CLUB HISTORY

One year after establishment of the Czech soccer union (1901), students of the secondary school in Mladá Boleslav registered with it (1902) and so the STUDENT XI club was the first official club in this city, though a number of unregistered players played there before. As to the question of how this English game arrived in Mladá Boleslav the historians answered that it was probably from near Loučeň, where in 1889 a chateau team originated on the impulse of three English guests of Prince Thurn-Taxis, in which both the Englishmen and Czechs played.

After five years, the first student club transformed into BOLESLAVSKÁ XI, becoming the basis of the next MLADOBOLESLAVSKÝ SK (shortened to Mlado) that was established in 1910. In 1919, shortly after the First World War, ASTON VILLA MLADÁ BOLESLAV came into being. The blue and white Mlado and green and white Astonka fought fierce battles together, which measured up to derby matches of the Prague Sparta and Slavia teams. During the era of the first Czechoslovak Republic and shortly after World War II the sport’s supporters in Mladá Boleslav were basically divided into fans of Astonka and Mlado, even though the third SLAVOJ MLADÁ BOLESLAV club, originating in 1919, existed there as well.

The place where its sports ground used to be is still called na Slavoji today and so the name of one city district has remained after the club. (But the last sports ground belonging to the apprentice-training centre has remained even after Astonka).

The rivalry culminated during the protectorate when both of the biggest Boleslav clubs qualified for participation in the first league but Rakovník was fatal for Mlado in 1944 and Astonka in 1942, beating both of the Boleslav teams. But for instance 5,000 spectators saw Astonka’s 1:1 home draw.

As far as attendance is concerned, the record is apparently held by a duel between Mladoboleslavský SK and Aston Villa MB (1:1) that 8,000 spectators saw in 1942, which seems unbelievable today.

After May 1945, the Boleslav clubs endeavoured to connect with the recent successful activities but at that time a number of people, then also sportsmen left to settle the Czech borderland and only Astonka preserved its division membership (the second premium competition at that time).

Following February 1948, a period of insensitive interventions in the soccer movement started, the contests were reorganised several times and new physical training unions and clubs came into being within the framework of the unification of Czechoslovak physical training. Moreover, an amalgamation of the biggest local clubs started in Ml. Boleslav too. A gradual and often painful process was accomplished with the establishing of one main physical training union, in which soccer players of SOKOL AZNP Mladá Boleslav and from 1950 SPARTAK Mladá Boleslav, with another two reserve teams, were also concentrated. In 1952, Spartak Ml. Boleslav got into the so-called all-state competition, which was basically the second league. With the exception of the year 1959 when it was relegated for one year, the club played continuously, even if called by different names.

In 1964, the soccer players enjoyed the new Central Stadium (municipal today) for the first time, which was officially opened for the Spartakiáda one year later in 1965. It was designed to serve not only the Spartakiáda but also as the finish of the then very popular "Freedom Race" cycling race, and the main sports ground had a clinker concrete athletics track. In 1966, TJ Spartak was renamed as TJ AUTO ŠKODA, which had 23 sports branches, including soccer. It was especially successful in soccer in the eighties when literally sponsored by the motor works (AZNP), which even took over the stadium and engaged the players chiefly as fire fighters.

In the years 1983, 1984 (trainer Petr Polák) and 1986 (trainer Jaroslav Dočklal) the Auto Škoda team finished in 3rd place and it was disseminated that at that time there was no official interest in backing up its first league admission. One success was its participation in the final of the Czech cup in the 1977-78 season when Baník Ostrava beat Auto Škoda 1:0 at home before 5,500 spectators and in the return match the rival won 2:0 on its playing field.

Following the Velvet Revolution the new situation and market relations caused a great shock to the club, officials accustomed to the sponsorship of the motor works were unable to survive on their own without their support. In 1992, the traditional second-league participant was relegated to the Czech soccer league (3rd league) and in 1996 even to the division.

The success of winning the division (1997) as well as the ČFL right after it (1998) brought the new manager Michal Doležal and trainer Karel Stanner and the second premium contest was again played in Mladá Boleslav in the summer of 1998.

In the complex season of 1991-92 during the era of Boris Korbel the soccer players from the automobile city became a “farm” for Slavia Prague for a certain time but it only lasted 222 days. Another attempt was an effort to tackle the problems as a farm for Prague Bohemians (1994-95) but even this did not last long.

Ever since, the club has been known under the name FK MLADÁ BOLESLAV. However, in this "Slavia" and "Klokani" period up to forty players left Mladá Boleslav – four teams of eleven players. Players who supported the teams of the premium competition left Mladá Boleslav later; Koloušek, Papoušek, Mašek, Kamenický and a number of others ranked among them. Experienced league players like Jiří Tymich and Petr Čermák on the other hand noticeably helped to fight for the return to the second league.

In the first season of the second league (1998-99) Boleslav fought to 9th and 11th place one year later and in the season of 2001-2 even fought for an advance with trainer Josef Hloušek but remained in third place after the advance of České Budějovice and Zlín.

At that time, changes in the management of FK Mladá Boleslav headed by Josef Dufek already took effect, and the club gained substantial sponsorship from the city and companies Gema s.r.o. and Realstav.

The reconstruction of the city stadium started, soccer moved to ground no. 2, from which a cosy soccer area for 4,000 spectators sitting under the roof of two new stands has been created. The club was transformed into a joint-stock company.

In 2002, the celebration of the 100th anniversary of organised soccer in Mladá Boleslav was greatly sponsored by the company Škoda Auto a.s., which invited the Bundesliga team Wolfsburg for a jubilee match. The match was played before 4,000 spectators and ended 2:2. In that season, the letters MĚSTO MLADÁ BOLESLAV, and later ČEDOK, were added and since the season 2002-3 a winged Škoda arrow has again been added to the shirts of the home soccer players.

An extensive publication was issued for the one hundredth jubilee and a meeting of all generations of players was held. The motor works again became an official partner of the FK Mladá Boleslav soccer team. In 2002, a goal was declared – to advance to the premium competition, to build up a prospective team and to create all the necessary practical and technical conditions. As early as in the spring of 2003 it was announced that Mladá Boleslav meets most of the target conditions for the ČMFS "Stadium 2003".

Mladá Boleslav soccer is rightfully proud of the many good players that grew up on its grass field and were led by its trainers.

Native Josef Ludl (Sparta Prague), Milouš Kvaček (Hradec Králové), Vladislav Lauda (Slavia, Olomouc), famous trainer František Havránek, playing in Boleslav too, and soccer referee Pavlín Paša Jirků, who grew on the sports field there, rank among them.

A number of boys who were juniors at Mladá Boleslav are pulling on the first league shirts today. In addition to the mentioned Koloušek, Papoušek, Mašek (Jablonec), Kamenický (Bohemians), these include Flachbart (Sparta), Roman Skuhravý (a long time in Jablonec), Oldřich Pařízek (several years in Antwerp), Tomáš Kuchař (Slavia, today in Russia), Jan Buryán (Žižkov), and Lukáš's brothers (Petr in Liberec, Pavel in Hradec).

Legends for sticking to the club colours include Miloslav Venera, who has been a successful trainer of youths since ending his playing career until now, and goalkeeper Jiří Macháček.

The club history showed that besides legendary goal-scorer Jaroslav Kalčík also Jan Chromec (90), Miloslav Venera (85) and Josef Vinš (68) in the Boleslav strips scored the most goals over the next fifty years.

A number of well-known trainers were active in Mladá Boleslav, from legendary Vytlačil, to Ženíšek, Láďa Koubek, Petr Polák (most successful trainer so far), Pajkrt, Kollár, Dočkal, Jebavý, Šmarda, Stanner, Šíp and Hloušek.