Once is not custom.
While he had sometimes been squeaky vis-à-vis the cozy atmosphere reigning at the Pierre-Brisson stadium in Beauvais, FC Chambly coach Bruno Luzi this time paid tribute to his supporters on Saturday evening after the success in front of Châteauroux (2-1).
"I note the support of the public, breathed the coach at a press conference.
There were a thousand and a few of us, but they supported us well when it was complicated.
When it's good, you have to say it too, including for them… ”The technician noticed it all the same: it is not by their number that the Camblysian fans have distinguished themselves.
They were only 1,336 against the Berrichons, and barely more when Paris FC (1375) and Grenoble (1,400) came.
We are therefore far from the standards of last season, when Chambly hosted an average of 3,000 people at the Pierre-Brisson stadium.
This heavy loss of attendance was, however, not obvious, the Oise club having the chance to be less impacted than others by government measures.
The 5,000 spectator level does not really concern him, since this limit was never reached during the previous exercise.
And that, more recent, of 1000 spectators does not apply to the Oise, located for the moment in zone of alert and not in zone of reinforced alert.
Internally, there is no doubt: given the resurgence of the epidemic, a number of supporters are still reluctant to come to the stadium.
“And this is even more the case with the latest announcements from the Minister of Health, considers Marius Delaunay, the stadium manager.
The prices are the same, so there is no other explanation.
However, we did everything to reassure the spectators, but the information that is looped does not help.
We had a meeting a week and a half ago with the stadium managers of Ligue 2, and most of them are seeing catastrophic crowds… ”
Sanitary constraints create a different atmosphere
For the managers, the team's sluggish start to the championship, marked by two draws and two defeats, is therefore not taken into account.
"These are really the very first games, so it's hard to think that these are the results," says Marius Delaunay.
From the first day, there were less than 1,400 people against the PFC, while there had not even been a previous match.
"" We have very few families at the stadium, the current spectators are regulars who come in small groups.
In my opinion, this illustrates the fear of the virus, ”abounds Thierry Bertrand, the general manager.
According to the stadium manager Camblysien, the constraints linked to the reception of the public also discourage some, because the circulation in the enclosure is obviously under control.
“Social distancing, people feel it,” he says.
Against Châteauroux, there were no more physical sales at the refreshment stall at the request of the prefecture, customers were delivered to their place via the club's application.
However, spectators like to have their beer before the match or at half-time and chat with their friends near the refreshment bar.
This is no longer possible, and it does not create the same atmosphere… ”
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While he was obviously expecting a particular season, the club had not really anticipated such a drop in attendance.
“I'm surprised, we could have hoped for 2,000 or 2,500,” confirms Marius Delaunay.
I did not think that this fear would be so strong, I told myself that life had resumed… ”At the financial level, ditto, the leaders are taken aback.
“We had expected the same attendance as last season, sighs Thierry Bertrand.
Already, the costs increase a little to respect the protocol.
And then, there are fewer receipts at the ticket office, but also the refreshment bar and the shop.
For the second version of the budget returned at the end of October to the DNCG, we will seriously reconsider these figures.
Everything is being revised downwards.
But we are not the only ones: everyone is currently taking a high price ... "
