Friday 2nd May 2008
OUAFC touring squad all set for Prague
A 30-man touring squad consisting of the best current members and recent leavers are finalising their preparations for their trip to Prague to participate in a friendly match against Slavia Prague which will mark the official opening of Stadion Eden.
The team will be led in Prague by Tom Wherry, who was elected captain just a week ago. A match against a Champions League side surely must mark the most daunting start to any captain's tenure in the 136-year history of the club, but Wherry is keen to focus on the positives: 'This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone involved, so we will head to Prague intent on enjoying every moment of it. Having said that, the tour will be that much more satisfying if we can do ourselves justice on the pitch so we will do everything possible to achieve this.'
There have been four previous meetings between the clubs, the first a 3-0 victory to Oxford in Prague in 1899, the second and third in 1907 finishing in 0-0 and 2-2 draws respectively. Slavia finally recorded their first victory over OUAFC in 1936 with a comprehensive 8-2 thrashing.
Slavia are currently lying 4 points behind their great rivals Sparta at the top of the Czech league, and are likely to field a very strong team for the event, boosted by some returning legends such as Patrick Berger and Radek Cerny.
It seems set to be a great occasion!