- It was all started up by students
- Under patronage of state-owned automobile company
- Breakthrough years
- With a support from municipality
- First league's at stake
- Interesting personalities
It was all started up by students
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).
