Chemin bas d’Avignon, in Nîmes, the revenge of a neighborhood

Karim Bouhlal, loyal supporter, in his thirties, is struggling to recover. “Since the creation of the club, this has never happened. I still have shivers ! This is the first time that we have gone so far. “ In Nîmes, the Chemin bas d’Avignon district is in turmoil. The football club’s first team qualified for the 32^is of the Coupe de France and will face Clermont Foot, Ligue 1 club, Saturday, December 18, at 4 p.m.

Seven divisions separate the two teams. “Amateurs against pros, our chances are minimal”, recognizes the trainer, Stéphane Dartayet, who has been living since the end of November on another planet. “I hear about it every day, even at work. We are experiencing strong emotions. The team is a showcase for the club and for the neighborhood. “

“It’s a club that does a lot for families. Everyone is very attached to the club, ”says Karim Amhajji

The Jeunesse sportive du Chemin bas d’Avignon (JSCBA), alias the “Cheum”, is a historic monument of the Chemin bas d’Avignon, one of the sensitive and very underprivileged districts of Nîmes, where HLMs and politicians succeed one another. from the city. Here is football, ” this is serious “, comments Karim Amhajji, one of the leaders. “It’s a club that does a lot for families. There are activities during the holidays for the children. The players become coaches. “

Since 1962, the club has established itself as an educational pillar in this district of 18,640 inhabitants, a social base supported by amateurs and the departmental council, which subsidizes it under the city’s policy. On the spot there is however more a ground to play, the building which was used as changing rooms is abandoned, but a system D has been set up: the volunteers play the mediators and even the taxis, to motivate the footballers. budding to join training.

Twenty-five volunteers, 250 licensees

Mohammed Akfour, the former president, remembers Claude Nebeker, one of the founders, “A precursor”, who dedicated fifty years of his life to this club. “He always went out of his way to make us play and dream. At the time, there were fewer resources. It was above all the pleasure of kicking a ball, the competition side came after. The spirit has not changed, but we have improved. We have great teams, our young people play in the league and team one is fighting for the rise in Regional 1. »

And then there are these names which are the pride of a club, these children who started out on the grounds of the popular district, like Abder Ramdane (who played in Nîmes, in Le Havre, in Friborg in the 1990s, before become a coach), or Sofiane Alakouch (currently in Metz, after playing in Nîmes). “We are a neighborhood club that acts as a small training center”, estimates the treasurer of the club.

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