RC Lens supporters were able to visit the Bollaert-Delelis stadium and learn anecdotes about its history through a guided tour on Saturday January 11.
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June 18, 1933. Félix Bollaert, former director of the Compagnie des Mines de Lens, inaugurates the Lens stadium. A year and a half earlier, the director had an idea: to have unemployed miners work on the construction of the emblematic gathering place for Lensois.
More than 90 years later, supporters of the football club flock to the stadium gates for its guided tour.
In 2024, 10,000 supporters visited the legendary Lensois stadium.
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© Sergio Rosenstrauch / Loïc Beunaiche / FTV
Anecdotes on the history of the stadium, its players and behind the scenes of the matches are on the program. Something to delight as many people as possible, often coming with family.
The passion for RC Lens is passed down from generation to generation.
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© Sergio Rosenstrauch / Loïc Beunaiche / FTV
Nicolas is a regular at the stadium: “Since I was a kid, I have been going to the Bollaert stadium. Learning its history is really interesting“. The emotion is strong for this supporter who came with his son.
Olivier Bourlard combines passion for RC Lens and work by guiding the visit.
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© Sergio Rosenstrauch / Loïc Beunaiche / FTV
To make the most of the visit, Olivier Bourlard, guide and great supporter of the club, uses his passion to inform the most curious. “The time of the visit, 1 h 30, is too short for me who has been a supporter of this club since 1983, the date of my first ticket for a match at the Bollaert stadium“, adds the Lensois in the soul.
Children, women and men unite around the same passion: RC Lens.
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© Sergio Rosenstrauch / Loïc Beunaiche / FTV
The guide’s work is bearing fruit, as Mélissa, a club supporter, testifies: “we have big chills, it’s impressive, we can never be here, at the edge of the field. This is a great opportunity for big fans like us“.
All generations meet around the Bollaert-Delelis stadium.
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© Sergio Rosenstrauch / Loïc Beunaiche / FTV
The visit to the locker rooms excited more than one supporter. Walking where the club’s legends gathered and posing proudly in front of their lockers amazes young and old alike.
The entire Bollaert-Delelis stadium can be discovered during the guided tour.
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© Sergio Rosenstrauch / Loïc Beunaiche / FTV
Sébastien shares special moments with his son during the visit. He explains: “[son fils] plays at the club where [Angelo] Fulgini started as a baby in Douai. We’re going to show the club that we went to see their locker room“. Enough to stir up vocations…
The Marek Tribune was built in 1998 and historically brings together the biggest Blood and Gold supporters.
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© Sergio Rosenstrauch / Loïc Beunaiche / FTV
Finally, the famous Marek Tribune where the most active RC Lens supporters historically meet is also worth visiting. It is here that the kop Lensois – namely the most fervent supporters – are located during matches, on the side of the stadium, while they are generally located behind the goals in other stadiums.
The next visit is scheduled for February 1, 2025.
