Cherries match in Prague 'pinch me moment' for fan

48 minutes ago

Charlotte Coles,South of Englandand

Fern Buckley,Prague

News image — Matt, pictured with his son Felix in Prague, has been collecting badges on his hat for 30 years

BBC Matt and Felix (a young boy) are in Prague. Matt has his arm around Felix. They are both smiling into the camera and are wearing matching coats. — Matt, pictured with his son Felix in Prague, has been collecting badges on his hat for 30 years

A Bournemouth fan who is in Prague with his son for the club's furthest away game yet has described it as a "pinch me moment".

Thursday's Europa League game will see the Cherries play Sparta Prague at 17:45 GMT.

Players trained on the pitch on Wednesday evening ahead of the match, where more than a 1,000 away fans will roar them on in the Czech capital.

Matt, who is in Prague with his son Felix, told the BBC: "I think it will be a tough game, we're in it away from home. I think the boys will do us proud."

He added: "Whatever happens, pinch me moment, and we're just happy to be here."

Cherries fan Laura spoke to the BBC in a packed pub filled with chanting.

"This is wild... everyone's having a great time," she said.

"Everyone's friendly, you cannot get a better team spirit than this."

She added: "[The club] has got such a wonderful community spirit and that's walking to and from the games, that's inside the pub, that's just everything - and especially when you look at it here today."

Three men and a woman are stood with their arms around each other in a pub in front of a Cherries flag. They are all smiling into the camera. — (L-R) Scott, Paul, Dan and Laura are in Prague for the game

Bournemouth boss Marco Rose spoke to the media ahead of the match.

On the travelling Cherries fans, he said: "Prague is a really really nice town. My home town is two hours from here.

"It is a really beautiful town, you can see a lot of cultural things, and maybe the night life as well.

"You have good breweries and enjoy your time and be ready for the game.

"We want to present them a win."

Back in September, the Cherries' 2008 FA Cup nemesis Blyth Spartans' Croft Park was erased from the record books as the furthest Bournemouth had travelled for a competitive match, as they began their maiden European campaign at Real Sociedad.

On Thursday, Sociedad (512 miles or 823.9 km from Bournemouth) will be itself replaced by Sparta Prague (714 miles or 1,149 km away) as the longest away trip of all time - and one which many Cherries fans have been eagerly anticipating since the draw.