Tours FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Tours Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | TFC | ||
| Founded | 1951 | ||
| Ground | Stade de la Vallée du Cher, Tours, France |
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| Capacity | 16,247 | ||
| Chairman | Jean-Marc Ettori | ||
| Manager | Bryan Bergougnoux | ||
| League | Régional 1 | ||
| 2023–24 | National 3 Group C, 3rd (administratively relegated) | ||
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Tours Football Club, often called simply Tours, is a French football club. It is based in the city of Tours, which is the capital of the Indre-et-Loire area. The club started in 1919. Today, Tours plays in the fifth level of French football. Their home games are played at the Stade de la Vallée du Cher in Tours.
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Club History
Tours Football Club began in 1919. It was first known as AS Docks-du-Centre. After two years, the club changed its name to AS du Centre. They kept this name for 30 years. In 1951, the club changed its name again to the current Tours FC.
When it became Tours FC, the club started to do well. They reached the Round of 64 in the Coupe de France (a big cup competition) in 1951. This was helped by their player-coach, Alfred Aston.
Reaching the Top League
Tours was promoted to the Ligue 1, France's top football league, in 1980. Before that season, they signed a great goal-scorer named Delio Onnis. He came from AS Monaco FC. Onnis made the team's attack much stronger. He played for Tours for three years.
During this time, Tours reached the semi-finals of the Coupe de France twice. This happened in 1982 and 1983. Both times, they were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain. Onnis left the club in 1983 after Tours moved down a league.
In 1984, Tours quickly returned to the top league. They won the Ligue 2 title (the second division). But after just one season, they went back down. Tours has not been able to return to Ligue 1 since then.
Challenges and Comebacks
After leaving Ligue 1, Tours moved down to the Championnat National. This is the third division of French football. This happened after they finished last in the 2006–07 season. During that season, Albert Falette, who had been the manager for eight years, left his job.
At the end of the season, the club let go of or sold almost all its players. They only kept their long-time goalkeeper Armand Raimbault and a young player named Rudy Wendling. This plan to rebuild the team worked. In the 2007–08 National season, the club finished second. This meant they moved back up to Ligue 2.
Tours stayed in Ligue 2 for ten years. But after the 2017-2018 season, they finished last again. This caused them to move down to the Championnat National.
Recent Years
The club faced more challenges. They were moved down another league after the 2018–19 Championnat National season. This was due to administrative reasons. So, they had to play in the fifth level, Championnat National 3, in the 2019–20 season.
In 2020, the season ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tours hoped to be promoted back to Championnat National 2. They were at the top of their group when the season stopped. However, a football committee did not allow their promotion.
In 2021, the club started a new cooperative group. This was to get more people from the community involved in running the club. But in July 2021, the club was moved down to the sixth league because of money problems. They finished first in their division in the 2021–22 season. But again, they were not allowed to be promoted for financial reasons. This decision was later changed, and Tours moved back up to National 3.
Club Colours and Crest
The Tours club crest (logo) is based on the city's coat of arms. It has three towers and a Fleur-de-lis (a symbol like a lily flower). The crest also has the club's motto: "Turonorum civitas libera". This is Latin for "Free city of Turones". The Turones were an old Celtic tribe that gave the city of Tours its name. This motto was found carved on a rock. You can see it today in the underground part of the Beaux Arts Museum in the city. The salamander on the crest is a nod to King François I.
Home Stadium
Tours has played at the Stade de la Vallée du Cher since 1978. When it was built in 1979, the stadium could hold 22,000 people. Now, it holds about 13,500. The stadium was built because the former mayor, Jean Royer, wanted a good place for the club to play. Before the Vallée du Cher, Tours played their home games at the Stade de Grammont.
Supporters
Tours is not a city that has always loved football a lot. This is partly because the club did not do very well in the past. But when the club moved up to Ligue 2 in 2006, people became more interested. The number of fans at the stadium slowly grew.
Today, there are three main groups of supporters:
- Amicale des supporters
- Turons 1951
- Les Diables Bleus
Players
Tours FC has a team of dedicated players who work hard for the club. Over the years, many talented footballers have played for Tours.
Notable Former Players
Some famous players who have played for Tours include:
- Alfred Aston (France)
- Olivier Giroud (France)
- Laurent Koscielny (France)
- Delio Onnis (Argentina)
Managers
Many different managers have led Tours FC throughout its history. They have guided the team through its ups and downs in the French football leagues.
See also
In Spanish: Tours Football Club para niños
