the Bolbec-Caen French Cup match will be played at the Ornano stadium

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It's official, the French Football Federation has confirmed to 76actuthat the Bolbec-Caen match will be played at the Ornano stadium on Saturday November 30 at 1:30 p.m.

“For me, it's a real disappointment, because in addition the family, the friends had already planned: everyone was coming to Pavilly,” breathes Richard Gilot, midfielder.

Feelings are shared this Tuesday November 26, 2024in training. A few days before the 8th round of the Coupe de France, the players of Regional 1 learn that'they will not play at Pavillybut in Caen, for their meeting against Malherbe Stadium (L2).

“For us, it's going to be good to experience, but that (the Caen players) still have the advantages, they are at home,” points out Kevin Auzou, defender of US Bolbec.

“Everything was already tied up”

After the agreement for the use of the field by the French Football Federation (FFF), the ticket office opened on Monday, November 25, with record attendance: nearly 350 places had been pre-sold during an exceptional service organized by the club.

An order had even been issued by the town of Pavilly to allow access to the land on Saturday. “Everything was already tied up,” sighs Bruno Panchout, member of the steering committee.

Plans are disrupted when the club immediately learns from the prefect that the match has been classified as high risk by the DNLH (National Division for the Fight against Hooliganism).

This classification, level 2 on a scale of 5, was confirmed the next day during a meeting of the security commission, organized urgently. “Since Tuesday afternoon, officially, Pavilly, it's over« , confirms Bruno Panchout.

According to him: “It was a ready-made meeting. As soon as they saw that the match was between Bolbec and Caen in the draw, they classified the match. Even the Océane stadium would have been refused. We pay for the problems between supporters ultras from Caen, Rouen and Le Havre. The only solution is to play at home. »

We were told clearly: to play at Pavilly, the police force is at your expense, minimum 300 gendarmes.

The Caen option re-examined

In the Coupe de France, the smallest club receives. As host, the option of the Ornano stadium, in Caen, was initially ruled out due to the disproportionate cost proposed to the amateur club. “The Malherbe Stadium offered us 84,000 euros : it is an estimate for 8,000 places, without police costs, which would also have been our responsibility,” explains Bruno Panchout.

With this late classification, the rule is upset. “As there are only 4 days left, we reverse the match. It is therefore no longer Bolbec-Caen, but Caen-Bolbec. Now they take charge of everything. »

Problem: even for a professional club, deadlines are tight. “We were told that it was possible that the match could be postponed to a later date. But their schedule is already complete: they will do everything to ensure that it happens on Saturday,” assures the committee member, emphasizing how, despite their exorbitant initial quote, the Caen club worked together to find solutions.

As a matter of urgency, sales were suspended this Tuesday. The club communicated on its social networks, but some poorly informed supporters had already reserved their tickets before the official announcement.

“Obviously, there are people who don’t want to go to Caen,” sighs Bruno Panchout. We will reimburse everything. Now, it is Caen which sets the prices. We had planned buses to Pavilly, we will also have some to go to Caen. The price is no longer the same for us, so we'll see how we organize ourselves. »

He concludes on a positive note: “We are happy to go and play the match. For the players and the staff, it remains a celebration. »

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