At the start of the season, we talked a lot about the Stadium on the lawn side. A fungus had infiltrated it and forced the gardeners to start over to make sure it was in good condition. We have also heard since the beginning of the year that the fourth stand project was well advanced. Behind the scenes at the Stadium, the question was asked to the Sports Assistant of the town hall of Brive, Philippe Delarue.
The final home game is approaching. Then, there should no longer be any rugby matches on site. Will the lawn, like last year, rest? Will it have to undergo work this summer?
Yes, it is indeed planned to scalp the top of the land and replant the land to redo it during the period of June, July and until mid-August, as we did during the last season. This will allow us to restart with a lawn in a correct state to welcome the start of the French rugby championship from September.
The gardeners of the City are alone at the helm?
Yes quite. It will be done directly and by our own gardeners who have the skills and the ability to do it. We saw it elsewhere on the state of the ground, they brought back the ground well following the hazards which we had at the beginning of last season.
Where is the dispute with Art Dan, the company which maintained the lawn (the town hall had denounced the contract at the start of the season)?
It is still ongoing. We blocked the part of the expenses that we were supposed to attribute to them. The transition to direct management has no financial impact on the City. It was within the framework of the installation of the hybrid lawn where we were accompanied by the company Art Dan for the first maintenance of the ground. Art Dan didn’t play the role he should have, that’s all we can blame them for.
In the future, the CAB club also wishes to install a fourth stand on the site of the current tennis courts. Here too, it is on the right track. What can we currently say about this project?
Me, what I can say if you prefer, is that we spent the month of December in deliberation, the relocation of the tennis courts, since the CAB tennis will have five brand new courts which will be installed at the Garenne Verte , with two mini tennis. It happened and it will happen. They will also have a seat on site assigned to them. After the installation of the fourth stand, it is the CAB which is the project manager, so it is they who will set the schedule for the development of this stand.
Does the city of Brive have everything to gain by installing a fourth grandstand?
Yes. There are people who are not in favor of this project and who will tell you that the stadium is not full, and that there is no point in making another stand. For the CAB, there are two advantages: that of selling selling boxes, and there, they have a lot of requests for boxes. And then, it will make additional premises, and there too, they are looking for it. Today, it is a club that is moving forward and they are always looking to energize and move the club forward and it is to their credit. This fourth stand is expected by the club.
What is the cost for the community of Brive?
The Pure Stand is direct funding from CAB. It is the relocation of the tennis courts that is the responsibility of the community. This generates financial expenses of around 800,000 euros (travel, development at the Garenne Verte and facilities for the clubs which were on the Garenne Verte and which must also be relocated). We assume it.
Okay, one last word to the athletic assistant. Can you imagine a descent in Pro D2 this year?
I do not even think about it. I tell you frankly, I don’t even think about it, but not at all. I trust the club, I trust the leaders who make it live, I trust the players, I trust the public, I trust everyone and for me, I don’t project myself at all in the second division.