Menzel

The UK are not finishing last. Look out for a Czech flag and a dons scarf in the hall on Thursday night then!

Off to Vienna on Tuesday! Will be there for the whole contest - can't wait.

Not been updating this thread as much as I should really - been an interesting few weeks from a Zbrojovka perspective. Up to 10th after a hard-fought win against Vysočina Jihlava after last week's pumping off of Sparta Prague. A few more games to go and that'll be us for the season, Highlights here: http://www.synotliga.cz/zapas/5261-bno-jih/videosestrih.html

Fantastic response from Zbrojovka at the weekend after last week's awful result. České Budějovice is one of the longest away trips for us in South Moravia, taking the best part of five hours to get to the game, but the 40 or so fans we brought along were treated to a fine game from Brno which sets us up nicely for Ostava on Friday night; which I am unfortunately not going to make. It's a pretty wee town and the home of Budvar, with some cracking pubs for an enjoyable weekend. Video of the match is here: http://www.synotliga.cz/zapas/5199-ceb-bno/videosestrih.html#tabs. FINALLY Zbrojovka have stopped playing 3 at the back like total fools and the 4-5-1 we lined up with gave us the most width we've seen in months. What a difference Pavel Zavodil makes when he plays as well - sorely missed last weekend and linked up well with Mouzkanza who ran Dynamo ragged. Good shot of the crowd from the OS Zbrojovaci FB page Superfan David, my travelling companion

There's a possibility we'll be at the Plzeň game as we've been talking about doing another weekender to the other side of the country; be sure to send me a message if you're at it. Slavia have gone completely off the boil the last few years and what was a sell-out a few years back (I struggled when I was living in Prague) may not be now. If you're dying for it I'd suggest getting a ticket earlier; but otherwise I'd highly recommend a trip to Bohemians at the Ďolíček. The football's only costing you a tenner if you're one of the big Prague teams. My usual ticket for Zbrojovka is 35 crowns (around £1) as a student (!) and we're expecting to pay £3 for our away seats at the weekend.

Hooray, we're back from the break! After an awful loss to Dukla on Saturday, Zbrojovka's next trip will be to south Bohemia to entertain Dynamo České Budějovice. We're booked up for the trip so expect a match report and photographs next weekend!

Utterly, utterly obsessed.

That's Ash Taylor signed up until 2017: http://www.afc.co.uk/news/5578#.VLeH1ivF-So

More great news for the Dons today - Rooney, McGinn, Shankland and McKenna all signing new deals for the club. http://www.afc.co.uk/news/5498.php#.VJhRqV4AKA

Fond memories of Zero from back in the day, a real player to shout about when there usually wasn't much to at that time. My first shirt was one of the '0' ones!

Then you're obviously not much of a fan then. Sevco staying down better than our first trophy in almost 20 years? Absolute lunacy.

That's us into the winter break now and some far from pleasing Zbrojovka results to say the least. Losing 2-1 at the weekend to the team mired at the foot of the table is never good. Will try to post interesting things here from time to time but will start it all up again when the league kicks back on in February.

The Ebbe train! Never worked right enough.

Just got sent this, sensational

Great news to wake up to this morning. Toast all round!

0-0 in the game last night versus Bohemians. Awful match with no real chances except for a late surge by the Flinta which produced a very good save from Bohemian's goalie late on. However, the point wasn't enough to keep us off second bottom. Already this season it's become obvious that Hradec Králové are dead and buried, so the question is who will be going down to 2. Liga with them. Only 3 points separating 12th to 15th (five points separating 7th to 15th too!) so getting tight.

Not up to much it seems. Played a few times last year for Slavia but is no longer on the books. Bohemians-Zbrojovka tonight from 7pm CET on ČT Sport. Could really use a point from it!

Lost to Slovácko 1-0 with a gutless Brno performance, unfortunately. Double unfortunate is that the game in Prague against Bohemians has been moved to Monday night, meaning that I can no longer make the trip. It will be televised for those interested, however. Bohemians are good at home and any points, while being third bottom, would certainly be welcomed.

It's the game I know you've all been waiting for...the South Moravian derby (!) is this weekend as 1. FC Slovácko make the 70km trip west to take on Zbrojovka. The Uherské Hradiště are off the back of going down 1:0 to Plzeň, by all means an acceptable result, while Zbrojovka's unespected 2:0 loss to second-bottom Jihlava (outrageous) now leaves them 13/16, albeit with a 6 point cushion and only one point off the relegation zone. Both teams will be hoping to bounce back tomorrow night - Slovácko finished a half-decent 6th last year and are far stronger at home than on the road, and have not been doing so well against inferior opposition this year. Zbrojovka, playing at home, should fancy their chances for a result to get back on winning ways after only one win in five. I'll be at the game tomorrow and will hopefully get pictures of the action. Game of the weekend has to be the top of the table clash, where first-placed Plzeň take on a resurgent Sparta Prague only a point behind them - kick-off is at 19:15 UK time (20:15 Cz) if anyone wishes to watch, it'll be broadcast on TV and is worth streaming.

Well small towns are generall cheaper, but 25-30 is your standard for most places I find right now. It was slightly cheaper in Jihlava where I was based this week but I wouldn't mind anywhere that's 20-25 really.

I'd say that it would be highly unlikely, especially given the competition for places in Europe and so on. I'd argue that the standard of Czech football is higher, obviously teams like Slovan Bratislava would compete, but would mean many Slovak clubs missing out on European fitba cash. There's also the economic questions surrounding it, considering that both countries use different currencies. There would be loads of fan resistance to such moves you'd assume. If I was a supporter of one of the Bohemian teams I wouldn't relish the away trips to somewhere like Košice either! On the subject of money, I'd love to know where diegomarahenry drinks if 25 crowns for a pint is expensive by Czech standards!

Not exactly. There was a financial crisis in Bohemians in 2005 where the club was saved by the fans, dropping down a few divisions but slowly getting back up to the premier league. During that time FC Střížkov bought the name and the logo, something which has been ruled illegal, but they soldier on regardless. Bohemians fans, busy saving their club, didn't jump ship to it, however. Now the original bohemians have 1905 after their name and are a league above FK Bohemians Prague, they'll meet again in the league if 1905 get relegated as it's unlikely that Bohemians Střížkov would be allowed up due to their stadium. There's of course animosity there, overwhelmingly one-sided towards Střížkov, but most fans of the Klokani are much more concerned with their traditional rivals Slavia, coming from the same area in Prague.

So the big Saturday night game has came and went, on a pretty chilly night in south Moravia. A season-high turnout for Zbrojovka saw 8,200 fans, of which some 500 were away support, converge on stadion Srbská. All in all, it was a relatively easy victory for the visitors, who never really got out of second gear and are now justifiably top of the table. Zbrojovka could never really deal with the wide, passing game that Sparta excel at, Ivorian midfielder Tiémoko Konaté caused the Flinta problems all evening and created a couple of well-worked goals. The breakthrough came on the 13th minute, where a nice one-two split the home defence and allowed Ladislav Krejčí to dispatch an excellent near-post finish. Sparta dominated the first half, restricting Zbrojovka to nothing more than half-chances and were well worth their lead at the break. Any chance for Zbrojovka to get back into the game were dashed before the 60 minute mark - goalkeeper Václav Hladký bundling down Marek Matějovskský in the box, and had to walk as the last man. The penalty was coolly taken care of by Bořek Dočkal to put Sparta 2-0 up. Some ten minutes later and again it was Sparta's dominance on the wing that cost Zbrojovka, the stand-off appraoch allowing miles of space for Sparta's midfield to whip in a low ball finding the unmarked David Lafata to slot home. On the 75th minute Zbrojovka were able to get one back, in what was perhaps a candidate for the club's goal of the season so far. Pavel Košt'ál excellent run from his own half beat several visiting players, and from some 25 yards he opened his body up to lash a shot past the keeper to the cheers of the home faithful. Full time Zrbojovka Brno 1 Sparta Prague 3. There were of course flares (despite everyone being body searched on the way in!) An interesting statistic from the match is that all three of Sparta's goalscorers were playing in the last two European qualifiers for the Czech Republic, hinting at a real rift of class between the two teams. Sparta will of course be up there again this season, looking to defend their league title. Their next Europa League match is another fascinating one, against Slovan Bratislava (who incidentally also have a fan friendship with Zbrojovka). The home side's next game is on Friday, away to Vysočina Jihlava. There is an outside chance I'll be in Jihlava for the week on a work assignment, so if I do end up there I'll take it in. I think it's well worth watching the highlights for Zbrojovka's golazo - you can do so here http://www.synotliga.cz/zapas/5169-bno-spa/videosestrih.html#tabs

Milan Baroš will apparently be starting on the bench tonight for Baník Ostrava at home to second-bottom Vysočina Jihlava. With forty minutes gone in tonight's other game, the infamous Dukla Prague are beating FK Příbram 2-0. Tomorrow's game to look out for is definitely Mladá Boleslav against Viktoria Plzeň - Boleslav are fourth and are fantastic at home and entertaining the league leaders.