Staafincident
The Iron rod incident (Dutch: Staafincident) was an incident of football hooliganism at the De Meer Stadion of Dutch football club Ajax Amsterdam on 27 September 1989. During a home match against Austria Wien, the Austrian goalkeeper Franz Wohlfahrt was struck by an iron rod launched onto the pitch by an Ajax supporter from the F-side hooligan group. As a result, Ajax had to concede the match by default and were excluded from competing in European football for a year.
Earlier that year, Ajax chairman Ton Harmsen had been succeeded by Michael van Praag, the son of Harmsen's predecessor Jaap van Praag. Under the initiative of the new chairman, popular Dutch celebrities would accompany the team on match days as public speakers, in order to promote play fair. After tv personality Frank Masmeijer and singer Harry Slinger had previously accompanied the team on a match, it was Dutch comedian Freek de Jonge's turn during the UEFA Cup match between Ajax and Austria Wien. Ajax had already lost the away match against Austria Wien 1–0 and therefore would need at least a 1–0 victory at home. At the time of the match Austria made the headlines because the country's president at that time, Kurt Waldheim, appeared to have been involved in deportations and actions against partisans during World War II, which he had concealed in his autobiography.