Dutch Cup (KNVB Beker) Competition. Formerly known as the Holderbeker and NVB beker. For a long time this tournament had changing formats and regularly, even as recent as 1960, this tournament was not played, often due to lack of interest. In the beginning the soccer association also had difficulty finding suitable dates, which often resulted the dates coinciding with more prestigious pre season tournaments or even the soccer associations regular competition, which made it not uncommon that clubs played Dutch Cup matches with their second squad. For example in season 1917-18 the second team players of Ajax, the Dutch Cup holder, are eliminated by Middelburg at the same time the first team players are playing a match for the champions competition. From 1988-89 onwards the final was played in De Kuip.
| Season | Result | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | (Telstar) | |
| 2023-24 | Lost in round 2 (Hercules) | |
| 2022-23 | Lost in Final (PSV) | |
| 2021-22 | Lost in Final (PSV) | |
| 2020-21 | Winner (Vitesse) | |
| 2019-20 | Lost in Semi Final (Utrecht) | |
| 2018-19 | Winner (Willem II) | |
| 2017-18 | Lost in round 3 (FC Twente) | |
| 2016-17 | Lost in round 3 (SC Cambuur) | |
| 2015-16 | Lost in round 3 (Feyenoord) | |
| 2014-15 | Lost in Last 16 (Vitesse) | |
| 2013-14 | Lost in Final (PEC Zwolle) | |
| 2012-13 | Lost in Semi Final (AZ) | |
| 2011-12 | Lost in Last 16 (AZ) | |
| 2010-11 | Lost in Final (FC Twente) | |
| 2009-10 | Winner (Feyenoord) | |
| 2008-09 | Lost in round 3 (FC Volendam) | |
| 2007-08 | Lost in round 4 (NAC Breda) | |
| 2006-07 | Winner (AZ) | |
| 2005-06 | Winner (PSV) | |
| 2004-05 | Lost in Semi Final (Willem II) | |
| 2003-04 | Lost in round 4 (NAC Breda) | |
| 2002-03 | Lost in Semi Final (Feyenoord) | |
| 2001-02 | Winner (Utrecht) | |
| 2000-01 | Lost in round 3 (Vitesse) | |
| 1999-00 | Lost in round 3 (Roda JC) | |
| 1998-99 | Winner (Fortuna Sittard) | |
| 1997-98 | Winner (PSV) | |
| 1996-97 | Lost in round 2 (SC Heracles '74) | |
| 1995-96 | Lost in round 2 (Cambuur Leeuwarden) | |
| 1994-95 | Lost in Quarter Final (Feyenoord) | |
| 1993-94 | Lost in Semi Final (NEC) | |
| 1992-93 | Winner (SC Heerenveen) | |
| 1991-92 | Lost in Quarter Final (Feyenoord) | |
| 1990-91 | Lost in Quarter Final (Roda JC) | |
| 1989-90 | Lost in Semi Final (PSV) | |
| 1988-89 | Lost in Quarter Final (FC Groningen) | |
| 1987-88 | Lost in round 2 (FC Den Bosch) | |
| 1986-87 | Winner (FC Den Haag) | |
| 1985-86 | Winner (RBC) | |
| 1984-85 | Lost in round 3 (PSV) | |
| 1983-84 | Lost in round 3 (Feyenoord) | |
| 1982-83 | Winner (NEC) | |
| 1981-82 | Lost in round 3 (DS '79) | |
| 1980-81 | Lost in Final (AZ '67) | |
| 1979-80 | Lost in Final (Feyenoord) | |
| 1978-79 | Winner (FC Twente) | |
| 1977-78 | Lost in Final (AZ '67) | |
| 1976-77 | Lost in round 2 (Utrecht) | |
| 1975-76 | Lost in Quarter Final (PEC Zwolle) | |
| 1974-75 | Lost in round 3 (SC Heracles '74) | |
| 1973-74 | Lost in Semi Final (PSV) | |
| 1972-73 | Lost in round 2 (NAC) | |
| 1971-72 | Winner (FC Den Haag) | |
| 1970-71 | Winner (Sparta) | |
| 1969-70 | Winner (PSV) | |
| 1968-69 | Lost in round 3 (Feijenoord) | |
| 1967-68 | Knockout, Lost in Final (ADO) | |
| 1966-67 | Winner (NAC) | |
| 1965-66 | Knockout, Lost in Quarter Final (Go Ahead) | |
| 1964-65 | Lost in round 1 (RC Heemstede) | |
| 1963-64 | Lost in Semi Final (ADO) | |
| 1962-63 | Lost in round 4 (Willem II) | |
| 1961-62 | Lost in round 4 ('t Gooi) | |
| 1960-61 | Knockout, Winner (NAC) | |
| 1959-60 | Was not held. | |
| 1958-59 | Lost in Quarter Final (Sparta) | |
| 1957-58 | Ajax did not participate. | There is no reason known to us, but Ajax, Blauw-Wit, BVV, SC Enschede and GVAV did not participate in the Dutch cup this season. |
| 1956-57 | Lost in Tussenronde (RKSV Volendam) | After having won in the first round at home against Zeeburgia with 6-1 and the second round at home against Stormvogels with 3-2, Ajax lost in the inbetween round with 4-2 at Volendam. |
| 1955-56 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1954-55 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1953-54 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1952-53 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1951-52 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1950-51 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1949-50 | Ajax did not participate. | It seems Ajax did not participate in the Dutch Cup competition. Possibly because the schedule was already full because of participation in the champions competition. |
| 1948-49 | Lost in round 3 (Emma) | Ajax was eliminated in the 3rd round by 2nd division club Emma. Ajax had been able to beat UVV and QSC and progressed in an extra round via a 1-1 draw away against HFC Haarlem. |
| 1947-48 | Ajax did not participate. | It seems Ajax did not participate in the Dutch Cup competition. It is unclear why. |
| 1946-47 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1945-46 | Group C, Endranking: 1 | After the competition had started there was no time anymore for the Dutch Cup. Ajax won their group. |
| 1944-45 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1943-44 | Knockout, Lost in round 2 (Blauw-Wit) | In the competition Blauw-Wit had beaten Ajax in the last round, taking away the possibility for Ajax to play a decisive match for the division championship and also in the second round of the Dutch Cup Blauw-Wit was too strong. Ajax had been able to take away a 100% score from the group stage by beating DWS, Zeeburgia, Watergraafsmeer and West Frisia, and SDW was also beaten with a convincing score in the first round. |
| 1942-43 | Knockout, Winner (DFC) | After 3 seasons the Dutch Cup was played again and because of the new setup there was a record number of clubs joining. All teams started with a group phase in which a half competition was played. Ajax won all 4 group matches, Alkmaarsche Boys, Hilversum, DWV and HBC. In the knockout phase Ajax won from DWV (again), VVA, ADO '20, Hollandia, HSC and Wageningen to reach the final. In the final Ajax was just able to beat DFC, so that Ajax won the Dutch Cup for the second time. |
| 1941-42 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1940-41 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1939-40 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1938-39 | Ajax did not participate. | The Dutch Cup only started in April when Ajax was already participating in the Champions competition. Ajax did not participate in the Dutch Cup. |
| 1937-38 | Lost in round 3 (HRC) | Ajax participated in the Dutch Cup that was played from March onwards. In the first round Ajax beat KVV, in the second round Ajax continued as away playing team after a draw against ZFC, in the third HRC was too strong. |
| 1936-37 | Ajax did not participate. | The Dutch Cup was different from the previous seasons, it only started in March and the First Division Clubs had to participate in round 1 already, but Ajax did not participate. |
| 1935-36 | Lost in round 4 (VUC) | Ajax, being a first division team, entered the 4th round this season. Ajax played at home against VUC, which match ended in a draw. According to the regulations a draw meant the away club would go through to the next round, so Ajax was eliminated right away. |
| 1934-35 | Lost in round 4 (Frisia) | Ajax played for the Dutch Cup in the 3rd round against DHC and in the 4th round against Frisia. Ajax used a team of mostly Ajax 2 players against Frisia, but most of them already had significant Ajax 1 experience. However this turned out not to be sufficient, not withstanding a mostly attacking play, the match was lost with 2-0. |
| 1933-34 | Ajax did not participate. | We have not been able to find any information of participation of Ajax in the Dutch Cup tournamenet. Possibly that Ajax didn't enter or withdrew. |
| 1932-33 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1931-32 | Lost in round 3 (Tubantia) | Ajax was rightaway eliminated in the first Dutch Cup match, by Tubantia. |
| 1930-31 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1929-30 | Lost in Semi Final (Feijenoord) | Because Ajax participated in the champions competition it was mainly the players from Ajax II that came into action for the Dutch Cup matches when these started for Ajax in the end of April. However Ajax had a very strong second team with a lot of players with first team experience such as Bob ten Have, Wim de Bois, Ben Vogel, Wim Addicks, Joop Martens, Hennie Windt and Henk Anderiesen. As a result Ajax did not have too much trouble to, starting in round 3 because first division teams did not have to participate in the first two rounds, get past Stormvogels, PEC, Forward, Palemig and BVV to reach the semi final. In the semi final match again Feyenoord, that was played few days after Ajax had missed out on the domestic championship, the first team players participated, but couldn't prevent Feyenoord from beating Ajax with 1-2. |
| 1928-29 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1927-28 | Lost in round 3 (EDO) | As First Division club Ajax could skip the first two rounds of the Dutch Cup. In the third round EDO eliminated Ajax. |
| 1926-27 | Lost in round 3 (Enschedese Boys) | As First Division club Ajax could skip the first two rounds of the Dutch Cup. In the third round Enschedese Boys eliminated Ajax. |
| 1925-26 | Lost in round 3 (HRC) | Ajax participates in the Dutch Cup, but first division teams do not need to play the first two rounds. In the 3rd round Ajax played with a weakened team against HRC and was eliminated. |
| 1924-25 | Lost in Last 16 (CVV) | After the Dutch Cup was not played for three seasons, this season it was on the program again, and the first division west teams could participate because there was now more space in the schedule because there were smaller groups for the regular competition. Ajax reached the 4th round (Last 16) via EDO, VIOS and Friesland, in which it was beaten by CVV. |
| 1923-24 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1922-23 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1921-22 | Was not held. | There was no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1920-21 | Ajax did not participate. | It seems Ajax did not participate in the Dutch Cup competition. It is unclear whether this was because Ajax choose not to participate or whether the first division teams were excluded. |
| 1919-20 | Ajax did not participate. | It seems Ajax did not participate in the Dutch Cup competition. It is unclear whether this was because Ajax choose not to participate or whether the first division teams were excluded. |
| 1918-19 | Was not held. | There is no Dutch Cup competition during this season. |
| 1917-18 | Lost in round 2 (Middelburg) | The NVB announces to exclude Ajax from the Dutch Cup, which only starts very late in the season, because Ajax also still participates in the championship competition. Ajax would like to be able to defend the Dutch Cup and the NVB quickly retracts its decision, but because the match dates are set on match dates of the championship competition Ajax decides to play the Dutch Cup matches with the second team. The first match, an in between round between the first and the second round, an away match against Helmond Ajax is able to win, but in round 2 Ajax is eliminated by Middelburg. |
| 1916-17 | Winner (VSV) | By winning the Dutch Cup this season Ajax gets its first major price. The first two rounds Ajax is still not taking this tournament too seriously, the first team has different obligations on the same days and players of the second team were allowed to defend the Ajax colors and did so with success. After these two rounds the first team takes over and Ajax wins the cup convincingly. In the final VSV was beaten. |
| 1915-16 | Ajax did not participate. | Ajax did not participate in the Dutch Cup. |
| 1914-15 | Lost in round 1 (EDO) | Ajax participates in the Dutch Cup, but looses the first match, that is only played in March, from EDO. Ajax' team plays well in the competition at that time, unbeaten, and EDO plays at a lower level. Not much is known about the match, so also not whether there is any special cause, or if Ajax perhaps did not play with their first squad. The competition has a knockout phase, but it seems before the start a subdivision in groups is established. |
| 1913-14 | Lost in Last 16 (VVA) | Ajax enters the Dutch Cup competition again and just like the previous seasons as a first division team starts in the 3rd round. The first opponent is DVV, who are beaten by the second team (because Ajax first team plays another match on the same day). In the next round (last 16), Ajax plays an away game against Amsterdam 3rd division club VVA and is beaten with 5-0. Things are not as bad as the result seem, the referee misses offside with 3 of the goals, one of the goals is a suicide goal, and Ajax plays most of the 2nd half with 10 men, but it is clear early in the season that it will be a tough season for Ajax. |
| 1912-13 | Lost in Last 16 (VFC) | Ajax enters the Dutch Cup competition again and the Dutch soccer association holds the same principle as the previous season, namely that first division teams are free the first two rounds. The third round Ajax wins from DVS, but in the next round (last 16) Ajax is beaten by VFC. Ajax plays with second team players becauase on the same day it has planned a second match which is more presitigious. Ajax tried to no avail to get the cup match rescheduled, as the other match, a friendly celebrating Ajax 12 1/2 year anniversary, but the soccer association did not honor their request. |
| 1911-12 | Lost in round 3 (Achilles) | To make the national cup competition more attractive for the first division teams they will only have to enter during the third round. Ajax participates and the draw links them to Achilles in the third round. Ajax only comes with 3 of their regular players and is beaten with a high margin (7-0). |
| 1910-11 | Lost in Tussenronde (AFC) | Ajax wins the first round from Rapiditas, but is eliminated during a subsequent intermediate round by AFC. The first rounds of the Dutch Cup tournament are played at the same time as the regular competition. Ajax chooses to let their best played play for the regular competition, as it sees the possible promotion to the first division as much more important. Many other teams also play only their reserve players in the first rounds of the Dutch cup. |
| 1909-10 | Ajax did not participate. | At the start of the competition it is announced that also this season the teams that play in the 1st division west are not allowed to participate in the Dutch Cup competition. The motivation is that with the 1st division west competition and possible championship or promotion relegation matches there is not enough time left for the Dutch Cup matches. |
| 1908-09 | Lost in round 3 (AFC Quick 1890) | First Division West teams were exlcuded. |
| 1907-08 | Lost in round 2 (Vitesse) | First Division West teams were exlcuded. |
| 1906-07 | Lost in round 1 (HBS 2) | First Division West teams were exlcuded. |
| 1905-06 | Lost in round 3 (AVV) | First Division West teams were exlcuded. |
| 1904-05 | Lost in round 1 (Saturnus) | First Division West teams were exlcuded. |
| 1903-04 | Ajax did not participate. | Ajax did not participate in the Dutch Cup. |
| 1902-03 | Ajax did not participate. | Ajax did not participate in the Dutch Cup. |
| 1901-02 | Ajax did not participate. | Ajax does not participate in the Dutch Cup competition, it is not yet a member of the Dutch Soccer Association. |
| 1900-01 | Ajax did not participate. | Ajax does not participate in the Dutch Cup competition, it is not yet a member of the Dutch Soccer Association. |
| 1899-00 | Ajax did not participate. | |
| 1898-99 | Ajax did not participate. |