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August 28th, 2008
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Mostly losses

Englishman reflects on a year with the Gambrinus liga's worst team

May 28th, 2008 issue

By Kira Rose

ISIFA
Byron Webster appreciates the skills he's developed with Most, but his future there is unclear.
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Byron Webster



Born: March 31, 1987, in Leeds, England
Education: Sherburn High School
Pro career: York City (2006-07); FK SIAD Most (2007-08)

For The Post
It took only three days for Byron Webster’s life to turn upside down.
The 21-year-old English soccer defender and midfielder, who this month wrapped up his first season with the Gambrinus liga’s bottom-dwelling FK SIAD Most, was on summer holiday last year when his agent gave him a call to tell him of the team’s interest.
“I didn’t have much time to think about it,” Webster says, laughing when recounting the deal. After only three days, Webster was on the team and soon making his debut in a defeat against Baník Ostrava Aug. 11.
While it is no longer unusual for foreign athletes to join the Gambrinus liga, rarely do these players come from England. The United Kingdom is notorious for holding on to its young talent and, when a player does leave, even rarer does he sign with a team like Most, based in one of the most economically depressed regions in the Czech Republic.
Yet Webster seems to have enjoyed his first year on the squad, with which he signed a one-year contract. There are difficulties though, such as the language barrier, and “there is a bit of a divide between the foreigners and the Czechs,” he says.
Still, he has tried his best to adapt, studying Czech and befriending teammates. “The boys and I often go go-carting,” he says. “We have a giggle, all of us thinking about Lewis Hamilton [the kart racer turned F1 driver].”
Though he has managed to forge bonds, Webster cannot help contrasting the soccer played in Most with York City, where he signed his first professional contract in July 2006.
“With York, it was more physical and direct, and there was more passing,” he says. Webster made his senior club debut with the team in December 2004 and left York early last year, seeking more playing time with the clubs Harrogate Town and Whitby Town.
The Czech Republic and England also differ drastically in fan behavior, Webster says. In England, supporters are vocal in their opinions of your play whereas, in Most, Webster can appreciate a quiet dinner without being pestered.
All for one
Webster’s arrival at Most was not able to lift the team, however, as the squad finished in last place in the league and was relegated to the second division. Despite all the defeats, Webster remains upbeat.
“All games are good experiences,” he says. “I think I’ve been doing quite well this season — I have scored a few goals.”
Most’s president, Petr Kabíček, concurs.
“Byron is concentrating on his goals and developing his skills,” he says. Many foreign players experience difficulties abroad and are not able to develop their talents while adapting to local conditions.
“This is Byron’s strength,” Kabíček says. “He is very close to Czech players and has accepted the Czech way.”
According to Kabíček, Most was relegated due to communication issues, a lack of concentration and the inauspicious decisions of referees. The demotion is not correlated to a lack of promise.
“We have a really good team,” he stresses. “We also have a very young team, which means that players are not as resistant to the pressures of playing in the Czech Republic.”
Next season, Kabíček aims to establish a young, multicultural team focused on return to the first division. “Our goal is to establish a team where everyone will fight for everyone,” he says, “like the Three Musketeers: ‘All for one and one for all!’ ”
Webster has his own ambitions, the most immediate of which are to defend and score more goals.
“A career in football as a whole is very short. I want to play as much as I can, win as much as I can, earn money and eventually return to England,” he says. His lasting aspiration is to play for Manchester United, though that “would probably take a miracle,” he sighs.
While self-disparaging, Webster’s teammates see potential.
“Byron is a defender and a top scorer,” says Most’s Patrick Oboya. “He works very hard and helps the team a lot.”
Currently, Webster’s future with Most is undecided.
“I’ve been offered a new contract, but negotiations are still going,” he says. Regardless of the outcome, Webster says he’s living his dream, playing professional soccer.  
“[Once] in school, we had a career day and I told the teacher I wanted to be a footballer,” he says. “She didn’t understand. She asked, ‘What then?’
“For me, there wasn’t anything else.”
Kira Rose can be reached at sports@praguepost.com


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