DJ’S JOTTINGS – NUMBER 21 (Eastern Germany and Czech Republic)
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As the pre-Christmas hype built up, it was nice to escape for my last foreign foray of the year that is 2007. After an early Saturday flight from Stansted to Prague with Easyjet, a Skoda was definitely the hire car of choice. We headed 140 kilometres north, through snowy mountains and over the German border to Dresden.
Dynamo Dresden was formed in 1950 as the police team and players were delegated from other cities to form the side. After winning the East German league in 1953, Stasi leader Erich Mielke, based in Berlin, re-located the club, thus forming Dynamo Berlin. The youngsters and reserves that remained in Dresden were allowed to play in the second division but were soon relegated even lower. By 1962 they had fought their way back to the top flight and from the 70’s Dynamo Dresden and Dynamo Berlin were the big two clubs in East Germany. Dresden’s 8 league titles and 8 cups included a double in the penultimate year before reunification. As with most of the Eastern sides a decline set in once competing with the wealthier Western clubs and now they are competing at the third level in the Regionalliga Nord.
The Rudolf Harbig Stadion until recently had a capacity of 26,000. Re-development is currently taking place and half the ground is closed off with bulldozers sitting on the terraces. The ground in the main consists of a continuous bowl around a shale track. Seats have been placed on the terracing on one side and there is only a very small area of cover above the VIP seats. The plans for the ‘new’ ground look impressive, however.
Admission for today’s game against Hamburger SV II costs 9 euros and a programme is 1.5 euros. There is a near capacity crowd in the areas that are open and a good atmosphere. Hamburg’s second team take an early lead, but Dynamo dominate thereafter, particularly after the visitors have a player red-carded around the half-hour mark. Dresden level from ‘elf meters’ (a penalty) but it takes a blitz of 3 goals in 6 minutes near the end to ensure victory.
Have time for a quick look at some of the city afterwards. Even the old town area has mainly newish buildings as most of Dresden was destroyed by allied bombing in World War II. Visit the famous Stregel Markt, the oldest Christmas market in Germany, dating from 1434. Lots of quality handicrafts such as Stiefe wooden toys are displayed and delicacies on offer include a variety of flavours of gluhwein and chocolate gingerbread.
Drive back to Prague and our base camp, the Eurohotel Praha, located in the Chodov district southeast of the city centre. The nearby metro takes us to Novo Mesti (new town) that is packed with shops, bars and restaurants. Novometsky Pivovar (New town Brewery) fills us up with goulash, dumplings and home brewed beer.
Have an early start on the Sunday with three grounds to Czech out, the first game kicking-off at 10.15. Fortunately, it is only a short journey to the Praha 3 district just east of the city centre for Viktoria Zizkov, who traditionally play at this early hour.
The Viktoria / Na Zizkov Stadion holds around 4,700 people and is a splendid little ground. It has a slightly elevated covered stand with 12 rows of seats on one side and open seating round the rest. One side of the ground is very close to the touchline and tightly hemmed in by buildings to the rear. Standing room is available to the rear of some of the seated areas and at pitch-side. Beer from the league’s sponsors Gambrinus is on offer for 65p a half-litre. They also have grog, a rum flavoured hot drink. Admission costs the equivalent of £2.30 and a programme is 30p.
The Zizkov district was until recently an area of run down bars and staunch Communist loyalties. The club was formed in 1903 and won their only league title in 1928. With a multi-millionaire backer Zizkov was briefly rejuvenated in the 1990’s, rising from the bottom of the third division to the top flight and winning the cup in 1994. The bubble soon burst but 2007-08 saw them in the first division once more.
This morning’s game with Jablonec sees the sides 3rd and 4th bottom in the table and attracts a crowd of 2,125. Two first half goals from the home side decide the game and give Zizkov a deserved three points.
The afternoon game requires a 90km drive southwest to the city of Plzen, the place that gave pilsner lager its name. Having sorted match tickets we have time to visit the brewery museum and attached Prvnice Na Spilce taproom bar. The home brewed pilsner, unfiltered and dark beers are all very good and accompanied by salty pretzels served from a large wooden ring.
The Stadion Mesta Plzne is a short walk from the city centre and has a listed capacity of about 7,500. A large two tier covered seated main stand dominates one side of the ground. Open seating has been placed on the old concrete terracing on the other side and around most of one end. The terraces continue all round but the other areas are closed off and have large banners placed on them. There is an interesting concrete column above the vehicular access route into the stadium and unusually, only two very tall floodlight pylons, set diagonally opposite in two of the corners. Each pylon has two light gantries, one halfway up, the other at the top. Entrance costs £2.80 and the programmes are 30p.
The Viktoria Plzen club was formed in 1911 and as Skoda Plzen they won the cup in 1971. The visitors Ceske Budejovice come from the south of the country and have Karl Poborsky as their Technical Director. It’s a mid-table clash and a fairly mediocre game for the 2,936 spectators. Plzen are pretty poor and barely deserve their last minute penalty equaliser in a 1-1 draw. A few fireworks are let off at the end, certainly more than there had been during the game. One of our party is successful at kicking a football through a small hole and wins….a ticket to their next home game ! He decides to give it away to a pretty young Czech girl, but only gets a smile in return.
Back to Prague for the evening match between Slavia Praha and Mlada Boleslav. Slavia’s proper home ground, the Eden Stadion, in the Vrsovice suburb, was in the process of being rebuilt, so temporarily they are playing high above the city in Male Strana. The Stadion Evzena Rosicky is a 19,336 capacity stadium, named after a victim of Nazi terror, but it is more commonly known as the Strahov. Located on Hradcany Hill, it is now mainly used for athletics, but was the national football stadium until the early 1990’s. Most of the ground has two tiers of seats, the upper level being covered with a horseshoe shaped roof on three sides and a separate cover on the other. £5.10 gets a seat in the best area and programmes are free.
There are several other sports facilities in the area, notably the awesome Spartakiada Stadion. Used in the past for Communist state parades, marches and gymnastic displays, it’s original capacity of 220,000 made it one of the largest stadiums in the World. In more recent times the Sparta Praha football centre has been built within its confines. Club offices, training pitches, etc are located there although some of the original stands remain.
Slavia Praha was formed in the late 19th century as a Czech language and literary debating society and was initially viewed with suspicion by the ruling Habsburgs. A football section began in 1893 and by 1948 Slavia had won 14 league titles. Under Communism the club was twice re-named, lost half their squad to the newly formed Army side and forced to move. Only after the fall of communism has the club returned to the fore, winning several league and cup trophies, although Sparta tend to be the more successful club.
At the time of our visit Slavia were top of the table and competing in the Champions League. Vladimir Smicer is their best known player. Watched by a crowd given as 2,523, though it seemed more, mid-table visitors, Boleslav, soak up early pressure and take a surprise lead. Slavia eventually level, but Boleslav deservedly hang on for a draw despite having a player dismissed.
On our way back to the hotel pass by the Eden ground where the re-development (the Eden project?) appears to be well on the way to completion. (I believe Slavia are back at the Eden Stadion for 20008-09).
This rounds off a fine trip. A treble of top division league games has got to be good going and even the sourpuss barmaid back at the hotel cannot wipe the smiles from our faces.
contributed on 23/12/08