If you’re going to the Johan Cruyff Arena and hoping to go home with a new shirt, Ajax has a request: don’t bring a sign asking players for theirs.
Ajax sent an official request to its supporters association after deciding to confiscate signs asking players to give their kits away for Saturday’s Johan Cruyff Shield match between the Amsterdam giants and PSV.
Ajax claims that there are simply too many people showing up with signs asking for a jersey, and that it had to draw a line.
The club added that in some cases, fans (especially adult fans of children who brought signs) have reacted badly when the player they chose doesn’t give up their shirt. That’s probably going to continue to be a problem when there are 20 players in a gameday squad and tens of thousands of fans at every game.
Perhaps more curiously, Ajax also cited the signs—most commonly made of cardboard—as a fire hazard. While that may seem like a stretch, Ajax supporters do have an affinity for celebrating with flares.
[lawrence-related id=4666,5472,5288]