Visiting fans can also expect a warm welcome in a number of ways.

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1 People coming to Prague to see Celtic playing Slavia will find one of Europe s most beautiful cities, most likely in the blazing sun current predictions are that the temperature will be in the range which may surprise those of a certain vintage, brought up on cold, grey images of Warsaw Pact countries from the Cold War era. Visiting fans can also expect a warm welcome in a number of ways. Prague Czechs are often exceptionally positive about Scottish and Irish culture, sometimes citing historic connections between the Celtic and Slavonic peoples. You can also expect to hear considerable praise for the Scottish landscape, which seems captivating and romantic to a very outdoor population, with a love of sports and the countryside. Slavia This particular fixture should attract a special amount of goodwill as Slavia fans are very much aware of the legendary status of Johnny Madden and how he connects the two clubs, particularly as this match will see the dedication of a stand to his memory. (Madden s image can be seen on the half-time screens at the Eden Arena at almost every match.) Fans of another, smaller Prague club, Bohemians 1905, also feel a special affinity with Celtic, sharing the green-and-white and having taken the mantle of the anti-establishment club consistently over decades. So, there should be minimal risk of any crowd trouble in Prague, which is one of Europe s safest capitals, in terms of violent incidents. (Even late at night, there is a very low risk of being a victim of violent crime.) Fans wearing colours can expect to attract positive attention, including in the environs of the stadium, where the local crowd is anticipated as being low, due to the Wednesday and Thursday both being public holidays, meaning that many denizens will vacate the city. Match-time There are a few points to note, regarding the match. Firstly, while the game will be considered very low-risk, it is the right of the Czech police to ask for an ID-card or passport at any time while in the country. This is unlikely to be an issue at the game and tickets are expected to be available at the ground a short time before kick-off. However, technically, you could be refused entry to the ground, even with a ticket, if you cannot produce ID when asked, though this is usually only enforced at higher-security matches. Again, probably unnecessary, but fans should not be alarmed if they encounter police in full riot gear. Some deployment of police in mufti is a weekly occurrence at football in the Czech Republic and does not in any way indicate that trouble is expected. Rather, it could be considered to be a vestige of what was formerly a police state, until the Velvet Revolution. Locals don t bat an eyelid at such scenes. At the Eden Arena, there are two bars attached to the stadium. At ground-floor-level, near the fan shop, is the hotel bar, where Celtic and Slavia fans can expect to mix without incident in a family atmosphere.

2 The other bar, which is accessed via a staircase is not recommended for visitors, as it is the hub for any local ultras, some of whom may have complex footballing connections. (It should be noted that it is not the duty of bar staff in Czech pubs to manage or assist with any incidents occurring on the premises.) Transport There are two main buses from Vaclav Havel airport to the city centre. (Terminal 1 for non-schengen area flights; Terminal 2 for Schengen area). Contrary to myth, the bus from the airport is not free of charge. Furthermore, ticket inspectors regularly patrol these buses, in particular, as they realise that foreigners are often to be found without tickets, when they can impose on-the-spot fines. (If there are any language issues, they almost always have the police meet them at the next stop.) Tickets can be bought at the airport, ticket machines at the airport bus stops (which are often faulty) or Tabaks (newsagents). Fares can be found at the following link. Tickets must be validated in the yellow machines immediately on entering a bus or tram and before going to the railway platform. Bus 119 to Nadrazi Veleslavin metro (Green line). These buses are fast, regular and covered by the standard Prague ticket. Changing to the metro, (the platform on the right, when coming from the airport (destination Depo Hostivar), it takes only a few minutes to reach the city centre (Mustek or Muzeum for Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti), the Old Town Square (Staromestka), etc. Bus AE Express This bus goes directly to the main train station (Hlavni Nadrazi) but costs about 60 Czech Crowns (Kc) per journey, even when in possession of a travel ticket. Taxis Under no circumstances should you accept a hire from a taxi driver who approaches you on the concourse of the airport. Unfortunately, while efforts are being made to improve the situation, many taxi drivers are corrupt, using a variety of methods, including fast meters to grossly inflate the price. (It should also be noted that many taxi drivers are licensed to carry guns.) If you insist on getting a taxi, approach the AAA Taxi booth on the concourse and ask for one there. Alternatively, City Taxi has a decent reputation and can be called on Their operators will speak English and give you a price when ordering, if you ask, though they may ask for an exact street address, rather than a hotel name.

3 Uber also operates in Prague. Generally, transport in Prague is fully-integrated, extremely efficient, safe and cheap, even at night. The website: dpp.cz/en has an excellent journey planner in English and the IDOS phone app is exceptional in that it will locate your nearest bus or tram stop and calculate the best options for your destination. So, you should not really need to take taxis unless going long distances. If you prefer to take a cab, either call one from one of the companies mentioned or pick one up from those companies (or Modry Andel) from a stance marked as a Fair Place, as a last resort. Hailing taxis in the street is a recipe for disaster and absolutely never enter a taxi if there is more than one person in it. Eden Arena Transport to the Eden Arena is quick and easy: By Tram: Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 21, 22, 24 (Night trams) 95, 97, 99 Buses: 135, 136, 150, 213 Eden Arena is directly opposite a large shopping centre with the usual provisions and facilities. Enjoying Prague One, perhaps unfortunate, fact to note is that Prague is likely to be very quiet at the time of the game, due to the fact that Wednesday 5 th and Thursday, 6 th are public holidays, therefore many Czechs will take the entire week off work. This means that the attendance at the ground is expected, by Slavia, to be low, though the club may not have accounted for the Celtic fan base around central Europe. Nevertheless, the city is quite stunning in terms of architecture, and is a major cultural centre, to suit most tastes. As has been noted, the risk of violent crime is low. The major pitfalls for visitors to beware are pick-pocketing (especially if jostled on a metro or tram or falling asleep), police fines for crossing the road when a red man is displayed and being overcharged by waiters and taxi-drivers, both of which are endemic. Bars and restaurants Unfortunately, foreigners are still often seen as naive money-machines by waiting staff in pubs, especially in the tourist areas.

4 As a rule of thumb, if a half-litre of Pilsner Urqell costs much more than 50Kc, you should consider yourself to be in a tourist trap. Prices vary but, even in the city centre, a Pilsner should cost arounf that price. Elsewhere, it should be cheaper and it is worth remembering that Czechs are exceptionally proud of their beers, which could be said to be going through something of a renaissance at present, due to a host of independent breweries introducing styles from the British Isles and the United States. Smoking Since the end of May, smoking has been banned in Czech pubs and restaurants. Billing In the past few months, failing to provide a printed till receipt to customers in bars and restaurants has been made a serious offence. Service or cover charges should not be applied, unless advertised in advance, (in which case no tip should be given). Classically, Czech staff offer table service and leave a chit on the table, with which they note down the price of drinks and food ordered, to be calculated later. (Not every place does this and it does not necessarily indicate dishonesty, if you don t get one. However, if you see the Czech customers with a piece of paper, with markings and you don t have one, you may be about to be cheated.) Tipping You should check to see if the staff have added their own tip (which is illegal), before offering any tip. Tipping is generally less generous in Prague than in the UK young professionals will generally tip about ten per cent, when they have had a meal but, for drinks only, it is common to mark up the price to the nearest ten (within reason). There is no hard-and-fast rule but, for example, a bill of 900Kc for drinks only would be likely to attract a 50Kc-or-less tip. 1,000Kc would be considered exceptionally generous/ sucker, while 30Kc would be considered okay. (There is not a presumption of tipping because staff usually receive a living wage and it is acceptable not to tip, if unhappy with the service.) Places to go Fans staying in the city centre will find that prices are high 60-80Kc for a Pilsner in the tourist traps. However, venturing a short distance will see radical differences. The area between Namesti Miru and I.P. Pavlova is rather trendy and has a huge variety of pubs of all types, from ultra-modern to classic, old-style pubs. A few of these include The Prague Beer Museum, praguebeermuseum.cz, Vinohradsky Parlament vinohradskyparlament.cz, and Bruxx, bruxx.cz, all of which can accommodate large (but not too boisterous) groups. In the centre, U Pinkasu, upinkasu.cz, is an old pub which claims to have been the first in Prague to have tapped a Pilsner Urquell beer. It is also relatively tourist-friendly, with a good, traditional Czech menu, and has a pleasant beer garden at the back.

5 Konvikt, konviktpub.cz, can also easily accommodate large groups, as can Restaurace U Vejvodů, restauraceuvejvodu.cz, though some of the staff may try to take advantage of the foreign clientele. Brewery pubs such as those from Potrefena Husa, potrefena-husa-praha.cz, tend to offer higher standards of service but in a slightly more sterile environment. For Irish pubs, the Dubliner near the Old Town Square, aulddubliner.cz, is set up to offer football and entertainment to visitors but is very expensive, by local standards, and hard to find, without GPS. In the same area is the James Joyce, jamesjoyceprague.cz, which is slightly more popular with the local ex-pat community. J. J. Murphy's Irish Pub, in Mala Strana, bestirishbarprague.com, is similar in outlook. The Smichov area, very near Mala Strana, also has numerous decent pubs and restaurants. The Zizkov area, once known as The People s Repulic of Zizkov, is a unique neighbourhood, just a few minutes from the centre by tram. Those staying in the area will find that Restaurant Olse, restaurantolse.cz, offers a decent standard of food with good beer at reasonable prices (ten minutes from Wenceslas Square, by tram). Very nearby is the English-language-friendly Pivní lokál Ostrý, which has grown in reputation in recent years amongst afficionados on the Prague beer scene, with beers from independent breweries around the Czech Republic at reasonable prices, as well as a range of classic Czech and German beer snacks. Respecting the locals Celtic fans visiting Prague will, naturally, wish to continue their tradition of enhancing the club s reputation in the eyes of their hosts. That should not be difficult, with reference to comments made at the start of this article. There will be a large amount of goodwill extended to Celtic fans, for a variety of reasons and the joyful singing that the fans bring will be enjoyed by most. However, one negative stereotype that Prague denizens are particularly aware of is the classic British stag (or hen) night, with would-be crazy Brits charging around the streets as if the locals were supposed to be amused by sights that they have seen every weekend for two decades. Unfortunately, this has resulted in British and Irish visitors getting a reputation for drunkenness to the point of vulgarity, which Celtic fans would generally not wish to further. Drinking, singing, having fun and wearing your colours with pride will undoubtedly be met with an enthusiastic response by the majority of locals. However, they can find the behaviour of visiting groups to be intimidating and offensive. (Czechs usually consider drunkenness and violent disorder to be mutually-exclusive, for example.) So, this visit would be another opportunity for Celtic fans to show that they can bring the full colour and song of the club s traditions while being respectful to the staff and citizens they encounter.

6 (I know Czechs who formed positive opinions on Celtic, based on their behaviour on past visits to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, while a neighbouring club had just the opposite effect.) This is certainly an opportunity to further enhance the reputation of Celtic, which is already held in high regard, with a public that is likely to be very favourably-disposed to the club. (Not least because a new Czech football culture magazine will be launching at the time of the visit, featuring a piece, by one of the country s top journalists on the recent Celtic Graves visit. There will also be another substantial piece on the Lisbon Lions anniversary, which only serves to show the positive light in which Celtic will be shown in July.) And, if you want to be particularly nice to the Slavia fans, there s an easy chant that will be appreciated: Slavia Do To Ho! (Slavia, go forward.) Otherwise: Come, on Slavia!