The History of Bilton Ajax

Bilton Ajax Junior Football Club was founded in 1972 by Lyn Redding, who is the Club President today.

The boys themselves chose the name of the club, inspired by Johann Cruyff and Ajax of Amsterdam.

During their first season, Ajax played 32 friendly matches, winning 16, drawing 3 and losing 13.

In the seasons that followed, this team lost just five games from when they were Under 12's until the end of their junior football as Under 16's.

Bilton Ajax 'Firsts'

From this encouraging beginning, Bilton Ajax have achieved many successes both on and off the field, punctuated at intervals by a number of firsts:

· Founder members and first club from Rugby to join the Mid-Warwickshire Boys League. 1973.

· First club from Rugby to enter the Coventry Minor League. 1976.

· The first junior club from Rugby to be invited to represent Rugby and Junior Soccer in the annual 'Twinning' visits to Evreux and Russelsheim. 1974

· The first (and only) Junior Club to form a three way link with V.S. Rugby (The town's premier soccer club) and Leicester City F.C. 1977

· The first Junior Soccer Club from Rugby to have it's own Web Site on the Internet. 1997.

· The first Junior Club in Rugby to employ FA Qualified coaches to give the youngsters of the Development Squads the finest start possible. 1998.

· The first club in Rugby to insist that all Club coaches, at all ages, have an FA qualification. 2000.

· The first club in Rugby to deliver a Girls Development Centre and staff it with all females, qualified coaches. "Football for Girls - Run by Girls". 2001.

· With the formation of the three way link with V.S. Rugby and Leicester City F.C., players with the ability to make the grade were provided with a step by step progression to the top. Not bad for such a relatively 'young' club!

In 2000, Ajax formed an association with Coventry City Football Club and the Ajax coaches now regularly watch and exchange ideas with coaches of Coventry's academy.

Over the years Bilton Ajax has continued to develop, and currently has ten teams playing in Junior League Soccer. In addition to this the club also runs a Football Development Centre for children aged between 5 and 12 years of age.

The Development Centre accommodates over 100 students and is organised and supervised by FA qualified coaching staff. There is also a girls section which will be competing for the first time in 2002-2003.

We would like to expand on the History of Bilton Ajax, so if you have any information or old photographs, please send them to the webmaster. Thank you.