2014-15 season

Lens in Ligue 1: 2014

2014 – the lead up to Lens Paris (Stade de france)

Lens had done it! Promotion to Ligue 1 had been achieved on the final day of the season  away to Bastia (2-0). This had been achieved despite losing 1-0 at home to Brest on the final day of the home season: unfortunately for Adrian and Alex who had made the trip over.

However, in true Lens tradition…it all went pear-shaped. What most people thought to be a routine meeting with football’s financial police, the DNCG, ended with Lens’ promotion being annulled and Sochaux promoted in their place. News of Mammodov centred on him being arrested, his finances frozen and eventually him disappearing from the public spotlight. Martel looked like a rabbit caught in headlights as he battled to save the club. His health deteriorated and things looked bleak. Goalkeeping sensation, Alphonse Areola hung on as long as he could but eventually had to accept a move to Bastia. Edgar Salli and Marcel Tisserand left as well to leave a weakened not strengthened club. Coach Kambouare went 'on strike' in protest at the financial situation but thankfully returned to lead the team in their Ligue 1 opener. Worse was to follow as the rock at the back Alaeddine Yahia’s contract ended and the club were unable to renew until the financial situation had been resolved.

There wasn’t even going to be the backing of the Stade Bollaert crowd as it was to be rebuilt in preparation for the looming 2016 European Championships. It had been decided that the cheapest way to carry these out would be to close the stadium and for the team to relocate to play at neighbouring grounds. In the past both Lille and Valenciennes had played at the Stade Bollaert when they had been in need so it was only natural that they would return the compliment….wasn’t it? In a disgraceful act of sang froid, both refused to allow Lens to play in their stadium. The Stade de l’Épopée in Calais was keen but eventually the Stade Licorne in Amiens was chosen to help out. So much for love thy fellow ch’ti.

It wasn’t until July 22^ndwhen an appeal to the French Olympic Committee was successful so that Lens fans could take their first breath of Ligue 1 air. However there was a condition….they weren’t allowed to sign anyone or renew contracts until€4million had been deposited by Mammadov in Lens’ bank account. Simple? Not likely.

Numerous reports appeared on the web that it had been paid yet the embargo on transfers remained. Reports that it had been paid into the wrong bank account (due to an ISBN error) filtered through as fans once again feared the worst. Two victories away to Lyon (1-0) and at home to Reims (4-2) lifted Lens’ fans’ hopes only for that hope to fade as the victories dried up.

Our anticipated first trip to the Stade de France to watch Lens play champions Paris arrived with Lens dropping into the bottom three….

The trip to Paris

Thursday 16th October

The trip began on the Thursday night with a trip to pick up new boy Julien – a real live Frenchie who ran Newcastle’s favourite creperie: La Petite Creperie. He was followed by Silly at a secluded roundabout on the A19 before the trip to York to Alex’s house. There was time to enjoy a refreshing glass or two of cactus juice before crashing....in preparation for a 5:00 start to the Eurotunnel. There was a moment of comfort for Alex’s wife as she recognised the same gleeful look on my face that her husband had when looking at anything yellow and red. The cause of my excitement: finding Alex’s collection of Lens shirts...and his Lens pillow! Sleep certainly would be a struggle after that excitement!

Nevertheless, I managed it and woke Julien and Silly up before meeting Alex in his boxer shorts on the landing. By six we were in the car and heading south.

6am Friday morning - fresh as daisies?

An uneventful trip saw me win the Norbert spotting competition, if only on the grounds that nobody else could be bothered and spent more time sleeping than me (as driver it didn’t seem a good idea) but Julien won the sleeping lions competition hands down.

The car was safely stowed in a multi storey car park in Amiens, a Quick burger demolished before we squeezed ourselves onto a packed train bound for Paris. With seats at a premium we managed to get force one commuter to remove his bags that had been spread over three seats: much to his obvious annoyance. He later met his match when a particularly fierce looking woman insisted he let her daughter sit on the remaining seat next to him. There was abuse for him followed by applause around the carriage as the friend he had been saving a seat for eventually arrived: “trop tard” he kept on muttering: too late...both too late for him and his mate as his new little friend swung her legs about, happily (accidentally) kicking him every so often...until he moved himself. There was a god.

Paris Lens - the match

Silly and I headed for the stadium while the others kindly took our bags to the hotel. Outside the Metro station there were a number of drink and eateries packed out with fans of both teams and the atmosphere was relaxed as everyone mixed under the close watch of the largest number of heavily armoured CRS I had seen at a match. They were complete with helmets hanging from their belts in a relaxed fashion so I took the opportunity to unveil the Lens memorabilia that I had hidden about my person in case of trouble. Even the sound of the Paris fans warming up with a French rendition of Flower of Scotland didn’t daunt us as we wandered up to the ground, past row upon row of CRS troopers who, as we passed them, received the order to helmet up. It was like a prelude to a scene from a political riot and that very soon there would be bricks and CS gas thrown and baton charges. Yet the atmosphere prior to this had been convivial with supporters mixing freely outside the Metro station and you had to think that this was a gross overreaction to what had been such a calm evening and could only end up antagonising the situation: making a problem where there hadn’t been one. Asking directions from a helmeted figure we were pointed quickly in the direction of the stadium and left before anything happened that could spoil our mood on what was a warm and enjoyable evening. You had to feel to a certain extent sorry for the Paris fans whose reputation had provoked this police presence as it would only end up antagonising those fans who had no intention of causing trouble.

The Stade de France didn’t disappoint however as the relaxed atmosphere returned with bars opened out onto terraces with tables and chairs filled with both sets of fans enjoying a pre-match meal and drink and no sign of body armour, riot shields or helmets. People wandered freely with their drinks in front of the flying saucer-like stadium and it made you realise this was how football should be. Inside the stadium, the crowd was building and yellow jacketed people wandered around serving drinks from giant backpacks and I was excited to see the opportunity to extend my collection of souvenir plastic cups that included the Arras Festival, Indochine in Brussels and would now include Lens Stade de France. It didn’t take much to make me happy and Silly seemed to be enjoying the rare opportunity to drink at a football stadium, even if it was watered down! Funnily enough after he had finished a drink or two he didn’t feel like attacking anybody or making racist gestures. Strange that…

The atmosphere rose to the occasion though as an estimated 17000 Lens fans added to a 70000 crowd with scarves aloft and after an early couple of scares there was delirium as Coulibaly muscled his way through challenges to drill a shot into the Paris net. The group of Paris fans who had laughed and mooned at the Lens fans around them were subdued as we celebrated: one of those moments of sheer joy and superiority that sport occasionally offered. For Lens fans at the moment these occasions were rare and needing to be cherished: we were beating the Champions!

Rudi Riou in the Lens goal had a personal battle with Paris’ Cavani as the Lens defence decided that he wasn’t going to score anyway so let him through on goal twice: the first occasion Rudi palmed his attempted lob away and the second Cavani managed to get the ball past him only for the effort to hit the young frame of Cavare in front of the Lens goal.

“On est chez nous…” rang out the Lens fans in the Curva Sud yet this was to be the final moment of good fortune for Lens as Cabaye scored from the edge of the area – to the muted delight of Newcastle-supporting Silly who had been a big fan of him when he had played in the NorthEast and was excited to see him play again. We didn’t share his satisfaction at the goal for his hero despite his protestations that he had “taken it well”.

Worse was to follow as Rudi punched clear only for Maxwell to deliver one of the goals of the weekend: a sweet chip that had the Lens keeper forlornly tumbling into the net. Once again he had taken it well but none of us, bar Silly, were going to admit it. His “this is a great spectacle for French football” view wasn’t getting many fans.

The rest of the match went from bad to worse as Cavani dived to get Lens young defender Gbamin sent off for a second bookable offence. The Argentinian duly tucked away the penalty – probably the only way he would score – however there was brief hope for the Lens fans when he was sent off for first aiming his gun celebration at the Lens fan then grabbing hold of the referee as he booked him. His face was a delight to see.

Only minutes later Le Moigne was sent off for a second bookable offence and Kambouare decided to guard the goal difference and defenders replaced attackers. The scoreline remained 1-3 but the attention of the stadium was on the Lens fans who made sure they made the most of the opportunity to earn themselves respect as they sang their way to the finish. Les corons boomed out as did Qu’est ce que vous chantez and the Lens ‘clapping’ like a greatest hits of Lens songs. As the fans filed out there was a feeling that the team had restored a lot of pride with their performance and there was even time for a joyful bounce under the terracing – as if we had won. 

Ch'ti pride!

Friday 10th April 2015