Viktoria Zizkov 2-1 Usti nad Labem ( att : 1,121 )

April 29th, 2018

Many years ago we had a half season ticket at Zizkov ( 7 matches ). They cost about £5 each and we went to only one match, a famously fixed game vs Sparta.......

In those days they were a solid top division team, and the Czech squad that reached the 1996 Euro final at Wembley had 5 or 6 players who had previously played there before moving onto to bigger things. Karel Podborsky was one of them. Now they languish in mid-table mediocrity in the second division having been relegated 2 or 3 seasons ago. Usti were bottom, but on a good run which has given them hope of survival after looked doomed at Christmas.

Located a short tram ride from the centre in one of the "working class" districts of Prague, they traditionally play home matches at 10.15 on a Sunday morning, where the locals work off their Saturday night hangovers by drinking more beer, eating sausages and watching football !

The ground is very old-fashioned and surrounded on two sides by housing blocks. It used to have dramatic floodlights at a 45 degree angle over the pitch, but these have been replaced by a more traditional upright variety.

I got there 10 minutes late ( the trams are less frequent on Sundays ! ), and Viktoria were already leading 1-0. Entrance was only 90 KCS ( £3 approx ) and the programme 10 KCS. However, I noticed that food and drink were more expensive than at Dukla ( which is in a leafy middle-class part of town ! ). The Beer was 35 KCS, and the Sausages 65KCS !

I sat in the main stand and listening to the voices around me I heard some Dutch, German, English and some very loud Americans ! The tourists obviously swelling the crowd, and the Dutch were also planning on seeing the 3pm kick-off at Slavia........

Usti had 20 fans behind the goal but also some in the main stand as there were quite a few cheers when they equalised from an overhead kick – Jakubov the scorer. 

Zizkov quickly regained the lead with Batioja, their player from Ecuador running onto a through ball and scoring from the edge of the area. HT 2-1.

The match was entertaining, both sides attempting to play neat football with plenty of effort on a very hot morning. There were many good chances, but also lots of very optimistic shots from 30 yards flying out of the ground. Usti tried hard but Zizkov probably just about deserved their win ( not that I am biased ! )