Third day in Prague and today the Bohemians are in the spotlight. Attention, blow of heart guaranteed.
Bohemka , as it is very often named, was founded in 1905 under the name of AFK Vršovice . Although it has changed very often since its creation, the club has a unique charm and identity. The best example is the club logo, a kangaroo, emblem since the club brought one from Australia in 1927.
Although the club’s record is scant (only one title in 1983), it is regularly cited as the most popular club in Prague. Unfortunately, a very bad management sends him to his loss in 2005. The story should have stopped there but it was not counting on the Bohemka fans. While a businessman buys the brand and associates it with a rival club of Střížkov by renaming it FK Bohemians Praha, the fans mobilize, start from scratch and create the Bohemians 1905. Until 2012, date of the disappearance of the FK, so there will be 2 clubs with the same jerseys and the same logo. Lunar.
Today, the club evolves in the first division but has a hard time playing the leading roles. Antepenultimate before the match, they face in the beautiful cave of Dolicek Opava team.
Area
The stadium is located quite far from the historic center of Prague, in the south of the city. But its placement in full in the middle of a district makes its easy access, including the Tram stop which bears the name of the club. The area is nice even if it is not the most beautiful of Prague. It is a 45-minute walk to the center. We tried but we ended up taking the tram a little further.
The entrance to the stadium was a bit chaotic. The wait was a little long but we arrived at the time when everyone came home. Finally, a small point on the forecourt of the stadium: a beautiful place of exchange with the supporters where refreshments and various activities offered participate in the excellent general atmosphere.
The stadium
Ah the Dolicek … Monument to Czech football, it has a soul like few others. We are talking about a small stadium of 7000 places that does not pay much when we arrive before. Completely dilapidated, rusty in places, we have yet completely fallen in love. The stadium is right in the city, not in the center, but in the middle of a district which reinforces this atypical side. It is actually very difficult to describe this stage. A grand stand, a little kop, and that’s almost everything. Love Dolicek is above all love a football that is dying in our country, a football that people in the neighborhood can watch from their balcony with binoculars for example. Definitely, Dolicek is the nostalgia for a lost football.
The atmosphere
It should be noted that Bohemka fans are completely different from what can be found in the rest of the country. If the Czech galleries are partly gangrene by the extreme right, Bohemians ultras are rather known to be of the anti-fascist movement. Many stickers around and in the stadium highlight this aspect very well. Approaching the stadium and staying a little on the forecourt, we feel a human warmth that we had never seen in the Czech Republic, special mention for the mascot. Huge favorite.
Ok so they are nice, but the atmosphere in the stadium, what is it? It’s finally the only disappointment of this game. If the kop is visually nice, it does not make enough noise. Even being close to this one, we hear them too little. The poverty of the match is probably for something. On the other hand, it should be noted that the fans of Opava were very visible throughout the match which was a pleasant surprise.
To summarize, big crush on the general atmosphere but small disappointment on the atmosphere as such.
Football
Good, no surprise. Another very poor match tactically and technically. Bohemka must win this match to give himself some air and get back on their opponents of the day. And that feels in the beginning of the match that they take by the good end. But, since the beginning of the weekend, the inaccuracies are numerous and finally the opportunities are rare. I knew what to expect but I really found the level of Czech football extremely low. It will not have spoiled our stay but if you like the beautiful game, go your way.
The groundhopping adventure
It was the last game of our stay and it is my best experience. To go to Prague and not to go to Dolicek is to deprive yourself of part of the magnificent heritage of this city. The stadium is certainly timeless, but so endearing and the fans are fabulous. So I can only advise you to go there. You will not regret it. This is the end of these reports on this little trip to Prague. I hope you have wanted to travel these stages because they are really worth it.
