Stadion Evžena Rošického (Prague)

Stadion Evžena Rošického is a multi-purpose stadium in the Strahov area of Prague on Petřín hill, having been 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 in 2010 of 19,032, served 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 had been 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, the 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.

My drawing of Stadion Evžena Rošického from 1999,
home to Slavia at the time, along with some of their playing kits
Click on the image for an enlarged version.

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.

FK Slavoj Vyšehrad reached the FNL, the second tier of Czech football and 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.

In December 2022, the stadium was closed due to serious defects in its steel structure. According to the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR), the stadium was no longer safe to use and its repair would be a large-scale investment, which the FAČR was unable to secure at the time.

My visits

Saturday 20th October 2000

I was travelling around Europe by train for three weeks on an InterRail 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 in Prague after a fairly uncomfortable journey from Budapest. 

I had been moved from my slumber by a guard who told me I was sitting 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 in Prague, a tout approached me, promising 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 going 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 monastery, an observatory 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 synchronised gymnastics and displays during the country’s 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 had been 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. 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.

Sparta Praha (Czechia)

AC Sparta Praha

Ground: Epet Arena - Stadion Letná

Capacity: 18,349

Club Founded: 1893

League: Czech First League (current level)

An historic club, whose team colours are influenced by Arsenal, Sparta Praha remain one of Czechia's big hitters.

Club History

Early Years

The club was formed in Czechia's capital on the 16th November 1893 as Athletic Club Královské Vinohrady. Within a year, the club became Athletic Club Sparta as the team wore black shirts with a large S on the front. 

After wearing black-and-white striped shirts, the club president of the day, Dr Petřík, was in London, where he saw Arsenal play in 1906. The Gunners wore their dark red-currant shirts, so Dr Petřík took some back with him. Sparta have worn the colour ever since. Four years after opening Stadion Letná in 1921, the team won the Czech league title.

Iron Sparta

They retained the crown before the team became known as 'Iron Sparta' for their dominance throughout the 1930s. Head coach Ferenc Szedlacsek led them to four league titles, with three more being added in the following decade. The last of these triumphs came when the club was called Athletic Club Sparta Bubeneč after communist rule began.

During the communist era, Sparta enjoyed a golden period. The Central European Mitropa Cup enjoyed the same recognition as today's Champions League. Sparta won it in 1927 and 1935. In 1949, they were renamed Sokol Bratrství Sparta. Sparta ČKD Sokolovo in 1951 and TJ Spartak Praha Sokolovo in 1953 were further name changes.

World Cup Heroes

Sparta won two more Czech titles in the 1950s. By the end of the decade, the team attracted crowds of up to 40,000. They watched the likes of Kvašňák, Jiří Tichý and Václav Mašek, who played as Czechoslovakia lost to Brazil in the 1962 World Cup Final. UEFA competitions had superseded the Mitropa Cup when Sparta won it again.

Sparta lifted the Československý Pohár (Czechoslovak Cup) for the first time after victory over FC VSS Košice. Yet another title change came in 1965. As TJ Sparta ČKD Praha, they won the 1966-67 league title. It was the last major honour to arrive at Letná until the Cup was won for a second time with an aggregate win over Slovan Bratislava in 1972. 

The Glorious 80s

The trophy was regained over the same opponents in 1976. This was one year after the unthinkable happened when Rudí (The Reds) were relegated, although they were promoted the following season to make it a double triumph of sorts. The Cup was won once again in 1980 following a defeat of ZŤS Košice.

The 1983-84 season saw Sparta complete the league and Cup double, with Inter Bratislava the defeated side in the final of the Pohár. The rest of the 80s were packed full of league successes as stars such as Berger, Hašek, Skuhravý, and Griga took the side to four titles.

Sparta's dominance continued into the new decade with another league title in 1989-90 before the club changed its name to TJ Sparta Praha and then AC Sparta Praha in 1991, when they retained the title. Sparta have never lifted a European trophy in the modern era, although they had a superb run in the 1991-92 European Cup.

The same season saw another Cup victory; this time over 1. FC Tatran Prešov. In 1992-93 Sparta won the league. It was the final competition before Czech and Slovak went their separate ways after Slovakian independence.

The Czech and Slovak Split

The newly formed Czech First League saw Sparta win the title twice in its first few years. The club also provided valuable players to the newly formed Czech Republic national team. In Euro 96 in England, Sparta players Kouba, Frýdek and Horňák returned with tournament runners-up medals. 

The first Pohár FAČR (Czech Cup) triumph came in 1996 with a 4-0 win over Petra Drnovice. The league title was won in five consecutive seasons from 1996-97. Tomáš Rosický's outstanding talent featured prominently in the Euro 2000 tournament in the Netherlands and Belgium. 

My drawing of Stadion Letná and Sparta playing kits from 1999
Click on the image to enlarge it

Sparta's Talented Production Line

Another league championship arrived in the trophy cabinet in 2002-03 as Zdeněk Grygera, Tomáš Hübschman, Jaromír Blažek, Karel Poborský and academy product Petr Čech helped the Czech team to third place in the Euros in Portugal in 2004. The team added three more Czech titles to the trophy cabinet before the decade ended.

Cup wins came in 2004 and 2006 over Banik Ostrava, 2007 against FK Jablonec, and in 2009 after a penalty shoot-out versus FC Slovan Liberec, as Jozef Chovanec oversaw team affairs from 2008. Chovanec departed in December 2011 after a rare barren spell to be replaced by former player Martin Hašek. 

Recent Years

Vítězslav Lavička took over in the summer of 2012, eventually leading Sparta to the league in 2013-14 before adding the Cup with a penalty shoot-out victory against FC Viktoria Plzeň.
Several head coaches came and went in the following years as the team failed to win honours.

Slovan Liberec were beaten 2-1 in the 2019-20 Pohár FAČR final under head coach Václav Kotal. Brian Priske led Sparta to the 2022-23 title. Jan Kuchta finished as top scorer. The double was completed the following season with Viktoria Plzeň the beaten cup finalists. Veljko Birmančević's goals helped the side to the title. 

Priske departed and returned, taking Sparta to a league runners-up spot in 2025-26.

My visits

Sparta Prague 4 Slovan Liberec 1 

Gambrinus Liga - Saturday 20th October 2000

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 6,635 🎟️ 50 Kc (£1.70)

In October 2000, I took three weeks off work from Lord’s Cricket Ground after reading an article in the Daily Star's Saturday travel section. I bought an InterRail ticket and discovered Europe. I decided to visit lots of cities I’d always fancied seeing, to sightsee, watch football and visit stadiums.

I'd arrived in Prague after travelling from Budapest. I had found accommodation in an unconventional way. A man waited at the station trying to find anyone without a booking before hawking me to a hostel for a commission. I visited both the Strahov Stadium and Stadion Evžena Rošického that morning. 

I knew that Sparta were playing FC Slovan Liberec at Letná that evening. After some sightseeing, I went back to my digs for a siesta. After a welcome sleep, I took the tram into the city centre and wandered around Wenceslas Square and found something to eat. From there, I took the Metro to Hradcanska station and another tram for the short ride to the stadium.

The Sparta supporters' clubhouse was showing the results coming in from around the rest of Europe, as well as Sparta’s ice hockey team in action at an away game. The prices of the beer made me extremely happy. I started off on Pilsner Urquell, which was about 30p before I saw signs for Gambrinus, which sponsored the league. 

Being the adventurous type, I gave it a go. It was even cheaper! I went to the ticket booth to try and work out what I wanted. I saw signs in koruna, which I couldn’t quite believe. I could stand behind the goal for 50p! I asked for a ticket for that section, but the English-speaking vendor told me it was with the Sparta hooligans and advised me to have one in the seats for 70p. 

I took his advice and went back for another beer or two before kick-off. I got inside the stadium and found I had a great bargain. My seat was in the bottom tier opposite the Main Stand near the halfway line. My stand covered three sides with seats upstairs and down. Terracing behind the goals was in place for those wanting to stand.

The Main Stand was a separate structure with two tiers of seats. The Letná stadium hosted most of the Czech Republic's home games. A young local, intrigued by what I was doing at the game, started chatting to me, grilling me about English football. The low crowd affected the atmosphere. The game was being shown live on TV. 

The Sparta 'hooligans' to our left were a bunch of youngsters who made noise, had lots of flags and tried to be a nuisance to the stewards. The Liberec fans were at the other end in the corner. There were probably about 200 of them. 

I sent my new friend out to get two beers. He came back and handed them to me. He was taken aback that I'd bought him one. I may have been on a budget, but I would struggle to spend all my koruna (£20 worth!) before I went. I even indulged in half-time local sausages to realise that not all countries and clubs rip off their supporters.

Sparta won the game at a canter and would go on to win the title the following Spring. The football wasn’t the best, but the league was still relatively new and obviously not as strong as the old Czechoslovakia League. I asked my mate if he knew any decent nearby pubs for a beer after the match. 

He said he did, but they were about ten minutes away in the opposite direction from the Metro, and he had to get the train home as he lived about 30km from Prague. After the game, I went back into town but didn’t fancy trying anywhere I saw for a drink. 

I was tired as the trip was catching up with me. I was catching a morning train to Berlin the next day, so I went back to my room. At least it meant I had plenty of koruna to spend on food and drinks to keep me going for the next day.

Stadium Visit

Friday 11th March 2016

It was a pleasant but cold morning as I navigated my way around the magnificent city of Prague. I’d already visited the excellent homes of Admira Praha and Meteor Praha before I took a tram and changed before arriving outside the Generali Arena, as the stadium had been renamed under sponsorship.

My taxi from the airport the previous evening went very close to the rear of the stands as on the way to my hotel. The match between Sparta and Lazio in the Europa League was in progress, but I’d missed out by just an hour.

A decent consolation prize would be to get inside to take some photos, as I hadn’t taken any of real quality from my previous trip. It looked from the outside like workers were clearing up from the match, so I had high hopes.

I’m not entirely sure whether I should have walked past the security box and behind the Main Stand, but I knew I wouldn’t be doing anything wrong. Within minutes, I found myself up behind the goal with a great view.

From what I saw, the stadium was unchanged since my visit. The groundsmen worked on the pitch while others were sweeping the stands. It looked like a real picture. After getting as many different shots as I could, I went back down, where someone was struggling to get security to let them through!

I popped into the office to buy a Lazio programme. I couldn't find out whether spectators could attend Strahov for Sparta’s under-21s game on the Monday afternoon. I headed to Hradansky metro station and then into the city centre to do some sightseeing in a place I was growing fonder of by the hour.

FK Meteor Praha VIII (Czechia)

FK Meteor Praha VIII is one of the oldest clubs in the Czech Republic, having been formed in the capital in the autumn of 1896 as Sportovní kroužek Kotva Libeň. Three years later, the name of the club was changed to SK Meteor Libeň, which was taken from the dilapidated cycling track called Meteor and the area where the club was based.

The club became SK Meteor Praha VIII in 1901 and began regular matches in 1902, using a military training ground at Invalidovně for home matches. Other venues were also used before they settled at U Perutzů on Voctářově ulici in 1910 near the dockyards.

The club won junior titles in the 1920s before a move to Střížkova Na Stráži followed in 1929, at which point the club had turned professional and played in the top tier of Czech football for a couple of seasons. Meteor were relegated, but returned to the top flight in 1930.

From 1931 onwards, the club operated mainly at the level of the second and third leagues. In 1934, the final solution of a home base was solved as they moved into a new ground at Sokolovny in Liben, District 8, which was related in the club title.

Following World War II, the country was under Soviet communist rule, with players being forced to represent the company which employed them for a while. Club names were also changed, with Meteor becoming Sokol České Loděnice in 1948.

Two further changes to the club name occurred in the 1950s: DSO Spartak Loděnice in 1953, and then TJ Libeň Loděnice. Throughout this period, the club participated in the second and third tiers of Czech football.

Meteor came close to promotion to the top flight in 1965. The following year, the club was renamed TJ Meteor Praha. After a decade, the name changed to TJ Meteor Praha ŽSP. Two more name changes took place before the end of the millennium: TJ Meteor Praha and finally FK Meteor Praha VIII, around the time that Vít Caudr was head coach.

Pavel Žáček was given the role of head coach in 2004. The club continued to progress with the introduction of junior sides and a second complex at Ďáblicích to accommodate all the club’s sides. In 2007-08, they lifted the fifth-tier Pražský přebor, otherwise known as the Prague Championship, under head coach Jaroslav Peřina. 

In 2012-13, a further promotion was clinched as Meteor lifted the Czech Republic 4. Liga Divizní Skupinu B title, with Josef Dub in charge of the team. At the end of the 2014-15 season, Meteor were relegated from the ČFL back to the Czech Republic 4. Liga Divizní Skupinu B, where the team finished in sixth place in 2015-16.

Jan Fíček led the side to eighth in 2016-17 and then a huge improvement to reach third in 2017-18 before coming fourth the following campaign as Jan Zemánek topped the scoring. Meteor were in third place when the COVID-19 pandemic ended the 2019-20 season.

Once things returned to normal following the pandemic, the side finished tenth in the fourth-tier competition, before they enjoyed a slight improvement in 2022-23 with Elkhan Budinov scoring most goals. Fifth place followed a year later, as Adam Žák starred.

The level was retitled 4. Liga for the following 2024-25 season, which saw Meteor remain in Division B and finish as runners-up, thanks in part to the goals of  Jan Král.

FK Meteor Praha VIII will play in the 4. Liga Division B in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Friday 11th March 2016

My first morning of a long weekend in Prague was progressing nicely as the weather continued to brighten. Having already visited the impressive home of FK Admira Praha, I was ready to see more, and the excellent Soccerway website had given me an inkling that I wouldn’t be disappointed at Meteor.

The number 10 tram took me downhill from Kobylisy towards town to alight at Stejskalova. A path up some steps adjacent to the stop took me past some government office buildings, a gym to U Meteori with its artificial pitch on the right. I was delighted to see that the gate into Areál Libeň was open.

Having taken my photos and looked on in awe of such a beautiful old grandstand, I returned to the Stejskalova stop and took a couple of trams to the Generali Arena, which was the sponsored name of the Letna Stadion, home of AC Sparta Praha.

Bohemians 1905 (Czechia)

Bohemians 1905 is a football club based in the Czech Republic capital of Prague, who were formed as AFK Vršovice in 1905. After playing in regional football, the club progressed to the top-flight Czechoslovak First League in 1925.

In 1927, the club toured Australia as its title changed to Bohemians AFK Vršovice. The tour was by boat and stopped off in Colombo, now Sri Lanka, where they defeated a British Army XI 4-2.

When in Australia, the local media generally referred to Bohemians as 'the Czechoslovakian team'. The touring party was presented with two wallabies as a gift from the Queensland Government, which has ever since featured on the club's crest, although it is often interpreted as a kangaroo. On the club’s return, they donated both to Prague Zoo.

Full details of the tour, which saw three 'Test matches' against Australia's national team and two matches against an Australian XI, along with regional tour matches vs State and regional representative teams, are available here.

The 27th March 1932 saw the first game at Bohemians Ďolíčku home stadium, which was designed by architect Vrsovicky Vejvoda. It was originally named Dannerák and provided refuge to locals during the invasion of Prague in 1945.

For many years, the club spent most of its time at the second level of Czech football with a few intermittent campaigns in the Czechoslovak First League (1. fotbalová liga, Slovak). Between 1941 and 1945, the club was called Bohemia AFK Vršovice before returning to its previous title.

The next five years saw several name changes following World War II and the implementation of Russian communist control; 1948: Sokol Vršovice Bohemians, 1949: Sokol Železničaři Bohemians Praha, 1950: Sokol Železničaři Praha, 1951: Sokol ČKD Stalingrad Praha and in 1953: Spartak Praha Stalingrad.

In 1962, the club was retitled ČKD Praha, before changing to the more traditional Bohemians ČKD Praha in 1965. In 1966-67, ‘Bohemce’ came within a whisker of winning the Czech title. However, they lost their final game to Sparta, with former club hero Láďa Kos starring for the local rivals as they lifted the crown. 

Although Slavia are based far closer to Bohemians, the rivalry was more intense during this period with Sparta, as they were the club of the government during communist rule. Following this disappointment, a youngster who would go on to be Bohemians' greatest player entered the fray. 

Attacking midfielder Antonin Panenka went on to serve the club for fourteen years, starring in Czechoslovakia’s historic win on penalties against West Germany in the 1976 European Championship final. Panenka dinked the winning penalty over keeper Sepp Maier with a kick which was copied many times after by players worldwide. 

In 1973, the club were promoted to the Czechoslovak First League as a series of decent finishing positions led to the most successful time in the club’s history. In 1982, Bohemians reached the final of the Československý pohár (Czech Cup), but they were defeated 4-1 by Slovan Bratislava. 

However, the first major honour to arrive at Ďolíčku was to arrive the very next season as Bohemians were crowned as league champions. It rounded off a tremendous 1982-83 season as in their fifth UEFA Cup campaign, Bohemians went on a tremendous run as they defeated Admira-Wacker, Saint-Étienne, Servette and Dundee United before bowing out 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-final against RSC Anderlecht.

A second title was nearly secured in 1985, but ‘Klokani’ were denied by Sparta on goal difference. A European Cup campaign and two further UEFA Cup runs followed without too much success, although wins over notable scalps Fenerbahçe and Ajax were achieved.

In 1993, the club changed its title to Bohemians Praha following Czech independence, before the run at the top table of Czech football came to an end in 1995. This nearly led to the collapse of the club, as at the same time as the name change, the club had decided to break away from the TJ Bohemians Praha sports franchise. 

By 1995, they were in serious financial trouble. In 2001, they changed their name to Bohemians Praha. TJ retained the rights to the club crest and decided to sell it along with club colours in 2005, as Bohemians were still struggling, and fans rallied to try and pay off the debts. 

The crest was bought by FC Střížkov Praha 9, who saw the troubles at Ďolíčku, where Bohemians had their record expunged halfway through their 2. Liga campaign and were relegated to the third-tier ČFL. FC Střížkov Praha 9 changed their name to FK Bohemians Prague in a clear attempt to try and tempt fans away from the original Bohemians to watch their side. 

They became the tenant of FK Viktoria Stadion with money-troubled FK Viktoria Žižkov, along with Stadion Evžena Rošického, while money was thrown behind the project as the team were soon promoted through the divisions to the Czech First League.

Fans and officials at Ďolíčku were naturally livid. It helped to galvanise the club as they took FK Bohemians Prague to court in an attempt to stop Střížkov from using the Bohemians title while changing their title to Bohemians 1905 to distance themselves from their new rivals. 

The loyal green and white fans of the Vršovice district saw their team finish in third place in the ČFL in 2005-06 and miss out on automatic promotion. However, the club that won the league, SC Xaverov Horní Počernice, paid the price of success as they hit severe financial troubles of their own. 

Bohemians 1905 bought their professional license to take their place in 2. Liga, while Xaverov dropped down to the Prague league football. The momentum continued as Bohemians finished as runners-up in their first season back to win promotion to the 1. Liga. They remained in the top flight for just one season. 

Not for the first time, the club immediately regrouped and won promotion at the first attempt. May 8th 2010, saw Bohemians say goodbye to the Dimple, as Ďolíčku was nicknamed, with a league game against SK Kladno. Financial problems led the club owners to decide to become tenants at the Synot Tip Arena. 

This was what the home of the near neighbour’s Slavia’s Eden was called at the time, on a five-year deal. The move was brought to an end when Bohemians were relegated at the end of the 2011-12 season as they moved back to Ďolíčku. In September 2012, a Czech court ruled that the former Střížkov club must not continue to use the name Bohemians after January 2013. 

To make Bohemians fans even happier, the team finished the 2012-13 season as runners-up in 2. Liga and won a return to the top flight, while the former Střížkov club were relegated down to the ČFL. They continued to challenge the court’s decision before dropping even further down to the Prague Championship in 2015. 

In April 2016, Bohemians were given a huge boost when the Prague council bought Ďolíčku, with the club remaining in situ and paying rent. Karel Kapr, the owner of Střížkov, lost the court appeal and shut down the adult men’s team, leaving the original Bohemians the only club in town with that title. 

Martin Hašek was appointed as coach in the summer of 2017 as performances improved on the pitch. Luděk Klusáček took over team affairs in October 2019 as Bohemians escaped relegation, then finished mid-table for a couple of seasons. Jaroslav Veselý was the head coach of the side that stayed up with a playoff victory against Slezský FC Opava in 2021-22.

The following season ended with Bohemians in fourth place, with Roman Květ scoring regularly, before things returned to type.

Bohemians 1905 will play in the Czech Liga in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Friday 11th March 2016

My first full day of a long weekend in Prague was going superbly, with visits to FK Admira Praha, SK Meteor Praha and AC Sparta Praha all successfully accessed for photos. Following a really enjoyable walk around the stunning city centre and a fine goulash soup for lunch, I decided to head to Vršovice to visit Bohemians. 

I could also call in at Eden to buy a match ticket for that evening’s Slavia match. I’d been given a tip about a pub by my ale aficionado pal Ken Stockhill, who was texting me from Scarborough. However, the place was deserted, so I took a metro one stop from I.P. Pavlova to Vyšehrad, from where I saw it was a simple tram ride to Ďolíčku; well, in theory anyway!

I set off up the main 5. Května road, completely in the wrong direction. I walked back to Vyšehrad and realised I needed to walk down the steep, neat gardens down a hundred feet or so to Jaromírova. The number 7 tram took me as far as Náměstí Bratří Synků before I decided to cut under the railway and walk the last half mile along Vršovická to the stadium.

To my absolute delight, a corner gate was open where the groundsmen were working on the pitch. Using my best sign language, they smiled and nodded that it was OK to enter and take some photos of a real gem of a traditional venue.

The Main Stand consisted of huge single-tiered seating. The far end, where once terracing was now an open bank of seats, but still home to the club’s most passionate support. The far touchline had around three or four rows of open seating with the Sportovní road directly behind. 

The near end had no spectator accommodation but was backed with adverts and a scoreboard. I wandered around taking many photos before heading off on foot for twenty minutes to the Eden Arena to buy my ticket for the evening’s entertainment.