St Etienne

[Bob Weasel Fox]

St Etienne have been a feeder club in recent years it would appear so although they are relatively big in France they are a million miles from the club they were during the 70s

[Jaspa]

Lyon used to be the OP team of the League, likes of Juninho and Coupet.

 

Strangely Ive always had St Etienne as one of my Fifa go to's. Theyve had some pigment rich, pacey players for a few years now + Maxi

[C-man]

St Etienne have been a feeder club in recent years it would appear so although they are relatively big in France they are a million miles from the club they were during the 70s

Well, so is football. PSG being any cop these days is entirely down to $$$$ and TV broadcasters deciding they wanted them to be OM's biggest rivals and nothing whatsoever due to tradition.

So happy to see them back towards the top - would love them to get in CL next year.

Looking at their game vs OM in February as a potential stop on the way to Turin for Dortmund's CL game. Only three hours by train

[Voll Blau]

Well, so is football. PSG being any cop these days is entirely down to $$$$ and TV broadcasters deciding they wanted them to be OM's biggest rivals and nothing whatsoever due to tradition.

So happy to see them back towards the top - would love them to get in CL next year.

Looking at their game vs OM in February as a potential stop on the way to Turin for Dortmund's CL game. Only three hours by train

 

 

Marseille usually take numbers to St Etienne too don't they?

[Stadt]

The France 2016 stadiums look great, new English grounds look shit but most of the new ones in France look fantastic from the outside.

[C-man]

Marseille usually take numbers to St Etienne too don't they?

Indeed. May have to viagogo it unfortunately but still tickets on there knocking around for £35 including fees.

[Stadt]

I never realised attendances were that bad in France.

http://www.ligue1.com/ligue1/affluences/journee

[Bob Weasel Fox]

I never realised attendances were that bad in France.

http://www.ligue1.com/ligue1/affluences/journee

Doesn't look great at all really does it

[CosbehFox]

I never realised attendances were that bad in France.

http://www.ligue1.com/ligue1/affluences/journee

Never really been well attendance except a boom post World Cup.

Rugby Union has cleared up the middle classes in terms of fanbases.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

Never really been well attendance except a boom post World Cup.

Rugby Union has cleared up the middle classes in terms of fanbases.

It surprises me really. The French are a unique bunch bless them

[Bob Weasel Fox]

St Etienne play PSG on Sunday

Should be a good game

[Bob Weasel Fox]

St Etienne play PSG on Sunday

Should be a good game

St Etienne can win

[Stadt]

Italian away support is dreadful considering it's a quite small country.

Apparently Malaga have one of the best away followings because their away support is mostly English

[Bob Weasel Fox]

Started taking an interest in French football in the 70s when we used to holiday there, and it's been my foreign league of choice ever since.

Have always sort of followed Bordeaux and Nantes....plus a couple of lesser lights, Cannes and Creteil !!

Realise that it's a massive country to get about in, but some of those away followings are appaling....Worse than the Spanish/Italian figures.

Fair play to Bastia's faithful few though........Being based off the mainland must make things tricky!!

Funnily enough I've always had a soft spot for Nantes aswell

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Started taking an interest in French football in the 70s when we used to holiday there, and it's been my foreign league of choice ever since.

Have always sort of followed Bordeaux and Nantes....plus a couple of lesser lights, Cannes and Creteil !!

Realise that it's a massive country to get about in, but some of those away followings are appaling....Worse than the Spanish/Italian figures.

Fair play to Bastia's faithful few though........Being based off the mainland must make things tricky!!

Didn't Cannes fold not long back?

[Bob Weasel Fox]

PSG won with a dodgy penalty 1-0

[Samilktray]

I like PSG, purely because since they became good theyve become very aesthetically pleasing as a brand.

[CosbehFox]

Italian away support is dreadful considering it's a quite small country.

Apparently Malaga have one of the best away followings because their away support is mostly English

Italy small? If you are in the North and you have a game down south...you are looking at 8 hours plus train ride.

Malaga indeed do. As do Tenerife. Bilbao are commonly the best away travellers in Spain however. It's slowly building in Spain.

[bovril]

Italian support is quite poor considering how obsessed the country is with football and how affordable the tickets are. I suppose it's not helped by the condition of many of the stadia. Basically there are very few countries outside the UK where so many games at a weekend are sold out.

[tripe]

Italian away support is dreadful considering it's a quite small country.

Apparently Malaga have one of the best away followings because their away support is mostly English

 

Italy's got a big problem with "teseras". It's a card that all the away supporters need to have to get a ticket for the away game. Basically, the supporters need to register and the cops have all the football supporters in one base. This downsized their away numbers in the last 5 or so years.

 

Also, it a country were you've got 10-12 clubs that are relatively close (center and north Milano-Torino-Genoa-Florence), but have some clubs further north (Udine, Verona), or south (Rome, Napoli) and on the islands (Palermo, Cagliar). OK, it's bit easier now with budget flights.

 

Unlike in England, most of the supporters in Italy that go to away games are ultras. Hard core supporters. Much less ordinary folks tend to go to away games.

 

I'd say, in Europe, only England (+Scotland) and Germany get more "ordinary" fans at away matches. It's in the mentality of the people, but also, in the last few years, it's the comfort, with the best and the modern stadiums being in England and Germany.

 

We're close to Italy so we tend to catch some games over the border, mostly in Udine. I personally went there a number of time to see Roma, Milan... The away support you get at these games is 90% ultras. When Inter/Juve/Milan play you also get the odd local supporter of these clubs, but usually not with the away support (the tesera problem) but next to them.

 

It's simmiar in Croatia. The away support is mostly ultras. Rijeka get anywhere between 100-500 depending on the game. Only sometimes, like Cup finals or European games you get 1000-3000 going away with the club and then it's families going as well.

 

Edited 26 January 2015 by tripe

[MC Prussian]

Didn't Cannes fold not long back?

They didn't fold - they were simply banned from participating in professional football last summer due to their financial problems in the past fifteen years and are now plying their trade in an amateur league.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

Italy's got a big problem with "teseras". It's a card that all the away supporters need to have to get a ticket for the away game. Basically, the supporters need to register and the cops have all the football supporters in one base. This downsized their away numbers in the last 5 or so years.

Also, it a country were you've got 10-12 clubs that are relatively close (center and north Milano-Torino-Genoa-Florence), but have some clubs further north (Udine, Verona), or south (Rome, Napoli) and on the islands (Palermo, Cagliar). OK, it's bit easier now with budget flights.

Unlike in England, most of the supporters in Italy that go to away games are ultras. Hard core supporters. Much less ordinary folks tend to go to away games.

I'd say, in Europe, only England (+Scotland) and Germany get more "ordinary" fans at away matches. It's in the mentality of the people, but also, in the last few years, it's the comfort, with the best and the modern stadiums being in England and Germany.

We're close to Italy so we tend to catch some games over the border, mostly in Udine. I personally went there a number of time to see Roma, Milan... The away support you get at these games is 90% ultras. When Inter/Juve/Milan play you also get the odd local supporter of these clubs, but usually not with the away support (the tesera problem) but next to them.

It's simmiar in Croatia. The away support is mostly ultras. Rijeka get anywhere between 100-500 depending on the game. Only sometimes, like Cup finals or European games you get 1000-3000 going away with the club and then it's families going as well.

Great post Tripe

Hopefully Kramaric will start banging the goals in for Leicester soon. How is your season going?

[Darkon84]

Italian away support is dreadful considering it's a quite small country.

Apparently Malaga have one of the best away followings because their away support is mostly English

 

This is true, because of the large ex pat community down there. Athletic Bilbao have a similar following, seeing as they were creating by the British when they went over on Christian pilgramiges (I think), hence why they are Atheltic, and not Atletico. Or something like that anyway haha. 

[tripe]

This is true, because of the large ex pat community down there. Athletic Bilbao have a similar following, seeing as they were creating by the British when they went over on Christian pilgramiges (I think), hence why they are Atheltic, and not Atletico. Or something like that anyway haha. 

I didn't know this about Malaga.

 

You're correct about Bilbao. They were formed as a merger of two clubs. One a club formed by Brits who worked in Bilbao in the shipyards and one, formed by Basque students who returned from schooling in England.

 

Couple of years on, Basque students in Madrid formed Atletico Madrid. Interestingly, today, Atleti fans are mostly Spanish nationalists and Bilbao fans are Basque nationalists.

 

Most of the clubs that were formed in the end of the 19. century took their colors from English clubs. Bilbao first wore a kit that resembled the Blackburn one. The reason they changed it is interesting. The guy who was in England was supposed to buy a new kit couldn't find so he bought a Southampton kit. He chose Southampton as Bilbao city colors are red and white.

Edited 31 January 2015 by tripe

[Bob Weasel Fox]

I didn't know this about Malaga.

You're correct about Bilbao. They were formed as a merger of two clubs. One a club formed by Brits who worked in Bilbao in the shipyards and one, formed by Basque students who returned from schooling in England.

Couple of years on, Basque students in Madrid formed Atletico Madrid. Interestingly, today, Atleti fans are mostly Spanish nationalists and Bilbao fans are Basque nationalists.

Most of the clubs that were formed in the end of the 19. century took their colors from English clubs. Bilbao first wore a kit that resembled the Blackburn one. The reason they changed it is interesting. The guy who was in England was supposed to buy a new kit couldn't find so he bought a Southampton kit. He chose Southampton as Bilbao city colors are red and white.

Interesting stuff Tripe

Genuinely didn't know that about Atletico Madrid