Red Star - Grenoble: Friendship, Communion, and Respecting tradition
The friendships and camaraderie, the stories, values and connections that last a lifetime. This is why supporters are the heart-beat and soul of the game.
The life of a hardened match-going football supporter is often compared to that of joining a religious cult or going to church on Sunday. An away day at Grenoble is an essential experience for any Red Star supporter, a bit like Christmas - but more pints and Chartreuse (for those that enjoy the Grenoblois speciality liquor).
For me it was a 4:30am wake-up call, and I dragged my feet from my apartment to Marseille Saint-Charles station to catch an early train north to the Alps. You might think that is a pretty ridiculous effort for a match that kicks off at 20:00 in Grenoble on a Friday evening - but it pales in comparison to the hardened Red Star Fans who undertook one of the most hardcore Magic Bus journeys that I've ever heard of.
For them, the journey started at midnight in Saint-Ouen. I imagine it came likely with a few drinks at l'Olympic to settle the pre-Grenoble excitement. It was then an overnight bus journey, where the majority of excitable RS supporters did not get more than an hour of sleep. So what was the early start all about? Well, the following day was shaping up to be a marathon of social communion between two ultra groups to celebrate 16 years-worth of friendship and camaraderie.
Grenoble sits right on the edge of the Alps, and when you arrive you feel like you are simply surrounded by pristine white and rocky mountains - like a painting. The surroundings are anything but the Parisian skyline surrounding Saint-Ouen, but the supporters of Red Star and Grenoble have shared plenty in common over the years. It comes from the political values shared by both groups and a vision of football populaire alongside anti-fascism and anti-racism.
It all started in 2004, with a Grenoble supporter who lived in Paris and followed Red Star. The first interactions between GF38's Red Kaos ultra group and Red Star Fans were mainly between individuals of both groups, but it became an official amitié (friendship) when Red Star Fans were present at a match against Angers in 2008, and the two group's banners were side by side for the first time.
Since then, a presence of Grenoble supporters at Stade Bauer is commonplace, especially for key events in the calendar of Red Star supporters such as the memorialisation of Rino Della Negra, Jean-Claude Bauer, as well as for those matches against rivals such as Paris FC or AS Nancy (the main rivals of Grenoble). There are also many Grenoble supporters who are based in the Paris region, and that follow Red Star on a regular basis. One is encouraged to welcome Grenoblois brothers and sisters with the warmth and generosity that merits the relations between the two groups
When Grenoble and Red Star face each other in the league, it calls for a day of celebration. A match on a Friday (thanks BeIn Sport), means that many make the sacrifice of taking a day off work.
When I arrived at 11:00 in the morning, the festivities were already well under way. Sorry French football supporters, I was not familiar with your marathon-drinking game when it really comes down to it. Around two hours from kick-off, the shared march through Grenoble's town center began: in a blitz of fireworks, bangers, and blue and green flares. It was simply a frenzy of pyromaniac joy.
Once at the stadium, the festivities continued with two tifos from both sets of supporters paying homage to one another. The game itself was almost a non-event: a 0-0 draw but a precious point for Red Star in the battle to stay up in Ligue 2. My hangover actually began during the second half, either that or the prospect of watching another 45 minutes of Ligue 2 BKT struggle-ball was getting too much for me.
It was not only an 11-hour piss up, but also an important moment of exchange - especially those like me who had not yet experienced a full-on Grenoble Red Star away day. These conversations, connections, and moments of conviviality are rare to find in a modern world where people feel more disparate and lonelier than ever, despite being artificially connected 24/7.
Saying that, it's likely for the best that Red Star and Grenoble don't play each other every week. For the sake of all of our bladders.
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