Today I'm going back 23 years to 1999 and a season-opening top flight match in France between Paris-Saint-Germain and Troyes played on a summer Saturday night (8PM kick-off) at the Parc des Princes and attended by 43,542 including yours truly. It wasn't a long journey for me to get to the match as I went on the train from my home in Marly-le-Roi in the suburbs of Paris where I was living during a 2.5 year spell working in France. There were no programmes available at the match (boo!) so the image shown is of my match ticket stubs.
This was my fifth visit to the Parc des Princes and one of eight in total. At the time, like today, PSG were regarded as one of the top clubs in France but they were not as rich or successful as they have since become following their acquisition by the Emir of Qatar in 2011. Up until their acquisition, PSG had won just two Ligue 1 titles but since 2012/13 they have been Champions on a further eight occasions (out of a possible ten!) to become France's undisputed top club as their total of ten Ligue 1 titles is a record. Perhaps we should regard PSG as being the French equivalent of Manchester City in that, despite winning their domestic League title on several occasions, try as they might, they have been unable to secure the coveted Champions League crown that represents the pinnacle of ambition for all top European clubs.
I can distinctly recall sitting in the stands at Parc des Princes looking at PSG's Ultras groups that evening. Perhaps strangely at PSG there were more than one set of Ultras showing their support in the stadium. At one end they had the "Boulogne Boys" and, at the other, the "Supras Auteuil". Incredibly there seemed to be a degree of animosity between the two groups of supporters that eventually developed into violence which culminated, in 2010, in the death of one of the Boulogne Boys. The club were then forced to take action with both groups being banished from the stadium at the expense of the loss of PSG's vibrant atmosphere. Since then, a cautious return of the ultras groups has been permitted on a controlled basis. It's hard to imagine many clubs having supporter groups prepared to attack their own fellow supporters but, as demonstrated at PSG, it's not inconceivable.
Troyes or Esperance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne (their nickname is "ESTAC") are the third professional football club to have come from Troyes, a town on the river Seine with a population of around 62,000 about 140km to the South-East of Paris and located in the official champagne producing region of France. Happily for ESTAC, despite coming from such a small town football-wise they are, today, still to be found in Ligue 1 having been promoted back to the top flight in 2021 and provide hope for small clubs everywhere.
Back in season 1999/2000 PSG were title contenders but, despite their early season single goal win against Troyes, they were destined to finish in second place come the end of the season, seven points behind Champions Monaco who were managed by future Southampton and Leicester City manager Claude Puel. At least PSG had the consolation of automatic qualification into the following season's Champions League. For their own part, Troyes struggled all season long before eventually finishing safe in 14th position in the 18-team Ligue 1, above Marseille and just one point clear of the relegation places which were occupied by Nancy, Le Havre and Montpellier.
CRB Match No. 1165
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