Football Tour to Prague - Spring 2009
In the first week of the Easter holidays the 1st team football squad travelled to Prague.
In the first two days we had some time to ourselves and decided to sample some of Prague’s sophisticated lifestyle. The city itself is amazing; it has a calm, warm ambiance and the architecture throughout Prague is beautiful.
On the second day we were excited to find we had a training session, the first on tour training session in years; it proved successful as we were introduced to the Wainman warm up which prepared us well for every game without fail.
By now the boys were well up for their first fixture and everyone was bubbling with confidence in anticipation for what lay ahead. The build up to the first game was a unique experience with a rare silence on the bus journey and in the changing room reflecting our fantastic focus. FC Branik is a small football club and was reported to be our weakest opponent on tour. The fitness of our players was pushed to its limits as we battled against high temperatures and FC Branik’s fantastic ability to keep the ball. A fairly quiet first half ended 0-0 but it was Hull Collegiate who came out strongest in the second half as Jordy Meanwell dominated the right wing with some brilliant attacking football. Late on in the game there was an uplifting debut appearance for James Robinson who had been injured for a year now. The game finished 0-0 but we were unlucky not to come away with 3 points, especially after a brilliant lob by Ben Kirby which forced a world class save from their keeper.
A quiet morning was in store the following day as we recovered from the exhaustion of the first game. Despite being told that the next team we faced was much stronger than our first opposition we were still confident in our ability. That afternoon we arrived at S.K Stresovice where we were met by a fancy club house and fantastic 3G pitch; it was immediately noticed that we were in for a treat. In the first half tired legs from the previous day showed as S.K Stresovice proved to set the tempo. After half time Hull started playing to their strengths with spectacular performances by Liam Keenan and Will Rowden who really bossed the midfield and attack. In the final moments of the match we were awarded a free kick 40 yards from goal. A crossed ball was met by Rob Hoyle who performed what can only be described as a ‘salmon like leap’ to rattle the cross bar with a powerful header; James Robinson was first to anticipate the rebound and stuck the ball in the net from 5 yards. We won the match 1-0 and now had a well deserved 4 points from 2 games, equalling the record number of points on any tour of our generation. Hopes were high that we could break this record.
That night we were led on a wild goose chase by Joe Clark in search of a mythical Czech cuisine restaurant that he claimed to have spotted on the bus journey to our earlier game. Eventually we found another, less fictional place which proved to be an excellent setting for a final meal and we left with our spirits higher than ever.
Our final day saw may of the team dashing about Prague for last minute gifts for loved ones whilst others decided to visit the renowned Prague Zoo where they danced with cockatoos. Our final match was against SK Kladno, a premier league side in Czech football. Another fantastic Wainman warm up got our stiff legs moving before facing their U18 academy side. A well trained, strong side really pushed our players to their limits. Some excellent defending from Daniel Young kept their key winger from making several dangerous runs. Rob Hoyle’s bravery saw him take a nasty cut to the lip after a clash with their monster of a forward; however after Rob laid eyes upon the female physio waiting to treat him he immediately got up and was happy to follow her from the field. At half time they led 1-0 through an unattractive goal; this lead was going to be tested to the final minute. During the second half they started to improve on their lead and after 70 minutes it was 3-0. The final 20 minutes proved tough with even Leslie Chu and John Fraser, the workhorses of the team, beginning to tire. A late break saw Mike Cuthbertson beat several players to get one on one at goal from an acute angle. He did well to beat the keeper but was denied by the post. It would be Hull who had the final say though with another free-kick which resulted in a penalty for a foul in the box. James Robinson wasted no time in claiming the penalty for himself, sinking it in the bottom left hand corner of the goal. The match finished 4-1 with all players holding there heads high.
Not one of the three teams we played will ever forget us; firstly due to our battling English spirit and secondly because half of Prague could hear our post-match singing.
To summarise... Prague was EPIC.
Jordy Meanwell (Capt) & Michael Cuthbertson (V.Capt.)
