The Little Village That Could

Even gentle giants were tiny once, and this is the story of a little club called Blšany where the now-Chelsea giant got his start.

Blšany is a small village about 46 miles west of Prague in Bohemia. And like every good village, they have a hometown football team which in this case is FK Chmel Blšany. Their history goes something like this:

The club’s history dates back almost 60 years ago to 1946, when a group of enthusiasts set up a pitch to participate in the lowest local division.

To play in away games, the players rode on a bike or on a trailer pulled by a tractor.

Player transfers between clubs were arranged for a sack of corn.

Given the club’s humble beginnings, it’s amazing to think that they found their way into the Czech first division in 1998. Even more amazing is that the average attendence per game is 2,100 - 3 times the population of the village! They can easily sell out the 2,300 seat stadium.

Not bad for a team with no official sponsor. You should make an effort to see this team anytime you’re in the Czech Republic as their star-studded alums have been known to make an appearance every now and then.