Geordie Al's Groundhopper Scrapbook: Viktoria Zizkov 1-1 FK Pardubice, Sunday 10th August 2014

Monday 11 August 2014

Viktoria Zizkov 1-1 FK Pardubice, Sunday 10th August 2014

Viktoria Zizkov 1-1 FK Pardubice, Czech FNL, att. 1,764

Welcome to Zizkov!

Why are Czechs drinking beer and watching football at 10:15am on a Sunday morning? Why do dogs lick their balls? Because they can!

Yet, at a time when I should have been in church, I was sat in an open stand, the sun beating down on m e, watching smoke drift up from below the seats. No need to panic, Captain Mainwaring, it's only a BBQ going on underneath. Sausage and beer 1st thing on a Sunday morning. Why not?

BBQ under the stand

I'd been worried I'd miss kick off, it being so early. And I did - but not for any usual reasons. I was up with the larks (do they have larks in Prague?) and was at the launderette at 8am. Every traveller has to wash his clothes at some point, and the launderette was so busy yesterday that now was the only time I could fit it in.

So, yes, I got to the game about 10:20am, having had a lovely walk through Malesicky Park. The 'efotbal Arena' is Prague's most central football stadium and what a beauty it is. I paid my CHK 90 (about 3 quid) and sat down in the 1st area I came to, a temporary stand with open seating. It wasn't long before I regretted it slightly, as the sun bore down on me. I couldn't be bothered to move till HT though.

This pic doesn't do the morning heat justice.

The match was end to end - the same end. Viktoria had shot after shot blocked or saved as Pardubice couldn't get out of their own half. Finally, when they did, it was only cos they'd got a free kick (which led to a disallowed offside goal; they should get out their half more often). It really should have been 4 or 5 nil by HT. Imagine my surprise then when I saw the scoreboard early in the second half: 0-1.

Mind, I wasn't sure the scoreboard was working. It looked like a dot matrix with half the dots missing. When Viktoria later equalised (I can't remember how) it took 4 minutes for someone to update it. Till it had, I wondered if '0-1' was some kind of default setting.

How long gone? Who knows!?

Second half, I decided to sit in the tribune by the side of the pitch, where most of Viktoria's fans were. It was uncovered but nicely shaded due to the tall buildings behind. Opposite was a low, covered stand while at one end was a big red box which housed the club shop, police control room and a club lounge, consisting of a couple of pensioners.

From the top, police control room, club lounge, club shop

The club shop didn't have a lot, but I picked up a sticker and a programme (which the bloke on the turnstile happily gave out to anyone who wasn't English). The programme was a double header, covering this and another game. Another English-speaking visitor confused the woman in the club shop by asking if he could buy an advance ticket for a game - obviously not the done thing here! While they're in the Czech 2nd tier there's absolutely no need.

Main Stand (and half time entertainment)

Otherwise, behind the open end , there were 3 or 4 places to buy sausages and beer, along with picnic benches which some took advantage of rather than watch the football. At the other end were the Pardubice Ultras. They'd brought along 22 fans, of which 15 of them banged their drum and sang their hearts out. Well done them, travelling to Prague for a 10:15 KO. The average English team wouldn't bring many either.

Attendance: 1,764

The far tribune, where I sat 2nd half

The Damage (CHK):
90 ent
50 pin badge
60 sticker
45 orange juice (with a free pen; there was some promotion on)
= CHK 245 (about 7 quid)

Beer? Sausage? Strangely, I never fancied one.

The tunes:
Spirit of Eden (Talk Talk)
Asleep in the Back (Elbow)