AJAX PRESENTATION TO EK: ONE YEAR ON
Sunday marks one year since East Kilbride FC made headlines around the globe after surpassing Ajax’s world record for consecutive wins.
And the man who masterminded that run, Martin Lauchlan, admits it is a moment that will live with him forever.
On November 5 last year, Kilby beat BSC Glasgow 3-1 at K-Park thanks to a Declan Hughes double and a strike from Ross McNeil.
It was EK’s 27th consecutive win under Lauchlan and they would go on to hit 30 before Spartans brought the run to a halt.
Kilby’s effort surpassed that of Johan Cruyff’s famous Ajax side from 1971/72 who won 26 games on the bounce.
But what made the day extra special was the surprise presentation from the Dutch side on the K-Park pitch.
An Ajax-branded van drove on and unveiled not just 27 crates of Jupiler beer but a special video message from legendary goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to congratulate the team on their achievement.
“It was a very surreal moment,” recalls Martin Lauchlan, who is now managing Strathclyde University.
“The surprise of that van coming on the pitch, the van der Sar message and the whole experience is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
“It was a classy gesture from one of the biggest clubs in football.
“I remember it so well. It was Bonfire Night and after it was all over, I just remember going home and being absolutely shattered.”
Lauchlan went on to lead Kilby to the Lowland League title but they came up short in the play-offs as they were denied promotion by Cowdenbeath.
And the former EK boss insists the pressure in the league was nothing compared to what his side had to cope with during the winning run.
He said: “It took a lot out of the players to go on that run and every game, it just got tougher and tougher.
“The team went on to win the league but the Ajax achievement was something else. I felt there was more pressure on the team for that BSC game than there was in the rest of the season.
“There was so much press and interest from a round the world, it became such a high pressure game.
“The celebrations were great. I’ve still got one of the crates from the game but the beer is long gone.“