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Red Star

Founded by Jules Rimet, followed by leftist ultras

A fan’s guide – the club from early doors to today

No club created by the man who created the World Cup could ever be short of tradition – and, sure enough, Jules Rimet’s Red Star have history in spades. What they haven’t seen much of is silverware – the last of five French Cup wins came in 1942 – but they do have a stadium. At last.

Supporters they also have, from a left-leaning fan base up in their spiritual homeland of St Ouen, the northern suburb also known for its flea market. Here Red Star moved in 1909 after a decade of hopping from Champ de Mars, in the shadow of the then newly built Eiffel Tower, to the suburb of Meudon.

Once based at the Stade de Paris, aka Stade Bauer, Red Star established themselves as a leading club in the French capital. 

L'Olympic/Peterjon Cresswell

Always in some form or other ‘Red Star’ – Rimet took the secret of their English name to the grave, though it is said to have been linked to his former governess from across the Channel, a certain Miss Jenny – the club attracted some of the finest players of the early era of the game in France. Two-time war hero and striker Eugène Maës, goalkeeper Pierre Chayriguès and forward Paul Nicolas were all leading French internationals either side of World War I.

Red Star won three consecutive cups in the early 1920s and were founder members of the inaugural Ligue 1 in 1932. In between, the club provided two of the French team who played in Rimet’s initial World Cup of 1930, goalkeeper Alex Thépot and forward Marcel Pinel. Top goalscorer at the tournament, Argentine Guillermo Stábile, spent three years as player-manager at St Ouen shortly before World War II.

Changing from their traditional marine blue and white to green, ‘Red Star Olympique’ remained top flight either side of World War II, merging with former local rivals Stade Français in 1948.

L'Olympic/Peterjon Cresswell

Briefly dropping out of the professional game in 1950, Red Star never really regained their top-class status despite short stints in Ligue 1 in the 1960s and 1970s. Producer of players such as later Fulham and Marseille star Steve Marlet, Red Star remained a regular feature of the second and third flights, gaining promotion from one to the other in 2015, partly thanks to goals from former Manchester United and Bordeaux forward David Bellion and his journeyman strike partner Kévin Lefaix.

With the Stade Bauer unsuitable for Ligue 2 football, and much to the chagrin of their supporters, Red Star were forced to relocate some 80km north to Beauvais in 2015-16. There at the Stade Pierre Brisson, while the Stade Bauer was being revamped, Red Star managed a creditable mid-table presence and maintained their fierce rivalry with fellow Championnat National promotees Paris FC.

Stade Bauer, meanwhile, became a saga so long-running the club ran an internet feed of claims, counter-claims and perceived falsehoods in the media. 

Suitable for staging matches in the third tier, where Red Star found themselves after finishing bottom of Ligue 2 in 2019, the ground became the subject of more debate when it was proposed as a potential venue for Olympic football in 2024. A dispute between the stadium’s municipal owners in St Ouen and the company looking to take charge of the rebuild duly ensued.

L'Olympic/Peterjon Cresswell

Red Star, in the meantime, had attracted a left-field following akin to Dulwich Hamlet’s across the Channel,  covering the nearby L’Olympic bar in radical stickers and going against the grain of the newly found elite status of football in the French capital.

All this rang pretty hollow when Miami-based investment group 777 Partners took over the club in 2022, fans stopping a match in protest and a former Red Star owner venting his feelings in Le Monde

Jules Rimet, of all people, had founded this venerable institution 125 years before according to the egalitarian principles of the day – Red Star were now just another addition to the portfolio of somewhat opaque multi-club owners whose stewardship of Hertha Berlin and Standard Liège had riled their followers into demonstrating their displeasure.

Stade Bauer mural/Peterjon Cresswell

The deal kept in place Patrice Haddad, the club president who had created his own successful film production company at the age of 24 and taken over then sixth-tier Red Star in 2007. Vowing to achieve a place in Ligue 2 by 2015, Haddad had made good on that promise, while negotiating the thick red tape surrounding the gradual rebuild of the Stade Bauer.

On the pitch, Red Star revived under former Newcastle full-back Habib Beye in his full managerial role, his job elevated from assistant coach to Vincent Bordot in 2021. Holding Monaco to a two-goal margin of victory in the French Cup shortly afterwards, Beye pushed Red Star ever closer to a return to Ligue 2.

With former Red Star youth player Merwan Ifnaoui in sparkling form as playmaker, the Parisians won the third-tier divisional title in 2024 as rumours swirled around 777 Partners following their failed takeover of Everton. Sensing financial insecurity, Beye bowed out despite the promise of Red Star embarking on a first campaign in Ligue 2 for five years.

Stadium Guide

The field of dreams – and the story behind it

Unveiled in 1909, Stade Bauer remains very much a work in progress. Since the conclusion of the tortuous negotiations between the stadium’s municipal owners, Red Star and locally based developers Réalités in 2021, a contemporary venue has gradually been created around this venerable landmark, once  the national arena for French football.

Shortly after being unveiled and welcoming the arrival of Red Star, St Ouen, as it was known, staged the first of several internationals when England’s national amateur XI played faced France in March 1911. After World War I, two new stands were added before Red Star hosted Racing here in 1922. 

Assuming the name of Stade de Paris, even though by then Colombes was more than ten times bigger, the 5,145-capacity stadium was packed for France’s 7-0 demolition of Latvia at the 1924 Olympic football tournament. Two-goal hero that day was Paul Nicolas, who would help Red Star win four French Cups during his decade here in the 1920s.

The stadium also witnessed Egypt shock victory over Hungary here, 3-0, and the Irish Free State playing only their second-ever international, against Holland. 

A new main stand was added in 1947, the stadium and the street running alongside it had been renamed after Résistance hero Dr Jean-Claude Bauer, tortured and shot by the Nazis in 1942. 

Stade Bauer/Peterjon Cresswell

By the time the local council funded its rebuild in 1975, Red Star were already on a downward spiral, as if illustrated by the sloping apartment block built right behind the Tribune Sud in the 1970s. 

Today referred to as Planète Z, the complex has been a distinctive feature of the Stade Bauer, typifying the working-class credentials of the club down below. The 800-capacity Tribune Sud was the first of the four stands to be erected in the modern-day rebuild, followed by the 4,800-capacity Tribune Est halfway through the 2023-24 season.

Yet to come are the Tribune Ouest, expected to open during 2024-25, followed by the Tribune Nord, which hasn’t been in use since the late 1990s. Standing beside main rue du Docteur Bauer, this will house Bauer Box, a showcase space for cultural and sporting events. Current estimates suggest it should open by December 2025.

Above, roof terraces will house gardens aimed at cultivation, while an eco-friendly approach underscores the disposal of waste and collection of rainfall. Once completely ready, the new Stade Bauer will have a capacity of 10,000. Currently, it can hold 5,600.

For the time being, away fans must negotiate rue Étienne Dolet then impasse Charles Garnier to reach the west side of the Tribune Sud. All other visitors, including the Red Star faithful, access the Tribune Est via rue du Docteur Bauer. Note that the club shop at Le Corner Bauer fell victim to the reconstruction but stalls are set up on match days.

getting there

Going to the stadium – tips and timings

The stadium sits between Saint Ouen’s sprawling flea market and Porte de Clignancourt, at the northern end of line 4 on the city’s main metro network, directly connected with Gare du Nord and Châtelet. 

When you arrive at Porte de Clignancourt,  head for the big ring road, the boulevard Périphérique – either walk under it, in the direction of the flea market, that you also have to cross, or jump on bus 166 from the corner of the petrol station/rue F de Croisset just before the ring road. This runs every 20mins to Michelet-Rue du Docteur Bauer right opposite the stadium, four stops away.

Walking from Porte de Clignancourt Métro to the stadium otherwise takes 15-20mins and gives you the chance to browse the flea market on the way.

getting in

Buying tickets – when, where, how and how much

Tickets are sold through the club website and are categorised according to where you prefer to be along the Tribune Est – and, now that Red Star are in Ligue 2, invariably according to what’s available. You’re advised to source your tickets are at least a few days in advance as seats will be at a premium in a half-built stadium.

The Tribune Est is divided in the Kop (Categorie 3) nearest rue Dr Bauer for hard-core fans, Categorie 2 nearest the Tribune Sud and Categorie 1 over the halfway line. Prices range from €7-€25, with reductions for under-12s. 

There’s a ticket outlet at the entrance to the Tribune Est on rue Dr Bauer but will only be able to provide information if the game’s a sell-out.

Away fans must purchase either through their club or from the ticket office (cash/French Carte Bleue) located on impasse Charles Garnier at the entrance to the Tribune Sud. Admission is €5 for most league games but visiting supporters must show some kind of ID or proof that they’re from the opposing team. 

Note also that there is currently no club shop in operation after the closure of Le Corner Bauer during reconstruction – stalls are set up on match days or you can purchase your green-and-white striped shirt through the website.

Where to Drink

Pre-match beers for fans and casual visitors

A classic pre- and post-match bar of timeless French tradition, L’Olympic sits slap opposite the stadium on rue du Dr Bauer. Done out with Red Star team line-ups as well as stickers and scarves gifted from visiting fans of similar persuasion – Altona 93, St Pauli, Clapton FC – it features a pool table at the back, though elbow room round the bar will be at a premium as kick-off approaches.

If you fancy a change of scene, nearby Le Moderne at No.97 serves regular drinks and main dishes in cosy surroundings, the TV tuned to football and items of Red Star iconography on display.