ORLEANS … REACHING FOR THE SKIES
Orléans, version 82-83, in D 2. Back : Queyrel, Léopoldès, Viot, Soriano, Lemée (player-coach), Ciavarino.
Front : Hénaut, Berdoll, Berthouloux, Sévenier, Mathoux.
Currently in the CFA 2, Orléans hope one day to rediscover a level more appropriate to their past glories. Remember, just ten years ago, Orléans went into liquidation following fourteen seasons in D2 and a final of the Coupe de France (1980). Thus followed an enforced relegation into the depths of the DH. In February 1992, with debts of 7 million francs, the clubs was placed into administration and on March 6th, the club was finally liquidated, thus ending top-level football in the Orléanais.
Over the last ten years, Orléans yo-yo between the DH and the level above. Back this season in the CFA 2, Orléans hope to soon join the CFA and eventually the National.
Founded under the name Arago Sport d'Orléans, the club made the Coupe de France its speciality. In 1945 the club reached the quarter finals, even knocking out Red Star 2-1 at Angers to reach that far. Finally they were beaten by the Racing … at the Stade de Saint-Ouen ! The architect behind this great run was none other than Jules Vandooren, a former Red Star hero. At the age of thirty-seven, he directed affairs from the pitch, being the player-coach at that time. The season after, Arago eliminated Reims before going out over two matches against Stade Français, their destiny changed with the exit on a stretcher of Jules Vandooren with a broken leg.
In 1972, he club came close to promotion to D 2, but the club as pipped at the post by a future grand, Auxerre, coached by Guy Roux, still in charge today. Incidentally, Orléans did the double of their Burgundy rivals that season.
In 1976, Arago merged with US Orléans to become USO Arago and with it the arrival of a new coach, a certain Jacky Lemée. With experienced players, the ex-Red Star coach propelled Orléans into D 2 in 1978. The club changed its name to Union Sportive Orléans Football. Several well-known players joined, including Bruno Germain. In 1980, Jacky Lemées' men knocked out the Paris FC (Georges Eo, Jean-Jacques Almorfini …) in the semi-final of the Coupe de France. In the final, Monaco won 3-1 (1-1), but the unlucky losers received a heros welcome back home.
The club became one of the stalwarts of D 2. Several noted footballers came to reinforce the team, including Marc Berdoll, Serge Chiesa, Guy Stéphan, Daniel Léolpoldès (a former Red Star man, as was Franck Bonora).
Following the first signs of financial problems, and a good fourth place in 1983-84, more famous names arrived at the Stade de la Source - Henri Agerbeck, Jean-Luc Arribart and Stéphane Solomenko, then a little later Gérard Soler, Henri Zambelli, the Luxembourg international Robby Langers thus keeping the D 2 adventure going until 1992.
Champion of DH under the name Union Sportive Orléans 45 last season, coach Joël Germain have ended the first half of the season satisfactorily, and if the form continues, they should avoid the drop without too many difficulties.
The last meeting between the two sides goes back to January 18th, 1992, when Orléans took the upper hand over Red Star 1-2. This result was expunged from the records, however, as Orléans never completed the D 2 season.
Orléans are a real bogey team of Red Star, who have never beaten the Orléanais !
Jacky Lemée & Franck Bonora both ex-Red Star
Internet site : www.usofoot45.com
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