Amboise Football Club (ACA)
Devoted fans of Amboise Football Club, have worked for the last two years to mark its Centenary. Events planned included a Gala Match between the present team and veteran ACA players and several women’s football matches. These will not now take place until next year. Although Covid has sadly put celebrations on hold, ACA went ahead with promoting a Centenary Jersey in the Club's black and red colours. The dates 1920-2020 on the front are in gold. A limited number of shirts are for sale via the club.
The Centenary is also being commemorated in a new book which tells its story. The impressive research, a collaborative effort, took years of trawling the city archives, those of La Nouvelle République, testimonies of former players and coaches and compiling information and anecdotes gleaned from private homes. Two thousand photos were collected mainly from years gone by.
What a Christmas present this will be for all those faithful fans who turn out in all weathers to cheer their side on.
View of AC Amboise on the Ile d'Or (Island of Gold)
The club began in 1920 when Amboise was in desperate need of something good. Parts of France had been under Das Boot for two years. Some towns had only been liberated for a year. The economy was in tatters due to the loss of manpower for production and the wreck of agricultural land.
The Stadium (capacity 2,500) was named in honour of Georges Boulogne (d. 1999) who played sixteen seasons here (1924–1942). He was a sports teacher in Amboise until he became a professional trainer in 1943. He left ACA to begin his coaching career. Known for pioneering training centres within professional football clubs he was Manager of France’s national team (the Blues) from 1963 to 1973.
Amboise is justly proud of its three chateaux but it’s a pity few visitors to the town are aware of its impressive football grounds with several pitches, three school pitches and a 400m running track. Visitors are pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the club’s games and the pitch.
2020 has been a disappointing non event for Amboise Football Club but it will come out fighting. It always has.
Text by Pamela, Photography by Mark.
