Supporters of RC Strasbourg

Supporters of Racing Club de Strasbourg are backing up the sole Alsace professional football club, RC Strasbourg (RCS). The club reports many different supporters associations, whom the club can rely on and which they are close. Strasbourg supporters are known in France for their loyalty and their passion for the club, especially since the RCS went onto amator divisions in 2011.
So, in Alsace, RCS is for lot of people, much more than a football club, but an "institution". Sometimes compared to the Borussia Dortmund Yellow wall, RC Strasbourg supporters may "stuck" their opponents.
One of the anthem of the Strasbourg supporters is an alsacian sentence, even took by the club : Jetzt geht's los. They scream this sentence to players during games, in order to support them.
The anthem of the club is inspired by a flag, deployed during amator period, which entitled, « We are not 11, but some thousands ».
During games since 2015-2016, suppoters are separated onto 2 sides and sing on the air of « No limit » from 2 Unlimited. This animation consists in separating the kop onto 2 sides, one is singing, and the other sits. And then they alternate.
Another animation is to turn back, in a way that they cannot follow the game, and sing. This is called "greek animation". They are also playing flashs with their smartphones. This animation were qualified of "amazing".
Tifos
One of the most famous tifos was the one into the Stade de France for Coupe de la Ligue Cup in 2005, on which we could read "WIN".
Another famous tifo, has been shown in French TV (very very rare for a 3rd division game) where we could have read « In Alsacian, football means Racing ». A tifo for a derby against Colmar.
Foreign culture
Marc Keller announced on the 26 July 2016 that he wants a club based on English and German culture. As a former player, he does not love French football culture, and wants a German theme during games. He wants the club to be a party, and not only sport. He wants the RCS to be "the French exception".
In the stade, the way of celebrating goals is already based on German culture. For instance, when the spokesperson announces the name of player who scored, he asks the supporters the score, and then he says "Thank you (Merci)", and the supporters yells "You're welcome (De rien)", which is typically German.
Another specificity is when the contestants get a red card, supporters are singing "Auf wiedersehen" which means "Goodbye" in German.
Since Strasbourg is close to Germany, this may be an explanation why supporters are still presents even if the club level is very low.
Attendance
Since 1945-1946 season, the best average attendance in Meinau were reached in 1993, the year they came back in 1st Division, with 21773 supporters, and in 1979 when they won French championship, with 21086 supporters in average.
The year Gilbert Gress came back as a trainer known the biggest average attendance growth, with more 8904 supporters, even in the club plays this season in 2nd division.
After its receivership in 2011, the club restarts in 5th French football division. The best 5th division record of attendance went from 4734 spectators to 10833 spectators thanks to Strasbourg.
And then, in 2014, the Racing Club de Strasbourg establishes a new attendance record, for 3rd French football division, by receiving Sports réunis Colmar because 20403 spectators are in the stade.
The club beat its own record, by playing a football match under 25096 spectators in 2015. And then, the same year, the club beat a new record. The record is still unbeated today, because 27820 spectators went to see a 3rd French football game, against US Colomiers. For its last year onto amator division, the RCS registred 4700 subscribers, another record for this division.
Finally, for its comeback onto professional division, there are 7700 subscribers in 2016-2017 season.
Average Strasbourg attendance since 1946
In 1951, when the RCS wins his first French Cup, for the comeback in Alsace, the players are welcome with 50 000 to 100 000 people, celebrating a big party.
For the following years, the club is going down to 2nd Division and coming back to 1st one. In 1959, some equipment is inaugurated. But supporters must wait until 1966, when they win their 2nd French Cup.
The crazy years - 1979 to 2001
In 1978-1979, the Alsacians become for the first and only time France champions. Undefeated in their stade, stade de la Meinau, the RC Strasbourg has reached the top of its sports results, and the attendance has reached its best of its history.
The RCS went onto 1st Division in 1992. In 1995, they reach the French Cup final, which allows the supporters to go in Europa Cup. The Racing reaches 1/16 of final in UEFA Cup, before AC Milan gets them out. In 1997, they makes a good path on UEFA Cup, after qualifications versus Glasgow Rangers and Liverpool on 1/8 of final, the Racing defeats Inter Milan 2-0 in stade de la Meinau.
Supporters of RCS are numeros when they won their last French Cup versus Amiens SC on 25 May 2001.
It is during the nineties that Strasbourg supporters were the most numerous, and that many associations, still working, were born.
The crisis - 2002 to 2011
2003-2004 season must offer to RCS to stabilize in 1st Division
and to regain its supporters. And next season, in 2005 they win Coupe de la Ligue Cup, but after 2007, the results starts to go badly. Jean Marc Furlan, the trainer who makes the club going down to 2nd Division, feels that there is "a very hostile atmosphere in the Meinau stade". After 2008, the RCS is even going down to 3rd French football Division for its first time in history. Presidents are not staying more than 8 months, and the club is going very bad, so are the supporters. and for its brother François Keller, « the highest value of RCS is its supporters ».
The comeback in professional world - 2016 to today
Since June 2016, RCS is a professional club again. Since this date, supporters are really back, even more than they could have been before. But in France, professional football clubs are managed by another league, which is known for being more strong about supporters than in non-professional sections.
Supporter clubs
Ultra Boys 90
As ultras members, they support RCS very hardly. They had about 450 members in 2007-2008 at their lowest. They support the team by their songs, tifos and exterior movings.
During home matches they were located in a curve until 2016, where they were moved on South section, because they were too much people there.
Kop ciel et blanc
The Kop ciel et blanc was founded in 2000 and is singing since 2003 and also moved in 2016 next to Ultra Boys 90. It is known to be less radical than Ultra Boys 90 but also sings and makes tifos.
Fédération of supporters of RCS
Founded in 2010 during club difficulty, this association has for purpose to gather all supporters of all different associations, in order to help the club. They, for instance, cleaned the stade de la Meinau, when the managers did not pay any cleaner for that in 2011. Any member of Ultra Boys 90 or Kop ciel et blanc may reach this association for free.
This association, as the 2 previous ones, sells objects (slings, lighters, sweaters, etc.) in order to make money and animate the stade.
Autres associations
A lot of other associations are present and backs up the Racing club de Strasbourg.
Lots of Karlsruher SC supporters attends to RCS games.
Notable supporters
The RCS has a lot of well known supporters, such as :
* Arsène Wenger, trainer of Arsenal, is a great supporter of RCS. Former player, he was born in Duppigheim, near Strasbourg. He clearly supports the club and claims that even in England, he follows how the club is going.
Medias
Racingstub.com
Internet website Racingstub.com is a website which makes relations between whole France RCS supporters. Questions, sharings, stublogs, are available.
Gallery
Bibliography

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See Also

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