Dutch cup replay will be childs’ play

THE Dutch Cup replay between Ajax Amsterdam and AZ Alkmaar later this month will be watched by a crowd of children only.

The last-16 match was abandoned on 21 December shortly before half-time after a fan invaded the pitch and attacked Alkmaar goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado.

Esteban retaliated – aiming a couple of kicks at the grounded trouble-maker – and was sent off, but his red card was rescinded and Ajax were forced to replay the game in an empty stadium on 19 January.

Ajax last week asked the Dutch football association (KNVB) to allow women and children to attend the match, but the ruling body decided that only the latter would be permitted because of a national law of comparable treatment for men and women.

Tickets will be free for clubs and primary schools with children aged under 13 and one adult will be allowed in to look after every six of them.

In Turkey, a new directive is in place which means clubs whose fans are involved in crowd trouble face having all males over the age of 12 banned from their grounds as an alternative to playing games behind closed doors.