football

FK Dukla Praha vs. FK Teplice

On Thursday 20th February, my son Phillip and his girlfriend Lisa, flew into Prague for a four day visit. Yours truly paid for the flights as a birthday and Christmas present 🙂

Their visit fortunately coincided with the resumption of the Czech football season following its mid-season break. Like many leagues in Central Europe, the Gambrinus liga, (the top tier of Czech football), cease playing during the period when harsh winter weather is most likely to occur. There had therefore been no matches since the very beginning of December. It is ironic that this winter has been so unusually mild in the Czech Republic, that matches could have continued to be played right through the mid-season break.

Immediately behind where the Chaplaincy Flat is located, is the stadium of FK Dukla Praha, one of the four Prague football clubs currently playing in the Gambrinus liga. Phillip and I have often talked of going to see a Dukla home game together and the evening of Friday 21st February, finally gave us the opportunity to do so.

FK Dukla Praha were playing FK Teplice, a clash between two teams respectively fourth and third in the league. Not surprisingly, it was one of the weekend round of matches chosen for live television coverage, meaning the kick-off was at 20.15, rather than Dukla’s normal starting time of 18.00 on a Friday evening.

A most entertaining game resulted in a 3-1 win for Dukla with all their goals being scored in the first half. The Teplice consolation goal came near the end of the second half. It was an ‘own goal’, the ball coming off the head of Dukla defender Marek Hlinka. He had previously scored the third of Dukla’s goals and so had the dubious distinction of scoring at both ends 🙂 The result meant that the two teams swapped places, with Dukla moving up to third and Teplice dropping to fourth.

As I’ve previously highlighted in a blog post from October 2011, there are numerous contrasts between attending a top flight football game in the Czech Republic, and attending a similar game in the UK. My ticket cost 130k? (just over £4.00) which is about 10% of what an adult might pay to attend a Premier League game. And for 30kc (just under £1.00), you could buy 0.5l of Gambrinus beer and take it with you to drink whilst watching the match! One nice touch was the beer being served in strong plastic ‘glasses’ on which a deposit of a further 30kc had to be paid. But this was reimbursed when the ‘glass’ was returned at the end of the match.

There was a small police presence outside the ground but none within it, so far as I could see. Inside the ground, there were a number of stewards who had very little to do except watch the game, bearing in mind that the total attendance was only 1958. And whilst there was a band of more enthusiastic fans singing and chanting in a group well below us in the main stand, nearer the pitch, there was no foul and abusive language to be heard.

Instead, during the match, I could not but help listen into a fascinating conversation going on behind me as a Czech man explained various aspects of the game, to the young lady sitting alongside him, doing so in second-language English. I eventually discovered, (once I let on I could understand every word they were saying 🙂 ), that the young lady was the Czech man’s Armenian girlfriend. He not speaking Armenian and she not speaking Czech, second-language English was their means of communication.

Altogether, it was a most enjoyable evening with the added bonus that it only took ten minutes to walk home with the whole route being either downhill or on the level!

Phillip & Lisa enjoying the game © Ricky Yates

A visit to the UK

UK visit 1 — The Wortley Arms in South Yorkshire with the Church directly across the road © Ricky Yates

At the end of August, I spent a busy but most enjoyable four days in the UK – only my third visit back to my home country in nearly four years since moving to Prague.

The trip started early, in fact very early, on the morning of Monday 27th August. My flight with the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air from Prague to Luton Airport, (officially ‘London Luton Airport’, but as far as I am concerned, ‘Luton Airport’ as it is located adjacent to Luton and not London ), was scheduled to depart at 06.00 CEST that morning. Whilst I am a great believer in using public transport and two night buses would have got me to the airport, I eventually chose the easier option and booked a taxi which was waiting for me outside our apartment block at 04.30. The flight was uneventful and we landed at Luton on time, just before 07.00 BST.

Just over an hour later, having collected my bag, got through passport control remembering to say “Good morning” rather than “Dobrý den”, found the free bus service to take me to Slip End and collected my pre-booked hire car, I was heading up the relatively quiet M1 motorway, bound for Derby. The motorway was quiet, partly due to the relatively early hour, but also because it was the August Bank Holiday Monday (public holiday for all non-Brits reading this) meaning very few trucks were on the move.

The main purpose of my trip was to spend time with each of my two adult children, my son Phillip and my daughter Christa. Phillip has recently moved to a flat right in the centre of Derby, very convenient for the shops but with no free parking facilities nearby. Thus he suggested that I park at a location about ten minutes walk from where he lives, where he met me and helped carry my bag back to the flat he now shares with his friend Sam.

Monday 27th August was a typical British bank/public holiday – it was cold and it rained most of the afternoon and evening 🙁 But I enjoyed seeing Phillip play for his indoor five-a-side football team where they posted a convincing 4 – 1 victory. Afterwards, we enjoyed a fish and chips supper from a nearby takeaway.

UK visit 2 — Phillip in his 1986 retro Oxford United shirt at Elland Road Football Stadium, Leeds © Ricky Yates

Phillip had been able to take the next day off as part of his annual leave and in contrast to the previous day, Tuesday 28th August dawned fine and sunny. We spent a good part the day on a leisurely drive north up through the Derbyshire and South Yorkshire countryside, stopping off for lunch at this typical English village pub in Wortley, located directly opposite the village Church 🙂

We were headed for Leeds where that evening, Oxford United FC were playing Leeds United FC in the second round of the League Cup competition.

Back in 1986, Oxford United famously won the League Cup so, as you can see, Phillip wore his replica retro Oxford shirt dating from that occasion. Unfortunately, it didn’t bring any good fortune this time as the match ended in a 3 – 0 victory for Leeds United.

Despite the result, it was still an enjoyable day out together and allowed Phillip to add Elland Road to the list of football grounds he has been to. We also had a relatively quick return journey to Derby after the match, back down the M1 and the A38.

The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, I set off and drove south, initially to the outskirts of Coventry where I visited two large Tesco supermarkets in search of a small number of things Sybille had asked me to try and purchase whilst in the UK. With one exception, I was successful! I had intended to then spend a few hours exploring the centre of the city where I spent the first eighteen years of my life, but unfortunately it was once more pouring down with rain. So instead, I drove along a relatively newly-constructed road, (which follows the route of what I remember as being a railway line 🙂 ), out of Coventry and on to the village of Braunston, situated on the Warwickshire-Northamptonshire border, where I had booked to stay the night at ‘The Old Workshop‘, a canal-side Bed and Breakfast establishment.

UK visit 3 — Cast iron bridge over the entrance to Braunston Marina © Ricky Yates

Within an hour of my arrival, the weather decided to improve markedly. I was therefore able to enjoy a walk up the canal towpath alongside the Braunston flight of locks, first crossing this splendid cast iron bridge over the entrance to the adjacent marina.

That evening, I met up with my daughter Christa and my new son-in-law Ian, at the Boat House Pub and Restaurant in Braunston where we enjoyed a meal together. Then the next day, I visited them in their new home in nearby Daventry and met Emmylou and Harriet, Ian’s two children by his previous marriage.

The weather was kind enough to allow us all to spend the afternoon on a walk through Daventry Country Park which is based around one of the two reservoirs that feed the summit level of the Grand Union Canal. Emmylou rode her bicycle and found her own island at the edge of the reservoir.

Ian, Christa & Harriet — Ian, Harriet and Christa in Daventry Country Park © Ricky Yates

Harriet is quadriplegic and so travelled in her specially adapted outdoor wheelchair. Here she is, along with Christa and Ian.

UK visit 4 — Christa, Harriet and me at Daventry Country Park © Ian Margieson

And here she is with Christa and me.

All too soon it was time to leave and head back down the M1 to Luton, return the hire car, get the bus to the airport and catch my Wizz Air flight back to Prague. In typical low-cost airline fashion, my flight departure was delayed but, on this occasion, only by thirty minutes. I had wondered whether I was wise to fly with Wizz Air again following my experience just over two years previously when the equivalent flight was delayed by five and a half hours 🙁

The delay, together with gaining an hour by flying eastwards, meant it was after midnight before we touched down in Prague. However, another taxi ride eventually got me safely back to the Chaplaincy Flat by 01.00 on Friday 31st August.

Prague Zoo

Zoo 3 — A ring-tailed lemur in Prague Zoo © Ricky Yates

Prague Zoo has always been one of our favourite places to visit on my ‘day-off’, ever since we moved to the Czech Republic nearly four years ago. It isn’t really feasible to see everything in one visit and, depending on the time of year, different animals and birds are more willing to show themselves each time we visit. And all the time, there are new developments at the zoo, some being the result of ongoing repairs to the damage caused by severe flooding in August 2002. Realising that we hadn’t visited Prague Zoo at all in 2012, we put it on our ‘staycation to visit list’ and we duly visited once more on Wednesday 18th July.

Prague Zoo is located directly across the Vltava River from where we live. Part of the fun of visiting it is the journey to get there. Why? Because there is no bridge across the river for many kilometres. Instead, we have to take the ferry.

On the western side of the river where we live, the little jetty from where the ferry leaves is two stops away on the bus. Then on the other side, it is a similar distance to the zoo entrance but with a much less frequent bus connection. So sometimes it is quicker just to walk. The ferry itself is quite tiny but as you can see, it still proudly displays a sticker to say that it is part of Prague’s integrated transport system!

Zoo 2 — The little ferry returning across the Vltava River © Ricky Yates

Zoo 1 — On board the ferry – part of Prague’s Integrated Public Transport System © Ricky Yates

Upon our arrival at the zoo entrance, we discovered two significant changes since our last visit in 2011. Firstly, the cost of a standard adult entrance ticket had gone up by 33.33% from CZK 150 to CZK 200. Secondly, the definition of being ‘senior’, allowing admission for CZK 1, had been altered from being 60 or above, to being 70 or above. Those of us aged between 60 and 69 were instead allowed in for the slightly reduced price of CZK 150.

Zoo 4 — An elephant enjoying his late lunch in his new enclosure at Prague Zoo © Ricky Yates

One new feature since our last visit was a freshly completed new home for the elephants. As you can see, it does look rather bare though no doubt it will be landscaped more in due course. Fresh fruit had just been scattered in the enclosure as we arrived and shortly afterwards, this character was allowed out of his house and was busy picking up the fruit off the ground with his trunk and putting it into his mouth.

Zoo 5 — An Emu resting comfortably in Prague Zoo © Ricky Yates

In the Australian section of the zoo, the kangaroos and wallabies were grazing in the farthest corners of their enclosures and were therefore somewhat difficult to see. But as usual, this emu seemed very happy to be observed sitting down quietly and enjoying the sun.

The zoo occupies a somewhat unusual site. Parts of it are relatively flat alongside the Vltava River whilst other sections are up on top of a hill overlooking both the river and the city of Prague.

Zoo 7 — The view from Prague Zoo towards Rezidence Podbaba © Ricky Yates

This view from the top of the hill looks directly across the Vltava River to Rezidence Podbaba, the development where the Chaplaincy Flat is located. On the left is the newly opened Kaufland supermarket, easily identified by the ‘K’ logo, whilst behind the apartment blocks is the Juliska Stadium, the home of FK Dukla Praha. In preparation for the new football season which begins next weekend, the club are obviously renewing the seating in the main stand which is why it says ‘ukl’ rather than ‘Dukla’ 🙂

Zoo 6 — An Owl in Prague Zoo © Ricky Yates

No visit to Prague Zoo is complete for me without visiting my favourite residents – the owls. I find them such attractive and fascinating creatures. I particularly admire the way they turn their heads so they can see in virtually every direction without moving their bodies. Because of the netting that surrounds each of their enclosures, it isn’t very easy to get a clear photograph of any of the various owls in the Prague Zoo collection. So I was particularly pleased with this one of an Owl, looking half asleep but almost certainly, very wide awake!

Football and beer

Phillip visit 1 — Phillip at Stadion FK Viktoria Žižkov © Ricky Yates

I hope the regular readers of my blog will forgive the rather sharp contrast between some of my more recent writings on faith related issues and this post. But then I do live in the Czech Republic where football is a major sport and where both the production and drinking of beer are deemed to be highly important activities.

Back on the evening of Sunday 6^th November, my son Phillip flew into Prague to spend a few days with me, his first visit here since January 2010. As football and beer are two of his interests, I was pleased that we were able to enjoy both of them together during the short time he was here.

The top tier of Czech football is called the Gambrinus liga as it is sponsored by the producers of Gambrinus, a very drinkable Czech beer. During the football season, each weekend there is a round of matches, spread out between Friday evening and Monday evening, in part to allow for television coverage of some of the games. Fortunately, the Monday evening match featured a home fixture for one of the five Prague based teams in the Gambrinus liga, FK Viktoria Žižkov.

Phillip visit 4 — The Assistant Referee with the sponsor’s logo © Ricky Yates

Žižkov is a Prague suburb on the eastern side of the Vltava River, whereas the Chaplaincy Flat where I live, is on the western side. But it only took a thirty minute tram journey to reach the ground which lies below the hill on which the suburb of Žižkov sits, just the far side of Prague’s main railway station.

FK Viktoria Žižkov were playing FC Baník Ostrava in what would best be described as a bottom-of-the-table clash as at that point in time, Baník Ostrava were bottom of the league and Viktoria Žižkov were third from bottom. It resulted in a 3 – 0 win for the visitors and unfortunately for us, all three goals were scored at the opposite end of the ground from where we were sitting. But we did both enjoy ourselves and supped a few half litres of Gambrinus whilst watching the match.

Phillip visit 3 — Enjoying my Gambrinus at Stadion FK Viktoria Žižkov © Ricky Yates

Phillip visit 2 — The match in progress at Stadion FK Viktoria Žižkov © Ricky Yates

Phillip visit 5 — The grand main railway station in Plzen © Ricky Yates

Later in the week, Phillip and I went for a day trip to Plzen, the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic and the home of the most famous Czech beer, Pilsner Urquell. We travelled there by train, partly because a couple of days earlier, the local Renault garage informed me that the noise coming from the rear brakes on my car was not just due to the need for new brake pads, but also because the brake shoes and a seized-up brake calliper all also needed replacing. As the estimated repair cost is CZK 15,000 (about £500), about half my net pay for a month, I’m still debating what to do. However, travelling by train did also mean that I could enjoy the local brew without any concern of infringing Czech drink-driving laws.

The train trip takes one hour and forty minutes between Praha hlavní nádraží and Plzen hlavní nádraží. Above is a photograph of the grand station building dating from the mid-nineteenth century which no doubt once said Pilsen Hauptbahnhof when it was first built during the time when what is now the Czech Republic, was a subjugated part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Phillip visit 6 — Entrance to the Pilsner Urquell Brewery © Ricky Yates

Phillip visit 7 — Beer tanks within the Pilsner Urquell Brewery © Ricky Yates

The Pilsner Urquell Brewery is only a short walk from the railway station and, having booked and paid for our tickets for the 14.00 brewery tour in English, we had just under an hour in which we enjoyed a good lunch at a very reasonable price in the brewery restaurant.

The tour itself was by far the best brewery tour I’ve so far been on in the Czech Republic. The young female guide spoke excellent English, could answer questions coherently, and made the whole experience, which lasted around one and a half hours, most enjoyable.

Phillip visit 9 — Poster outside the fan shop of FC Viktoria Plzen © Ricky Yates

Phillip visit 10 — The Church of St. Bartholomew, Plzen with market stalls below © Ricky Yates

Continuing the football theme, Phillip was very pleased to notice that the stadium of FC Viktoria Plzen was nearby so we walked across to it before heading into the city centre. For the first time in their history, FC Viktoria Plzen won the Gambrinus liga last season and then successfully qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League this season.

Just before it got dark, we made our way into the main square of the city where the gigantic Gothic St. Bartholomew Church is situated. Around it was a street market selling a variety of goodies, together with some free musical entertainment, all of which was intended to celebrate St. Martinstide, as the following day was 11^th November, the feast day of St. Martin, Bishop of Tours.

Whilst I’ve driven around Plzen numerous times on the motorway from Prague to the German border, this was my first venture into the city itself. It is now on my list of places to re-visit, preferably in summer when, with longer hours of daylight, I will be able to enjoy its many architectural delights.

A local derby football match

Football 1 — My ticket for Bohemians 1905 versus FK Dukla Praha © Ricky Yates

On Sunday 16th October, after celebrating the Eucharist at St. Clement’s Church and chairing a meeting of the Church Council, I went with eight of the guys I play cricket with, to watch a local derby football match – Bohemians 1905 versus FK Dukla Praha. The game was part of the tenth round of matches in the 2011-2012 season of the Gambrinus liga, the top division of Czech football. For the benefit of my American and Australian readers, the sport I am talking about is what you call ‘soccer’ but everybody else in the world calls ‘football’ or fotbal in Czech.

Bohemians’ emblem & mascot is a kangaroo. This apparently dates from a tour the club did to Australia in 1927 when they were given two live kangaroos which they donated to Prague Zoo. One of the nicknames for the club is Klokani which is ‘kangaroos’ in Czech. Not surprisingly, Australians living in Prague tend to support Bohemians 1905 & Terry, who organised our group, is an Aussie from Brisbane and a very keen supporter.

On the other hand, Dukla are really my local club as their home ground lies directly behind the Residence Podbaba estate where I live. This is their first season for many years back in the top flight of Czech football after they gained promotion as champions of Division Two at the end of last season.

Football 2 — Inside the Synot Tip Arena © Ricky Yates

The match was played at the Synot Tip Arena which is the home ground of the more well-known SK Slavia Praha. Bohemians’ proper home ground is the Dolícek Stadium which is only one kilometre away. However, it needs to be upgraded to Gambrinus liga standards which includes having under soil heating & there is currently a dispute both about ownership of the ground & who will pay for the work. Apparently, the really loyal Bohemians 1905 fans gather at Dolícek before every home match & then march the 1 km to the Synot Tip Arena.

Football 3 — The Dukla Praha supporters © Ricky Yates

The Synot Tip Arena will hold 21,000 spectators so, with only 3100 in the crowd, we did rather rattle. As you can see in the photograph above, the whole seating area on the north side of the ground was unused, with just a couple of stewards in bright yellow high-visibility jackets, guarding the stairways.

Over in the north-eastern corner of the ground were the visiting Dukla fans – surprisingly few in view of the relatively short distance they needed to travel. We all sat in the south stand with the somewhat vocal Bohemians’ supporters, all decked out in their club colours of green and white.

I couldn’t help but contrast numerous differences between attending this match and attending a game in the English Premiership. My ticket cost 150 kc, a little more than £5.00 which is about 10 -15% of what it would cost in the UK. And for 35 Kc (about £1.25), you could buy a 0.5 litre of beer and take it with you and drink it whilst watching the match! Admittedly, the league is sponsored by Gambrinus, an extremely drinkable Czech beer! Whilst there was a police presence outside the ground, they were mainly concerned with manually controlling nearby traffic lights to try and ensure the smooth flow of traffic on the streets surrounding the ground. I didn’t see any police presence inside the stadium.

Sadly we saw no goals as the match ended in a 0 – 0 draw. Even some of my Bohemians supporting friends agreed with me that Dukla were overall the better team. On at least three occasions, Dukla should have scored, but unfortunately, they wanted one touch too many in the penalty area. So it was one point each meaning that Bohemians 1905 drop from second to fifth in the league, whilst Dukla remain seventh.