De Meer Stadion

De Meer Stadion (Dutch pronunciation: [də ˈmeːr ˌstaːdijɔn]) is the former stadium of AFC Ajax. It was opened in 1934 as a result of the club's former stadium being too small. Upon completion, it could hold 22,000 spectators, but accommodating up to 29,500 at its maximum. Increasing safety requirements gradually reduced this number to 19,000.

De Meer Stadion

De Meer in 1937
Location	Amsterdam
Owner	AFC Ajax
Capacity	19,000
Surface	Grass
Construction
Opened	9 December 1934
Closed	1996
Demolished	1998
Architect	Daan Roodenburgh
Tenants
AFC Ajax (Eredivisie) (1934–1996)

Over time, as Ajax's popularity and success grew, the De Meer proved to be too small. From 1928 onward, Ajax played their big European games at the Olympic Stadium. The larger venue also hosted Ajax's midweek night games, since the De Meer was not suited for floodlights. The De Meer was abandoned with the opening of the purpose built Amsterdam Arena in 1996, since 2018-2019 the Johan Cruyff Arena.

The Dutch national football team played five international matches at the stadium, winning all of them. The first one, on August 22, 1973 was a qualifying match for the 1974 FIFA World Cup against Iceland (5-0). The last one, played on 25 March 1992, was a friendly against Yugoslavia (2-0).

Following the club's departure, the De Meer was demolished to make way for a housing development. However, the area is commemorated by having the new streets named after famous football stadia from around the world. The centrespot was recreated cosmetically as the real centrespot was built over.