Stéphane *, a supporter of Racing CFF for several decades, has made “hundreds of trips” to see his club play from L1 to Parisian DH. “But I had never seen that and never been so scared,” he tells us, still in shock from his Saturday evening in Rouen. The 1st (Racing) against the 3rd (Rouen), it was the poster of the weekend in the group A of National 2. More than 4,800 spectators were present in the bays of the dilapidated Stade Robert Diochon.
The Rouen Fans, the ultra group of the FCR celebrated its tenth anniversary. On the Racing side, the club had chartered a bus with supporters, club children and some parents. Others had come with their car, a total of sixty Racing supporters present. They were separated in two places in the stadium, the ultra group behind a goal and in the central stand, for the others, especially the children. On the pitch, Racing led then was overtaken before equalizing (2-2, final score). The Rouen Fans lit many smoke bombs and even fireworks during the two goals scored by their team. “During the match everything went well even if I wonder how so many smoke bombs could have entered the stadium, continues Stéphane. Me, with my white hair, I was searched from head to toe by security. »
“We came across a real ambush”
Things escalated at the end of the match. About fifty Rouen supporters tried to attack their Racing counterparts who were going to return to their bus. “The FC Rouen supporters came running to fight it out,” a judicial source told Paris Normandy.
“Rouen security asked us to wait behind a fence before the bus arrived, says Stéphane. We heard the bus was rocked. Then they started throwing stones over the palisade where we were. I told my wife, quickly stick yourself against the wall... We saw the stones falling. There were ten-year-old kids with us… Can you imagine? We came close to tragedy. It could have ended in carnage. We came across a real ambush. Being afraid when you go to see a National 2 match, that’s not how I see football. »
About twenty police officers intervened to disperse the Rouennais using tear gas. The Rouen supporters then gathered at a roundabout where the Racing supporters bus was to pass. But he took another route, escorted by a BAC vehicle. No arrests were made.
On the Racing side, President Patrick Norbert confirmed to us “that a complaint was in progress”.
*name has been changed