Despite a resurgence of the coronavirus epidemic in Haute-Corse, more than 8,000 spectators went to the Armand-Cesari stadium to watch the first SCB match of the season. Spectators who had to show white paw at the entrance of the stadium
It is 12 o’clock at Furiani. At the same time as the doors of the Armand-Cesari stadium open, a saving wind rises over the town and brings in its wake a sea of clouds.
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A gift from heaven when many observers feared the consequences of the heat due to the schedule of the match. 3 pm, in the middle of the island summer, for some it was akin to “suicide”. Fortunately, the weather turned out to be relatively mild with spectators, even though the thermometer was showing high temperatures. Many of them went to the stadium this early Saturday afternoon.
Almost 8,600 relentless had taken place in the stands to encourage their team. All provided with their sanitary pass, negative PCR or antigen tests, they were happy to witness the return of the SCB to the professional fold. But around the first official match of the football season, many questions remained. Faced with the resurgence of the virus on the Balagne side, and even in the Bastia region, the craziest rumors circulated around this meeting.
In front of the entrance to the south stand, we accelerate. Some relentless come from afar and have taken their precautions to avoid traffic jams on the road, but also in the stands. Because checking the health pass, or the negative test for each of the supporters takes time. Also, the latecomers missed the kickoff of the meeting.
Relief for the club
This Saturday’s match therefore presented multiple challenges, both on the sporting and institutional aspects. Because the pressure weighed on the shoulders of SCB before kick-off.
“Very sincerely, there were two games this Saturday in Furiani, details Claude Ferrandi, president of Sporting Club Bastia. There was the sporting issue, but also the issue on our ability to organize such an event, under the conditions we know. It’s easy to say, to detail, to explain, but in fact, it’s much more complicated to set up, to organize. We wanted to reassure our supporters and show the prefecture that it can trust us. “
SCB side, we push a big phew of relief. The challenge launched was successfully met. Already last year, on the evening of September 3, all eyes were on the Furiani stadium. While in France, places welcoming the public began to close their doors, the SCB hosted the US Boulogne, as part of the third day of National. A match that had hosted 6,000 people, maximum level then set.
With hindsight, and although the contexts are different, the experience gained from this meeting has been beneficial. “All of our past experiences serve us well and are good to take, continues the president of the SCB. Even if against Boulogne, the stakes and the constraints were different. Today, the Professional Football League imposes many more rules on us to follow. We are facing new challenges. “
The only downside is the fact that some spectators, due to the formation of endless queues in front of the entrances to the stands, missed the kick-off and the first minutes of the match. It is not trivial, if the club had insisted on arriving as soon as possible. “Everything is not perfect, of course, there are always things to improve. Checking the sanitary pass takes time, sometimes the scan is bugged and you have to start over, it wastes precious seconds. We have already shot a first. feedback, we will debrief in more detail this day on Monday “, says Claude Ferrandi.
Unless the epidemic changes or the prefecture indicates otherwise. Sporting players will continue to commune with their home crowd, which they missed so much last year. The next meeting at the Furiani stadium is set for August 9, at 8:45 p.m., on the occasion of the reception of AS Nancy Lorraine.
Health passes and negative PCR tests will once again be required.
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