LFC on the road - 2009-2010 season
Balkans
First up this season was a quick two week trip to the Balkans, Dubrovnik and Bosnia, and Prague.
Date: 22/09/09 Game: Carling Cup 3rd round vs Leeds United (A)
Location: Katie O’Connor’s, Dropceva 4a, Dubrovnik, Croatia
First up this season was a quick two week trip to the Balkans, Dubrovnik and Bosnia, and Prague.
Date: 22/09/09 Game: Carling Cup 3rd round vs Leeds United (A)
Location: Katie O’Connor’s, Dropceva 4a, Dubrovnik, Croatia
I had already been in Dubrovnik a few days so the Tuesday night Carling Cup game provided a nice distraction from all the history and street cafes. Found a paint-by-numbers Irish bar which had Sky but for the first half I was the only one in the bar watching the game. Suits me, Czech beer on draft and football on TV. Unfortunately for the second half, they replaced the commentary with some god awful music to drag the punters in. Still it was an enjoyable enough game, predictably tricky with a mish-mash side against lower division opponents before Ngog grabbed a well-taken winner.
Date: 26/09/09 Game: Premier League vs Hull City (H)
Location: Strosmajerova, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
By Saturday I had made my way to Sarajevo via Mostar but wasn’t very hopeful of catching the Saturday 3pm game against Hull. However the day before I came across a pedestrianised side street off Feharijda which was a complete open air cafe with big screens at intervals all the way down the street showing various sporting events. On Saturday I finished the tour of Sarajevo I had taken with our hostel owner Haris at 4pm, just in time for the kickoff and sure enough the game was on one of the screens. A few Sarajevsko beers and a 6-1 trashing made for a very enjoyable afternoon.
Location: Strosmajerova, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
By Saturday I had made my way to Sarajevo via Mostar but wasn’t very hopeful of catching the Saturday 3pm game against Hull. However the day before I came across a pedestrianised side street off Feharijda which was a complete open air cafe with big screens at intervals all the way down the street showing various sporting events. On Saturday I finished the tour of Sarajevo I had taken with our hostel owner Haris at 4pm, just in time for the kickoff and sure enough the game was on one of the screens. A few Sarajevsko beers and a 6-1 trashing made for a very enjoyable afternoon.
Date: 29/09/09 Game: Champions League group game vs Fiorentina (A)
Location: Zlata Hvezda bar, Ve Smechkach 12, Prague, Czech Republic
For the Champions League game, I was back in Prague and there was only one place to watch it – the Zlata Hvezda bar on Ve Smechkach in the new town. I had been here a couple of times before, to watch the home game against Galatasary three years earlier which featured Crouch’s superb overhead kick and for the La Liga final day in June 2007 when Madrid regained the title. It’s a superb bar despite being on probably the tackiest street in the city. There are four big rooms and countless screens showing every game possible and the waitresses keep you stocked up on really cheap half litres of Czech beer. Don’t plan on catching analysis or highlights though as everything is shut down just after the final whistle. This game was instantly forgettable, a dismal performance and a 2-0 loss.
Location: Zlata Hvezda bar, Ve Smechkach 12, Prague, Czech Republic
For the Champions League game, I was back in Prague and there was only one place to watch it – the Zlata Hvezda bar on Ve Smechkach in the new town. I had been here a couple of times before, to watch the home game against Galatasary three years earlier which featured Crouch’s superb overhead kick and for the La Liga final day in June 2007 when Madrid regained the title. It’s a superb bar despite being on probably the tackiest street in the city. There are four big rooms and countless screens showing every game possible and the waitresses keep you stocked up on really cheap half litres of Czech beer. Don’t plan on catching analysis or highlights though as everything is shut down just after the final whistle. This game was instantly forgettable, a dismal performance and a 2-0 loss.
