The Nîmes Railwaymen football section lottery, an institution

The game leader, Coco, as a garden gnome.

In the football section of the Cheminots Nîmois, bingo evenings have become real institutions. For two months, starting in December, every Saturday and Sunday, from 6 p.m., including New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, the club's large premises, 177 route d'Avignon, are full. For example, this Sunday was no exception. More than 80 players of all ages had met up. “Beyond the games and prizes, it's a real social bond. A moment of conviviality and exchange”,explains Jean Varrault, the vice-president and organizer of the festivities.

It must be said that the prices have not changed since 2016, and that the prizes are still very attractive, such as vouchers, hams and gift baskets, thanks to partnerships with the Intermarché in Courbessac and the Garrigues de Poulx butcher's shop. “The lotteries are also a valuable financial aid for the club that allows us to renew the equipment and the facilities, and to maintain the ground”, specifies the president of the club, Gérard Heimburger.

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At the controls, David, Betty and Patrick, the game leaders, took turns throughout the evening, each with their own way of announcing the numbers drawn, such as 34, “Nicollin on his horse”, the 42, “allez les verts”, or even 75, “les culs blancs de La Grande-Motte”. But it's always Patrick, called Coco, who finishes, because for him it's the opportunity to “dress up”, and everyone is impatiently waiting for this moment. After the Tahitian, Mario Bros or even Batman, it was as a garden gnome that Coco ended the evening, with bursts of laughter and applause from all the players. For the next and last lottery of the season, Sunday January 26, let's bet that his costume will be up to the event.

Midi Libre correspondent: 06 60 64 81 95