Geordie Al's Groundhopper Scrapbook: Viktoria Zizkov

Showing posts with label Viktoria Zizkov. Show all posts

Monday, 12 August 2019

Viktoria Zizkov 2-0 Vitkovice, Sunday 11th August 2019

Viktoria Zizkov 2-0 Vitkovice, Czech FNL, att. 1,002 (efotbal arena)

Welcome to ...

It’s mid-morning on a Sunday in Prague, which can only mean one thing – Viktoria Zizkov! Along with Bohemians, this is by far my favourite Prague footballing experience (outside of Prague, definitely Sigma Olomouc – what a stadium!) And, knowing the area, I stayed in Zizkov (one stop on the tram from the main station) and left my abode at 10:05 for a 10:15 kick-off. Not that I saw kick-off – the queue saw to that.

Nice day for it.

There were plenty of English (and Scottish) voices in the crowd. Certainly, tourists and expats made up a decent proportion of the crowd. More than the away fans, though I saw two wearing Vitkovice scarves. Unsurprising really, as they barely get a crowd at home in the eastern city of Ostava. I presume those two live in Prague.

Is it an away end if there's no away fans?

Being clever (!) I bought a ticket in the Main Stand, the only cover in the ground. Already the sun was up and temperatures were bordering 30°c. Course, I hadn’t actually noticed where the sun was – pointing directly at the Main Stand. Fans shuffled to the back, but the view of the pitch is obscured by the camera gantries. Far better to be on the far (seated) terrace: the tall buildings behind mean this is always in the shade of a morn. In early August. So I moved there for the 2^nd half, not wanting to push my way past other fans while the game was playing.

It's cosy in here.

The teams moved about quite well considering the heat, but it remained scoreless at half-time. Zizkov had had some promising attacks but were let down by wayward, or weak, finishing. It was breakfast time for me, however, and I was rewarded with my finest sausage so far on my latest adventure, a salami-esque number in a hot dog roll, with onions. All washed down with a morning beer…no, I was thirsty. I didn’t need alcohol. 7Up (Sprite) has never tasted so good. (Reminds me of a joke from my youth: Why do Americans drink Coca-Cola? Cos they can’t get 7Up! - This was after a rather unsuccessful US space mission in which the crew died.)

This is what I call a fine specimen.

While I, and many others, sought shade, the Zizkov ultras (all 30 of them) stood in the ‘temporary’ stand behind the goal, slowly cooking in the sun. (I say ‘temporary; it was here 5 years ago or whenever I was last here. Like Gillingham’s away end, if you substitute red seats for blue and sun for habitual misery.) Change is on the horizon though. The old entrance has been removed as part of the building process for the new office and living blocks which are going up behind the goal. The temp stand still remains in the architect’s impression though, as well as the rest of the ground, Long may it be so; don’t turn it into the plastic experience of Sparta or Slavia.

Gillingham's away end has never looked this good.

Zizkov eventually won the game 2-0; a flicked header from a cross and a 25 yard free kick which went through the keeper’s hand. Shame for him, as he’d had a good game. Otherwise, the star turn was a black fella in Zizkov’s midfield, presumably the Ecuadorian (Ecuadoran?) Batioja. Defensively, he won everything first half, before being pushed up second half and being the centre of everything. I suspect he won’t be there long.
And then it was all over. It was barely midday and I was one game down.

Zizkov players receive their dues.

The Damage:

CHK 100 ent
CHK 65 klobasa
CHK 35 Sprite
CHK 50 fridge magnet
CHK 150 badge

CHK 10 prog

= CHK 410 (£14)

The Tunes:
None – early kick-off!

Stayed at:
Hostel Boudnik, Prague (£25 – two nights)

Viktoria Zizkov panorama from the Main Stand.

Zizkov panorama towards the Main Stand.

The view from the building site.

This will all look different next time I come.

The (lack of) entrance.

Where the away end meets the far terrace.

Big plans in Zizkov (the area).

Down the touchline.

Looking towards the home end.

The Main Stand.

Zizkov ultras

The home end.

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)