Bernard Soccoro and his son Laurent, who took over as head of the central supporters' club. Midi Libre – RICHARD DE HULLESSEN
Founder of the Central Supporters' Club (CCS) in 1976, two years after the club was created, this early fan laid the foundations of the spirit of camaraderie with the players, against a backdrop of barbecues and DIY.
A special issue of 84 pages
Condensing half a century of history into 84 pages. This is the challenge taken up by the sports editorial team at Midi Libre in this special issue on the 50th anniversary of the MHSC. Available on newsstands on December 11 for just 5 euros, this glossy magazine will allow you to relive the great moments in the history of the Montpellier club through our “50” who made the MHSC. Players, coaches and builders, of course, starting with this “Nicollin Saga”, told by Laurent and Colette, the wife of the late Loulou. A special edition packed with anecdotes and unpublished photos with an exclusive interview with Olivier Giroud.
A special issue of 84 pages Midi Libre
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“Bernard was everyone's friend”, says a former manager. With a smile on his lips, a firm handshake, charming and charming, Bernard Soccoro was the beating heart of the Butte. First supporter, first righter of wrongs and founder of the Central Supporters Club (CCS), two years after the creation of the Montpellier Paillade Sport Club.
At the end of the thirty glorious years, in a distant echo of the fever of the Greens in Saint-Etienne, he captured the excitement of football in Montpellier on the occasion of the first exploit in the Coupe de France against OM in Alès in February 1977.
Rebellious and popular spirit
A catalyst, he attracted a procession of supporters, ready to embark on an epic on the roads of Alès, Monaco, Saint-Etienne, Paris, Eindhoven… with the barbecue at the back of the bus. This legend unites football lovers and neighborhood friends around an unalterable conviviality and sometimes crazy ideas, like the Claude Nougaro concert at the Bougnol sports palace.
With Louis Nicollin, entrepreneur of the renaissance of football in Montpellier, the harmony is natural. With the same rebellious and popular spirit of La Paillade. “Bernard is the detonator of the first supporters' club”, notes former player and coach Pascal Baills, friend of Bernard, who died on February 14, 2023.
In a club with the players after the matches
“At the time, La Paillade was a village. All the supporters lived in the neighborhood, went down after work to follow training on the edge of the handrail” rewinds his son Laurent, president of the CCS since 2016.
And the Butte came out of earth
Big games call for big works. The Butte was built in 1977 for a round of the Coupe de France against Nîmes. To welcome their neighbours from Gard in the round of 16 and to be the largest number at the Stade de la Mosson, the supporters rolled up their sleeves. They built stands using railway sleepers. The town hall installed platforms and increased the capacity to 15,000 spectators.
The supporters led the way, the public authorities followed by building stands as Loulou's gang progressed. In 1987, they concreted the Butte, inaugurated for France-Germany. The stadium development will be completed for the 98 World Cup. La Mosson will host the Tournoi de France, the 98 World Cup, the Rugby World Cup in 2007 and Zidane's return to the Blues in 2005.
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The Butte on fire in the 80s. Midi Libre
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Bernard Soccoro cultivates an art of living and resourcefulness. In front of the club shop, built by the hands of a carpenter friend, he organizes the barbecues. Some players share it with them. Others stop after each match to have a drink, to hear the reproaches and the forgivenesses in one voice. “Sometimes, we even went out clubbing with the players who went to the warm-up without having slept“, his son smiles.
Pascal Baills's wedding witness
Pascal Baills, tied to the Catalan spirit of rugby, formed a deep friendship with the supporters' leader. Bernard is his best man at his wedding, then calls him to his bedside shortly before his last breath. “When Pascal played in Strasbourg, he invited us to his place for an aperitif the day after the match. With him, and the guys of that generation, then that of Lefèvre, Rouvière, Carotti… there was a closeness that was then lost”, regrets Laurent, nostalgic for these special ties.
Bernard Soccora at aperitif time with Roberts Nouzaret, Michel Mézy, and Carlo Llorens, journalist for Midi Libre at La Paillade. Midi Libre – Archives
When Laurent Blanc left for Naples (1991-92), Bernard Soccoro called him to go see him play. When fifty supporters arrive at the Sampdoria stadium in Genoa, just as many tickets are waiting for them at the ticket office.
Lyon prevented from training before the match for promotion…
With Bernard Soccoro at their head, the supporters accompany the players, sometimes preceding them, through a communicating vessel without filter between managers and supporters. And create this spirit of La Paillade, “always borderline, but rarely beyond the limits”. They play on this reputation, play a role in their own right.
On May 23, 1987, the day before the promotion match, they landed at the Richter stadium and prevented Lyon, led by Robert Nouzaret, from training. On the day of the match at La Mosson, they gathered at the edges of the stadium for a barbecue of thirty sheep. Before providing a welcoming committee to the young Lyonnais. “The match was almost won before kick-off” dares Laurent Soccoro, who supports his father.
Lying on the rails to free supporters
To reach the Parc des Princes for the Coupe de France final, they organize three trains and a TGV. “That day, I discovered my father in the corridors. As with every big event, he didn't see the match”, his son remembers. Alone, with his back to the crowd, with the din of the stadium as a scenario.
A tifo from supporters in honor of Bernard Soccoro, who passed away in 2023. Midi Libre – RICHARD DE HULLESSEN
In Paris, carried by the absolute happiness of a first title, all the world remains on the nails. Sometimes, it goes off the rails like in Monaco, during a previous exploit in the Cup. “Two supporters had been taken into custody. We had blocked the train traffic by lying on the tracks and obtained their release” laughs Laurent Soccoro. Friends first.
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