The Fans: An American Convert

By: Inara | September 8th, 2007

The next few posts in this series will be devoted to interviews I conducted of a few fans. Each of them are different and offer a unique perspective on how and why they became Lyon fans.

The first up is Guignol. Not only was he responsible for yesterday’s post, but he has also graciously agreed to be interviewed.

I first came across Guignol when I joined the BigSoccer forums. Until then, I had never interacted with other Lyon fans before, as the world of online blogging and forums were pretty new to me (what rock was I living under?). As the moderator of the French forums and a diehard Lyon fan, he and the other forumers quickly welcomed me into the tight-knit albeit small Lyon community there. I was happy to discover other English speaking Lyon fans, including a good amount of Americans. It’s a fun place to post, so I advise all of you to check it out (here).

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Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from in America and how did you end up in Lyon? Are you enjoying living there?

I was born in a little town in California but started traveling 30 years ago and never really stopped until I met my wife. She’s from Provence, but we fell in love with Lyon the first time we saw it; we’ve been here now for16 years. It’s a magnificent city, with all the cultural and practical advantages of a metropolis but without the headaches of places like Paris or London.

Have you always been a football (soccer) fan?

I’ve always liked sports in general, and even played a bit of soccer in younger days, so when I moved to Europe it was normal to follow soccer, more as a replacement for baseball and gridiron at first. I didn’t understand it very well, but the knowledge and the passion rubs off on you… it’s the only sport that really matters to me now.

How did you end up becoming a Lyon fan?

The first time I saw OL I actually rooted AGAINST them! It was in the second division, and I supported FC Martigues, where I was living in those days. When Martigues was promoted to D1 I went to go see them in Lyon… but was seduced immediately by OL’s “champagne football”, what they call joga bonita these days. Coach Tigana really believed in giving the fans something to watch, and that tradition has continued. I bought a scarf the very next week and have been going to Gerland ever since.

It’s been a long time since you’ve been supporting Lyon. Back in the early nineties, did you ever think Lyon would grow as big as it has? Do you think Lyon can grow even bigger?

When OL finished second behind Nantes in 1995, we had some dreams of greatness, but that bubble burst quickly. The results went downhill, and selling off players like Giuly, N’Gotty and Maurice seemed to betray a lack of ambition on the part of Aulas and the club. OL seemed content with their tradition of being a cup club… little did we realize!

Get bigger? OL is already as big as they need to be in sporting terms; winning the CL is a yearly crapshoot between a handful of clubs and OL’s number will eventually come up if they stay in that handful. The club is run for the long term, like a business, by a successful businessman. Their financial progression is impressive and with the new stadium will continue. So there’s no reason why not.

Is there a particular event that stands out for you? A victory or defeat, or something simple, like a moment from the game?

There are obviously lots of memories everyone knows about, but the strongest ones have to be when you’re actually at the stadium. My first real thrill was when we beat OM in 1993 with 2 goals by Abédi Pele. At that moment it seemed a dazzling achievement, but it’s clear that can’t hold a candle to beating Bruges in the UEFA cup! 3-0 was the minimum to get through and Sonny’s hat-trick did it! But even better than that? The first time I took my son to Gerland OL beat Rosenborg 5-0. Seeing your cub thrilled like that, that’s tops.

Who is your favorite player? Which player do you think has had the most impact at Lyon in the past two decades?

Sonny Anderson. No other answer is possible and no explanation is necessary.

What is your opinion on Jean-Michel Aulas? Savior or devil in disguise?

JMA has a lot of doubters, but not nearly as many as in the 90’s and he proved them stone dead wrong! Sure he’s reviled throughout the league for a troublemaker and a sore loser. People say he’s an egomaniac. They say OL’s money is ruining the league. It’s all sour grapes. First of all, if Aulas pulls the attention to himself, it’s to get them off the backs of the coach and the players. And when he complains about something he doesn’t just blab like Domenech with his latest pearl, he bulds a solid case with witnesses and notarized facts. And as for him buying OL’s way to the top? Even after our first 2 or 3 championships both OM and PSG had bigger budgets, they just didn’t didn’t use the money wisely. Even today our budget would probably be lower if you took away the CL money and other premiums that are won on the field. You can say OL makes their money the old fashioned way… they earn it!

Sidney Govou: a waste of space or a brilliant and misunderstood player?

Well Sid is not exactly the most reliable player in front of the goal mouth, though he can score goals, and when he does they’re stunners. But his real value is plugging away on the wing, winning and keeping balls, keeping the defense honest with his speed, helping out on defense… you really have to watch his whole match to judge him, and I’v never seen him not contribute something. He has a reputation as a party hound, which is not false but rather exaggerated, but he is always in rock solid condition and he leaves it all on the field week after week. I’m sure you can find 11 right wingers in Europe better than he, but contrariwise if you had to build a whole team with 11 clones of the same player, he’d be a great choice!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Just thanks for all your great work here on Offside, spreading the good news, and of course, ALLEZ L’OL!!!