FK Slavoj Vyšehrad (Czech Republic)

Fotbalový klub Slavoj Vyšehrad is a football club formed in 1907 as KS Vyšehrad 1907 in the Vyšehrad district of the Czech capital of Prague. The club was initially formed for the participation of athletics and cycling before hockey, tennis and then football in 1916 were added.

Meteor Vyhehrad were formed from this original club in 1919 to partake in local competition, with some success but also hitting financial troubles in the 1930’s and then a difficult period through World War Two.

In 1947 KS Vyšehrad and Meteor merged to form SK Vyšehrad with the team winning the Prague 1.B title in 1949 to progress to the 1.A class. In 1952 a further merger took place with Sokol Stavebnní Komunálný Podnik Praha.

1957 saw the current club title being adopted prior to the 1.A competition consisting of three sections from 1958-59 with Slavoj ending in fourth place. The club continued playing in the regional leagues for several years.

Future Czech Olympic keeper Luděk Macela spent the 1969-70 season in goal for Slavoj while on loan from Dukla Praha while Zdeněk Hruška who would go on to become a full international spent his youth career with the club until moving on in 1974.

In the 1982-83 season the club made the step up to the third national tier II. NFL but lasted just twelve months at that level after several small adjustments had been made to club name.

Petr Kouba and Marek Kincl became further Slavoj Vyšehrad players to progress to international honours after spending their youth careers at the club before departing to bigger clubs.

A major sponsor got involved in the club in 1995, two years after the Czech Republic gained independence as the club was retitled as SKO Slavoj Vyhehrad with the team reaching the third tier ČFL in 2000-01 but lasting just one season at which point the sponsorship ended.

The team found themselves in Divize B of 4. Liga in 2002-03 where they performed well until their switch to Divize A for the 2006-07 campaign when they crowned as champions to progress to the third tier ČFL.

Three tough seasons ensued before Vyšehrad were relegated once again in 2009-10. Slavoj put in decent performances back in 4. Liga including runners-up of Divize B in 2012-13 which was replicated the following season and was rewarded with promotion to the ČFL.

Stadion Slavoj Vyšehrad

The side went on to finish in fourth place in 2015-16 prior to two finishes towards the relegation zone. However, this was addressed in 2018-19 as Slavoj were crowned as champions to reach the second tier FNL.

The club played moved their home matches from Stadion Slavoj Vyšehrad to take up residence at Stadion Evžena Rošického in Strahov from the start of 2019 to satisfy the ground grading stipulations under coach Roman Veselý.

The team were in eleventh place when the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the 2019-20 campaign.

Slavoj Vyšehrad will play in the FNL in the 2019-20 season.

Stadion Evžena Rošického

Stadion Evžena Rošického, is a multi purpose stadium in the Strahov area of Prague on Petřín hill, having being built in 1935. The stadium was named after the Czech athlete Evžen Rošický, who was in an anti Nazi resistance group with his father. Both were executed by the Nazis.

The stadium with a capacity of 2010 of 19,032 played as the temporary home to Slavia Prague for eight years from 2000 whilst their Eden home ground was rebuilt and to FK Bohemians Praha (Střížkov) from 2008. Prague Championship club AC Sparta Krc used the stadium for the 2007-08 season.

In 1978 the stadium was the venue of the European Athletics Championships, also staging the major national meeting of the year until Stadion Julisca was refurbished in 2002.

Stadion Evžena Rošického became the neutral venue for the final of the Pohár FAČR (Czech FA Cup) from 1994 when Viktoria Žižkov defeated AC Sparta Praha on penalties until 2004 when Sparta defeated Baník Ostrava.

After a couple of seasons away, the final returned to the stadium in 2007 for Sparta’s victory against FK Jablonec 97. Sparta also won the next two finals at Stadion Evžena Rošického before the final was spread around venues around the country.

FK Olympia Praha moved into the stadium for the 2017-18 season so that they could play in the second tier FNL, before chairman Angelos Goulis announced that the club would take a voluntary demotion. 

Olympia moved to the Radotín district of the capital and changed their name to Olympia Radotín, thus leaving Stadion Evžena Rošického without a club tenant once again.

My visits

Saturday 20th October 2000

I was travelling around Europe by train for three weeks on an Inter rail ticket, taking in as many major cities and sightseeing as possible, which of course included visiting football clubs and stadiums. My train arrived at daybreak into Prague after a fairly uncomfortable journey from Budapest. 

I had been moved from my slumber by a guard who told me I was sat in a first class compartment, although the condition and facilities did a decent job of disguising the fact. I moved to another carriage and indeed another world as what can only be described as peasants got on and off, seemingly taking their life processions with them. 

On arrival into Prague a tout approached me telling me he’d sort out some digs for the night. I had read about this in my travel guide, so I went along with it. After a thankfully aborted attempt at an untidy family house I ended up in a hostel with dormitories. 

After leaving my luggage and went out to discover the city as the others were all getting up in my accommodation. I had worked out that Sparta Prague were playing at home that evening, so I would do my sightseeing by day before having a nap and then going to the game. 

I did all the usual sights: Wenceslas Square, the old town and Charles Bridge before taking a tram once across the Vltava River and finding my way up the hill to Strahov. The plateau on top of the hill had a monastary, an obsevatory and a TV tower.

I had a wander around and first of all tried to enter one of the biggest arenas in the world. The Strahov Stadium in its prime held displays of synchronized gymnastics and displays during the countries’ communist era. It held up to 220,000 people and the sports area was the size of nine football pitches. 

It was also used occasionally for motor racing. Since 1990 it was only used for concerts and as a training centre for Sparta Prague. I walked all the way round but couldn’t find an open gate. The stands were on all four sides. 

To have a proper look at Strahov, click here

I then walked across the road to the Stadion Evžena Rošického, which was home to Slavia Prague at the time. I found an open gate and found myself in the lower section of terracing below the covered seats curving around the athletics track. The far end was a mirror image. Both sides had single tiered covered seated stands. It seemed a decent ground.

Walking back down through the gardens to the square, I found a tram back to Charles Bridge. I had a good wander about the very pretty city centre. Unfortunately I had no information as to the other clubs; otherwise I’d have ventured further, especially as I found out my hostel was within walking distance of the original Bohemians home. At least it left a good excuse for a return visit!

Monday 14th March 2016

It was the last full day of a very pleasant football, sightseeing and socialising long weekend in the Czech capital and a stunning afternoon to boot when I headed back up Strahov hill. My destination was the Velký Strahovský Stadion for the Czech Republic Juniorská liga match between the under 21 sides of Sparta Praha and Baník Ostrava.

Before the match it was time for a return next door to Stadion Evžena Rošického. 

Initially I thought that I would be limited to views through a gap down one side, but then I returned to the same place I'd gained access fourteen years previously. Fortunately enough the same gate was open, so I entered and took more extensive shots than my last time in my pre digital camera days.

Once done, I walked round to the Sparta offices to enjoy a coffee before the juniors put on their free entertainment.