal of that too. Johan never meddled with the starting line up or anything like that.”

1982 – Haarms leaves Ajax

April 1982 is a black page in the book on Bobby’s life. In this month, the Ajax board tells him they don’t need him any longer. Aad de Mos and Hassie van Wijk would take over the assistants roles for head coach Kurt Linder. After 15 years blood sweat and tears, Bobby is relegated to scout. Haarms misses the smell of the grass, but typically Bobby Haarms, he never complained towards the media.
Haarms: “I did one thing well in my life. I never badmouthed anyone. I could have told stories, you know, but I didn’t. Some journalists followed me around hoping for some quote, but it was simple for me. The board let me go. Not Ajax. Ajax is in my heart. The board wanted Linder and they wanted him to groom Aad de Mos for the big job. Fair enough. I was hurt, but that’s life. They wanted to organize a farewell party but I declined. I’m not good at that stuff. The players wanted to go on strike, Piet Schrijvers up front. I told them to stop talking like that and work even harder. For Ajax. It wasn’t about me.”

1984 – Volendam

In the season 83/84, Haarms is without a job and walks through Amsterdam on his free Sunday. In the summer of 1984, it’s Leo Beenhakker who asks him to come to Volendam, as assistant coach. Bobby takes the job but despite their presence, Volendam gets relegated.

Beenhakker leaves and Barry Hugheds comes. Haarms and Hughes have a tempestuous start but would become the best of mates. But although Haarms loves working at Volendam, when Johan Cruyff calls him to return to Ajax, where the legendary number 14 will take the coaching job, he doesn’t know how quickly to pack his bags. Haarms returns to his first love.

1986 – Back at Ajax

Under JC, Haarms starts his second era at Ajax. Together with Pim van Dord and Spitz Kohn. In 1987, Ajax wins the Europa Cup 2 beating Lokomotive Leipzig in Athens, 1-0. Marco van Basten scores the winner. A year later, Ajax would lose the finals against Aad de Mos’ KV Mechelen. Bobby Haarms would concentrate on the youthful talents at Ajax and when Johan has to make way, it’s Leo Beenhakker who returns to Amsterdam. Real Madrid lures Don Leo back to Spain and the other assistant coach – one Louis van Gaal – gets the job. The period 1992-1996 is like the Golden Age for Ajax and Bobby Haarms – who would build up a lifelong friendship with the likes of Davids and Litmanen – enjoys his lads to the hilt. Bobby raises the UEFA Cup, the Champions League Cup, the World Cup and the European Supercup. The whole world loves Ajax and Ajax loves Bobby Haarms.

1991 – Fanclub for Bobby Haarms

Bobby Haarms becomes more and more popular, mainly due to his reputation as the “nice henchman”. Players like Jari Litmanen and Ronald de Boer speak with love and respect about the man who would prepare them time and time again to come back after injuries. In 1991, some Ajax fans even start a Bobby Haarms fanclub and allow him to award the Bobby Haarms trophee, every year. No coincidence that players like Blind, Litmanen and Silooy would win that trophee.

1996 – Ajax bricks in the car boot

Bobby Haarms hurts when Ajax leaves the cosy De Meer to go to the spacey ArenA in Amsterdam South. Bobby felt more at home in De Meer than he did in his own living room. He was moved to tears there many a time. When he leaves for the last time, and walks to his car, he sees a number of old bricks laying about. Bobby walks back, picks ‘m up and chucks them in his boot. He wants to keep a bit of the old stadium for posterity. And he will make a number of old die-hard fans very happy in the coming years, when he selectively hands out a brick here and there.

2000 – Farewell

In the first seasons in the Amsterdam ArenA both Ajax and Haarms need time to get adjusted. They both miss the vibe of the old stadium. New coaches Morten Olsen, Jan Wouters and Hans Westerhof all used Haarms’ services. His last season is a bit of a drama. Jan Wouters gets fired, Ajax ends on the fifth spot and the 100 year celebration of the club ends in tragedy when Twente beats Ajax at home, 0-1. Haarms’ last game on the bench threatens to end in a boring 0-0. Everyone who cares for Bobby is overjoyed when Christian Chivu scored a late 1-0 against VVV. Haarms is pulled up on the shoulders and makes his honorary rounds past the fans in the ArenA.

Who thought that Haarms’ now will distance himself from Ajax and football was wrong. Bobby becomes a key member of Ajax’ pitch-issues ( Ajax struggled for years with the grass in the ArenA) and Haarms will travel the world to find solutions for this embarrassing issue.
And he succeeds! The pitch-problems disappeared and in his last living years, Bobby spent time at the ArenA and at youth grounds De Toekomst ( The Future) for a coffee and a chat.

Up where he belongs…

As a typical Ajax man, Bobby could never really say goodbye to his Ajax.