John W Madden - The father of Czech football

Ireland fans visiting the Fortuna Arena in Prague for the crucial World Cup play-off against the Czech Republic may notice that the main stand of Slavia Praha's stadium is named after a John W Madden. John William Madden is hailed by some as the father of Czech football. Born in the Scottish town of Dumbarton to Irish parents, he played for Dumbarton FC, Dumbarton Hibernian, Tottenham Hotspurs and is best known for his time at Celtic. While at Celtic, the team toured Austria and Hungary, which perhaps gave him a flavour of life on the continent. In 1905, he moved to Prague to coach SK Slavia Praha. He would remain as coach until aged 65 in 1930, in which time he established the club as one...