History
Racing Club de France is a historic team of French football, however, with a complicated history. During the 1900 Summer Olympics, the club hosted the athletic events at Croix-Catelan Stadium, which was the club's previous home. Racing's days at its zenith were in the 1930s and 40s, when the club won the Division 1 in 1936, and the Coupe de France in 1936, 1939, 1940, 1945 and 1949. The club was also successful at the beginning of the 1960s, finishing runner-up of the first division in 1961 and 1962. However, midway through the decade, Racing became a significant focal point of the financial crisis that affected French football. The club's financial struggles resulted in its relegation to the lower divisions.
Racing was bought in the 1980s by French businessman Jean-Luc Lagardère who wanted to build a team of stars, however the purchase and notion turned out to be a failure and Lagardère sold the team shortly after. Since its relegation to the amateur levels, Racing is still seeking financial resources to develop the club. In December 2008, Georgios Kintis sought to buy the club, but failed to reach an agreement.
Ahead of the 2009–10 season, the club reached a financial agreement with the city of Levallois. The club's association and support from the commune resulted in Racing changing its name to Racing Club de France Levallois 92. However, despite assistance from Levallois, in July 2010, Racing was administratively relegated to the Championnat de France amateur 2 by the DNCG after it was determined that the club had a €500,000 financial debt. On 21 November 2010, Racing Levallois and UJA Alfortville announced plans to merge, starting next season. In 2012, Racing came back to Colombes and was renamed Racing Club de France Colombes 92.
Read more about this topic: RCF Paris
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“[Men say:] “Don’t you know that we are your natural protectors?” But what is a woman afraid of on a lonely road after dark? The bears and wolves are all gone; there is nothing to be afraid of now but our natural protectors.”
—Frances A. Griffin, U.S. suffragist. As quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 4, ch. 19, by Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper (1902)
“To history therefore I must refer for answer, in which it would be an unhappy passage indeed, which should shew by what fatal indulgence of subordinate views and passions, a contest for an atom had defeated well founded prospects of giving liberty to half the globe.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“So in accepting the leading of the sentiments, it is not what we believe concerning the immortality of the soul, or the like, but the universal impulse to believe, that is the material circumstance, and is the principal fact in this history of the globe.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)