Le Havre AC
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| Full name | Havre Athletic Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Le club doyen (The Dean Club) Les Ciel et Marine (The Sky-and-Navy) | ||
| Founded | 1872 | ||
| Ground | Stade Océane, Le Havre | ||
| Capacity | 25,181[1] | ||
| President | Vincent Volpe | ||
| Head coach | Paul Le Guen | ||
| League | Ligue 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | 12th | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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Le Havre Athletic Club (French pronunciation: [lə ɑvʁ]; commonly referred to as Le Havre) is a French association football club based in Le Havre, Normandy. The club was founded as an athletics and rugby club in 1872,[2] making Le Havre AC the oldest French football club[dubious ]. Le Havre is one of the oldest French football clubs, but the oldest is Standard Athletic Club of Paris.[3][4][5] Le Havre plays in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football, and plays its home matches at the Stade Océane.
Le Havre made its football debut in France's first-ever championship in 1899 and, on its debut, became the first French club outside Paris to win the league. The club won the league the following season in 1900. Le Havre has yet to win the current first division of French football, Ligue 1, but has participated in the league 24 times; its last stint being during the 2008–09 season. The club's highest honour to date was winning the Coupe de France in 1959.
The main rivalries of Le Havre are the "Derby Normand" with SM Caen and an always heated clash with Lens, located in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
History[]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2015) |
It was in 1872 that a group of British residents formed Le Havre Athlétique,[6][better source needed][dubious ] which played a hybrid form of football, a cross between rugby and association football, called "combination". The oldest french football club is Standard Athletic Club founded by British in Paris.[7]
Association football began being played in Le Havre in 1894.[4] · .[8]
In 1899, Le Havre became the first club from outside Paris to become French football champions. At the time the championship was organised by the USFSA. After being awarded a win over Iris Club Lillois in the semi-final by walkover, they were awarded the title after also receiving a walkover in the final against Club Français.[9] They would also win the following year, with the final being a "re-match" of the forfeited 1899 final.
The club is famous for its notable youth investment program which develops and nurtures young talent,[citation needed] with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise. A vast amount of good young talent has gone on to make an impact at international level including Benjamin Mendy, Ibrahim Ba, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Lassana Diarra, Riyad Mahrez, Steve Mandanda, Vikash Dhorasoo, Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet.
The club was on the receiving end of some high-profile illegal transfers, by which Charles N'Zogbia, Matthias Lepiller and Paul Pogba were signed by other clubs, allegedly without the proper compensation being paid.[citation needed] The first two were arbitrated by FIFA, who ordered Newcastle United and Fiorentina to pay training compensation.
Club culture[]
Le Havre is known as 'les ciel et marine' in France, which translates as 'the sky and navy blues'. These colours were chosen by the club's English founders as they were those of their alma maters, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge: the anthem of the club is played to the melody of "God Save the Queen" to mark the English origins of the club:
"A jamais le premier
de tous les clubs français
ô H.A.C.
Fiers de tes origines
Fils d'Oxford et Cambridge
deux couleurs font notre prestige
Ciel et marine!"
English translation:
"The first ever
of all French clubs
The H.A.C
Proud of your roots
Son of Oxford and Cambridge
two colors make our prestige
(the colors of the) sky and the sea!"
Players[]
Current squad[]
- As of 31 August 2021.[10]
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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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Honours[]
- Ligue 2
- Winners (5): 1938, 1959, 1985, 1991, 2008
- Runners-up (1): 1950
- Coupe de France
- Winners (1): 1959
- Runners-up (1): 1920
- USFSA Championnat
- Winners (3): 1899, 1900, 1919
- Challenge international du Nord
- Winners (1): 1900
- Coupe Nationale
- Winners (2): 1918, 1919
- Challenge des Champions
- Winners (1): 1959
Managerial history[]
- George Kimpton (1921–26)[11]
- Mac Burgess (1934–35)
- George McLachlan (1935–36)
- Josef "Pépi" Schneider (1936–39)
- George Kimpton (1945–46)
- (1946–47)
- (1948–49)
- Jules Bigot (1950–52)
- Elek Schwartz (1952–53)
- René Bihel (1953–54)
- Edmond Delfour (1954–55)
- (1955–56)
- (1956–57)
- Lucien Jasseron (1957–62)
- (1962–63)
- Arie Devroedt (1963–64)
- (1964–66)
- Max Schirschin (1970–71)
- (1971–72)
- (1972–73)
- Léonce Lavagne (1973–74)
- Edmond Baraffe (1974–76)
- Léonce Lavagne (1976–82)
- Yves Herbet (1982–83)
- Didier Notheaux (1983–88)
- Pierre Mankowski (1988–93)
- Guy David (1993–96)
- René Exbrayat (1996–97)
- Denis Troch (1997 – Oct 98)
- Joël Beaujouan (Oct 1998–99)
- Francis Smerecki (1999–00)
- Joël Beaujouan (2000)
- Thierry Uvenard, Philippe Sence and Bruno Baronchelli (Dec 2000)
- Jean-François Domergue (Dec 2000–04)
- Philippe Hinschberger (2004 – April 2005)
- Thierry Uvenard (April 2005–07)
- Jean-Marc Nobilo (2007–08)
- Frédéric Hantz (2008–09)
- Cédric Daury (2009 – Nov 2012)
- Christophe Revault (Nov 2012 – Dec 2012)
- Erick Mombaerts (Dec 2012 – Dec 2014)
- Thierry Goudet (Dec 2014 – Sept 2015)
- Bob Bradley (Nov 2015 – Oct 2016)
- Oswald Tanchot (Oct 2016 – May 2019)
- Paul Le Guen (May 2019 – present)[12]
References[]
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Hernandez, Anthony (15 May 2009). "Avec Louvel" – via Le Monde.
- ^ https://www.fff.fr/la-vie-des-clubs/177099/infos-cles
- ^ Jump up to: a b Charitas, p. 20
- ^ Archives municipales du Fort de Tourneville (Le Havre), statuts du HAC, fonds de Sanvic, R3 1 L.2.
- ^ "Historical Rugby Milestones – 1870s". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 14 May 2006.
- ^ https://www.fff.fr/la-vie-des-clubs/177099/infos-cles
- ^ Archives municipales du Fort de Tourneville (Le Havre), statuts du HAC, fonds de Sanvic, R3 1 L.2.
- ^ "France - List of Champions". www.rsssf.com.
- ^ "Effectif". Le Havre AC Official Site. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "France – Trainers of First and Second Division Clubs on RSSSF". Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2007.
- ^ "Le Havre : Paul Le Guen manager général et entraîneur (off)" (in French). foot-national.com. 29 May 2019.
- Le Havre AC
- Association football clubs established in 1872
- Football clubs in Le Havre
- French rugby union clubs
- 1872 establishments in France