Which is more, you'll be Milan, Misun.

Week 18: FC Zbrojovka 1 - 0 1.FK Příbram

At the end of the tunnel, cometh the light

Winter is a marketing ploy. Stop the football, bring out the Olympics and starts the invasions. Snow optional. Assuming the worst is behind us and the temperature is now only going to increase, 'mild' is the most apt way of describing the winter past. Our collective winter break ceased last week, with Sparta Praha issuing a 4-0 reminder of the harsh realities of football regardless of seasonal discontent.

Anticipate this

FC Zbrojovka relocated to Turkey for a training camp over the winter break. The initial showing against Sparta - the champions elect - suggested that such an arrangement was not going to yield positive results. However, today's match has more relevance to our fortunes this season and ought to provide a better barometer to that end.

Today's opponents, 1.FK Příbram, are currently 3 points ahead in the league, but have the worst away record in the division. One of four teams (including Brno) yet to win on the road this season. Has to be a home win today, for all our sakes.

1.FK Příbram are the legal successors to Dukla Praha. The two teams merged in 1996, despite Příbram being 40 miles away from Prague. Little else in the line of trivia for this team. They're the only team in the league with the ř sound in their name. This is described by Wikipedia as a raised alveolar non-sonorant trill. Its manner of articulation is similar to other alveolar trills but the tongue is raised; it is partially fricative. It is usually voiced, [r̝], but it also has a voiceless allophone [r̝̊] occurring in the vicinity of voiceless consonants. It sounds like a combination of 'rzjg'.

Linguistics aside, 1.FK Příbram have some current links with Brno. Our former talisman, Petr 'Mercedes' Svancara, is currently on loan there, and their current manager (Petr Cuhel) was at the helm of Zbrojovka for our promotion from the 2nd division in 2012.

Two heads and the away fans

1.FK Příbram boast the presence of Milan Misun in their ranks. Formerly of Celtic, but never managed to break into the first team. Having originally been touted as a commanding full-back, he has reinvented himself as a lumbering centre-half. Could he have a crucial role to play in today's game?

'No' is the answer to that question. Nearly 4000 people are on hand to witness Zbrojovka take an early lead. Markovic tricks the defender (not Misun) with a sublime feint in the fifth minute, and slots the ball beyond a poorly positioned goalkeeper.

Five minute rule

The ball is played high and long and constant for sustained periods in the first half. Despite our early lead, the team lacks confidence and Příbram take advantage of this. A volley onto the bar is followed up by two goal line clearances, which from the stands looked like it comfortably crossed the line. However, there was no reaction from the away team and television replays show that the (female) assistant referee called it correctly.

Chances dwindle in the second half. Příbram lost their drive and their momentum. A few half-chances throughout, but Brno had a golden opportunity to double the lead with the last kick of the game, but the ball goes narrowly wide.

A clean sheet, and three points on the board. This win lifts Brno above Příbram into 12th at the end of this game week. With a long away trip to Liberec on Friday night unlikely to produce anything beyond a hiding to nothing, the next home game against Banik Ostrava looks set to be a six pointer. It's always fun when Banik come to town.

Highlights from fotbal.idnes.cz

A World Of Two Halves

Week 3: FC Zbrojovka 1 - 3 AC Sparta Praha

August the fourth. The football season has already established itself in the cultural calendar of right-minded people. I do not recall back-to-back home games last season - a rare occurrence in its own right; two Prague teams and we're being spoilt.

Brno, as we do not need to be reminded, is the second city of the nation. The Czech capital, Prague, has historically benefited from its privileged status. Sadly, comparisons between Birmingham and London ring true in this central European enclave. Prague is a beautiful town with culture and amazement on the corner; but is not immune to the pretentious elitism found in other 'important' cities.

In footballing terms, Sparta Prague are the show stoppers; the main attraction. Tonight's crowd of 9613 - 3000 larger than any non-Sparta game I have attended - reinforces this statement. Dominant in Czech(oslovak) football, amassing 35 league titles and 27 domestic cups, they have perhaps not had the impact in UEFA tournaments that one might expect, but can boast success in the precursor to the FIFA World Club Cup and the Mitropa Cup [A central European competition held in high regard before WWII].

With a slight, redcurrant tinge of irony; it was Sparta Prague and not Brno, that adopted Arsenal's original colours. Zbrojovka do not do imitation.

Sometimes, a floodlight block our goal...

Today's encounter begins with a lively tempo. Sparta, despite exiting the Europa League in the 2nd qualifying round to BK Hacken of Sweden in their woeful campaign, have found domestic form in the last six months and are playing with good movement and fluidity. Brno, unbeaten so far, are trying to respond in kind with reasonable success.

Creative bunch, these Prague-sters

Unbeknown to the seventy-five per cent capacity crowd, this game is one of the last chances to see Vaclav Kadlec in the Gambrinus Liga. He has since made a three and a half million Euro transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. He opened the scoring today, and scored a late consolation during Sparta's last trip to Srbska Stadion. For me, his most impressive performance was against FK Viktoria Plzen last season - Sparta won 1-0 at home against a defence-minded visitor. Kadlec definitely has potential, but also prone to unremarkable showings. Today, for example, in spite of his goal I was not overly impressed by his all around game.

Tifo this!

The one player who impressed me today was Sparta's new left back, Costa Nhamoinesu. Signed from Lubin in Poland's Ekstraklasa during the summer. Quite attack-minded with a bit of pace, while also displaying reasonably solid defensive qualities. An impressive start, given the step-up in quality between a mid-table Polish team and the biggest team in the Czech Republic. (I have also seen him on a few televised games already this season).

Calm (and lack thereof) before the storm

I cannot comment so much on the football today as I left today's game early. A combination of a poor seat and stormy weather drove me out of the stadium prematurely. Kick-off was shrouded in warm evening sunshine, flowing beer and the biggest crowd I have shared the stadium with. However, the weather changed dramatically during the interval. Blue skies turned black; the serenity of summer was breached with severe winds, and it rained and rained and rained. A tree even crashed down on the north stand, injuring three people. I heard the roar of the crowd come the Zbrojovka equaliser, and the night ended huddled around a TV set in the doorway of a small bar near to the tramstop. Sparta scored twice in the last five minutes while the rain lashed, and the tram came no nearer...

Begin Again From The Beginning

Week 2: FC Zbrojovka 5 - 1 Bohemians 1905

Aaaaah, football. Your six week summer break is far too long. Welcome back. You're forgiven as you bestow on the faithful a World Cup next summer. With Zbrojovka having the post-season testimonial, the hiatus seemed much less significant. New season, new aspirations, new football?

The season began last weekend, with an away trip to FK Baumit Jablonec, the reigning Czech Post Cup (Pohár České pošty) champions. They had already impressively added the Czech Super Cup to their trophy cabinet this season, winning 3-2 away to Plzen in the relatively new curtain raiser; it is the fourth edition, beginning only in 2010. Zbrojovka managed a 0-0 away from home, reduced to 10 men in the final minutes

Going on with the show. Play ball!

Today, we welcome Bohemians 1905 - not to be confused with the same-logo-franchising FK Bohemians Prague. One of two promoted teams from the second division. They're from Prague, too. A must win for the Zbrojovka.

The game has been moved to Monday evening; weekday fixtures seem to be standard for Prague derbies. With the previous weekend seeing temperatures over 40 degrees, it is perhaps not the worst by-product of zealous regionalism. There is a forecasted threat of a storm which thankfully does not materialise this evening; the ominous overcast sky is little more than errant foreboding.

As the stage is set, Bohemians 1905 take the lead with a simple but effective passing goal in the sixth minute. A short pass on the edge pass of the box wrong-foots the entire defence, and an inch perfect cross sees Brno fall behind early on. On the plus side, I saw the goals this time, whereas last season's opening game was generally spent queuing in an understaffed stadium. 5025 attended today; down nearly 1000 from last year.

A free-kick. Freeze frame.

Brno equaliser midway through the first-half. A high ball into Mohamed Traore is flicked with the knee past the defender and smashed into the goal. Traore, the number 28, is not a player I particularly rate. He looks fantastic in pre-match warm-ups: inch-perfect control with a diverse range of passing. However, in the game, it deserts him completely. Perhaps a confidence player, lacking belief or mental strength to perform in the big games?
That theory holds up based on today's game. Traore pulls off a few slick dribbles and is generally a lot more involved in the game today, but his impact is curtailed by woeful control and wayward passing before being subbed off at the hour mark. Scoring the equaliser - turning the tie around - will have done the bold Mohamed no harm.

The other standout in today's game is Miroslav Markovic; this season's number nine and (perhaps) the heir apparent to Svancara. Two goals and won the (soft) penalty that the captain, Zavadil, converted straight down the middle. Today's performance was characterized by slick, passing football - combined with amazing weather it's the perfect start to the season. Fortress Srbska?  With Sparta next up, we can hope.

GOAL HIGHLIGHTS [VIDEO]

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.

'Berec Syndrome

Week 24: FC Slovan Liberec 2 - 0 FC Zbrojovka

Following last week's optimistic, Lazarus display I feel sufficiently positive to undergo an overdue away day. With Zbrojovka travelling to North Bohemia to face the current champions, I choose to join. Unlike last time, I chose to make my own way there, not following the (away) crowd, as it were. Incorporating a brief stop off in Prague, four and a half hours is all that's required to reach Liberec by coach.

Der hall of town.

Liberec is not far from the German border, and would be considered part of the Sudetenland - and is known as Reichenberg in German. It has an industrial heritage, and the town's tourist office does not open at weekends. Thankfully, a very helpful girl in the local transport information office helped me find my way around, and provided a mini English language guide to the town. It was from 2009, but little has changed since then. I should also mention that Liberec does not make an appear in the latest edition of Lonely Planet.

There's still a few things to see and do. The centre-piece of the centre is the town hall, and the town boasts an impressive array of shopping centres. I have been told it is popular spot for tourist shoppers, and there are a noticeable number of foreign registration plates dotted around the town. The other main attraction (which I saw from some distance) is the Jested Tower, an antenna tower built atop of a mountain. It seems to be a source of local pride, and the skyline of the tower is featured on the badge of Slovan Liberec.

Slovan Liberec. I've seen them twice this season, losing both in Brno and Olomouc. The champions that struggled to rekindle their form earlier on in the season, and have now left things too late to mount a serious title charge. I was surprised to learn that they have won the league three times since the turn of the decade, and that's Sparta's dominance of the 90s heeded to an open, competitive league.

The home of the champions, Stadion U Nisy (literally Stadium near the Nisa river), has a capacity of just under ten thousand. It's sadly quite run down now, with the concrete steps crumbling. The main stand is built into the hillside, and the team dugouts are underneath the front walkway. I can't fully see the near touchline from my seat. In some ways, you are on top of the action, and there's no running track to subdue the atmosphere.

Grey skies, blue shirts.

There's not that many away fans today. I'd say maybe 50-75 in the away section, but there are a few Zbrojovka scarves mingling with the home fans. It's quite a laid back atmosphere with an older crowd than we that usually turn up in Brno.



Zbrojovka are unable to build on last week's result. A mistake-laden performance sees the away side lose 2-0. Slovan look a decent if unspectacular side, comfortable on their own turf. Both goals were well-taken by Michael Rabusic - a player signed by Liberec from Brno at the start of last season. He elected to make a point of celebrating on both occasions.

Homeward bound (via Hradec Kralove - a nice little town), and onto Banik Ostrava at home next week. A crucial, must-win tie beckons.

A Weathered Storm?

Week 23: FC Zbrojovka 2 - 0 SK Sigma Olomouc

For the second week in a row, there's a local derby. The previous week, Brno went westwards to face Jihlava. Despite comfortably winning the home fixture, Zbrojovka lost 2-0 playing against 10 men for more than 80 minutes. Somehow, Martin Dolezal, who handed Slavia a cheap victory, was back in the squad and responsible for the first goal.

Stop! Huddletime

All things change. Dolezal started this game again, however there is a new manager at the helm. Perhaps overdue, given Brno had only taken 4 points from the last possible 33. I'm also thrilled to report there was a lot better atmosphere outside the ground this week; thuggery was thankfully absent, and a very kind girl gave me a free ticket while I was buying mine. I'd actually just bought the ticket; paid for and had been printed, but the cashier kindly gave me a full refund. Maybe she was scared of scathing internet blog comments about her?

(I wouldn't; but it's certainly worth including how decent the whole situation was).

Today we face SK Sigma Olomouc. They would be my (distant) second team in the Czech league. Recently, they've had a sluggish return following the winter break, and have lost their last two game (0-3 at home to Sparta; 1-0 away to Liberec). It's unlikely they'll recover to re-enter the title race, but should at least aim for third and European qualification.

For Zbrojovka and the new manager Grmela, a derby match at home to a (relatively) out-of-form rival is quite a generous opportunity. The game is there to be won. And win they did. Very, very comfortably.

I wrote last time that Zbrojovka held the ball for long periods again FC Hradec Kralove, but lacked urgency and failed to create chances. Not the case in this game. There was a more directly approach and less emphasis on possession. Sigma, it should be said, were uninspired and were not helped by their half-time substitution being red carded midway through the second half. Zbrojovka capitalised, and our second half substitute scored a well taken goal a minute or so within entering the pitch.

Oh, and the weather was much better. Quite perplexed why only 3100 people turned up tonight, but the regulars that stayed away missed some good football.

Brno Business Like Snow Business

Week 21: FC Zbrojovka 1 - 3 FC Hradec Kralove

As stated before, winter is over. In a country where they stop the football season due to the coldness, one must conclude that the coldness owes it to football to stop once the season resumes. Fair play, as you might call it.

Not the case. Today's game was to be played in an unforgiving temperature with moderate snowfall for good measure. The supporters had to brave the weather today, a testament to commitment and dedication, however one overly dedicated supporter had taken it upon themselves to reserve every seat in the house.

Excuse me, is there anybody sat here?

Well, maybe not. Perhaps as a free gift, every supporter received a complementary inch of snow. But enough about the weather: although I will comment this is the first time I have attended a sporting event anywhere where tea was sold in a 10:1 ratio to beer. 

That said, today's crowd seems to encompass more sections of society than usual. There a noticeably greater number of women and families, and more oldies within the fanbase today. It is Easter Sunday, and I wonder if the two are related?

Maybe it's just the draw of FC Hradec Kralove. Not a team I'm overly familiar with. The name means Castle of the Queen. They had an unremarkable season last year, and currently sit joint-bottom at kick-off. They've acquired one point since the winter break, and were recently on the receiving end of a Milan Baros hat-trick. Baros being the top scorer at Euro 2004, who recently footed Banik Ostrava's wage bill and re-signed for the club on a short term deal.

Constant pressure

Today's game was one of Zbrojovka's more memorable performances of this season. There was a lot of ball retention, and the game was played primarily in Hradec Kralove's territory. Pavel Mezlik, the number 10 in the centre of midfield, had quite a sloppy start but came into the game after the opening twenty minutes or so.

Ultimately, Brno were undone by a shrewd counter-attacking game plan. Hradec Kralove had swift, reactive strikers that made more of the chances than they really should have. They scored three pretty similar goals, and had one or two further decent chances. Brno created more with a good success rate of crosses into the box, and deserved something for their efforts. Victims of a smash and grab today.

Today's away fans - Uncle Tom Supporters Club

The picture is from before kick-off, but there was a reasonable turnout from the away fans. They generated a reasonable atmosphere, although their enthusiasm was boosted by the early lead which they held for the full game. Today's crowd of roughly 1800 did not contest their enthusiasm too boldly. On a slightly disappointing note, I did witness a little bit of skinheadery outside the stadium today. Minor, and seemingly the club appoints like-minded stewards to keep things from spinning too far out of control.

Next week: Jihlava, however a very local away trip has been moved to a Monday evening kick-off which might prevent me from attending. However, Sparta come to Olomouc. Tempting.

A Rainy Night In Brno

Week 19: FC Zbrojovka Brno 0 - 1 SK Slavia Praha

For the second time in two weeks, there's a weekday game. This time, it's more sensibly scheduled for a Friday night. Monday night football may work for the coach potato neutral, but everybody gets down on Friday.

The good news is, I can catch a bus near enough to the office straight to the football stadium. The bad news is, it's intended to shuttle drunk hockey fans to the stadium and keep them out of bother elsewhere. This is my second time making use of this novel, police escorted service.

We arrive safely, however some tool outside the stadium drops a firework directly next to the bus. I'm first out, and thankfully get away with nothing more than a ringing in the ears. Does this count as banter?

Tonight's opponents are SK Slavia Praha. It's fair to say that they're the second most well-known team in the league, and actually have a slightly larger (capacity) stadium than Sparta. They won the league as recently as 2009, but have since been in the doldrums and equally out-of-form this season as Zbrojovka. Tonight's game should be winnable for the good guys.

The self-proclaimed intelligentsia. 

They've also re-acquired Derek Riordan's best mate. Rudi Skacel (pronounced Skaaatsel, as opposed to Skatchel, as oft heard on UK TV). Unfortunately not in the squad for this game, probably since it's not a Scottish Cup tie.

Slavia, then. A pretty good away turnout, considering the kick-off time meant that anyone travelling from the capital

would need to finish work early. It also humours me to see an ultras flag emblazoned with 'SLAVIA INTELLECTUALS'. Okay, then.

I'm forced out of my usual location to seats closer to the away section and the south stand. I'm a little bit closer to the pitch, and I'm appreciating the game more as I am by myself. I'm noticing that the Slavia left-back and left midfield work well in tandem together, and I see that the centre backs of both teams possess pretty good ball control.

Friday Night Lights

Despite a pretty unremarkable game with few chances, Slavia take the lead (and ultimately win 0-1) after the Brno goalkeeper fumbles a tepid, wayward shot into his own net. It's an absolute gift, and incredibly frustrating for the 4100 witnesses.

Yet another tame loss for Brno. Sadly, one of the more memorable moments occurs when the North stand ultras release a huge firework next to a fancy Mercedes within the ground. The sound is ear-shattering, and the smoke rises above the stands. They certainly generate atmosphere, but sometimes....

Spring is Brewing

Winter. Long, cold, dark, and in the telling absence of local football, boring. Thankfully, the re-emergence of the football season after a three month hibernation officially marks the beginning of spring. Well, not officially.

In some ways, the winter break was a welcome hiatus from a run of four defeats in five. Things were looking promising in the middle of October; two home wins and an away draw at Olomouc ensured a healthy, better-than-expected league position. However a torrid run of form saw Zbrojovka plummet from fourth in the league to mid-table. Still, a better position than one might otherwise expect for a team that scrapped into the top flight.

Matchday Programme for the Czech literati

Today, we welcome FK Viktoria Plzen to Stadion Srbska. The football club are famous in their own right, having won the league two seasons earlier, and entered the group stage of the Champions League 2011/2012, accompanied by Barcelona and AC Milan and gave a fair account of themselves. What should not be overlooked is that Plzen had to play their homes games in Slavia's Prague's stadium, which is an hour away. More recently, they humped Napoli 5-0 on aggregate in the Europa League.

Plzen is otherwise famous for beer; being the home of Pilsner Urquell - a mighty fine beer. It's quite a trek from Brno, but definitely on my 'to do' list. And today we'll start with beer - well, after the pre-game drinks. There's been a few changes following the football barren winter. The signage at the stadium has been updated, and there's a range of merchandise to mark the centenary of what was to become Zbrojovka. The beer has also gone up to 70 Kc!

Action shot; it's clipped onto my jacket pocket.

Although my sensibilities were momentarily offended, rest assured there is a non-greedy corporate explanation. In an attempt to keep littering down (from plastic cups), the team has introduced these recyclable beer cups, produced by www.nicknack.cz. It's a 40 Kc deposit, and it has a funky clip so that you can hang your drink on a pocket while you applaud the footballing masterclass in front of you.

Now, onto the football. As life sometimes dictates, one of the best games of the season, coinciding with the winter break just so happens to be moved to Monday evening, just to savour the anticipation that little bit longer. There were 6224 other tortured souls ending the wait.

I had watched Plzen on TV once this season, and they completely outclassed Sigma Olomouc. That said, Zbrojovka recorded an impressive win in Plzen in the second week of the season. The winter break in itself can be unpredictable. Plzen did overcome Napoli without any competitive match practice, and in the last campaign Brno only lost one game in the latter half.

Brno took an early lead, with the ball falling to the edge of the area and the number eight managing to force it through a pack of bodies. Plzen equalised before half-time, and ended up winning 3-1. Truth be told, slightly disappointed with the football on show today, but I am so glad that the show now goes on.

Post-match shenanigans. Or Yahoo-ery.

There can be only one, Jihlava.

Week 8: FC Zbrojovka 5 - 1 FC Vysocina Jihlava

Back to rountine. No roadtrips, no stories out of the ordinary to tell. Back to plain old Gambrinus Liga heavyweight clashes. Meanwhile, in Brno, FC Vysocina Jihlava are welcomed to town.

These boys ride in style.

My level of expectation this week is cautionary; I know little of Jihlava and less of the football team. The name seemingly translates to FC Highlands Jihlava, and they share the honour of being Brno's fellow promotee from last season, only they managed to do so on merit having finished second.

While I away in Olomouc, Zbrojovka's fortune in Hradec Kralove was less than favourable. An insipid 2-0 loss the previous week dictates that there needs to be a strong showing; a return to form against a beatable team.

It's September still. The weather allows excitement to permeate through the stands. A good showing this week - 5500+ - and the expectation is set. A must win.

A canvas upon which to thrive.

Four - One, and a fire engine

I don't recall so much of the game. Brno took comfortable control of the game early on, and did look back. It was a commanding performance; Jihlava were dispatched with ease. A shame, as they brought a strong following but seemingly left their game plan (and maybe a player or two) on the team bus.

I have seem to have my own seat in the stadium; high in section L above the half-way line. I'm also starting to become known to the locals sitting around me. It has nothing to do with irreverent singing. Nothing. Nic.

My last tid-bit is about the stadium grub. Klobasa, a huge sausage, is served with bread, mustard and ketchup. Oh-so-simple, but oh-so-good. The perfect accompaniment for football. And beer. Or just beer. This is very popular here at all sporting and social events.

Hollow Moats

Week 7: SK Sigma Olomouc 3 - 0 FC Slovan Liberec

See what I did there?

After a lengthy international break, which saw Kazakhstan schooled in the art of robbery, and with Zbrojovka away in Bohemia this weekend, my itchy feet directed me to Olomouc.

Olomouc Town Hall

Simply put, Olomouc is an awesome town. There's a vibe, there's a lot of history and it just clicks. It has everything bar the suffocating amount of tourists. This is my second trip here - and my second trip to watch football. Last time saw copious amounts of riot police, and Sigma dispatch of FC Banik Ostrava three-nil with nonchalant ease. That said, the most memorable part of this day was the support of the Banik fans. Away fans are just not the done thing here: Banik are the exception to this rule. They fill out the away section wherever they go, and the riot police kindly follow them.
There is a proud footballing history in Olomouc - no, really. Sigma put eight past Aberdeen over two-legs three seasons ago, and this ground witnessed the international debut of both Robbie Keane and Damien Duff.

Sigma Olomouc were not the draw this time. FC Slovan Liberec are the reigning champions of the Czech league - consistent last season but their indifference this campaign has seen them dumped out of the Champions League in qualifying and showing unremarkable progress in the league so far.




The stadium in Olomouc is a vast improvement on the Brno equivalent. There's no running track, and the difference in atmosphere and intensity is tangible - one is literally closer to the action. There's a greater involvement from the supporters, and the noise level reaches higher than any other ground I've been to in this country.

However, there's also a considerable 'Ultras' section in Olomouc orchestrated by a rotund diehard geared out in a kit emblazoned with the number 12. This works,and it boosts the sentiment within the stadium. This is their team, and one really ought to know this.

I'm not convinced this is cheaper than buying a ticket.

As far as the game went, it was a totally one-sided affair. Sigma completely outclassed Liberec who has little in the way of flair or invention. Seemingly, they have sold off a lot of their title winning side and have no intention of repeating the feat this season. Sigma though, look like they're good for their status as early season league leaders. This could all come undone in two weeks when Zbrojovka come into town. Oh, we can hope.

So good we're on the tele!

Week 6: FC Zbrojovka 3 - 1 SK Dynamo Ceske Budejovice

One might say the wheels are coming off. Following last week's abject display, the mighty men of FC Zbrojovka marched into Prague and got turned over 5-0. To Slavia Prague. Admittedly, not the worst team from Prague in the division, but they're not far off. A woeful result.

Two poor results on the spin - along with a disappointing draw in the first home game versus Teplice - and the media vultures are out in force. The Prague-orientated television channels sense pending catastrophe and hospitably opt to broadcast this game. Given that I've lived here for 18 months and knew nothing of Ceske Budejovice, I should set the tone.

Their recent form is worse than Brno's. They probably could consider that an achievement. Losing at home to Banik Ostrava and Liberec, coupled with a beating 3-1 at the hands of Sparta Prague - and the referee, probably - they are in equally dire straits.

And yet, this game is moved to a 3:15 Saturday afternoon kick-off, which is a bit of a novelty by local standards. A few drinks before the game in our new haunt - the bar in the corner with the free-to-view terrace and we're ready for kick-off.

Grey. Overcast. Misery.

The first thing that stands out is the attendance, and lack thereof. Not a single away fan made the trip. Why not? Well, I think a few things. The weather was foreboding, the game was on TV, and they are a bit of a rubbish team to follow. It doesn't stop them going one-nil up after a stint of botched defending.

There's officially 2222 people here. It feels much less; closer to 1000. I'm interested to find out whether this is to do with the game being televised - given the cost of a match ticket (90Kc)  I doubt that - or whether Czechs just don't do football on Saturdays. There is also the likelihood that the 'new season' of goodwill has ended abruptly.

More grey. More overcast. More misery. Zero away fans. 

Thankfully, Brno rectify things and win the game 3-1. Not the best game to have witnessed, but a welcomed return to form.

Onwards, Zbrojovkans

Week 4: FC Zbrojovka 1 - 4 Jablonec

Football. The smell of grass. Screeching turnstiles. The hussle and bussle of the crowd. Anticipation.

One cup for beer, one cup... just in case.

Now back in the swings of things. Fourth game of the season and Brno are perched a comfortable third in the season following an impressive 3-2 away at Plzen - which is comparable to someone like Stoke winning at the Emirates. Jablonec, however, currently sit top of the table. A mammoth clash; scenes not seen in this town since Oliver Stone's Alexander was shown in the cinema. And, as with the movie, there was more than one bad performance here today.

At this level, and given my short attention span, I find it hard to pick out a stand-out player week in, week out. There's always the player that stands out due to their boot colour, their physique, their mullet. Yes, they draw attention to themselves. If one is just not a good player, leave the white boots at home. See Konchesky, Paul as a recent example.The only standout performance I've seen in this part of the world was by Aldo Baez, a diminutive Argentine playing  for AS Trencin in the Slovak Corgon Liga. He was dark-skinned, five foot seven and wore Tim Henman boots. Damn good player, though.

My camera lasted one picture. Didn't quite have time to capture anything else.

At this level, and given my short attention span, I find it hard to pick out a stand-out player week in, week out. There's always the player that stands out due to their boot colour, their physique, their mullet. Yes, they draw attention to themselves. If one is just not a good player, leave the white boots at home. See Konchesky, Paul as a recent example.The only standout performance I've seen in this part of the world was by Aldo Baez, a diminutive Argentine playing  for AS Trencin in the Slovak Corgon Liga. He was dark-skinned, five foot seven and wore Tim Henman boots. Damn good player, though.

Today, though, one of my buddies is picking up on the abject woefulness of the Zbrojovka left-back. Thoroughly rotten. I hadn't noticed. I think it is David Pasek; I'm pretty sure it's the number three but I'm not too focused. I'll make a note for next time. I think the whole team has been shocking. It went from beating Plzen away, to this. This is a humbling. I don't think Jablonec were particularly remarkable, but Zbrojovka lacked everything today. On the positive side, 6200 fans turned up today and the matchday staff coped much, much better. Minimal queues, plenty of staff. On the downside, a lot of those fans won't come back following the on-pitch efforts.

Super Kick-Off

New Season - FC Zbrojovka 1 - 1 FK Teplice

All journeys start somewhere. I didn't steal that from Terminator 2. Sarah Connor isn't a philosopher; that's why she's in the nuthouse. This journey may (or may not) take me across the Czech Republic; hoping to see what the season holds for my new local team, FC Zbrojovka Brno - or Arsenal Brno FC, as a rough translation. I will touch on the numerous similarities later.

As a mini background, Zbrojovka finished fourth in the Czech second division last year, but scored promotion due to two of the top three teams failing to meet the high standards of Czech first division stadia regulation. The boys from Brno found themselves promoted, and once again mixing it with the likes of Banik Ostrava, Sparta Prague and Viktoria Plzen come August 5th.

And came August 5th. A scorching day in the Kralove Pole part of town; home of the last bastion of Moravian footballing excellence - Stadion Srbska. Marvel, you must. Having entertained crowds of 600-700 for most of last season - a season marked by a sluggish start followed by a 15(ish) game unbeaten streak - no one was prepared for the 5700 faithful that turned up to welcome FK Teplice to town.

And the lack of preparedness was the main talking point of this game. Hour long queues for beer (and klobasa); drunk hooligans sporting Millwall garb, people pushing up and down stairways for 90 minutes. All part of the education.

The freeloaders get the best view.

See here? There's a bar in the background with a balcony with a view over the pitch. A select 'club' in more ways than one.

Desperately short-staffed - dogs doubling up as stewards to tame the masses. 

All-in-all, an eventful day at the football. The game finished one each (with Teplice taking the lead before half-time, forcing Brno to come back all guns blazing). This may or may not have happened; I had to wait in line for beer [pivo] in 30 degrees for over an hour. It's good to have football back.