Bohs to host Czech namesakes in historic friendly

Bohemians will host their Czech namesake in a friendly this September.

The match-up between the two sides will be the final international club friendly, before Dalymount Park undergoes its big-budget redevelopment.

The match will mark the first time the two sides have ever played each other.

Dalymount Park previously hosted three Ireland international matches against the Czechoslovakian national team.

Club president Matt Devaney said: “We are delighted to be welcoming our namesakes from Czechia to Dalymount Park.”

“For those of us supporting Bohs for a long time, we always held out hope that the two Bohemians clubs might be drawn to play each other in European competition.”

“Unfortunately, that hasn’t come to pass yet, but we feel that the last international club friendly to take place in Dalymount Park before its redevelopment is a really fitting send-off for the ground we all love so well,” he said.

“It promises to be a special occasion for both sets of supporters, and we look forward to welcoming visiting supporters from Prague.”

Director of Bohemians Praha 1905, Darek Jakubowicz, said, “we are delighted that this match is happening. Dalymount Park is a famous Irish stadium, and its resemblance to Dolicek (Bohemians’ 1905 stadium) is more than obvious.”

Jakubowicz said, “it will undoubtedly be an unforgettable experience for both Bohemians clubs.”

“Two historic Bohemians clubs will face each other in an international friendly for the first time in history. This is a fantastic highlight for the season that we all welcome – players, coaches, and fans alike.”

Bohs’ Czech namesakes play a major role in international football history: Antonín Panenka spent nearly 15 years playing for the club.

This month marks 50 years since Paneka put himself in the football lexicon with his famous chipped penalty to win Euro 1976 for his nation against West Germany.

Club historian Gerry Farrell expanded on the history between Dublin 7 and Central Europe.

The first match between Bohs and a Czech team took place in 1934, with Bohs play DSV Saaz on that occasion (with Bohs winning 1-0).

A December 1965 fixture saw Dukla Prague play Bohs, with their team featuring 1962 Balon D’Or winner Josef Masopust; Bohs were on the receiving end of a 5-0 loss on that occasion.

The two teams sharing a name was explored by Farrell; he noted that it was “difficult” to ascertain why a team from Dublin and a team from Prague share a name.

The book Enduring Legacy Of An Idle Youth, an examination of Bohs’ history, attempted to solve the mystery.

“Certainly, the term ‘Bohemian’ was often used in the contemporary parlance of Dublin culture and society, as was mentioned the theatre seems to have been an influence there as well because ‘The Bohemian Girl’ by Balfe was the most popular opera and this seems to have received kind of constant cultural references,” Farrell explained.

“Certainly, we can see how the ideal of living an unconventional lifestyle focused around the pleasures of art, sport and culture might appeal to the young men who created the Bohemian Football Club – the Dublin version – in 1890.” 

Tickets for the fixture are on sale now, with the match itself taking place on Saturday, September 26.