STADE BRESTOIS HISTORY IN STICKERS

The Stade Brestois was created in 1950 from the merging of 5 catholic bodies of Brest which included l'Armoricaine. One of the goals of this merging, initiated by Canon Balbous, was to compete with the towns main football club l'A.S.Brest, which was not religiously based. Headed by the player-coach Francis Chopin, the club joined its rival in CFA (3rd division) after 8 years of trying. In 1970, the team, coached by Sarkis Garabedian and Armand Fouillen, overtook its opponent by reaching the D2 (2nd division). They managed to stay in this division thanks to the contribution of players such as René Treguer, Claude Le Trocquer, Pierre Le Bihan, Nigel Page-Jones, Jean-Claude Ribeyre, Michel Drevillon, Jean-Claude Delorme... In 1976, the new president Michel Bannaire and the team manager René Charlot engaged the player coach Alain De Martigny with the ambition to professionnalize the club and access to the first division. This objective was attained three years later : Brest finished first of the group B, ahead of the front runner, Lens. The team were strongly aided on their good goal-keeper (Daniel Bernard) coupled with a solid defence (Boutier - Le Roux - De Martigny - Kédié) and a talented attacking quartet (Lenoir - Floch - Martet – Letemahulu). It was the beginning of their greatest period for the club in sporting terms. Between 1979 and 1991, the club spent 10 seasons in D1 (first division) and some great players wore its jersey, notably the Croatian Drago Vabec, the Brazilian Julio Cesar, the Paraguayan Roberto Cabañas as well as David Ginola and Bernard Lama... Brest also had an effective training center : among the most famous home-grown players, we can mention Yvon Le Roux, Paul Le Guen and Corentin Martins. Unfortunately, the club suffered from financial problems caused in part by the risky management of François Yvinec (president since 1981) and was wound up in 1991. The team then had to restart in the third division, with amateur status. The club survived thanks to the new president Michel Jestin and some local players such as Franck Lérand, Gilles Kerriou, Lionel Riou, Stéphane Sergent, Arnaud Treguer... At the end of the season 2003/04, the Stade Brestois, lead by the young Franck Ribery, returned to Ligue 2 (second division). 5 years laters Brest made its comeback in L1 (first division), 19 years after its dramatic descent into hell. Bruno Grougi, Nolan Roux, Benoït Lesoimier, Steeve Elana, Oscar Ewolo... were all considered local hero’s. The first part of the season 2010/11 was euphoric: Brest lead after 11 matches. The dream didn’t last for long. The Stade Brestois crumbled and only saved its skin in the last match of the season. The club was relegated 2 years later and since then has been woefully stagnating in L2.

-Brest 1971/72
Players on stickers: Guy Boutier, Jean-Claude Delorme, Michel Drevillon, Sylvestre Gnohite, Marcel Lallour, Jean-Louis Lamour, Pierre Le Bihan, Claude Le Trocquer, Nigel Page-Jones, Jean Claude Ribeyre, Rene Treguer and Joseph Wrobel