I did not have a chance to watch a football match in Jeseník but I did have a few minutes to stop by the ground on my way through the town. The town is located 71km from Olomouc and takes about 90 minutes by train. The train ride has to be one of the most beautiful in Moravia as it cuts throught the Jeseníky Mountain.
Jeseník has a population of 11,396 and until 1947 it was known as Frývaldov. In 1930 the town had a population of 10,584, and of that 8,959 were Germans. In 2001, the population was 12,700, with just 136 Germans. Over the last 16 years, the population has dropped by almost 1,000 people. A higher unemployment number in the region compared to the rest of the Czech Republic certainly does not help.
The local football side was formed in 1934 as SK Slavia Frýdlant. In 1947, the name was changed to SK Slavia Jeseník. Since that time the club has gone through a number of name changes, with the most recent one being in 1995 to the current name.
For the most part, the club has bounced around the 5th and 6th tiers. In 2014/15 the club was playing in the 1 A Třída (6th tier), but after back to back promotions found themselves in the 4th tier in 2016/17, finishing a respectable 6th place.
The stadium seems like a fantastic place to watch a match, so I hope to return back to Jeseník in April or May.
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