Bob Haarms dead at 75
With head coach Louis van Gaal, Bob shows the Champions League Ajax won in 1995.
Haarms played a part in all the European Cups Ajax have captured in their history.
06 June 2009
Bob Haarms has died at age 75. He passed away in the VU hospital in Amsterdam early Saturday morning. For nearly his entire life Haarms was involved with his club Ajax. After his retirement as an assistant coach in 2000 he became an honorary member of Ajax.
Bobby Haarms was born on 8 March 1934 on the Middenweg in Amsterdam-East, directly across the street from where the new Ajax stadium De Meer was being built. After playing a few trial matches, Haarms became a member of AFC Ajax at age 13.
He made his debut in the first team, at age 18, on 28 September 1952 in the match against Heracles. Haarms played 72 matches in Ajax 1, scoring once.
In 1967 Bob was called by his former team mate Rinus Michels with the request to come work at Ajax as amateur coach. Later Haarms also worked as a scout, youth coach, assistant coach and rehab trainer with Ajax. With the exception of a few seasons in the 1980's, he remained assistant coach until the year 2000. He was a part of all the great successes of his club. As an assistant coach he was on the bench for all European Cups Ajax have won.
Ajax was Bob Haarms' blood. Even when his health had deteriorated considerably, he did not want to miss a single match. Sat in a wheelchair, he watched the matches from up close.
Bob Haarms was also very much loved by the supporters of Ajax. In the home match against Roda JC the past season, they unfolded a big banner on the stands with the portrait of their hero and the words: ‘Bobby Ajacied for ever.’
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