stadium capacity rankings in France

[SportBoy321]

all numbers taken from WorldStadiums.com

Division 1

1. Marseille-60,031
2. PSG-48,712
3. Strasbourg-43,247
4. Lens-41,810
5. Lyon- 41,184
6. Nantes-38,486
7. Bordeaux-35,200
8. Rennes-31,716
9. Montpellier-31,250
10.Sedan-24,000
11.Auxerre-23,493
12.Le Harve-20,536
13.Sochaux-20,000
14.Monaco-18,500
15.Troyes-18,240
16.Guingamp-18,016
17.Nice-15,761
18.Lille-15,401
19.Ajaccio-10,660
20.Bastia-10,080

9 stadia over 30,000
4 stadia at 20,000+
7 stadia under 20,000

personal comments: PSG could use another 20,000 seats. Bordeaux could use another 10,000. Lille and Nice are way too small. Monaco is too big. Biggest constrast Marseille(60,000) to Bastia(10,080)

Division 2

1. Toulouse-36,369
2. St.Entienne-35,616
3. Metz-26,300
4. Wasquehal-23,000
5. Caen-21,500
6. Nancy-20,000
7. Laval-18,703
8. Lorient-16,669
9. Valence-15,000
10.Chateauroux-14,500
11.Grenoble-14,000
12.Gueugnon-13,872
13.Le Mans-12,526
14.Amiens-12,000
15.Niort-11,201
16.Clermont-10,363
17.Cretiel-10,000
17.Beauvais-10,000
18.Istres-7,200
19.Reims-7,000

2 stadia over 30,000
4 stadia 20,000+
14 stadia under 20,000
2 stadia at single digit capacity

personal comments- lots of small stadiums in Division 2. Toulouse and St.Entienne large contrast to the rest due to many years in the top flight. Biggest contrast Toulouse(36,369) to Reims(7,000). Many clubs need to go bigger to be profitable at Division 1.

Division 3

1. Brest-20,000
2. Angers-17,000
3. Dijon-15,000
3. La Roche-15,000
4. Pau-13,819
5. Cannes-13,500
6. Nimes- 13,364
7. Ales- 12,000
8. Martigues-11,500
9. Valenciennes- 11,316
10.Louhans Cuis-10,000
11.Besancon-7,500
12.Rouen-7,000
12.Cherbourg-7,000
13.Angoulme-6,500
14.Sete-5,000
14.ViryChatill-5,000
15.Trelissac-3,000
16.Beaucaire-2,000
17.Romorantin-1,950

0 stadia over 30,000
1 stadia 20,000+
19 stadia under 20,000
9 stadia in single digits

personal comments: most of the stadia are Division 3 capacity quality a few are good enough for Division 2. None are suitale for Division 1 except maybe Brest.

[CrewDust]

I take it they haven't found anybody to play in the 80,000 seat stadium in Paris?

[SportBoy321]

Originally posted by CrewDust
I take it they haven't found anybody to play in the 80,000 seat stadium in Paris?

It's the national team stadium so they really don't need anyone to play there. How many stadiums for national teams throughout the world have club teams playing in them. Not too many I'd bet.

[BrianCappellieri]

SoccerAge (http://www.soccerage.com/en/13/h0775.html)Demolition Looms For Lille's Stadium

Le Championnat outfit Lille received devastating news today after local authorities ruled their Grimonprez Jooris Stadium could be demolished. A request to expand the stadium was rejected and the club was even told they could have to move from their current location, which is strictly ruled by law as the stadium is on a ruins site.

[SportBoy321]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Devestating news indeed!

[Shah]

Originally posted by CrewDust
I take it they haven't found anybody to play in the 80,000 seat stadium in Paris?

It is not in Paris, but kind of in ghetto in the suburb of Saint Denis. PSG (barring an major improvement to euro super club status) would never fill the stadium. There are only two other Paris teams in the top 3 divisions (division 2 suburban based Creteil and Racing Club de Paris in semi-pro division 3). Other clubs like Paris FC, Red Star, and suburban based Olympique Noisy-Le-Sec and Lusitanos Saint-Maur are in the amateur fourth division. So it would be pointless to use it for a club. It will only host French internationals, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de La Ligue and the French Rugby Cup final and I think some French rugby internationals.

[RobtheAggie]

Just one little note about Clermont Ferrand. Their stadium has only one side to it. The way the team has been getting stronger every year, and the way that their owners have been willing to spend money to improve the team, I can easily see them building another side onto the stadium. Here is a link to a bunch of photos of the stadium: http://www.clermontfoot.com/galerie/php/vignette.php?x=zzzz

I believe that the end goal was to complete the stadium when Clermont Foot became big enough to warrant it.

[RobtheAggie]

Here is a better link for the stadium in Clermont Ferrand:
http://www.clermontfoot.com/club/php/stade.php

[SportBoy321]

Originally posted by Shah


It is not in Paris, but kind of in ghetto in the suburb of Saint Denis. PSG (barring an major improvement to euro super club status) would never fill the stadium. There are only two other Paris teams in the top 3 divisions (division 2 suburban based Creteil and Racing Club de Paris in semi-pro division 3). Other clubs like Paris FC, Red Star, and suburban based Olympique Noisy-Le-Sec and Lusitanos Saint-Maur are in the amateur fourth division. So it would be pointless to use it for a club. It will only host French internationals, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de La Ligue and the French Rugby Cup final and I think some French rugby internationals.

Aren't ViryChatill of division 3 a surburban Paris team ?

[Noah Dahl]

I am so tired of all these Mathis threads. can't you guys talk about anything but Mathis?

[falcon6]

what is the average attendance in the first division?

[AFCA]

Lyon looks much smaller than 41.sumthin.

[Papa Bouba Diop]

the average attendance in France is about 21,000

Lyons stadium is like Highbury, lot of seats behind the net making it look smaller when watching on tv.

[AFCA]

I've been at Lyon-Ajax. It looks small.