After the placement in compulsory liquidation of Mende Volley Lozère, its 270 licensees will now be able to turn to the MLVB which will take over from next season.
A page is turning in the volleyball community in Lozère, but another is opening. Created in 1983, Mende Volley Lozère (MVL) was placed in compulsory liquidation at the end of the 2023-2024 financial year, after six seasons spent at the professional level, in League B. The court will render its decision on Monday 1er next July, but there is no doubt that the club will be dissolved. For the 270 licensees last year, a solution had to be found, quickly, so that they could continue to practice their sport.
It is in this context that many people, MVL volunteers and parents of licensees in particular, decided to create a new club. Now it’s time for Mende Lozère Volleyball (MLVB)! A name almost similar to the previous club which demonstrates the desired continuity. “Volleyball continues in Menderejoices Jean-Marie Gras, president, as a preamble to the constitutive general assembly of the MLVB, this Saturday, June 15, 2024 at the Piencourt gymnasium. We do not want to see it disappear from the Mendoi and Lozère landscape, and we want to keep the same family and friendly spirit.”
Office composition
After unanimously adopting the statutes of the new association, the office was also validated by all the participants of the AG. Jean-Marie Gras is the president; Lucas Gerbal, vice president; Christiane Pinot, the secretary; Fabienne Albouy, the assistant secretary; Céline Gireaud, the treasurer; and Vanessa Moulin, the assistant treasurer. This office was established for three years.
The young teams renewed
The MLVB is committed to resuming the volleyball school, i.e. levels M7 to M13. For these teams, on the other hand, no official competition next year. Friendly tournaments with neighboring departments seem more suitable and will generate fewer costs and fewer postponements.
The U15 women’s, M18 women’s and men’s teams should keep approximately the same numbers as last year, which allows them to be re-registered in the Occitanie League championship.
On the senior side, the professional team obviously disappears. But the MLVB attaches great importance to the recreation of a senior men’s group. This team would start from the lowest level, the regional. The women, after their very successful 2023-2024 season, should be granted an exemption to return to regional 2. A legitimate reward while these players would normally have to go down to regional.
The future of licensees on hold
An administrative point risks causing stress for the new leaders of the MLVB until the end of the summer. The MVL, placed in compulsory liquidation, will be judged by the commercial court on Monday July 1, 2024. Its dissolution must take place before August 20, to allow former MVL licensees to freely join the MLVB. If these former licensees are still affiliated with the MVL when they join the MLVB, they will be transferred (and will have to pay for their transfer). A point in the regulations specifies that only two players can be transferred to a team. However, the vast majority of new MLVB licensees will be former MVL players… In this case, the teams could not be formed. The MVL must therefore be dissolved as quickly as possible after the judgment.
Looking for sponsors
Who says new club, says “start from nothing”. “We have no money at the moment, and there are no grants awarded during the first year of creation”, explains Jean-Marie Gras. However, the City of Mende will allocate an exceptional subsidy of €3,500, potentially reevaluated to €5,000 depending on negotiations. The MLVB budget is being studied by the association’s office and “we will have to go fishing for money”, continues the president. He also warns that the search for sponsors could prove difficult after the unfortunate epilogue of the MVL.
The MLVB will nevertheless be able to avoid costs with the equipment. The latter, which belonged to the MVL, was transferred to the town hall. The community will make this material available after signing an agreement.
The outfits and the logo will change. “It’s not the most urgent”, replies Jean-Marie Gras on this subject. The new MLVB colors will be blue and yellow. And discussions are underway with equipment manufacturers.
