The story is not trivial. Last Saturday, on the evening of the C’Chartres Football draw (1-1) against the Lorient reserve on the Grands-Prés lawn, they proudly wore the CCF blue scarf around their necks. Stéphane and Christophe are however two purebred Ch’tis, that we would see more in heart the “Corons” of Pierre Bachelet at half-time of a match of RC Lens at the Bollaert stadium, than to wander in the living room VIP of the Jacques-Couvret stadium in the middle of appetizers. So what did the two Northerners do in Beauce, more than 300 km from their home?
320 km from Pas-de-Calais
We reassure you, the answer to this question is not to be found in the fame of C’Chartres Football. The performances of Sébastien Persico’s teammates, in National 2, have not yet reached the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining area. No, the real explanation for this funny situation is simple. It takes three letters: JPP.
It’s now been four years since Jean-Pierre Papin won the hearts of these two football aficionados, obviously ready to make sacrifices to share a moment with their idol. So, since passion has a price, Stéphane (37) and Christophe (52) had to get up at dawn on Saturday to drive their Renault Espace the 320 km that separate them from Chartres, from their respective home. , located in Aire-sur-la-Lys and Isbergues (Pas-de-Calais), to attend the meeting between Chartres and Lorient (b). If the match was scheduled for 6 pm, the uncle and his nephew took the opportunity to stroll through the streets of Chartres.
C’Chartres Football caught in the nets of the Lorient hake [revivez notre direct]
It was not a trial run for them this season. The two men had already made 115 km to Eu, near the cliffs of Tréport (Seine-Maritime), on August 5, to witness the success (3-0), in friendly, of the gang at JPP against Boulogne-sur -Mer, resident of the National. Then another three hours on the road, on October 10, to reach Versailles (Yvelines), the scene of the third victory in the championship of Jean-Pierre Papin (3-1).
However, it is not on the green rectangle that we must look for the beginnings of the idyll between JPP and his two fans, but on the side of the little queen, another passion of the Northerner. “It all started during a presentation ceremony for the Cofidis cycling team in January 2016, in Lille, rewinds Stéphane. With Christophe, we were part of the fan-club of this training, and I knew that Jean-Pierre was the godfather. I was a fan of him, and in particular of his end of career at the Girondins de Bordeaux (editor’s note: 1996-1998). “
“I sent him a message on Facebook, with my wife’s account, which he did not respond to. When I saw him again a year later, he said, “I never answer women” (laughs). He gave me his phone number right away. “
Stéphane, fan de JPP
–
The pellet then did the rest. Stéphane didn’t just take a selfie with JPP. The media activities, as a consultant at beIN Sports, of the former star of Olympique de Marseille and the light of TV sets have sharpened his curiosity. “We always want more, admits Stéphane. I then asked him if it was possible to come to beIN. Jean-Pierre (Papin) said “yes” right away. “
Guardian angels or lucky ones?
Yet the story could have ended there. Because Stéphane was then without news of JPP for many months. “I sent him a message on Facebook, with my wife’s account, which he did not respond to. When I saw him again a year later, he said, “I never answer women” (laughs). He gave me his phone number right away. “. The adventure was underway.
Since then, Stéphane has been taking care of the former center forward of the Blues. “I felt indebted and I tried to help him as much as I could,” recalls the technical controller, who includes his uncle Christophe in his approach. This took the form of collecting donations for the “Neuf de Coeur” association, which Jean-Pierre Papin created in 1996. (see box).
The good points and bad accounts of C’Chartres Football
If the two Northerners do not yet have a halo above their heads, they still act as guardian angels for JPP. Unless it’s just lucky guys. Because, in addition to their financial contribution to the association of the Ballon d’Or 1991, Stéphane and Christophe have still not experienced defeat this season with JPP on the bench of the CCF (two wins and one draw). At this rate, the president of C’Chartres Football Gérard Soler would be well inspired to take them an annual subscription to the honorary stand of the Jacques-Couvret stadium… But when will we see Stéphane and Christophe again in the Chartres enclosure? The two Northerners had planned to make the trip for the arrival of Châteaubriant, on November 11. But with the end of the championships until December 1, not sure that we will see them again anytime soon …
5.660 euros for “Neuf de Coeur”. Stéphane and Christophe are anything but groupies of Jean-Pierre Papin. As evidenced by the process initiated by the first named. The Northerner managed to collect 5,660 euros in donations for the “Neuf de Coeur” association, founded by JPP and his wife Florence to help children with serious brain damage, as is the case for their daughter Emily. “A friend who works in communication gave me a very large donation,” Stéphane blows. A check discount took place in Aire-sur-la-Lys, in January, in the presence of JPP. “All the traders, who played along, were invited to an aperitif and were able to leave with an autographed photo with Jean-Pierre,” Stéphane recalls.
–
Gaël Trévien
– .
