We made a somewhat last minute decision to see if we could get tickets for one of Prague’s football clubs match on Sunday. We took our chances and showed up at the gate and waited 30 minutes with everyone else trying to get in.
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| Stadium Entrance |
We were fortunate to get a couple of the remaining tickets left. Yes!
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| Concessions! |
However, these tickets were no ordinary ones with seats and a calm-ish crowd. They were standing-only behind one of the goals.
We learned that this is where the most hardcore fans stand throughout the game. These people, called the Ultras, bring the electrified energy to football matches around the world. Think endless songs being sung about the team, flares, flags waving, a lot of beer, some weed, and of course…cigarettes.
Everyone is standing shoulder-to-shoulder living and dying with every shot, pass, lost ball, fouls perceived or not, and goals. These fans all tend to live near the stadium and love their team.
We were asked by the guy in front of us where we were from, why we were there, a mild interrogation. We ended up fast friends following the match and talking about non-football things.
He was a cool guy. He left in the second half with a half dozen plastic cup he gathered from his friends and some cash. He somehow navigated the crowd at the beer stand and the Ultras with seven beers in his two hands. This was a master class only surpassed by a server at Octoberfest in Munich. Our new buddy had one of those beers for us! Like I said, a cool guy.
The match was exciting and quite tense at times. Great saves by both goalkeepers and the crossbar kept the game at a 0-0 draw. So, with a couple of matches to go, Bohemians 1905 is still in the running for a Europa League spot. In Europe, teams can qualify for tournaments outside their regular club team leagues, Champions League and Europa League.
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