The reason for the cancellation is the 'Silent Walk' taking place that same night in Volendam, a small traditional fisherman's village a few miles north of Amsterdam, to commemorate the victims of a fire in a Volendam bar on New Year's Eve. Emergency exits were not working. Ten people, aged 13 to 22 years old, died in the brief inferno. Over 150 more seriously burnt visitors are still in hospitals.
Doctors say the number of deaths is sure to increase.
On New Year's Day hundreds of people, inclusing a remarkably high number of football fans, posted their condolences on the bulletin board on the FC Volendam website, the local First Division football club. The bars on the Volendam 'Dike' are popular among Amsterdammers. Ajax has always had a special bond with its small neighbor village. An F-Side delegation went to Volendam shortly after the disaster, to place flowers at the doorstep of the bar. The F-Side has announced its intention to raise money for the Volendam victims during the Amstel Cup home game against Vitesse, on 26 January.