Geordie Al's Groundhopper Scrapbook: Zbrojovka Brno 2-2 Usti Nad Labem, Friday 9th August 2019

Saturday, 10 August 2019

Zbrojovka Brno 2-2 Usti Nad Labem, Friday 9th August 2019

Zbrojovka Brno 2-2 Usti Nad Labem, Czech FNL, att. 3,492 (Mestsky fotbalovy stadion Srbska)

Welcome to ....

I had this one sorted. Spend the afternoon whiling away time listening to live music and drinking in bars overlooking squares (plural), before jumping on a train to Brno Kralove-Pole, the station nearest the ground. So, obviously, when I got to Brno main station, the train didn’t exist (actually, it probably did; while the main station undergoes renovation, some trains left from a different station, 10 mins away – Brno doli nadrazi).

Brno seemed full of music box players.

So, after an initial panic, I hit on the idea of a tram, and while studying timetables, it looked like a ‘P6’ would take me to where I wanted to go (it would). However, I saw 2 or 3 fans in the red of Zbrojovka and when another tram pulled up, they jumped on, so..so did I.

About fifteen minutes later we were off. Stadion Srbská was a couple of blocks to our left. I wanted to arrive earlyish, as I was worried about tickets. A team who until 20 years ago were playing in front of the biggest football crowds in Czech history (30,000+) were now playing in a stadium which could only hold 12,500. I needn’t have worried. There were barely 3,000 there. How the mighty have fallen.

Main Stand ticket office.

I encountered the Main Stand side first. Well, I say main stand – it had the players’ facilities in it, but was by far the smallest of the four sides. After a cursory glance around the club shop, I was told the ticket office was around the corner. There were few fans around, even with half an hour to kick-off.

I bought a ticket in Sektor R – the massive terrace which sweeps around one end. The lady actually gave me a ticket for Sektor A (in the Main Stand) but my movement would have been greatly restricted. Wherever you went, it was 100 Czech koruna (about £3.30).

Original viewing platforms.

As I walked around the stadium, more fans approached from the estates higher up the hill. Most of these fans entered the stand opposite the Main Stand, a steep one-tiered stand with ‘BRNO’ emblazoned in huge white letters across red seats. It was here, low down, where the 120 or so ultras congregated in front of their cheerleader/drummer (they must be short on numbers, cos he had to do both).

The Brno ultras (see later!)

Good job I was on time too – it was one-all after five minutes. Usti opened the scoring, and as I looked around for where their fans were cheering from, I realised it was the bench, about 20 of them! (Usti, from northern Czech Republic, are not a big team and to drag one’s self to Brno for a Friday evening game takes some effort.) Brno equalised two minutes later, the keeper pulling off a great save before the ball ran back kindly for the attacker.

I think I'd be in their gang!

I’d perched right at the top of the terracing, along with not many others. There was a gaggle of parents to my left, as their kids enjoyed a bouncy castle (with slide!) or drawing pictures. What kind of kid chooses to draw pictures rather than play on a bouncy castle (or watch football)??? However, I’d grabbed a couple of the local brew (Starobrno) and was happy on my lonesome. Queues were small at our end for victuals, and at half-time I got another beer and a klobasa (sausage). ‘Do you want big or small?’ ‘Oh, definitely a large one’ as two saucy minxes burst out laughing. One also asked what I thought of the football. ‘Oh, the football’s s***’, I said, to more laughter. From their kiosk, they could see everything. They’ll be watching this rubbish 20 more times this season.

'Big or small?' The refreshment hut is in front of the white building.

The second half also finished one-all. Brno looked to have won it with an 81^st minute pen. However, they were reduced to 10 men on 85 (a 2^nd yellow) and things proceeded to unravel as Usti equalised with a pen of their own on 87. It happened right in front of me and I’ve still no idea what it was for. The visitors were then reduced to 10 men themselves, though I’m cheating here, as I’m looking at the match details the day after having no recollection of said dismissal. That Starobrno must be good stuff.