'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.