Petr Kubíček

“My transfer to Mělník was as if someone kicked me out of a train which went the way which I so desired: play hockey, perhaps make a living of it and thus make the hobby an occupation. It had also meant a loss of ambitions: everyone wants to play at the highest level, play for the national team. Back then I knew that this was also my end in the national team – one was connected to the other.”

“The sportsmen had to join the army before 1 July. I had filed my university applications and even had an offer to play as a goalkeeper in Hradec Králové where I was about to study faculty of pedagogy – but even the hockey bosses could not change politics. They thought they would find a way around it, that they would explain it but couldn’t push me through. So I missed my enlistment day. I was supposed to enlist on 1 October when people were only accepted to combat units and I could not apply to Dukla. I asked my coach Klapáč what should I do and he gave me an advice: ‘Get in there now.’ By the way, Klapáč later explained to me why I was leaving the national team. Even though he was a communist he was level with me: ‘Bad luck, your brother had emigrated.’ I was probably the only soldier in the Comecon who voluntarily enlisted earlier than required. I arrived to Liberec and told the officer: ‘Klapáč sends me. I should have come on the first but I couldn’t because of school.’ I then spent two days there in civvies because they had no job for me, then they let me in there. I underwent the application process and thanks to that was able to stay in the Dukla club.”