Wednesday, June 24, 2009

New Ajax 09/10 Home Soccer Jersey





I really don't like it much when shirts force me to do research, though the end result is enlightenment (and/or passing on useless trivia to the masses). In any case, I looked for the unique aspects of this shirt, as I compared The Ajax 09/10 Home Soccer Jersey to last season's Ajax Amsterdam home shirt. Ajax is one of those teams whose home jerseys are famous, which means they change little from season to season. Thus, besides the new V-neck, fold-over (polo-style) collar, the jersey is much like the previous one, including the well-known red strip down the center, with the same AEGON sponsor logo on the center. Now, here's the new and hence what required a little digging: on the upper back, the shirt features what I found out was the Amsterdam coat of arms, which I had an idea upon looking at it, as most coat of arms (why?) show fiery lions looking menacing. So, as promised, a few fun facts about fair Amsterdam's coat of arms:

The coat of arms of Amsterdam is the official symbol of the city of Amsterdam. It consists of a red shield and a black pale with three silver Saint Andrew's Crosses, the Imperial Crown of Austria, two golden lions, and the motto of Amsterdam. Several heraldic elements have their basis in the history of Amsterdam. The crosses and the crown can be found as decorations on different locations in the city. About the motto: During the 1941 February strike in Amsterdam, for the first time in Europe non-Jewish people protested against the prosecution of Jews by the Nazi regime. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands wanted to remember the role of the citizens of Amsterdam during World War II and created a motto consisting of the Dutch words "Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig", meaning "Valiant, Steadfast, Compassionate". On March 29, 1947, Wilhelmina presented the motto as part of the coat of arms of Amsterdam to the city government.


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