When Prostějov hosted Europe - 1999 European U16 Championships

The state of football in Prostějov right now is in the midst of chaos. I suppose that is the best way to explain it. A 4th division club which calls itself FK Prostějov formed the week their division was scheduled to start this year. SK Prostějov which is the parent club of FK Prostějov, but they play in the 9th division. I see them as the real club if the city and not this FK Prostějov. SK has a long history, and should always remain the in the minds of football supporters in the city. Then there is Haná Prostějov, the club which I support. They formed in 1931, and currently play in the 7th division, which is the highest level the club has ever playd in their history.

All this, without really a proper stadium for football. Yes, there is the Sport Centrum, but it isn't the best for senior teams. Just down the road, the old SK Prostějov home sits, awaiting its fate. Weeds are growing in the old tribunes, cement is cracking, the wooden seats are falling apart. It is tough to see such an old historical stadium which is largely being

ignored. I'm sure the city would love to demolish it and build a supermarket or a parking lot. Right now it is being used for youth training, but even that is a stretch. How did this all happen? What happened to football in this city?

A little over 10 years ago, Prostějov hosted three games in the 1999 U16 European Championships. Other cities to host matches were, Blansko, Vranovice, Třebíč, Jihlava, Drnovice, Staré Město, Slušovice, Zlín, Kunovice, Moravská Třebová, Uničov, Olomouc, Šardice, Lanžhot, Kyjov, and Ratíškovice. An astounding 16 cities, and towns hosted matches. However, we will focus on the matches played in Prostějov,

As I mentioned earlier, the city hosted three games. The first was April 26, 1999 when Croatia played Poland to a 1-1 draw. About a week later, a quarter final was played here between Spain and Israel. The Spanish side ran away with a 6-1 victory. Six days later, Prostějov hosted the 3rd place match between the Czech Republic and Germany, a game which saw the Germans win 2-1.

(thanks to BBPV for sending in the picture)

Mikel Artera, who currently plays for Arsenal, played for Spain during the championships. Another big name that played in Prostějov was Darijo Srna of Croatia who has 83 caps and 19 goals to his name. Or Albert Crusat, from Spain, who currently plays for Wigan.

When will Prostějov ever get a chance to host possible future football stars again? With the current state of things in this city, I can't see it happening any time soon. Yes, there is a pitch that could see a Czech youth side play, but is that really realistic?

It is sad to think just how quickly things have changed. Only 10 years ago, a young Srna and Artera were stepping on the pitch of SK Prostějov. Now what do we have? FK Prostějov buying their way into the 4th division? What a laugh that is.

Let us not forget to support the real football clubs in this city, Haná Prostějov and SK Prostějov. It is only then, that football can take its place where it belongs in the city. At the top!

September 10th, 2011 - III třída - Prostějov - Haná Prostějov B 2 SK Prostějov 0

September 10th, 2011

III třída (9th division)

Haná Prostějov B 2 SK Prostějov 0

Attendance: 250

Admission: 20kc

The long awaited (or not) derby between Haná Prostějov B and SK Prostějov was played last weekend. Apparently, this was the first derby in Prostějov between clubs in the city in over 40 years. SK Prostějov are clearly the more notable name in the city, as they have been around for much longer, and for a few years they played in the 2nd division. As I have stated a number of times, they recently reformed in the 10th division, which led to the derby match last weekend. Haná has traditionally been the 3rd, or 4th club in the city, depending on how many clubs existed at a given time. Their first team is lucky to get 150 people a game, while their "B" team can generally expect 20-50 people.

Needless to say, SK Prostějov were heavy favourites going into this match. Since they reformed last year, they hadn't lost a league match (25 played), and the average age for Haná B was 33! I must give credit to Haná B, as they didn't really call up any first team players to pad the roster, they played with what they normally play with week in and week out.

I was hoping this match would have been played on the grass pitch, but for some reason it wasn't. It was played on the artificial pitch, which is of poor quality, and the size doesn't fit the regulations. To make matters worse, there were no real facilities for spectators. People had to stand at the back of the main stand (which faces the grass pitch). There wasn't enough room for everyone, so people had to stand two or three deep. Other people sat on the grass behind a huge metal fence. About 30 SK Prostějov ultras showed up to support their club. They had the usual banners etc. There were no real incidents, except for play being stopped for about 10 minutes in the first half. This was as a result of a 'controversial' call by the assistant referee which caused a slight up-roar amongst the ultras. After Haná B scored two quick goals in the second half, they were quiet for the rest of the match. No one really expected the hosts to win, but I have to wonder if SK Prostějov took them a little too lightly, and perhaps did not go into the match with the right frame of mind.

It should be pointed out that the oldest player on the pitch (48 years old), scored the first goal for Haná, on a beautiful side foot volley from just outside the 18-yard box.

September 4th, 2011 - Olomoucký Kraj - Okresní Přebor Prostějov - II Třída - Dobromilice 2 Olšany 2

September 4th, 2011

Olomoucký Kraj - Okresní Přebor Prostějov II Třída

Dobromilice 2 Olšany 2

Attendance: 90

Dobromilice is a village of around 830 located 20km south of Prostějov. One historical site of the village is a bridge which dates back to the 16th century, but after that there isn't much.

I made an attempt to watch a game here a few years ago, but when I arrived at the pitch I found out that the game was called off. Luckily, this time around I didn't have such bad luck. The village is impossible to reach by public transportation (bus) on the weekends, so my options were limited. I took a 15-minute train ride to Doloplazy, and then walked 2-km to get to Dobromilice. The fastest way to get there was past some dirty, smelly ponds, and down a path through the forest. Without a car getting to a game on the weekends can sometimes be problematic, and you have to be prepared for anything.

When I got to the pitch, I saw a decent crowd filling up most of the wooden benches. The pitch is kind of dug into the side of a hill, so all around it, you watch the game from an elevated stand point. The quality of the grass wasn't so good, as there were many brown spots, and the pitch wasn't exactly level. However, at this level, it never detracts from a game, but perhaps makes it better.

There were two metal 'shacks' which served as a beer/kofola stand and for chips. The beer was 25kc, and didn't taste good at all. This didn't stop the locals from buying it though. The atmosphere at the game was exactly what you would want at a village match. Poor quality play, locals, and a unique setting for a pitch. All in all, a good day out.

August 27th, 2011 - Okres Prostějov - III Třída - Haná Prostějov B 4 Zdětín B 0

August 27th, 2011

Okres Prostějov - III Třída )9th level)

Haná Prostějov B 4 Zdětín B 0 (in Smržice)

Attendance: 20

Beer: Bernard

Finally, a new ground. It has been a long time, but things have come up recently and I haven't had as much time to travel around Moravia. On the weekend, I made the short trip to Smržice to watch Haná Prostějov B play Zdětín B. The village is only located 4km from Prostějov, but the lack of weekend buses meant that I had to take a train to nearby Čelechovice na Hané. The walk only took about 10 minutes to the football pitch, so it wasn't a big problem.

The match was originally scheduled for Prostějov, but scheduling conflicts for the pitch meant that the match had to be moved. This occurred because of the late addition of FK Pro$tějov into Divize E (4th level).

Walking up to the ground, I was surprised to see that the grass was in such great condition. However, upon closer inspection, the grass was nice, but it was not level. Little slopes were on the pitch, which made it not a level playing surface. Hardly ideal for any level of football. The facilities were basic, as should be expected for this level of football. About 20 benches lined the pitch, with a pub located 50m from it, for less than perfect viewing.

Since the match was moved to a small village, and not really publicized in the local papers, a smaller than normal crowd showed up. Most people there were friends or families of the players. The play wasn't anything spectacular, however Haná were deserving of the three points

October 2000 - A Canadian's experience - Bohemians Prague 1905 2 Sigma Olomouc 2

11 years ago this autumn, I was living in Olomouc as a student, and since I watched as much football as I could in Canada, I decided to go to a Sigma Olomouc away game in Prague. Needless to say, it was an eye opener for at the time I was kind of a clueless Canadian 'soccer' supporter. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into.

I arrived at Doličku a few hours before the game, and of course I was wearing a Sigma jersey. I was used to going to away games in Canada with no problems, and at the time I didn't think much of wearing a Sigma jersey in Prague. Apparently, it wasn't a good idea, but I didn't really have any problems. I remember being a little scared, as I didn't speak any of the language, and wasn't sure how to get tickets. Luckily, two boys stopped me on the street, and sold me a ticket on the spot. I actually paid the face value, so I think they were just selling tickets to supporters on the street. I walked into the stadium, and saw old style metal cage surrounding the away support with a few cement steps. The toilets were a disgrace, as no one at the club probably bothered to clean them, and the walls were filled with graffiti.

Across the street from the away entrance there was a pub, and I remember hearing glass breaking, and other noises. I took a look around and saw a pile of Sigma hooligans (or ultras) pile out of the pub. Police were in riot gear trying to control the situation. The Sigma supporters pushed their way into the away supporters section without any tickets. It wasn't long after that the police followed, as they frequently entered stadiums at the time. It was then that a few Sigma supporters asked me if they could have my ticket to show proof they paid. I just shook my head, and hoped for the best. I was standing in the furthest corner of the away section, trying to stay away from the trouble. Eventually, the situation cooled down.

On the way home, I zipped up my jacket over my Sigma jersey. Lesson learned.