May 29th, 2010 - Olomoucký Kraj - Okresní přebor Prostějov - Držovice 2 Sokol Konice "B" 2

May 29th, 2010

Olomoucký kraj - Okresní přebor Prostějov (8th level)

Držovice 2 Sokol Konice "B" 2

Attendance: 130

Admission: 15kc

Distance travelled: 5km

Beer: 19kc for a pint

I finally made my way to Držovice last Saturday. It is a small town of a few thousand on the edge of Prostějov. I have been meaning to get there for a few years, but in the end I never went. If you do not have a car, Držovice is easiest reached on foot as it is only a few kilometers from the centre of Prostějov.

The pitch was quite basic, as were the facilities. A few years back, the club was playing in the III třída - 9th level. There was a small area to purchase beer, and a few picnic tables with covering. The pitch was away from the covered area, and only had a few benches scattered along the sides. I would imagine it gets quite hot watching games there in August and September.

I picked this game to go to, because Konice "B" were in first place, and the hosts were in second. A result for the visitors would likely mean that they would be promoted. The game was very physical, with a number of dirty tackles. It seemed like this was the game plan of Držovice to slow down Konice "B". It almost worked, but the visitors scored late in the 2nd half to get a valuable point. The first team of Konice plays in the 4th level - Divize D.

May 23rd, 2010 - Moravskoslezský Kraj - Okresní Bruntál - IV Třída Skupina B - FC Kovárna Malá Morávka B 3 Spartak Dvorce 4

Moravskoslezský kraj - Okresní přebor - IV Třída Skupina B

FC Kovárna Malá Morávka B 3 Spartak Dvorce 4

Attendance: 45

Admission: Free

Distance travelled: 180km

Malá Morávka (population 719, elevation 660m) is a small village in the Jeseníky moutains. Getting there can be problematic on weekends if you going by public transportation. As I wanted to see a game in Morávka, I had to watch the B team play at 14:00 because this meant I would be able to get back to Prostějov that night.

The village can be reached by train, but it is better to get there by bus. There are options from Brno, Olomouc, and Opava to name a few. Many people come here in the winter for skiing and the summer for hiking, not for football. The pitch is located a short 5 minute walk from the main train station. I was quite surprised about the ground, because the main building and stands were located 30m or so up a hill. This gave a great view of the pitch. I read that the area received quite a lot of rain over the past week, and it showed. The pitch was quite choppy and muddy, which led to the ball taking a number of strange bounces. Despite this being the 10th level of football in the Czech Republic, I thought the game was entertaining enough.

Guide to football in Olomouc - Part II - Slavonín

Part II of an on going series of football clubs in Olomouc. Today, the focus is on Sokol Slavonín.

Picture is from the Sokol Slavonín facebook page

Sokol Slavonín

Map

1. B Třída - Skupina B (7th level)

Slavonín (population 1,500) is on the outskirts of Olomouc. It can be reached by city bus 17. A ticket will cost 12kc. You will need to get off at Křížovatka, and then walk 100m down Jížní to get to the stadium.

Unfortunately, I do not have much information on the club, as their webpage is not working at the moment. The club has a B team which plays in the Olomoucký Okresní přebor - III Třída. As for the first team, they have been playing at the 7th level since the 2006/07 season. They earned promotion from the Olomoucký Okresní přebor during the 2005/06 season.

Slavonín can be found on facebook.

Guide to football in Olomouc - Horka nad Moravou

The purpose of this post, is to promote the football clubs based in the city of Olomouc. I'll try to provide a little historical background on the clubs and where to find the respective stadiums. Withregards to the directions to the stadiums, it'll only be for informational purposes. Please double check the locations before going to a game. I'll do my best to be accurate, but mistakes are possible. Over the next little while, I will feature one club.

1. FK Autodemont Horka nad Moravou

Olomoucký Kraj - Okresní Přebor (8th level)

Map to stadium (walk up Bezruče, along the river and you will find the stadium)

Horka nad Moravou is a village within the city limits of Olomouc. It easiest to reach by city buses number 18 and 20. It is also possible to get to the village by local train, but this is not the best option. From the centre of the village, the football pitch is a short 5 minute walk.

The club has seen better times, as recently as 2004/05 they were playing in Divize D which is the fourth level. Now, they have fallen all the way down to the 8th level. I remember I went to the stadium twice in 2002, as Sigma Olomouc B played their games in the village, while competing in the 3rd division. The same year, I saw Horka play Slušovice, if I remember correctly.

Horka finished in a respectable 10th place in the 2004/05 season of Divize D. However, after the season, theydropped down. I am not sure exactly why, but I can guess that it was financial. Since then, they have bounced around a few of the lower levels. Now they find themselves in the 8th level after relegation last year. It looks like they won't be relegated, nor promoted this year, as they find themselves in mid-table. I can't really make any comments on the ground, as I haven't been there in so many years.

May 15th, 2010 - Olomoucký Kraj - 1. B Třída, Skupina B - Sokol Černovír 3 Hlubočky 2

May 17th, 2010

Olomoucký Kraj - 1. B Třída, Skupina B (7th level)

Černovír 2 Hlubočky 3

Attendance: 45

Admission: 20kc

Distance travelled: 55km

Černovír is a small town, which is a part of Olomouc. The stadium is located on a main city bus route, so it is easy to find. Later this week, I will be writing about all the clubs in Olomouc, and how to find the stadiums, so keep an eye out for it. The visiting team, Hlubočky spent a few years in the 6th level not too long ago.

The match started on Sunday morning at 10am, as do all the games at Černovír. It was windy, cold and rainy, which really reminded me of the two years I spent in Leicester, England following Friar Lane & Epworth. The pitch wasn't too bad, considering the conditions. There was a small stand with seating for 50 people (or so). It looked like the seats were taken from Andruv Stadium (Sigma Olomouc), as they were exactly the same. One big plus, was that the small pub has Moritz beer on tap! It isn't easy to find this beer outside of the brew pub, so it is worth checking out.

I was pleasantly surprised with the level of play. Both teams started played attractive attacking football throughout the game. As a neutral, I was pleased to see this.

May 16th, 2010 - Olomoucký Kraj ´- Okresní Přebor - Brodek u Prostějova P Zdětin P

May 16th, 2010

Olomoucký Kraj - Okresní Přebor (8th level)

Brodek u Prostějova P Zdětin P (postponed)

Distance travelled: 25km

The rain which has plagued Moravia over the past few days caused a number of cancellations over the weekend, including the match I intended to watch on Sunday afternoon. The pitch didn't look in terrible condition when I saw it. Flooding has affected various parts of Moravia as of result of the rain.

Brodek played a few years back in the 7th level, but only for one season (I believe). It was a beautiful little pitch, with a decent stand. I may try to get back to the village for a game in the near future.

May 9th, 2010 - MSFL - Dosta Bystrc 0 Znojmo 2

May 9th, 2010 - MSFL (3rd level)

Dosta Bystrc 0 Znojmo 2

Attendance: 295

Admission: 40kc

Game rating: 6/10

Distance travelled: 150km

Bystrc is a part of Brno, and has a population of around 24,000. It is located very close to the Brno reservoir, which means it is a popular destination for locals during the summer time. As for the town itself, there isn't too much to see. Although, the Brno Zoo is located in Bystrc.

The pitch is very easy to reach. You just need to take tram 1 from the main train station and get off at the 'Zoo' stop. All in all, it takes about 30 minutes to get to from the train station. From the tram stop, walk along the foot path beside the river for about 200m. You'll see the stadium on the left. The stadium is quite simple, but compact. There is a stand which has a capacity of a few hundred people.

Bystrc spent one season in the Czech 2nd division a few years back, but now they are struggling to avoid relegation to the 4th division. The visitors on the day, Znojmo, look to be strong favourites to win promotion to the 2nd division for next season.

Znojmo played the perfect away game today, and basically shut down Bystrc to only a few chances on goal. It was clear that Znojmo had better players, and they were a step above their opponents.

On a side note, Bystrc has a small group of Ultras, which added to the atmosphere. One of which decided to run on to the field naked during the last few minutes of the match.

May 8th, 2010 - Olomoucký Kraj - 1. B Třída, Skupina A - Újezdec 0 Haná Prostějov 1

May 8th - Olomoucký Kraj - 1 B Třída, Skupina A (7th level)

Újezdec 0 Haná Prostějov 1

Attendance: 100

Admission: 15kc

Game rating: 7/10

Beer: Zubr 20kc

Distance travelled: 90km

On Saturday, I went to the village of Újezdec (population 600), which is located about 3km from Přerov. If you don't mind walking, the village is easy to reach on foot, as it only takes about 30 minutes. There wasn't much to see there, so I made my way straight to the pitch, where I watched the local U17 team play.

The pitch was in excellent shape. Facilities were average, with a covered building and a few benches scattered down one side of the pitch. Oddly enough, there was a sign which said Újezdec ultras. Later, I saw that these ultras consisted of old men with scarves. However, they were certainly vocal enough throughout the game.

This was a crucial game for the visitors, as they are fighting for promotion. Three points were needed. The flow of the game was quite chippy, and physical as both teams weren't giving up much. It wasn't until the 60th minute when Prostějov received a penalty kick, and converted. Despite late pressure from the hosts, Prostějov hung on. Throughout the game, the hosts and their supporters, felt the referee was not balanced. Numerous vocal outbursts from the manager, supporters and players occurred. One played said that today there are 14 yellow (Prostějov played in yellow) players on the pitch.

Either way, a valuable three points were taken home.

May 2nd, 2010 - MSFL - SK Suklo Zábřeh 1 SK Líšen 0

May 2nd, 2010 - MSFL (3rd division)

SK Suklo Zábřeh 1 SK Líšen 0

Attendance: 550

Admission: 35kc

Game rating: 4/10

Distance travelled: 130km

Last weekend I made the trip to Zábřeh na Moravě (population 15,000). It is located about 60km northwest of Prostějov. This was not my first trip to the town, as I visited it back in 2002 for a game between Zábřeh and Karviná. At the time both clubs played in Divize E, but now Zábřeh are in the 3rd division, while Karviná compete in the 2nd division.

Not much has changed in the town over the past few years, but the stadium has certainly been given a face-lift. When I visited the first time, the stand was old, and it had graffiti on some parts. Back in 2005/06 the main stand was renovated. It is an all-seater, which looks quite modern. On the other side, there are some cement remains of what were seats. Unfortunately, there is a small track which surrounds the pitch. I would think it would almost be good enough for the 2nd division, if Zábřeh ever make it to that level. The stadium is about a 15 minute walk from the main train station. It is really easy to find.

The match was awful. Actually, I think the first half was one of the worst I have seen in the Czech Republic. The second half was marginally better, as both teams were trying their best to score the winner. Eventually, the hosts managed this, and walked away with three points. The victory keeps the hopes of promotion for Zábřeh alive.

April 10th, 2010 - Olomoucký Kraj - 1 B Třída, Skupina A -Horní Moštěnice 1 Haná Prostějov 1

April 10th, 2010

Olomoucký Kraj - 1. B Třída, Skupina A (7th level)

Horní Moštěnice 1 Haná Prostějov 1

Admission: ??

Attendance: 100

Distance travelled: 95km

Horní Moštěnice is a village of 1000 people located a few kilometers from Přerov. This was my first trip here. As there was not much to see, I headed straight for a local pub. The train station is located about 500m from the centre of the village.

Facilities were quite basic, with some 'picnic' benches under a tarp roof. At the time, this game was a battle between first and second, so there was a lot to play for, and it showed. Most of the game was quite physical, with both teams not giving up much. This didn't make the game the best to watch as a spectacle, but 1 point for Prostějov certainly was not a bad result.