August 22nd, 2021 - Kožušany 1 Haná Prostějov 4

 

Czech Republic - 7th tier - August 22, 2021

Kožušany 1 Haná Prostějov 4

Attendance - 120

Going into this match, both clubs were favourites to finish in the top 5 of the division.  It has now been three months since the match, and it seems that the initial thoughts were correct.  Haná sits in 2nd place, and Kožušany in 5th.

David Rozehnal has been playing with Kožušany for the last couple of years.  He has over 60 caps for the Czech national team and has played in the English Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, and the German Bundesliga.  He is still only 41 years old, and it is kind of strange to see him playing lower league football.  Martin Blaha (ex Sigma Olomouc keeper) is also with Kožušany and he is only 36 years old.  He has over 30 starts in the Czech top tier.  

Despite this talent on the pitch, Kožušany were never really in the match.  Haná were strong on the counter attack and took advantage of play down the wings.

 August 8, 2021 - Macedonian 1st division

Akademija Pandev 1 Struga Trim & Lum 1 (attendance - around 1,000)

I spend a month in Strumica, Macedonia almost every year.  From time to time I get a chance to catch a local football match.  During my latest trip I watched a couple of friendlies, and caught one First Division match.  Akademija Pandev were not playing this match at their home stadium, but instead at the stadium of Belasica Strumica which is located about 300m from Pandev's stadium.  The level was not the best, and for most of the parts the match dragged on and on.  

April 24, 2021 - SK Prostějov 1 Chrudim 1

 Czech Republic - 2nd tier - April 24, 2021

Not much to say here, really.  About three weeks ago, I watched SK Prostějov from behind a fence.  Depending on where I was standing, I could see almost the entire pitch.  Obviously, it was not ideal, but it was still so much better than sitting at home watching football on TV.  

All football from the 3rd tier to the 10th tier had their seasons cancelled.  Next weekend, local lower leagues sides will start playing friendlies, so I hope to get out to a few.

October 10, 2020 - Haná Prostějov 2 Kožušany 0

October 10, 2020 - Czech Republic 7th tier

Haná Prostějov 2 Kožušany 0

Attendance - 0 

I was able to help out on the day which allowed me to watch the match in person, because the match was played behind closed doors as a result of Covid-19.  Unfortunately, going into this match, it was clear that it was going to be the last one played before the winter break.  As a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, the first half of the season ended one month earlier than normal.

Haná ended the first half of the season on a high note, and were deserved winners against a well organized Kožušany side.  The visitors had ex-Sigma Olomouc keeper Martin Blaha who had a numbe of 1st division starts.  Playing just infront of him was David Rozehnal who played in the top divisions in England, France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium.  He also won 60 caps for the Czech Republic during his playing career.  

 

October 4, 2020 - Doloplazy 3 Haná Prostějov 1

 

October 4, 2020 - Czech Republic - 7th tier

Doloplazy 3 Haná Prostějov 1

Attendance - 50

As it turned out, this match was my last away match for the first half of the season because of Covid-19 restrictions.  Doloplazy is a small village located not far from Olomouc.  It takes about 30 minutes by bus.  In history, it was known as an important village for the cultivation of hops.  

Attendance for this match was limited to 50 people because of Covid-19, but this was obviously difficult to control when the pitch is surrounded by an open field.  Speaking of the pitch, it was in bad condition because of rain the previous night.  It was heavy, and muddy which definitely helped the home team.  They were able to adapt to the conditions and dominate the second half of play.

September 20, 2020 - Kozlovice 3 Vsetín 2

 

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September 20, 2020 - Czech Republic 4th tier

Kozlovice 3 Vsetín 2 

Obviously I am a few months behind in updating my blog, but since it is not possible to watch live football at the stadium, I suppose it does not really matter.  Back in September, I decided to go to Kozlovice which is located a few kilometres outside of Přerov.  The village has a population of around 600, so they have done quite well to reach the 4th tier of Czech football.  This was my second trip to the village.  For some reason, a Canadian by the name of Stephen Hwedieh Osei was playing for Kozlovice, and I had to see him play.  Chances to see Canadian footballers play in the Czech Republic are few and far between.

The stadium is one of the nicest at this level of football, especially given that the village is so small.  The official crowd was 322 but it looked like a lot more than that.  This match was one of the best that I have seen all year.  Great goals, lots of drama, four red cards (three came after the final whistle), and eight yellow cards.  Stephen Osei came on in the 86th minute and made a quick impact with his speed down the wing.  A few minutes later he was brought down hard by a tackle from behind which lead to a yellow card and some pushing.  Kozlovice scored a later winner in the 89th minute which contributed to the drama.

September 20, 2020 - Slovan Černovír 0 Haná Prostějov 1

September 20, 2020 - 7th tier

Slovan Černovír 0 Haná Prostějov 1

Attendance - 85

Early on a Sunday morning last month, I made my first trip to Černovír in over 10 years, but my first one supporting Haná Prostějov.  Černovír is a part of Olomouc located in the northern part of the city, and they played last year in the 5th tier.  For various reasons the club had to drop down to the 7th tier.

Černovír plays their usually plays their home matches on Sunday mornings at 10am, which meant an early start for me.  Luckily the train trip to Olomouc is not too long.  I arrived shortly before 9am, and walked about 30-40 minutes along the Morava river to Černovír.  The match was evenly played throughout, with Haná nipping a goal during the last minute of play.

 

Domašov nad Bystřicí

 

A few weeks ago I had a brief stop in Domašov nad Bystřicí (Olomouc District), a small village of 490.  Before WWII, the villlage was heavily influenced by German speakers.  On one of the buildings near the train station it is still possible to see one of the old German advertisments.  The local football team last played in 1994/95 when they were in the 9th tier.  During that season, they finished in last place.  Sadly, the only thing remaining from the club is one rusted goal post.

August 26, 2020 - Olomouc District Cup SF - Hraničné Petrovice 3 Červenka 5

 August 26, 2020 - Olomouc District Cup SF 

Hraničné Petrovice (9th tier) 3 Červenka (8th tier) 5 

Attendance - 74

Almost two months ago I travelled for Hraničné Petrovice for a weekday cup match.  The village has a population of only 150 and sits at an elevation of 587m above sea level.  The village does not have much except for the football pitch, a church and a few homes.  To get there I had to take a train from Prostějov to Olomouc and finally to Domašov nad Bystřicí.  From there I had to walk around 3-4km, becauses buses to Hraničné Petrovice are few and far between.

The pitch was had a simple set up, with only a few benches.  It was slightly elevated over the rest of the village.  As for the match, the visitors deserved the win, but with a few more bounces the hosts could have found themselves progressing to the final.  This competition serves as regional qualifiers for the 2021/22 Czech Cup.

August 23, 2020 - Pivín 3 Jezernice 2

August 23, 2020 - Czech Republic 7th tier

Sokol v Pivíně 3 Sokol Jezernice 2 (attendance 200)

I have lost track how many times that I have been to Pivín for football over the years, but probably close to 10 times.  Pivín is a village of 730 located about 15km south of Prostějov.  I usually go to matches here a few times a year because it is easy to reach on a bike.  The local football club is called the 'Turks' and their goalie even had the Turkish flag on his jersey.  According to local legend, the name comes about when the Turkish army was here hundreds on years ago.  Apparently, they camped in the current day location of Pivín and stayed for a number of years.  Some of them might have even stayed longer, who knows?