In 1972, Witkamp proposed the idea toJaap van Praag, the then president ofAjax, who were holders of the European Cup at that time. The idea was then taken toUEFA to seek official endorsement; howeverArtemio Franchi, the president of UEFA at that time, rejected the idea as the reigning European Cup Winners' Cup champions—Rangers—were serving a one-year ban at the time imposed by UEFA for the alleged misbehaviour of their fans.[1]
The match went ahead, but unofficially as a celebration of Rangers' centenary. The first leg was played on 16 January 1973 and the second on 24 January 1973. Ajax won the tie 6–3 on aggregate, beating Rangers both at home and away, 3–1 inGlasgow and 3–2 in the second leg inAmsterdam.
