100 Years!

Epilogue: FC Zbrojovka [CZE] 3 - 1 ŠK Slovan Bratislava [SVK]

Great souvenirs of greatness!

And so it comes to this. Following the highs [4th in the table mid-October] and lows [February until early April], the season is fully concluded with a game to mark 100 years of football in Brno. 

Slovan Bratislava are the guests for today's occasion. There is a friendship between the two teams - there were numerous Slovan fans in the away crowd on the trip to Ostrava - and Slovan themselves are reasonably well known in Europe - they are the Slovak champions and hosted Roma in the Europa League not so long ago. They are also the only Czechoslovak team to have won a European Trophy, collecting the European Cup Winners Cup after beating Dunfermline Athlete in the semis and Barcelona 3-2 in the 1969 Final.

There is a good vibe in the stadium today. The away fans are sat next to the home ultras [desegregated] and the weather provides a good backdrop to a Sunday evening fixture. This might be as close as one might come to a carnival atmosphere in central European football. There's plenty of beer and grilled food to cater for most tastes.

There are a few noticeable difference to today's game. With the international context to the fixture, both countries' anthems are played before kick-off (observed reasonably well on all sides); I became caught underneath a tifo which dominates the main stand; Zbrojovka line-up in a retro kit and there's a female referee. It isn't ironic.

The football itself is underwhelming; it's a post-season friendly and there isn't really a particular desire for either team to win the game. I don't believe Slovan brought anywhere near their strongest team. The referee awarded two penalties and Brno secured a 3-1 win.

Brno fiddled while Nero burned.

Fire, flares, smoke bombs, water cannons. All this and more. Seemingly, allowing two groups of ultras to sit together has seemingly inevitable consequences. The second half is somewhat farcical, with the fire brigade moving more than the players for most of time. The game had to be stopped due to burning objects (somehow) encroaching onto the field of play. The water cannon, which was well received by those not on the receiving end of it, generally quenched the worst excesses.

The other main story of today is Petr Svancara's last appearance for the club. The number nine; the captain; the local boy who bleeds for the club. Also known for wasting his potential and struggling to play more than 60 minutes a game all season. A clear standout in the team with a bit of talent and impetus, but deemed now surplus to requirements. The crowd applaud and chant 'Mercedes' as he completes a final lap of honour - the nickname sticking since he once compared a stint on the bench as similar to a Mercedes that stays parked in a garage.

Last time out of the garage for Mercedes.

Fireworks at the end of the night conclude the season. It could've been worse. It promised so much to begin with; a steady start and victory away to eventual winners Plzen in the opening weeks. Staying in the top division with such a limited squad was the main objective, but this season may be best remembered by the 11,000 that saw Zbrojokva stop Sparta winning the league. Next season? Jedeme, Brno, jedeme.