Bohemians Praha 1905, commonly known as Bohemka or Bohemians Prague, is a professional football club based in Vršovice, Prague, Czech Republic. The club competes in the Czech First League, the top division in the Czech Republic football league system. Founded in 1905 as AFK Vršovice, the club won the 1982–83 Czechoslovak First League, its only league championship. Its traditional home colours are green and white and a stylized kangaroo serves as both emblem and mascot, which gave rise to its more recent nickname Klokani ("Kangaroos").[3]
The best-known player from Bohemians' history is Antonín Panenka, who is now the club chairman.[4] Bohemians' mascot is a kangaroo, the legacy of a 1927 tour of Australia.[5] Following the tour, the club was awarded two live kangaroos, which they donated to the Prague Zoo.[6]
History
Founded as AFK Vršovice, the club played at the top level of football in the Czechoslovak First League between 1925 and 1935. They spent seasons in and out of the top division for the next 40 years before remaining in the top flight between 1973 and 1995, the most successful era for the club.[7] In the 1982–83 season the club won the Czechoslovak First League and advanced to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. In the year 2005 it survived a crisis, which was a consequence of bad management. The club was prevented from taking part in the second part of the 2004–05 Czech 2. Liga and its results were expunged.[8] The club was relegated to the 3rd Czech division due to its financial insolvency, but later was saved by its fans who paid off a portion of the club's debts.[9]
Bohemians Praha celebrating with their fans after the game
The club finished third in the 2005–06 Bohemian Football League, missing out on promotion,[10] but advanced to the Second League regardless, as they bought a license to play in the Second League from SC Xaverov.[10][11] The club was then able to advance back to the top flight in 2007, where they played until relegation in 2012. After only one season in 2. Liga Bohemians returned to the First League in 2013.[12]
Historical names
1905: AFK Vršovice
1927: Bohemians AFK Vršovice
1941: Bohemia AFK Vršovice
1945: Bohemians AFK Vršovice
1948: Sokol Vršovice Bohemians
1949: Sokol Železničaři Bohemians Praha
1950: Sokol Železničaři Praha
1951: Sokol ČKD Stalingrad Praha
1953: Spartak Praha Stalingrad
1962: ČKD Praha
1965: Bohemians ČKD Praha
1993: Bohemians Praha
1999: CU Bohemians Praha
2001: FC Bohemians Praha
2005: Bohemians 1905
2013: Bohemians Praha 1905
Australia tour
In 1927 Australian football officials were looking for a European football club to come and tour. They decided on Czechoslovakia and approached Slavia Prague and Viktoria Žižkov who both declined. AFK Vršovice took up the offer.
Before leaving the team looked for a suitable name as they felt the Australians would not know where Vršovice was, let alone be able to pronounce it. They decided on Bohemians (i.e. the Czechs), referring to the country/nation they were from.
In 1993, Bohemians 1905 broke away from the TJ Bohemians Praha sports franchise and became a separate legal entity. The club functioned normally until financial troubles came up and the club nearly collapsed in 2005. TJ Bohemians took advantage of the situation and rented out the Bohemians logo to FC Střížkov Praha 9, a lowly team in the third tier of Czech football. TJ were able to pour money into the small club and help them rise to the first division. However, fans remained loyal to the Bohemians 1905 team, and helped the large club to recover.
In September 2012, a Czech court ruled that the former Střížkov club must not continue to use the name Bohemians after 31 January 2013.[13] However, in December 2012, the club was granted the right to appeal against the decision, thus protracting the process yet further.[14]
In 2016, Střížkov's men's team was dissolved, and in 2017 the whole club dissolved, with the women's team becoming FC Praha.
The home stadium, located in Vršovice, is called Ďolíček. However, from the 2010–11 season, for a period of five years, Bohemians undertook to play its home matches at Synot Tip Arena.[15] This arrangement was discontinued in 2012 after the club was relegated from the Czech First League, due to the regulations on stadiums being different between the two leagues.
Bohemians 1905 are associated with a left-liberal fanbase.[16][17] The Prague-based club, known affectionately as "Bohemka", has cultivated a supporter culture rooted in countercultural and progressive values. Unlike many other top-flight Czech teams, Bohemians fans are known less for aggression or nationalism and more for their laid-back, communal atmosphere. On match days at their compact and idiosyncratic Ďolíček stadium, the terraces are often filled with fans drinking beer, waving green-and-white flags, and openly smoking cannabis. The club's anti-fascist ultras express their politics through music, stickers, and banners referencing punk, ska, and reggae subcultures.[16][17] Bohemians' identity contrasts sharply with clubs like Sparta Prague and Baník Ostrava, which have a history of attracting far-right supporters.[16][17] When these teams meet, ideological tensions often surface. In one incident described in reporting from VICE, Baník supporters unveiled an Islamophobic banner, prompting a unified and vocal rejection from the Bohemians stands.[16] While not all Bohemians fans are politically active or left-leaning, the dominant fan culture strongly rejects racism and far-right nationalism. Supporter involvement in the club has extended beyond ideology and matchday rituals. When the club faced bankruptcy in the early 2000s, fans contributed directly to keeping it afloat and reportedly now own a minority share. This grassroots support has fostered a sense of collective ownership and solidarity.[16]
There have been several conflicts in the past between left-wing fans of Bohemians 1905 and right-wing fans of other teams. The most famous are the fights in 2013 in the match against FC MAS Táborsko[citation needed] and in 2015 in the match against SK Sigma Olomouc.[citation needed]
The most prestigious match is the derby with Slavia Prague. The "Vršovice Derby" is the second most prestigious derby in Prague (after the Slavia-Sparta derby). Slavia and Bohemians are located in the Vršovice district of Prague and their stadiums are separated by only 1km. Sparta Prague are considered their biggest rivals, and Viktoria Zizkov is the other team with whom they contest the city derbies. FK Bohemians Prague (Střížkov) were widely viewed by Bohemians 1905 supporters as an unauthorised continuation of the original club, leading to tensions that were primarily directed at the club's management rather than its fanbase. The rivalry played out on the pitch and in legal disputes, although FK Bohemians Prague (Střížkov) attracted limited public support and did not develop a significant organised fan movement.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
As of 2024–25, the club's reserve team Bohemians 1905 B plays in the Bohemian Football League (3rd tier of Czech football system). They play their home matches at the club's stadium, Ďolíček.
↑Jeřábek, Luboš (2007). Český a československý fotbal– lexikon osobností a klubů (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: Grada Publishing. p.162. ISBN978-80-247-1656-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
