“With us, rugby is as natural as eating oysters or breathing“, everything is summarized by Christophe, number 2 of the four Guinot USAP subscribers. There is Jean, 89, who is Christophe’s father, Yohann’s grandfather and Enzo’s great-grandfather (14). All are subscribers to the USAP and live the matches side by side in the Chevalier stand.
In 1970, Jean, an oyster farmer in Arcachon, came to settle in Perpignan: “When we arrived in Perpignan, we were staying in the Patte d’Oie district, between Aimé-Giral and Brutus. I went from time to time to Brutus, but being a fifteen member at the base, I went much more regularly to Aimé-Giral. I really liked the atmosphere. At the time, it wasn’t professional, it was a bit folkloric.“
His son, Christophe, also remembers these first moments of discovery of the USAP: “We went on foot to the stadium, we lived in the neighborhood, we were already conditioned even before entering the stadium by the atmosphere, by the mood and the thrills. All week, we waited impatiently for the match“. Guinot father and son literally fell in love with the USAP and even made the trips from time to time: “There were these derbies in Narbonne and Béziers, it was something.”
“I am in the continuation of a long line of Catalan supporters” – Enzo, 14
Jean Guinot therefore subscribes very quickly to follow all the matches of the Catalan club, his first card he takes it in the famous CGT stand : “We followed the progress of the ball all game, we had to make as much ground as the players. These are wonderful memories and then, in 1988, we subscribed to the Chevalier tribune, and without stopping once since.”
USAP plays a key role in the life of this family of oyster farmers based in Leucate. And, with each new generation, the passion is transmitted. Yohann, Christophe’s son, also fell into it when he was little : “The first years I went to weigh-in, but hey at half-time I went up to the stands. It came all alone this passion for the USAP and then I found the friends at the stadium.“‘
And the adventure continues: the youngest, Enzo, 14, is also a fan of the Catalan club: “Seeing my father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather go there, so I wanted to too. At the beginning, we bought the tickets by queuing at the ticket office and two years ago, I had my first subscription, I was really happy.”. Like his great-grandfather, it was the atmosphere at Aimé-Giral that immediately thrilled him. : “I remember the 2018 semi-final against Mont-de-Marsan, we won 28 to 8 and there were supporters in the stands doing the caterpillar, I thought it was great, it was moving.”
“It’s a family communion that is useful and necessary” – Christophe
Autographed Usapist cap on the head, Enzo would certainly not miss a USAP match and despite his young age, he understands and relishes his chance to experience it with his family. : “It is a pride to follow them, I am in the continuation of a long line of Catalan supporters.”
Side by side, they live the matches, there are no other words. They do not go to Aimé-Giral as simple observers: “We watch the match against each other, when it grows to the left in the scrum, we grow like sardines, beautiful sardines by the way. And, afterwards, there is a debriefing, sometimes we go to eat at the restaurant together and that provokes a family communion which is useful and necessary..”
Yohann also savors this family meeting: “These are moments that are very human, we appreciate a lot. We have very demanding jobs and going to the stadium is our moment.” Yohann is readily referred to as being the most agitated of the four in the gallery: “My father and my grandfather calm me down from time to time”. “Enzo of course also has his temperament, adds Christophe, he has the ardor of a teenager but you have to go through it! We wouldn’t hear anything in the stands otherwise.”
Almost half the history of the USAP between them four
If the USAP celebrated its 120 years, the four generations of the Guinot family cover almost half of it. In seconds and a few idol names, they sweep over 50 years of history. For Jean, the preference necessarily goes to the 70s: “Paul Goze, Paul Foussat, Yves Brunet, Jean-Francois Imbernon, Roland Genis“, Christophe follows suit: “I loved the Charly Artès center and today I appreciate the second line Shahn Eru.”
With Yohann, we take a leap into the 2000s: “I loved Manny Edmonds, he won us games.” And then, for the more current version, Enzo is admiring of “Mathieu Acébès has a strong temperament, and it’s good to have calm players too, so I really like Piula Faasalele too..”
Passion drives the Guinot family who each time go to Aimé-Giral with no other ambition than to have fun. USAP is a strong bond, a passion that is transmitted naturally. The love at first sight between Jean and the Catalan club in the 70s still lives on and still has many good years ahead of it.
– CM