Kings of the Castle, or Dirty Rascals? A trip to Hradec Králové
There will still be a couple more blogs before the year ends. I'll be attending Slovan Bratislava v Hacken in the Europa Conference League, followed by a cheap flight back to Luton the next morning. There will undoubtedly be at least one Stevenage blog of some variety in the wake of all three games I'll manage to see, and potentially a blog on a Welsh league game if I'm able to do a couple of nights in Cardiff for Stevenage's fixture there at the end of December.
In any case, it was my fourth attempt at trying to get to a game in HK. The first instance was at the end of the 2023/24 season, with HK set to host Teplice for the final involving mid-table group teams - an ultimately pointless game, but a chance to check out a new city nonetheless. Unfortunately, a bereavement meant I would have to put it on the back burner for the time being.
Then back in March of this year, I'd looked into doing this same fixture against Jablonec at the very start of March, but unfortunately I was recovering from a bout of pneumonia. Take three was the day after my 30th birthday following the post-season split against Karvina, though again medical reasons stopped me from going.
Barring some mammoth Saturday morning hangover or illness, I would make this one. Not if it killed me; that would be stupid. But I'd make it, and look forward to exploring another new Czech city which I've only passed through on previous occasions. For whatever reason, someone somewhere didn't want me to go to Hradec...
As mentioned, the away side are flying, with Jablonec up in third and only three points off Slavia at the top. A couple of defeats to the likes of Zlin and Sigma Olomouc have derailed them a little from early season excellence, but they're still picking up some excellent results. Last week saw a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Plzen, meanwhile Hradec were also involved in a thriller, though unfortunately for them it was a 4-3 loss at Karvina.
As always then, given the goalfests that unfolded last week, this game is screaming 0-0 to me. As for how Hradec are doing going into this weekend, they sit in 8th, with three consecutive wins in league and cup prior to that Karvina game.
It would be fair to say HK have very much earned and cemented their status as a steady mid-table team in the top tier, which is impressive given their yo-yo status of a few years back. Since 2021's promotion, they've never really looked in any danger of dropping.
When Baby Elephants Attack
Okay, so I'm using some poetic licence here for this subheading, which will become clear later on. After all it's not as if I have any other kind of licence right now, be it driving or fishing. I'd spent the first part of the morning, however, wishing I did have a driving licence, with the first train naturally delayed by a good half hour. Thankfully replacement buses from Pardubice were regular enough that I didn't miss too much, but sometimes an extra half hour can make all the difference.
My first impressions were of an absolutely gorgeous city, though primarily around the main historical centre. That's not to say the wide expansive streets that lead you from the station to this centre aren't just as elegant - in fact, the many bridges that cross the Labe and Elbe rivers reminded me of Amsterdam. But the centre was the perfect location for a wintry afternoon. Christmas was already in the air some month in advance, which usually I might complain about in some Scrooge-like manner, but today it felt perfect.
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| Various images of Hradec, including one of the more unusual pieces from the Modern Art Gallery |
Having spent much of the time exploring on foot, only ducking into the excellent Modern Art Gallery for some respite from the cold, I barely had time to find somewhere to grab a bit to eat. The ground was a stones' throw from the centre of HK, meaning I'd simply grab some klobasa and a pint of Rebel. It was only the second time I'd had Rebel, and I have to admit it rarely goes down well at all. The klobasa, however was excellent.
Oddly enough, I'd listened to the latest album from Just Mustard on the train that morning, and by pure coincidence, my klobasa was served with...well...just mustard! And bread obviously, but that adds nothing to this anecdote. I should also mention that I managed to get halfway through Irvine Welsh's Crime on both train journeys to and from Pardubice, which further cements his status as one of my favourite writers.
I just about managed to finish my beer before getting into the ground, and I was quite impressed with the Malšovická Arena - despite its modernity, it still felt like a traditional ground. There were similarities with the likes of Košice (who also have a newer stadium), but it still retained an identity of its own. And those floodlights - phenomenal. So much so that the Hradec mascot was a floodlight.
Both sets of supporters were in fine voice, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a healthy number of Jablonec fans, given how Czech fans don't often travel all that well. Hradec even had some choreo midway through the first-half, which I couldn't see from behind it in with the ultras, but I'm sure it would have looked impressive.
The first half wasn't much to write home about, though I enjoyed the fact Underworld's 'Born Slippy' was played prior to kick-off, as well as the inflatable ball wrestling at half-time that bookended the first-half. Jablonec loved to timewaste, much to the frustration of the hosts. After the goal gluts from both teams last week, it was kind of a shame to see it on such full display.
The second-half certainly livened up, with Tom Slončík - on loan from Plzen whose name translates as 'baby elephant' - took matters into his own hands. The ball fell to him on the rebound from a wide angle, as his shot somehow eluded Jan Hanuš in the Jablonec goal to give the hosts a deserved lead. Jablonec had a few chances, but the HK advantage was doubled via Tom 'that man again' Baby Elephant on 84 minutes to ultimately seal the game - a well-worked counter attack slotted home beautifully by the 20 year old.
Though I couldn't feel my fingers by full-time, it was an excellent way to spend a final Saturday of football in Czech Republic, following a challenging and at times horrific year. Assuming I'm too lazy to write a blog for that aforementioned Slovan Europa Conference League game (which is likely), a beautiful Christmas to all who read the inane ramblings of an Englishman in the Czech Republic.
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