LOSC. 20 years ago, the farewells, without knowing it, at the Grimonprez-Jooris stadium

20 years ago, the last LOSC meeting was played in the Grimonprez-Jooris stadium, a legendary cauldron for Lille supporters, who experienced great thrills there. Built near the citadel of Lille, it has since disappeared from the landscape after a saga of legal appeals.

It’s a goal set in stone: Matt Moussilou shakes the Grimonprez-Jooris net for the last time in history, on May 15, 2004. 2-0 victory for LOSC against Bastia. The stadium burns down one last time before falling asleep forever. Lille’s final victory at Grimonprez, after less than 30 years of good and loyal service.

It was with fanfare, in October 1975, that the Grimonprez-Jooris stadium was inaugurated with 13,000 spectators. Pierre Mauroy cuts a ribbon at the central point of the field and thus launches the friendly match between Lille and the Dutch Feyenoord, with a first Lille goal scored by Stanislas Karasi.

The stadium was built in record time, just a few months. Its ancestor, the Henri Jooris stadium, had to be destroyed to allow a diversion of the Deûle. In 1975, a new era began for LOSC, with a modern stadium at the time.

Paul-Mary Delannoy, former president of LOSC (from 1973 to 1977) then praised the quality of the stadium pitch and spoke of “gold toy“, to come and watch LOSC matches.

From the second division to the Champions League, this is the trajectory that LOSC will have experienced at Grimonprez-Jooris. In 2001, a Lille-Parma qualified the Mastiffs for the most prestigious European Cup. Vahid Halilhodzic, Lille coach then reacts: “It’s a historic moment, it’s something incredible. Well done guys, it’s exceptional, a great gift for LOSC“.

From Shivers, to the soap opera… Back in 2004: Grimonprez-Jooris, with its 20,000 places and its access problems, is no longer up to standard to accommodate the football elite. The Grimonprez-Jooris II project was then born, supported by LOSC and the city of Lille. To enlarge and modernize the enclosure. A legal match then begins around the stadium located in the heart of the Lille citadel.

Associations are increasing their appeals to prevent the project. Michel Seydoux, former president of LOSC (from 2002 to 2017) explains at a press conference that not expanding the stadium would be “very, very disastrous for LOSC“. The Loscist clan won a first battle: Martine Aubry, PS mayor of Lille, declared in December 2004 that the work could begin. “A well-prepared file wins“, declares the mayor of Lille.

Indeed, this war waged from the courts to the Council of State will ultimately be won by the anti-Grimonprez. The GJ II project was definitively buried at the end of 2005.

Five years later, Grimomprez-Jooris, its 10,000 square meters of roof and its asbestos materials, were dismantled… 10 months and 3 and a half million euros of work to remove the stadium from the Lille landscape.

LOSC played 8 years at Stadium Nord, before moving to Pierre-Mauroy in 2012. Leaving the legendary Grimonprez-Jooris far behind in the history and memories of Lille supporters.

With Thomas Millot / FTV