Blog: AJ Auxerre: I remember

AJ Auxerre were relegated from the French Ligue one for the first time in 32 years after the 2011-12 season. Below is an Auxerre fan's 20 year memoir on the things, bad and good about the club..

I remember my first game at the Stade Abbe Deschamps in 1992 against St Etienne when I was six. I remember going through the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup- AJA vs AJAX Amsterdam with my grandparents. They did not have Canal + ( French TV). So I followed through live radio text. 

I will remember the semi-final of the Coupe de France 1994 against Nantes (1-0). I ate chips in front of the stadium and fell sick all night. I have never eaten fries at the stadium again.

I will remember that I was too shy to go ask for an autograph from Didier Pascal Vahirua Otokoré. I will remember that we often saw players in the shops downtown, even Pascal Vahirua a barber who has thousands of salons throughout France. 

I will remember these people who were climbing on the fountain Cadet-Roussel to celebrate the title of Champion of France in 1996. I'll remember that bastard Jose Garcia-Aranda, who did not play the superb chisel Lilian Laslandes against Borrusia Dortmund. 

I will remember the sprint Guy Roux at Guingamp on the day we won the title in 1996. I will remember the fog in Glasgow Scotland and when Thomas Deniaud doubled our lead as a substitute in the Champions League. 

I will remember the pride of Auxerre fans to see three players from the club become world champions in 1998. Auxerre, the most represented club together with Monaco. 

I remember it was freezing cold at the Stade Abbe Deschamps in the heart of winter. I will remember Cocard, Diomedes, Vahirua, glued to the sidelines. I will remember this young generation Cisse, Kapo, Mexes, Boumsong. 

I will remember the golden age where we were sponsored by Kappa and Playstation. I will remember the explosion of joy on the Equalising goal by Djibril Cissé, then the hard work of John Alain Boumsong at the Coupe de France final against PSG. 

I will remember the farewell Djibril Cissé against Nantes in 2004. Of joy and many tears at the stadium. I will remember the explosion of an unknown, Benjani Mwaruwari. 

I will remember that I did not understand why part of the Auxerre crowd sang "Guy Roux! Guy Roux "insistently after the final of the Coupe de France Auxerre- Sedan. Guy Roux had just announced his departure but Twitter did not exist. 

I will remember how we thanked Jacques Santini, the first coach of the post-Roux, and author of a fine season. I will remember the arrival of Jean Fernandez.... passionate but his game unappealing. 

I will remember to have vibrated last two times: one evening in Sochaux for a qualifying dams in the Champions League, and another at the back against Zenit.

But I will not forget ...

I will not forget this trip in League two after 32 years in the elite.

I will not forget the string of bad players purchased in recent years: Issa Ba, Issam Jemaa, Alexandre Licata, Oumar Kalabane, Vlad Munteanu, Robert Popov, Gabriel Tamas, Yonathan Del Valle, Omar Kossoko, Roy Contout, Marcos Antonio, Anthony Le Tallec, Toifilou Maoulida, Frederic Thomas, Jean-Michel Lesage, Johnson Soumahoro, Aurelien Capua, Jeremy Huyghebaert ... 

I will not forget the takeover of the club which has led us to ruin. I will not forget that Guy Roux is aging badly. I will not forget that everything undertaken by Gerard Bourgoin ends badly. 

I will not forget the silence of some former players now in the AJA association that led to the arrival of Bourgoin. I will not forget the attitude of Delvin Ndinga, that Auxerre came out of nowhere and formed, preferring to sulk and play badly than helping his club, after the failure of his transfer to Lyon. 

I will not forget the attitude of Willy Boly in training the day after the descent of Auxerre to Ligue two. I will not forget that young stars walk around with their V6, their music blaring and the windows open in Auxerre, when the fans were walking on foot. 

I will not forget the decision to appoint club coach Laurent Fournier against the advice of all. I will not forget the bad image reflected by the club for 12 months, between coup, crisis, coaching change ... 

I will not forget that the club leadership kept Fournier, keeping it as long as possible while the players no longer followed him. I will not forget the helplessness of many fans after AJA- Nancy who saw their club sink without anyone doing anything. 

I will not forget that Djibril Cisse has preferred to help QPR to maintain survival rather than his first club. I will not forget that the cell recruitment seemed so sure of herself that she has refused any outside help. 

I will not forget that many employees will be laid after the relegation of AJA. I will not forget the sad look of Daniel Rolland after the descent of the AJA.

I will not forget that I must reserve my now Friday and Monday nights to watch us play...