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)

Stressful job, being a copper at Viktoria

Behind the goal (bring sun hat!)

The tribune...much busier in the shade.

Same again

Tunnel and bench

The away end and exec boxes (not really).

The surrounding buildings add a certain 'majesty' to proceedings.

Rundown, falling to bits...I love it!

Ammunition for later

Pardubice thank their fans

as do Viktoria

Not everyone could handle their beer...

Behind the goal (home end).

The tribune after the match

The club shop.  Tidy and well presented.

Typical Czech football fans

Club gates

The away team coach

Outside the ground...graffiti heaven

Dukla Prague 1-1 Zbrojovka Brno, Saturday 9th August 2014

Dukla Prague 1-1 Zbrojovka Brno, Czech Liga, att. 1,579

The view over the Vltava as I begin my hike.

For a second game in a row there's goals in the 8th and 18th minute.  What are the odds?  Only here, the game peters out and I don't remember a decent effort from either side thereafter.  Still, I enjoyed it.

I'd walked from Malesicky Park, the other side of the main station.  I tried catching a train to Nadrazi Podbaba, the nearest station to Dukla's Stadion Juliska, but I couldn't see any advertised.  To hell with it, I'm not one to ask. I'll walk.  I wasn't too bothered.  With three hours to kick off, I had the time.  I also had one or two vague maps and I knew the stadium was to the left of the railway track - somewhere. God, was it a long walk. I crossed the bridge in central Prague and headed up the hill to Park Letna.  Little did I know (though I did it on the return journey) but I could have caught a #8 tram from the other side of the park to the Juliska, as long as you get off at the right stop.  (FYI, this links Dukla's stadium with Sparta's.)

The Main Event

Once I felt close to my destination, I dared to have a beer. The riot van outside the pub was the clue. I knew I was within a block or two.  What a glorious half litre that beer proved.  The second was ok too.  A couple of Dukla fans walked past.  I followed.

The stadium is deceptive.  As you get to it, you walk up an incline to the turnstiles.  It's a good job you do - so when you enter the Main Stand you're at the top of it. It feels huge, since it towers over everything else.  There's about 50 fans in the rest of the stadium (how did THEY get in?  There weren't any turnstiles offering an alternative to where we were.)  It's a shallow terrace curving around the athletics track.  But high up here, running track or not, you had a great view.

The view from upstairs

There were also plenty of Brits in attendance, including a Scottish stag party.  Well done on getting here! (Other small groups note: just grab a taxi from the centre of town.)  The stags' party all wore 'comedy' flowery shirts.  I wore mine in all seriousness.

Flowery shirts ahoy!

Dukla went ahead, scoring off a rebound after the keeper had saved.  Brno (I can't be writing their full name out again) equalised through a close range effort wot looked offside to me.  As that was it matchwise, the remaining highlights were the well stocked souvenir tent and the vast array of food and drink, including doughnuts and some green liquid.

'I'll have a doughnut and a pint of something green.'

After the match, there was no way I was walking back and I hopped on tram #8.  I didn't know it, but it would take me right past Sparta's Letna Stadion, where I was able to get off and walk the last few hundred metres through the park.

The Damage:
CHK 120
CHK 30 beer
CHK 50 kombasa (sausage)
CHK 249 t-shirt

= CHK 449 (£13)

The tunes:
Hardfloor remixes. Proper marching music.

Entrance to the 'Skoda Arena'.

The souvenir tent

It's huge AND there's another level above.

The seats at one end of the stand

The main stand.  The only stand.

Match reporters

Mending a hole in the net pre-match

Dukla's version of Craven Cottage

An unusual scoreboard

The bear moved too fast for the camera, obvs.

All a good press (wo)man needs...

The view downwards

and sideways...

The Main Stand (full frontal)

The Main Stand

Interestingly, they cover the VIP outdoor seats after the game

The back straight

The main entrance

Like Hollywood, but Dukla.  Great idea.

Oh yes!

Result!  An action shot of the away team leaving...