Chamois Niortais F.C.
Full name | Chamois Niortais Football Club | ||
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Nickname(s) | Les chamois (The Chamois) | ||
Founded | 1925 | ||
Ground | Stade René Gaillard | ||
Capacity | 11,352 | ||
Chairman | Karim Fradin | ||
Head coach | Philippe Hinschberger | ||
League | Championnat National | ||
2022–23 | Ligue 2, 20th of 20 (relegated) | ||
Website | Club website | ||
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Chamois Niortais Football Club (often referred to as Les Chamois, Chamois Niortais, or simply Niort) is a French association football club based in the commune of Niort, in the Deux-Sèvres department of western France. It was founded in 1925 by Charles Boinot, the son of the owner of a local chamois leather factory. The club's home stadium is the Stade René Gaillard in Niort, which has a capacity of 10,898 although in the last 20 years attendances have generally averaged below 5,000 per match due to the club's relatively small fan base. Chamois Niortais has traditionally played in an entirely blue home strip, although away strips regularly differ.
For the first 20 years of the club's existence they played in local leagues around the Centre-Ouest region. In 1945, after the Second World War, the side joined the
Chamois Niortais were relegated to the Championnat National in 2008, and relegated again the next season, losing their professional status. After finishing as runners-up in the Championnat National, the team were promoted to Ligue 2 for the 2012–13 season.
History
Early years
After the First World War, local chamois leather factory owner, Theophile Boinot, established the first sports club in Niort, Amicale Club Niortais. Soon after, the football section of the club was founded and named Étoile Sportive Niortaise. In 1923, many players were conscripted into the French army. In 1925, a number of the players returned to the town and Boinot's son, Charles, set up the first proper association football team in the town, which he named Chamois Niortais Football Club.[1]
For the first season, the presidency of the club was entrusted to Jean Gavaggio, a chemical engineer at the Boinot factory. Georges Poussard, also a worker in the factory, was appointed as the club's first secretary. The original team played in a fully white strip, and competed in the regional championship of the Ligue de Charentes.[2] In 1929, the Swiss footballer Franchina was named as the club's first manager and the first committee was elected. Throughout the 1930s the club continued to grow in size, enlisting more players and members, despite the team performing relatively poorly in the league.[3]
For the 1932–33 season, Chamois Niortais joined the
After the Second World War
Chamois Niortais were relegated from the CFA to the DH Centre-Ouest in 1945. Led by Faczinek, who had returned to the club as
The side struggled in their first season back in the third tier, achieving a tenth-placed finish.[9] After being runners-up in the division for two consecutive seasons in 1961–62 and 1962–63, the team secured a number of mid-table league finishes under Kazimir Hnatow. After Hnatow left Chamois Niortais in 1966,[6] the club's fortunes on the pitch began to diminish and they were eventually relegated at the end of the 1968–69 campaign after ending the season with just 12 points from 26 matches.[10] Upon the restructuring of the league system, the team joined the newly formed Division 3 in 1970. They played there for the following eight years, but never finished higher than fourth in the division.[9] In 1978, the club finished last and were again relegated to the fourth level, but were immediately promoted back to Division 3 after finishing as runners-up in 1979. However, they again finished bottom of the division and in 1980 returned to Division 4, where they played for the next four seasons.[9] In April 1984, Patrick Parizon was appointed as manager and the following month, the side secured a third-placed finish to gain promotion back to Division 3.[4] In 1984–85, the team lost only three matches in the entire campaign as they finished comfortably top of the division. A 2–1 victory over Montauban on 18 May 1985 confirmed their promotion to Division 2 for the first time in the history of Chamois Niortais.[11]
Professional status
Thanks to the promotion, Chamois Niortais became a professional club for the 1985–86 season.[4] The season began well for the side, as they achieved a 1–0 win against USL Dunkerque on 16 July 1985.[4] They went on to accomplish a respectable fifth-placed finish in their first season with a total of 37 points. The next campaign saw unprecedented success for the team, as they racked up a 17-match unbeaten run on the way to the league championship. Their title triumph was confirmed with a 2–0 victory over US Orléans at the Stade René Gaillard on 23 May 1987.[12]
The following season turned out to be the club's only season to date in the top tier of French football. The season began with a 1–1 draw with Lens and the side's first victory came against Montpellier on 1 August 1987.[12] The team also managed a win in their first ever televised match, defeating Saint-Étienne 2–1 on 18 August 1987.[12] After a promising start, the team languished around the bottom of the division for the majority of the campaign, and were eventually relegated back to Division 2 on 10 June 1988, after being beaten 3–0 by Caen, finishing just one point behind Lens.[13]
The relegation saw the end of Patrick Parizon's reign as head coach as he was replaced by
To regional football and back again
Colours and badge
The badge of Chamois Niortais features a chamois goat standing on a
For the following season, the home kit reverted to the usual all-blue strip and the jersey currently has a white sash across it. The away kit for the current season is the reverse of the home strip, and consists of a white jersey with blue sash, white shorts and white socks. For the 2009–10 season, the club's kits are produced by Italian sportswear company, Erreà, and the main shirt sponsor is Cheminées Poujoulat.[20]
Stadium
When Chamois Niortais were founded, the club had no fixed home
At present, the stadium has four stands: the Tribune d'Honneur, the Tribune Pasages, the Tribune Populaire Nord, and the Tribune Populaire Sud. The four stands currently have a combined capacity of 10,898, with 1,324 of these being standing places. The stadium is typical of many continental European grounds, with an athletics track between the pitch and the stands.[21] Next to the stadium there is a small annexed ground where the club's reserve and youth teams play their matches. The first televised match at the ground took place on 18 August 1987, when Saint-Étienne were beaten 2–1.[12] The record attendance at the stadium was set on 24 October 1987, when 16,715 people saw Chamois Niortais defeat Marseille by two goals to one in a Division 1 encounter.[12][21]
Supporters
Chamois Niortais have always had a relatively small fan base, with very few fans from outside of the area around Niort. The club has one main supporters' organisation, named "Unicamox 79". The name is taken from "uni", the French for united, "camox", the Latin word meaning chamois. The 79 symbolises the department number of Deux-Sèvres.[22] The organisation has no history of violence or extremism, and works closely with the football club to try to improve the atmosphere at home matches.[22]
To date, the highest ever average attendance in a season was 10,142 during the club's Division 1 campaign of 1987–88.[23] Since then, the average attendance has usually been under 5,000 spectators. In the 2008–09 season, the average was as low as 2,348 when the club was playing in the Championnat National.[23]
Players
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Other teams
The club also fields a reserve team, which competes in the Championnat National 3, and has youth teams ranging from under-7 to under-15.[25]
Managers
Since the appointment of the first Chamois Niortais manager, the Swiss coach Franchina, there have been 31 different first-team managers. Three of the coaches, Kazimir Hnatow, Robert Charrier and Pascal Gastien, have had more than one spell in charge of the club.[6] The current manager is Pascal Gastien, who was given the job in 2009 after Denis Troch was sacked following the side's relegation from the Championnat National. Gastien, a former Chamois Niortais player, is currently in his third spell as manager. To date, the only manager to have coached the club in the top division of French football is Patrick Parizon, during the 1987–88 season.[6] The club's longest-serving manager was Ferdinand Faczinek, who had a five-year tenure between 1943 and 1948.[6]
Club officials
Position | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | Bernard Simondi |
Assistant coaches | Oumar Tchomogo Andé Dona Ndoh Gabriel Santos Arnaud Gonzalez |
Goalkeeping coaches | Pascal Landais |
Fitness coaches | Jérémie Molton |
Conditioning Coaches | Fabrice Fontaine |
Youth coaches | Carl Tourenne |
Video analyst | Bryan Lejonc Stanislas Sinicki Christophe Ott |
Sporting directors / Chief Scout | Mikaël Hanouna |
Sports Coordinators | Matthieu Sans |
Coordinator of talent managements | Dodzi Eklu |
Doctors | Christian Sieyamdji |
Physiotherapists | Yassine Abada Charles Mayot Valentin Poret |
Reathletists | Romain Faure |
Osteopaths | Julien Goy |
Team Manager | Julien Memeteau |
Assistant Team Manager | Fabien Menu |
Managerial history
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Honours
Honour | Year(s) |
---|---|
Division 2 vice-champions | 1986–87[26] |
Division 3 champions | 1984–85, 1991–92[26] |
Championnat National champions | 2005–06[26] |
Championnat de France amateur Group C winners |
2009–10 |
DH Centre-Ouest champions | 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1959–60[26] |
Coupe de la Ligue du Centre-Ouest winners | 1947, 1948, 1950, 1966, 1970, 1975, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2001[26] |
Records
Club
- Biggest win: 6–0 (v. Valenciennes, Ligue 2, March 2018)[27]
- Highest league finish: 18th, Division 1 (1987–88)
- Record home attendance: 16,715 (v. Marseille – 24 October 1987)[21]
Players
- Most league appearances: 435 – Franck Azzopardi[28]
- Most league goals: 61 – Andé Dona Ndoh
- Most league goals in one season: 17 – Walquir Mota (1995–96)[28]
See also
References
- ^ a b Eric Mazet (29 July 2008). "1925: Naissance des Chamois Niortais" (in French). Chamois Niortais F.C. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ a b Eric Mazet (28 July 2008). "1925/1926 : le club se structure" (in French). Chamois Niortais F.C. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ Eric Mazet (27 October 2008). "Franchina premier entraîneur" (in French). Chamois Niortais F.C. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Historique Chamois Niortais" (in French). Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ "CFA Ouest 1950–51" (in French). footballenfrance.fr. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "France – Trainers of First and Second Division Clubs on RSSSF" (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2007.
- ^ "Georges Hatz profile" (in French). chamoisfc79.fr. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ "DH Centre-Ouest 1959–60" (in French). footballenfrance.fr. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Chamois Niortais Football Club" (in French). footballenfrance.fr. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
- ^ "CFA Ouest 1968–69" (in French). footballenfrance.fr. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ "Division 3 Centre-Ouest 1984–85" (in French). footballenfrance.fr. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Grands dates du club depuis 1985" (in French). Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ "Division 1 1987–88" (in French). footballenfrance.fr. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ "US Boulogne CO 1 – 0 Chamois Niortais" (in French). LFP.fr. 16 May 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Championnat National 2008–09" (in French). footballenfrance.fr. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ^ "Rules of the DNCG" (PDF) (in French). LFP.fr. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ Jean-Cristophe Gilbert (4 June 2009). "Pascal Gastien nouvel entraîneur !" (in French). Chamois Niortais F.C. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ "Football – 10 ans de la montée des Chamois en Ligue 2. Que sont devenus les acteurs de la saison ?". Ouest-France (in French). 30 May 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ "Nouveau maillot!" (in French). Chamois Niortais F.C. 26 July 2007. Archived from the original on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Effectif Saison 2021/2022" (in French). Chamois Niortais F.C. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d Jean-Cristophe Gilbert (8 August 2009). "Le stade René-Gaillard" (in French). chamoisniortais.fr. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ a b Eric Mazet (8 August 2009). "Présentation des Unicamox" (in French). Chamois Niortais F.C. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ a b "Stade Rene Gaillard" (in French). chamoisfc79.fr. Archived from the original on 20 September 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
- ^ "Chamois Niortais FC". scoresway.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ Eric Mazet (8 August 2009). "Autres équipes" (in French). Chamois Niortais F.C. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "Le Chamois Niortais FC : dates, palmarès, joueurs" (in French). Chamois Niortais F.C. 31 August 2009. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ "Historique Coupe de France" (in French). chamoisfc79.fr. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Records Joueurs" (in French). chamoisniortais79.fr. Archived from the original on 20 July 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.