Geordie Al's Groundhopper Scrapbook: Hradec Kralove

Showing posts with label Hradec Kralove. Show all posts

Tuesday, 15 August 2017

Hradec Kralove 2-1 Pardubice, Monday 14th August 2017

Hradec Kralove 2-1 Pardubice (Czech FNL, att. 2,551)

Welcome to ...

Whatthehell just happened there? One minute I was minding my business, next thing you know a masked policeman is pointing a semi automatic rifle at fans on the terraces at point blank range. Who was he going to shoot? Cos even if he was trying to protect his own unfirearmed police mates, there would have been multiple casualties and probably a lynching (his). As it was, several members of the crowd laughed and openly mocked. It didn't seem real.

WTF?

Earlier, the ultras had had a banner with a message on confiscated by the stewards. They must have dumped it somewhere, whereupon, with about 10 minutes left and Hradec having taken the lead, a couple of rapscallions grabbed it and ran down the terrace. With help they unfolded it as stewards pounced and they began a tug of war. Cue beer and various objects being thrown at the stewards, while the ultras clambered over the adjoining fence or came running down the terrace from the back. Then the riot police arrived, soothing nobody, and a stand-off and occasional skirmishes followed. One fan, possibly one of the rapscallions, left covered in blood. A storm in a teacup, but quite what a semi-automatic rifle was doing in the midst of it, I've no idea.

Hradec ultras.

The match could have been forecast as tense and likely to have bad blood - Pardubice is 20 odd minutes away by train. However, this was far from the case, since Pardubice brought negligible numbers (less than 100) and the chants didn't seem particularly directed at them.

Perhaps followers of FC Hradec Kralove are naturally bitter? It's a sizable enough place (95,000 inhabitants, the Czech Republic's 8^th biggest), yet they're perennially in the second tier. Maybe it was the heat, but that's why we were all sat in the shade.

The away end.

I arrived in Hradec Kralove at 17:22 for a 18:00 kick-off and I just about made it on time. I’d taken the precaution of leaving my baggage where I had to change trains (ironically, Pardubice), so all I had to worry about was directions and I followed my notes to a tee. Pleasant walk too, crossing a couple of rivers, skirting a park and circling around an old bit of wall. Shame then that I took a wrong turn on the way back, got completely lost and missed my train. Only a bus saved the day and I was able to catch a later train, to stay in Prague for the night.

The sweep of the stand.

There were plenty of ticket booths to choose from and queues weren't huge. I was in and to my joy I had a proper old school European stadium, elliptical, benches chucked on the terraces at either end and 2 stands by the sides of the pitch. One was a large cantilever, though the seats once again were on the old terrace, benches in the bottom half, proper chairs higher up. The main stand, which the players decanted from, had a smaller propped roof, though the sun was also directly in one's glare. Most were in the stand opposite.

Welcome to...(II)

Having a chat to the guy on the merchandise stall, he said they'll soon be pulling down the stadium, possibly one stand at a time, to make way for a new one. The Všesportovní stadion is one of a dwindling number of it's kind so visit while it's in its (reputed) 25,000 glory.

Pardubice went one up. This was the second time this holiday I've seen someone able to stroll forward 10 yards before having a pot shot. Again it went in, as the keeper was beaten to his left. A decent strike but you don't get this amount of time in England.

Floodlights towering over the Main Stand.

Half-time and I queued up for my second beer and first klobasa (sausage). Very nice too, albeit Hradec equalised and the ensuing smoke from the smoke bomb made me move sharpish. Penalty it was. The stewards were straight down the terrace to extinguish said item.

Thus, they were doubly ready when, a few minutes later, Hradec scored again, a scramble off a corner. Same scenes again and maybe a factor in the later skirmish as the stewards were then ordered to stand by the ultras, bringing various chants towards them and so it was till the rapscallions and riot police got involved. It was all quite surreal.

They don't make 'em like this anymore.

The Damage:

CHK 80 ent

CHK 55 klobasa

CHK 30 beer (x2)

CHK 40 badge

CHK 25 bus

CHK 80 locker

= CHK 340

Panorama from under the stand.

Panorama from the corner.

Behind the goal.

The entrance.

Coming through the entrance.

Where most of the fans sat.

Behind the goal (II).

Looking toward the Main Stand.

Note the layout of the benches.

Some parts have seen better days.

A huge press box.

Fans standing at the back of the stand.

The club mascot.

A jagged roof frames Všesportovní stadion.

Welcome to ...(III).

A coach in front of the 'tunnel'.

A floodlight dwarves the miniscule away support.

Match action.

A penalty is despatched.

Looking toward the old scoreboard.

Hradec Kralove kneel before the ultras.

Welcome to...(IV).

Zapadni Tribuna

Looking towards the Main Stand (II).

Monday, 1 August 2016

Bohemians 1905 0-3 Hradec Kralove, Sunday 31st July 2016

Bohemians 1905 0-3 Hradec Kralove, Czech Liga, att. 4,832

Welcome to ....

Visiting ‘Dolicek’ (The Dimple), the home of Bohemians, reminds me of Viktoria Zizkov, another Prague side; one main stand and 3 roofless sides, albeit at Dolicek there’s nothing behind one goal except for portacabins and other buildings. It has an air of clutter about it, in a good way. The main stand is also a lot more modern than at Zizkov, giving it a slightly less romantic feel, but the greenery, both of the seats and shrubbery around, make up for it. Even the programme showed pics of the trees being trimmed as part of the preparations for the season. The things you don’t think about….

Half time,overlooking the river behind the main stand.

I’d walked from Zizkov, funnily enough, more or less a straight run, cutting through the Prague suburbs. It was a decent stroll – the hills help – and it took the best part of an hour, but this is Prague! Where better to be wandering through neighbourhoods?

I emerged at what was the home end, but with the inconsistent drizzle of the day, I had my eyes set on the posh seats, under that main stand roof. The first entrances I came to belonged to the away side (Hradec Kralove). The home entrances lay further around, on the opposite side. Match tickets were CZK 230 in the main stand, and 150 everywhere else.

Away turnstiles.

Disappointingly, my ticket was in the 3rd row, near the corner flag. However, someone was already in my seat. I’d expected a low turnout, but the stand was very busy. But I climbed to the back and found a pew on the last row, needing to duck under a girder to get there. Perfect – where I would have chosen to sit anyroads.

I was at the far end, 1st half.

Opposite were the away fans and their ‘stand’ as such, consisted of perhaps 3 lines of seats. But nobody sat and they bunched up to maximise their huddle. Maybe there were 200 of them. Either way, they kept up their noise throughout.

Overlooking proceedings, from behind the away fans, were 5 or 6 storey flats with probably the best view of all. Some tenants watched, while another’s was simply covered in laundry.

The away fans, inc. the 'Crime Boys' (!?)

The Bohemians’ ultras were behind the far goal, to my left. Although nominally seated, the central part was kept as terracing. This means that everyone tends to stand anyway, if you want a view. But people understand that. A cheerleader stood on a platform directly behind the goal, rousing the folks.

The home end.

The match was thus far the first one on my holiday where I’d seen BOTH sides try to attack, so it was quite exciting (though the finishing didn’t match). Bohemians in particular threatened, coulda had 2 or 3 (they had one rightly disallowed for offside) but had none. Half time, 0-0.

I went for a wander. I’d been in the club shop with the aim of getting a t-shirt with a kangaroo on it (Bohemians once went on a tour of Australia and have since appropriated the ‘roo for their badge – shame the mascot’s outfit looked a bit ‘budget’, but I digress). Spoilt for choice, I’d have bought a couple, but I had a budget of my own. I’m now the proud owner of a green ‘t’ sporting a kangaroo and ‘Bohemians Praha’ on it.

Can I be a kangaroo boy?

I’d also had a beer pre-match, noticeable mainly for the deposit on the (plastic) glass costing more than the beer itself. I kept mine – I’ve quite the collection of plastic glasses. However, the queues at half time and during the second half were too long for me to bother.

I adventured to the other end of the stand and found I could wander freely behind the goal. While the odd fan p***ed up against a fence, I walked up the terrace to check out the view. It seemed all fence – so I went back to the steep main stand, but not before I got a couple of hits of marijuana. How very bohemian!

The view from behind the goal.

While dotting about, I missed the opening goal. 0-1 and the Hradec fans let off a small smoke bomb. Not long after it was 0-2, a right wing cross being expertly turned home by a covering defender. That was it, game over, yet Hradec still had time for one more break as the left winger cut inside, cut inside a bit more, and drove it into the far corner.

Hradec fans celebrate.

Bohemians fans seemed reigned rather than angry. I suspect they’ve seen it all before. They DID seem pleased with the crowd figure though, 4,832. A respectable number, given big boys Sparta and Slavia often only pull 8-9,000. And unlike those 2, a visit to Bohemians has character and is highly recommended!

Behind the other goal.

The Damage:
CHK 230 ent
CHK 20 programme
CHK 30 beer
CHK 50 glass deposit
CHK 300 t-shirt
= CHK 630

The Tunes:
Silver or Lead (Ursula Rucker)
Ma’at Mama (Ursula Rucker)
Drone Logic (Daniel Avery)