HAS the shelter of the small clubhouse which adjoins the stand of the Léon-Collin stadium, while their companions finish their training session in the rain, Agathe, Margot and Shanez apply themselves, brushes in hand. Tuesday, Lola also helped them paint two banners that the players will hang at the League stadium in Puymoyen, near Angoulême (Charente), but the companion of Théo De Oliveira, goalkeeper converted into a central defender with a silky left foot , was unable to free himself this Thursday. “The Cup of All Possibilities,” Agathe adds color. “After all, that’s still the Coupe de France,” Agathe wants to believe, without irony.
Six days earlier, euphoria aroused the small group gathered in front of the screen of the Copper, a popular bar on the Royan seafront, managed by Brice and Kevin, alias “Kiki”, himself an FC striker. Seudre Ocean. By discovering the name of their opponent at 4e round of the Coupe de France, the Girondins de Bordeaux, a prestigious name despite their administrative relegation to National 2, the small troop was obviously exultant. Everyone was planning for the big awaited party. Experienced, Brice and Kevin already saw themselves managing the refreshment bar. Those who know they are too righteous to be part of the sporting adventure imagined forming a kop of supporters of the little Mathes team.
“Happy 30 seconds”
In a few days, however, “the dream turned into a nightmare,” says Thierry Molle, bitter. “At the time of the draw, I was happy, obviously, but thirty seconds. The poster is beautiful for us, but the organization, I knew that would be everything for me. I haven’t slept for days. » From the outset, the small Léon-Collin stadium, open to the four winds, appeared unsuitable for welcoming an audience of several hundred football lovers, attracted by the name of the Girondins de Bordeaux.
Shanez, Agathe and Margot put all their heart and artistic talent into creating two banners that their companions will take to Puymoyen and hang on the edge of the League’s synthetic field. To remember that their supporters are thinking of them. On Sunday at 3 p.m., they will be gathered at the Espace Multi-leisure des Mathes to watch the match on the big screen.
Fanny Blanchard
In reality, the prospect of a closed session imposed itself almost immediately on the governing bodies of neo-Aquitaine football, state services and communities. “All this because supporters of the same club don’t get along,” annoys Mathys Besson, left back at FCSO, who launched an online petition on Wednesday to demand that the match be played in public. In vain, obviously.
The confirmation of the closed session, however, only came after a week of uncertainty. A false suspense which irritated Emmanuel Courandiere, known as “Manu”, one of the leaders of FC Seudre Océan on Thursday evening. “The last four days have been four days of non-preparation, the players only have that on their minds, these organizational problems…”
“The step is high”
The disappointment will stick to the souls of the FCSO players and supporters for a long time, as heavy to bear as the mud clinging to the crampons on an autumn Sunday. This is one of the only inconveniences that Mathieu Granjon’s players will be spared by holding the match on a synthetic pitch. “Technically, on synthetic, it’s going to be hard. For us, it will go quickly. I told the boys to take this meeting as a big friendly match. We will try to have fun, of course, in doing the feat, but the step is high, all the same…”
A match like this is the happiest day of your sporting life, when you play at our level
A “feat”, the Departmental 1 team accomplished one in the previous round, on September 15, by eliminating (3-2) the flagship team of the Pays Royannais, AS Cozes (Regional 1). By accessing 4e round of the Coupe de France, Nicolas Ramos’ teammates will experience the pride of wearing a jersey specially adorned with the competition’s logo. Nicolas will be on his fifth. At 39, he is spending his last seasons in the small family club, after having progressed to R3.
On the big screen
“A match like this is the best day of your sporting life, when you play at our level,” enthused Nicolas a few days before learning that he and his teammates would experience it far from their families, their friends. . “We are stealing this dream from the players,” breathes Thierry Molle. “The mayor of Mathes, Marie Bascle, tried to help us, but where is the French football federation? She sells us the magic of the Coupe de France, but I haven’t had a single contact with the FFF! »
Fanny Blanchard
The fame of La Palmyre is usually more due to its racecourse (in the background) and the obstacle trainers located there, the best in France, than to the small Léon-Collin stadium, than to the players of FC Seudre Océan would have been proud to shine the spotlight by welcoming the Girondins there.
Far from their eyes, the players of FC Seudre Océan will remain close to the hearts of their supporters, who have planned to gather at the Espace Multi-leisirs des Mathes, to follow the match on the big screen. A member of the club has a special camera “which films the match in wide shot by automatically following the ball”. Via the VO-Live application, the match is broadcast live. A stopgap, but at least the “match of a lifetime” will not be completely invisible.
