Racing club of Lens

Prize list

Championship of France of D1 ( 2 ):

Champion : 1944, 1998.
Vice-champion : 1956, 1957, 1977 and 2002.

Championship of France of D2 ( 3 ):

Champion : 1937, 1949 and 1973.
Vice champion : 1979, 1991.

Coupe de France :

Finalist : 1948, 1975 and 1998.

Cut of the League ( 1 ):

Victorious : 1999.

Cut of summer ( 1 ):

Victorious : 1994.

Cut Drago ( 3 ):

Victorious : 1959, 1960, 1965.
Finalist : 1957.

Cut Gambardella ( 3 ):

Victorious : 1957, 1958, 1992.
Finalist : 1979, 1983, 1993, 1995.

Cut Intertoto ( 2 ):

Victorious : 2005, 2007.

UEFA Cup :

Semi-finalist : 2000.

Records

broader victory in championship : Lens-RC Paris: 10-2 (1963-64).
broader victory in Cut of Europe : Future-Beggen - Lens : 0-7 (1995-96, C3).
the European exploit : Lens - Lazio of Rome : 6-0 after prolongation (November 2nd, 1977).
victory against Arsenal in Wembley (1-0) : Lens is the only French club to have gained in their stage.
Record of goals: Stefan Dembicki (known as Stanis): 16 achievements in only one meeting ( Coupe de France , in 1942 , vis-a-vis Auby Asturies). Final score: 32-0.
greater number of matches in championship with the RC Lens : Eric Sikora (497 matches) in front of Bernard Placzek (377 matches).
Better strikers of D1 : Ahmed Oudjani (30 goals, 1963-1964) et' Roger Boli (20 goals, 1993-1994).

Better strikers of the club' : Maryan Wisnieski and Ahmed Oudjani (93 achievements).
Record of multitude to the Stage Felix-Bollaert : 48.912 spectators on February 15th, 1992 (Lens-Marseilles: 2-1).

Classification UEFA

current Classification (classification 2006 between brackets) :

37 (32) (52.107)
38 (28) (51.808)
39 (56) RC Lens (51.706)
39 (38) (51.706)
41 (49) (51.374)

complete Classification
Better classification : 30ème (53.363), in 2000.

Anecdote

As incredible as that can parraître, since its creation in 1906 , the club had in its manpower one and single native player of Lens : it is about Chérif Oudjani , lensois of 1983 with 1985 and of 1986 with 1989 and incidentally wire of Ahmed Oudjani , joint-holder of the number of goals registered under the Sang tunic and Gold.

Historical reference marks

Birth of a club

1905, Lens. The Green place (current place of the Republic), high-school pupils exploit football. They do not know yet that they are writing the first lines of the history of the Racing Club of Lens. Why this name? The Football was invented in England, and it was thus of good taste to have a name of club with Anglo-Saxon consonance. Moreover, the young people of the time vibrated with the liking of the exploits of the Racing Club of France and of the Racing Club of Roubaix.

The first committee is formed by the parents of these teenagers under the name of Racing club lensois, before the club is officially recorded in 1906 under its final name of Racing Club of Lens. The colors of the shirt are the green, in reference to the birth of the club on the place Verte, and the black, inescapable in a city where the mine is omnipresent.

Between 1907 and 1912, the players lensois are forced to change several times of playing field: they will evolve/move with the Mercier grazing ground on the level of pit 2, then on the ground of the gendarmerie, street of Béthune, before settling with the current park of the Slides, between Avion and Lens.

During the First World War, the club disappears then reappears of its ashes under the impulse of the Committee of American help. The shirt of Lensois transfers then with blue sky bordered of white.

Of blood and gold

From 1906 to 1910, the colors of the club are the green and the black. Until 1924, they pass then to the plain black.

It is in 1924 that the colors Rouge and Yellow appear. The legend tells that Mr. Moglia, president of the club since 1923, chooses these colors in reference to the Spanish flag. This idea would have come to him while passing in front of the church from the city, vestige of the Spanish occupation of 1648. It is also said that these colors would come from the mines. Blood for the blood poured by the minors and the gold for the recovered coal which had a gold value at the time.

Always in 1924, the club receives the authorization to evolve/move at the municipal stage Raoul Briquet (today Léo Lagrange) lately arranged. For its opening, Lensois raise their new Sang tunic and Gold.

1926 is one year ostentation for the RCL: English Kid Fenton is the first high-speed motorboat to be played Lens, it will remain eight seasons. Moreover, Racing sees being born its first club from supporting. And finally, it finishes the year in brass band since it gains for the first time the Championship of Artois.

The town of Lens is interested more and more in its football club and its first subsidy offers to him (8 400 F, is 1300 Euros). The club takes then possession of the stage Raoul Briquet.

In 1929, Racing is champion of North promotion B thus reaching for the first time in Division of Honor of the League of North. In order to behave well vis-a-vis the Olympic Inhabitant of Lille, R.C. Roubaix, Excelsior Athlétic Club of Roubaix and other A.C. Amiens, two Czechs join the R.C.L in Division of Honor.

In the Artois League, the club becomes increasingly known. One then considers the construction of a great stage, in 1930. The first January 1932, the National council adopts the statute pro and it is this same year that the club inaugurates the Stade Felix Bollaert, become " stage officiel".

First feats of arms

In 1937, the RC Lens reaches in the first division finishing first of D2 with players such as Stanis and Spechtl. Lens succeeds in reaching the eighth of finale of the Coupe de France but the team is eliminated by Red Star 3 goals with 2.

With an incredible leader of play named Siklo, Racing will make very good services. In 1943, Stanis remakes speech of him, it marks 43 goals into 30 match and its team will finish first of Northern D1 zone.

After the Second world war, in season 45/46, Lens finishes 6th but goes down in D2 the following season. In 1948, the team goes until finally from the Coupe de France and is beaten by LOSC.

Then, Lens goes up in D1 and recruits Maryan Wisnieski which will make the happiness of the team. Unfortunately, of the problems with the leaders obliges it to leave the club for CPU Sampdoria Genoa without much success.

In 1962, the mines close, and announces the probable end of Racing whose majority of the players were minors. From 1956 with 1968, Racing has evil to survive. However, in 1964, Lens finish third and the best striker of the championship names Ahmed Oudjani (30 goals). Another player still will come to encrust itself in the team, he acts of Georges Lech. Relegation intervenes nevertheless in 1968.

As of the following year, the leaders of the Collieries decide to release the club and to stop professional football with Bollaert. Lens becomes again amateur one year after his descent in D2.

Henry Trannin, sport director of the club, and Arnold Sowinski remain faithful while waiting for better days and play the odd-job mans…

The years records and the fall

And the better days arrive in 1969: the town hall bets on Racing. The mayor of Lens, Andre Delelis, wishes to see this club continuing to make vibrate the public of Bollaert. Accompanied by the future president lensois, Jean Bondoux, the first magistrate gathers voluntary and subscriptions in order to make survive the club. Racing leaves the head water and the town hall recovers the Bollaert stage within the framework of the transfer of the mining inheritance.

In 1972, Racing arrives in semi-final of the Coupe de France vis-a-vis Bastia. The arrival of two Poles, Faber and Gregorczik, then makes it possible the club to go up in D1.

In 1975, Lens reaches once again the final of the Coupe de France vis-a-vis the ACE Saint-Etienne. But the Greens are essential (2-0), in particular thanks to a recovery of stolen of anthology of Jean-Michel Larqué. In 1976, victorious Saint-Etienne of the Cut and at the same time Champion of France cannot take part in two different European competitions. The RC Lens, as a finalist of the Coupe de France, takes part in its first Coupe of Europe, that of the winners of Cut (disappeared today) but is quickly made eliminate by the Dutch club from $the Hague.

Lens continues its progression and after having finished second of the championship behind Nantes, qualifies itself for the UEFA Cup. It eliminates Malmö FF, and especially the Lazio of Rome, after a defeat 2 to 0 in Italy, and a return match of legend: 6 to 0 after prolongation!. Unfortunately, after this rare exploit for a French club, Lens is made eliminate by East-German the Magdeburg. Worse, the club goes down again once again in D2 in 1978.

The return among the elite is done in 1979 with Roger Lemerre with the orders of the team. In the years 1980, Gerard Houllier and Joachim Marx will succeed to him. Lens is an average team of the first division, which carries out some exploits but which lives with few means.

In UEFA Cup, in 1984, the club faces the ones after the others the three committed Belgian clubs. After having eliminated more or less easily Gantese the and Antwerp, Racing butts against Anderlecht, holding of this cut, in spite of a goal with Bollaert marked thanks to launched of a projectile on the balloon at the time of a master key in withdrawal towards the Belgian guard Munaron. With the return, Lensois incline 1-0 and let the Inhabitants of Brussels slip by towards the final. In 1987, the UEFA Cup is completed as of the first turn, after a defeat (0-2) vis-a-vis Dundee United (finalist of the same cut the same year)

Lens does not have the means of its ambitions, whereas the area must manage the end of the extraction of coal. At the end of this decade, the great names like Huard, Sénac, Vercruysse or Catalano are exiled. Finances, just like the team, are badly in point.

The club of its heart

Arrive then at the head of Racing Gervais Martel, a business man of the area, assisted by Serge Doré. The club little by little will be moulted in company and will open to the investors. The public is mobilized behind the project, and even if the scores are not yet those of the greatest years, one feels the club on the ascending slope.

In 1988, the arrival at the post of trainer of Arnaud Dos Santos finally will give again colors with Blood and Or. The club will go up in D1 in 1991, succeeding in making packed stage during the stoppings for the accession with the elite, and gaining its place finally on green carpet

In 1993, Lens is in position of reléguable but succeeds in remaining in D1. In 1994 the club plays the top of table and is qualified, twice continuation out of cut of Europe. It reaches the semi-final of the Coupe de France after having eliminated PSG with the Parc from the Princes. But the team fails vis-a-vis Montpellier.

In 1996, the arrivals of large futures like Tony Vairelles, Titi Camara, Vladimír Šmicer and Marc-Vivien Foé give a new energy to the club.

In 1998, Blood and Gold will write the most beautiful page of their history under the direction of Daniel Leclercq. Champion of France, half finalist of the cut of the league and finalist of the cut of France vis-a-vis the Paris SG (demolished 2-1), the club signs good manners its first title. The gilded generation of the Warmuz, Déhu, Wallemme, Sikora and Magnier obtains finally a reward with the height of its talent. Like a symbol, it is pure produced RCL, Yoann Lachor, which registers with Auxerre the goal making it possible Lens to precede Metz with general classification.

Always under the direction of the Druid, Lens 1999 will gain the second major title in of its history: at the end of an excellent course in Cut of the League, Racing beats finally Metz thanks to Daniel Moreira and offers to its supporters one more nice gifts: a second national title in 2 years. Also let us note a convincing course in Ligue of the Champions. Lens is the first French club to gain in the mythical stage of Wembley, since thanks to Mickaël Debève, the RCL beats Arsenal 1 to 0. Admittedly, Lens was eliminated at the end from the first phase, but it should be said that the adversaries were of a quite higher gauge: in addition to Arsenal, the Dynamo Kiev and Panathinaïkos of Athens composed this group.

Season 1999/2000 is marked by the ousting of Daniel Leclercq but also by the excellent course lensois in UEFA Cup. Indeed, the men of François Brisson were eliminated only in semi-final by the English club from Arsenal. Racing was distinguished by eliminating Kaiserslautern (victory 4-1 in Germany), Atlético Madrid and Celta Vigo

In 2000/2001, it is old house, Georges Tournay, which avoids with the club being relegated in the second division, rectifying the chaotic course of the team pulled by Roland Courbis.

Joel Muller was then called with the ordering of Sang manpower and Gold. Its assessment is rather mitigated with a first successful season: Lens finished second and was thus qualified for the Ligue of the Champions for the second time of its history. On the other hand the two following seasons were rather dull (8th by twice).

It will be replaced during its fourth season by Francis Gillot which starts its career of high level trainer there. After having hung the qualification in Cut Intertoto in spite of a first part of season difficult, Gillot leads the club to the 4th place in 2005/2006, synonymous with qualification in UEFA Cup.

At the time of the season 2006/2007, Blood and Gold finish the first part of season in the 2nd place. The continuation is successful, and advances it obtained previously is quickly decreased. And at the time of the last day, whereas Racing has all the charts in hand concerning the qualification in Ligue of the Champions, the men of Gillot fail Troyes, relegating the club to the 5th place, synonymous with Coupe Intertoto, and causing the anger of many the supporters which had made displacement.

A few days later, Gervais Martel announces the resignation of Francis Gillot, under doubt accelerated following the non-participation of the club to the Ligue of the Champions.

The June 5th 2007 in the morning, the signature of Guy Roux is announced to replace this resignation.

The June 27th 2007, the LFP refuses this contract. Perhaps Racing Club of Lens appeals but prepares the choice of a new trainer if this decision is ratified. July 11th finally, the CNOSF confirmed that Guy Roux will be able to involve Lens well, the next season. But after a poor beginning of the season (2 points in 4 matches), Roux proposes its resignation on August 23rd, 2007 with president Martel, who accepts it on August 25th at the half-time of meeting RC Strasbourg-RC Lens

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Medium grounds

Attackers

Players emblematic

See also: List of the players of Racing Club of Lens

International French

* Still in activity.

French players

Foreign players

Assessment season per season

See also: Assessment season per season of Racing Club of Lens

History of Racing Club of Lens

Seasons 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.
Results of Racing Club of Lens in Coupe de France.
Results of Racing Club of Lens out of Cut of the league.

Technical staff (2007-2008)

Supporters of Racing Club of Lens

The supporters of the RC Lens appear among most active of France. The first club of supporters of the club is founded in 1926.

detailed Article: Supporters of Racing Club of Lens

Dominique Regia-Corte is the person in charge of the relations between the clubs and the many groups of supporters

See too

Internal bonds

Stage Felix Bollaert: stage of Racing Club of Lens

External bonds

Official site of the club

References

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