I also have a message for PragueAddick. Im off to Prague on Thursday for 4 nights with the boys. It is the Sparta vs Slavia match on Saturday and it would be great to get tickets.
Any idea if there is any possibility of some going spare, where would i look and how much would they be?
It would be more comfortable for you to get the tickets in advance, that's for sure, and if you arriving tomorrow you have time. The first option might be to ask your hotel if they can either get them for you or to direct you to where you can get them. At the worst the hotel can find out when the ticket office is open at the stadium and you could go up there (Hradcanska metro then a couple of stops on the tram if you are lazy).
It won't be a sell out but will be pretty full, since Sparta are locked in a battle at the top with Viktoria Plzen (my team), and need the points. On form they would beat Slavia, but this is the biggest of the Prague derbies, and you at least hope that Slavia will be up for giving them a bloody nose. You should expect a totally over the top police presence and security checks before going in, and therefore I'd recommend to get there at least 30 mins before kick off. The locals all tend to turn up ten minutes before and then wonder why there's a big queue. You might want to linger behind too. The area where the stadium is located is actually considered quite upmarket and there are some good pubs in the side streets on the far side of the stadium (when coming from Hradcanska). There are also good pubs at Hradcanska itself, cross the railway line, turn left and Bruska has Pilsner Urquell from the tank. Remember that in a Czech pub you sit down at a table and your beer is brought to you, and you pay at the end of your session. Bloody great, once you get used to it.
Letna stadium is less impressive then the Valley even though it is sometimes used for international matches.However it will for certain present a better playing surface, and you may wonder how that is achieved after a winter break featuring two months of sub zero temperatures and snow. Sparta is a pretty nasty club, and their fans have a relatively bad reputation , although it is all posturing and smashing up inanimate objects. Slavia fans (the ones in red and white) are generally a reasonable bunch. Personally I'm hoping for a Slavia result.
I didnt mean to overplay the safety angle. You will probably end up laughing at the police over-reaction.The Czech police are utterly useless. Actually the best bet is along either side, and they would probably be the seats you'd be offered as foreigners, as they are the more expensive . They will still be pretty cheap by UK standards. I would doubt if they will be more than a tenner. And in those seats don't be surprised to find home and away fans sitting together without any trouble.
I went to a Sparta-Slavia derby in my first few months here. It was an absolute epic. 26,000 sell out (current capacity is much lower, about 17,000) everyone mixed in together, but the Slavia ultras were goading and being mullered by black-clad stewards. One Slavia fan lay unconscious on the pitch behind their keeper, and play just continued. Slavia did classic away smash and grab 2-0. I'd be happy for you if you get half as much entertainment this Saturday. Let me know. Cheers!
Comments
Any idea if there is any possibility of some going spare, where would i look and how much would they be?
Any help would be very much appreciated
It would be more comfortable for you to get the tickets in advance, that's for sure, and if you arriving tomorrow you have time. The first option might be to ask your hotel if they can either get them for you or to direct you to where you can get them. At the worst the hotel can find out when the ticket office is open at the stadium and you could go up there (Hradcanska metro then a couple of stops on the tram if you are lazy).
It won't be a sell out but will be pretty full, since Sparta are locked in a battle at the top with Viktoria Plzen (my team), and need the points. On form they would beat Slavia, but this is the biggest of the Prague derbies, and you at least hope that Slavia will be up for giving them a bloody nose. You should expect a totally over the top police presence and security checks before going in, and therefore I'd recommend to get there at least 30 mins before kick off. The locals all tend to turn up ten minutes before and then wonder why there's a big queue. You might want to linger behind too. The area where the stadium is located is actually considered quite upmarket and there are some good pubs in the side streets on the far side of the stadium (when coming from Hradcanska). There are also good pubs at Hradcanska itself, cross the railway line, turn left and Bruska has Pilsner Urquell from the tank. Remember that in a Czech pub you sit down at a table and your beer is brought to you, and you pay at the end of your session. Bloody great, once you get used to it.
Letna stadium is less impressive then the Valley even though it is sometimes used for international matches.However it will for certain present a better playing surface, and you may wonder how that is achieved after a winter break featuring two months of sub zero temperatures and snow. Sparta is a pretty nasty club, and their fans have a relatively bad reputation , although it is all posturing and smashing up inanimate objects. Slavia fans (the ones in red and white) are generally a reasonable bunch. Personally I'm hoping for a Slavia result.
Would you recommend sitting in the home end for the game then (on a safety level)? And any ideas on different prices?
I have read your reports of Viktoria Plzen and even noticed them crop up when they spanked Napoli earlier on in the Champions League.
I didnt mean to overplay the safety angle. You will probably end up laughing at the police over-reaction.The Czech police are utterly useless. Actually the best bet is along either side, and they would probably be the seats you'd be offered as foreigners, as they are the more expensive . They will still be pretty cheap by UK standards. I would doubt if they will be more than a tenner. And in those seats don't be surprised to find home and away fans sitting together without any trouble.
I went to a Sparta-Slavia derby in my first few months here. It was an absolute epic. 26,000 sell out (current capacity is much lower, about 17,000) everyone mixed in together, but the Slavia ultras were goading and being mullered by black-clad stewards. One Slavia fan lay unconscious on the pitch behind their keeper, and play just continued. Slavia did classic away smash and grab 2-0. I'd be happy for you if you get half as much entertainment this Saturday. Let me know. Cheers!