Looking at the centre of St. Etienne.

Saint-Etienne, a town with a legendary reputation in football. Jean-Michel Larqué was captain of the "Greens" during the golden years and is now editor-in-chief of the football magazine Onze Mondial and a co-commentator on the television channel TF1.

or many French fans, mentioning the word football still brings back memories of Saint-Etienne. While the current team no longer ranks among the best in France, the "Greens" (after the colour of their shirts) of the years between 1970 and 1980 made such an impact at the time that their exploits are still remembered. Saint-Etienne is synonymous for football for many fans. As in Marseilles or Lens, the game occupies a special place in the people's hearts. Historically the town has ranked as a major industrial centre since the 18th century, largely thanks to its coal. With the advent of the industrial revolution in the 19th century, Saint-Etienne became one of the most important cities in France.

Two shots of Jean-Michel Larqué: once captain of a great team, now a co-comentator with TF1.

      The famous School of Mines was founded in 1816. Textiles, metallurgy and coal were the main products. It was no accident that the first railway line to be opened in France, in 1828, linked Saint-Etienne and Andrezieux Boutheon. During the second half of the 19th century Saint-Etienne had the wisdom to diversify and develop new industries, such as foodstuffs, bicycles and car components. It was from these beginnings that Manufrance developed - the famous bicycle and arms manufacturers, the company being founded in 1894. In the 20th century Saint-Etienne was affected by the decline in the coal industry but succeeded in switching over to other more modern sectors where its know-how would be of value: these include high tech areas such as accoustics, advanced components (NASA is a major client), improved food products, bio-medical equipment and machinery.

THE GEOFFROY-GUICHARD STADIUM A series of European Cup successes in the mid-70s and early 80s earned the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium the nick-name of the "green cauldron", a venue that came to be respected on the international scene. It even had its own "Kop" (named after the part of the ground in Liverpool where the home fans were loudest), where the French could spur on their side to be one of the best in Europe. Today the stadium has been brought up to current international standard. The Kop, which once had several thousand standing places, was altered so that for the World Cup in 1998 the ground accommodates 36,000, all seated. To accomplish this, a lot of reconstruction had to be carried out: the work took 20 months to complete and consumed a budget of 75 million French francs. Things were organised so that the Saint-Etienne team was able to continue to play its home games there, with at least 25,000 places available. With new turf, new lighting, new stands, new press facilities, the original Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, built in 1931, has been transformed into a 21st century sports centre, ready for the 1998 World Cup.

      Paralleling its socio-economic development, Saint-Etienne, the capital of the Forez region in the heart of France, also managed to develop in other ways, becoming a university town in 1960 and an important cultural centre: there is a Museum of Modern Art (one of the best in France), as well as theatre, opera, a multimedia centre and opportunities for many other kinds of cultural activity. The University of Saint-Etienne, with over 20,000 students out of a population of 201,500 (450,000 including the surrounding area) provides the city with a way of looking to the future - over 25% of the population are under 20 years old. And sport plays a unifying role in the city's culture; there is a sound infrastructure and widespread interest in sports, with the "Greens" carrying the banner at the front of the movement.

      After Lyon, which is only 60 km away, Saint-Etienne is the second most important town in the Rhone-Alpes region and just 3 hours from Paris on the prestigious TGV (high speed train). It is also easily accessible by air or motorway. Thus there were a number of sound reasons for Sainte-Etienne to be considered by the French World Cup Organising Committee as one of the ten venues for 1998, and with the additional factor of the town's traditional interest in football, it was chosen without hesitation, despite being so close to its large neighbour, Lyon.

For more information on the St-Etienne club, visit the official site of the French Football League