Stade Grimonprez Jooris
Encyclopedia
Stade Grimonprez-Jooris was a multi-purpose stadium
in Lille
, France
built in 1974. It was used mainly for football matches as it was home to the Lille OSC
football club from 1975 until 2004, when the stadium was closed.
The club originally planned to have Grimonprez-Jooris redeveloped into a 33,000-seat stadium, but this proposal was rejected, and the new Stade Borne de l'Espoir
is currently being constructed instead. The new stadium is expected to be finished by 2012, and in the meantime Lille OSC play their home games at Stadium Nord Lille Métropole.
The stadium was officially opened on 28 October 1975, when Lille played a friendly against Dutch side Feyenoord (which ended in a 1–1 draw) and the last match at the stadium was played on 15 May 2004, Lille's last home game in the 2003–04 Ligue 1 season against SC Bastia
. Lille won the game 2–0 with Matt Moussilou
scoring the last goal in the history of Grimonprez-Jooris.
, a navigable waterway which passes through the city of Lille, and the design for a new stadium was made by Lille architect Pierre-François Delannoyla. Although the club wanted the new stadium to retain the old name Stade Henri Jooris (named after Henri Jooris, former Lille OSC manager), the mayor proposed it to be called Stade Félix Grimonprez after Félix Grimonprez
, a former field hockey
player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics
and the 1936 Summer Olympics
. This resulted in a compromise solution in which the stadium was hence named Stade Grimonprez-Jooris.
The stadium's original capacity was 25,000 at the time it was opened, but this was reduced to around 17,000 by 2000 due to the evolution of safety standards. In 2000 the stadium was renovated and the capacity was increased to 21,128 (14,534 seated). However, the stadium still failed to meet FIFA licensing regulations and Lille had to play their 2001–02 UEFA Champions League matches at the Stade Félix-Bollaert.
. However, their search for investors willing to finance the ambitious project was met with little success.
In June 2003 the club's board agreed to a new proposal put forward by the city mayor to build a new 33,000-seat stadium on the site of the Grimonprez-Jooris. Preliminary works which included dismantling of training grounds were undertaken, and the delivery was scheduled for 31 December 2004 but was postponed. In the meantime the funding of the project moved from the City Council to the Urban Community of Lille Métropole
and became 100 percent public. Construction work was then planned to begin in early 2005, but the project faced opposition from preservationist
s who successfully prevented the project to obtain necessary permits as the site of the stadium was close to the 17th-century Citadel of Lille
. The delays forced Lille OSC to play their league matches at Stadium Nord Lille Métropole and their 2005–06 UEFA Champions League games at Stade de France
in the Paris
suburb of Saint-Denis
.
After two years of court battles, local courts had declared issued building permits void in July and December 2005, which meant that Grimonprez-Jooris II would never come into existence. Once the dismantling of training grounds was completed, the club moved their facilities to Camphin-en-Pévèle
. The failed project cost the city of Lille 6 million euros, including 3 million paid to the architecture bureau, 2 million in damages to businesses which invested in the project and 1 million for court fees. The future of the stadium was unclear until January 2007 when the Urban Community of Lille Métropole decided to fund the demolition of the stadium. The demolition works finally began in March 2010.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
built in 1974. It was used mainly for football matches as it was home to the Lille OSC
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
football club from 1975 until 2004, when the stadium was closed.
The club originally planned to have Grimonprez-Jooris redeveloped into a 33,000-seat stadium, but this proposal was rejected, and the new Stade Borne de l'Espoir
Stade Borne de l'Espoir
Grand Stade Lille Métropole is a multi-use stadium in Villeneuve d'Ascq near Lille, France, that is currently under construction. It is sometimes called Stade Borne de l'Espoir because Borne de l'Espoir refers to the plot of land, in Hôtel de Ville quarter of Villeneuve d'Ascq, on which the stadium...
is currently being constructed instead. The new stadium is expected to be finished by 2012, and in the meantime Lille OSC play their home games at Stadium Nord Lille Métropole.
The stadium was officially opened on 28 October 1975, when Lille played a friendly against Dutch side Feyenoord (which ended in a 1–1 draw) and the last match at the stadium was played on 15 May 2004, Lille's last home game in the 2003–04 Ligue 1 season against SC Bastia
SC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
. Lille won the game 2–0 with Matt Moussilou
Matt Moussilou
Matt Devlin Moussilou Massamba is a French-Congolese footballer who plays for Lausanne-Sport in the Swiss Super League as a striker. He has been capped by Congo at international level.-Club career:...
scoring the last goal in the history of Grimonprez-Jooris.
History
The club's original stadium Stade Henri Jooris had been demolished in 1975 in order to allow the enlargement of the Canal de la DeûleCanal de la Deûle
The Canal de la Deûle is a canal in northern France connecting Bauvin to the Belgian border near Deûlémont. It is 35.8 km with 3 locks. It may also be called the liaison Bauvin-Lys....
, a navigable waterway which passes through the city of Lille, and the design for a new stadium was made by Lille architect Pierre-François Delannoyla. Although the club wanted the new stadium to retain the old name Stade Henri Jooris (named after Henri Jooris, former Lille OSC manager), the mayor proposed it to be called Stade Félix Grimonprez after Félix Grimonprez
Félix Grimonprez
Félix Grimonprez was a French field hockey player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was born in Lille....
, a former field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
and the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. This resulted in a compromise solution in which the stadium was hence named Stade Grimonprez-Jooris.
The stadium's original capacity was 25,000 at the time it was opened, but this was reduced to around 17,000 by 2000 due to the evolution of safety standards. In 2000 the stadium was renovated and the capacity was increased to 21,128 (14,534 seated). However, the stadium still failed to meet FIFA licensing regulations and Lille had to play their 2001–02 UEFA Champions League matches at the Stade Félix-Bollaert.
Redevelopment plans and demolition
Plans to build a new stadium compliant with UEFA's standards were made in 2002, when the club was privatised. City authorities tried to persuade the club's new owners to redevelop the existing stadium, but they refused and instead opted for a plan to build a new 60,000-seat stadium outside the city, financed as a public-private partnershipPublic-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
. However, their search for investors willing to finance the ambitious project was met with little success.
In June 2003 the club's board agreed to a new proposal put forward by the city mayor to build a new 33,000-seat stadium on the site of the Grimonprez-Jooris. Preliminary works which included dismantling of training grounds were undertaken, and the delivery was scheduled for 31 December 2004 but was postponed. In the meantime the funding of the project moved from the City Council to the Urban Community of Lille Métropole
Urban Community of Lille Métropole
The Urban Community of Lille Métropole is the intercommunal structure gathering the commune of Lille and that part of the Lille metropolitan area that lies in France....
and became 100 percent public. Construction work was then planned to begin in early 2005, but the project faced opposition from preservationist
Preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
s who successfully prevented the project to obtain necessary permits as the site of the stadium was close to the 17th-century Citadel of Lille
Citadel of Lille
The Citadel of Lille is a pentagon-shaped citadel of the city wall of Lille, in France. It was built around 1668. It hosts the Corps de réaction rapide France....
. The delays forced Lille OSC to play their league matches at Stadium Nord Lille Métropole and their 2005–06 UEFA Champions League games at Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
suburb of Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
.
After two years of court battles, local courts had declared issued building permits void in July and December 2005, which meant that Grimonprez-Jooris II would never come into existence. Once the dismantling of training grounds was completed, the club moved their facilities to Camphin-en-Pévèle
Camphin-en-Pévèle
-References:*...
. The failed project cost the city of Lille 6 million euros, including 3 million paid to the architecture bureau, 2 million in damages to businesses which invested in the project and 1 million for court fees. The future of the stadium was unclear until January 2007 when the Urban Community of Lille Métropole decided to fund the demolition of the stadium. The demolition works finally began in March 2010.
External links
- Article about the failed redevelopment at Zoom sur Lille