View source for Stade Bollaert-Delelis

{{Short description|Football stadium in Lens, France}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Expand French|Stade Félix-Bollaert |date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox venue
|stadium_name     = Stade Bollaert-Delelis
|logo_image       = Logo Stade Bollaert delelis.jpg
|image            = [[File:Stade_Bollaert_Delelis.JPG|300px]]
|former names     = Stade Félix-Bollaert (1933–2012)
|location         = [[Lens, Pas-de-Calais|Lens]], [[France]]
|coordinates      = {{coord|50|25|58|N|2|48|54|E|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=it}}
|opened           = 18 June 1933
|renovated        = 2014–2015
|seating_capacity = 38,223 (after renovation)
|tenants          = [[RC Lens]] (1933–present)
}}

The '''Stade Bollaert-Delelis''' ({{IPA|fr|stad bɔlaʁt dələlis}}) is the main [[Association football|football]] stadium in [[Lens, Pas-de-Calais|Lens]], [[France]], that was built in 1933. It is the home of [[RC Lens]]. The stadium's capacity is 38,223 – about 7,000 more than the city's population. The stadium was originally named after Félix Bollaert, a director of Compagnie des Mines de Lens who was anxious to promote the development of sports clubs in the city. Construction began in 1931, but Bollaert had died shortly before the stadium's inauguration. It was renamed Stade Bollaert-Delelis in 2012 after the death of [[André Delelis]], the former mayor of the city who was politician who served as the Minister of Commerce under President [[François Mitterrand]].

==History==
The stadium has hosted matches in the following major international tournaments:

*[[UEFA Euro 1984|1984 European Championship]]
*[[1998 FIFA World Cup]]
*[[1999 Rugby World Cup]]
*[[2007 Rugby World Cup]]
*[[UEFA Euro 2016|2016 European Championship]]

==Architecture==
[[File:Bollaert vu depuis le terril du 11-19.JPG|thumb|300px|right|The renovated stadium.]]
The stadium is constructed in the English style with four separate stands dedicated respectively to:

*Henri Trannin, native of [[Bully-les-Mines]], [[Goalkeeper (association football)|Goalkeeper]] at the club for 18 years, sports director for Lens from 1952 to 1956, dying in July 1974; it was dedicated on 4 December 1976
*[[Tony Marek]], former player and coach, international in the 1950s (lower part) and [[Xercès Louis]], former player, first French international player from the Antilles (upper part);    
*Élie Delacourt, former fans' group president;
*Max Lepagnot, former president of the district of Artois.

Until 15 September 2018, all parts of the stadium contained seating. However, most supporters in the Marek, being a side stand, used to keep standing during the games as it is considered the [[Spion Kop (stadia)|kop]] and are considered as the most fervent supporters in the stadium, which makes the stadium different from most of the other stadiums, as the most fervent fans tend to usually sit behind the nets. Since 15 September 2018, the Marek contains a standing area again, as well as the lower parts of the Trannin and Delacourt stands since the start of the 2022–2023 season. The stadium's capacity is now 38,223.<ref>[http://www.rclens.fr/fr/stade-bollaert-delelis-presentation Official RC Lens web site] {{in lang|fr}}. ''rclens.fr''.</ref>

==Events==

===[[UEFA Euro 1984]]===
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" width="100%" 
|-
!Date
!Team #1
!Res.
!Team #2
!Round
|-
|13 June 1984||{{fb|BEL}}||style="text-align:center;"|2–0||{{fb|YUG}}||Group A
|-
|17 June 1984||{{fb|FRG}}||style="text-align:center;"|2–1||{{fb|ROM|1965}}||Group B
|}

===[[1998 FIFA World Cup]]===
The stadium was one of the venues of the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]], and held the following matches:

{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" width="100%" 
|-
!Date
!Team #1
!Res.
!Team #2
!Round
|-
|12 June 1998||{{fb|KSA}}||style="text-align:center;"|0–1||{{fb|DEN}}||Group C
|-
|14 June 1998||{{fb|JAM}}||style="text-align:center;"|1–3||{{fb|CRO}}||Group H
|-
|21 June 1998||{{fb|GER}}||style="text-align:center;"|2–2||{{fb|FRY}}||Group F
|-
|24 June 1998||{{fb|ESP}}||style="text-align:center;"|6–1||{{fb|BUL}}||Group D
|-
|26 June 1998||{{fb|COL}}||style="text-align:center;"|0–2||{{fb|ENG}}||Group G
|-
|28 June 1998||{{fb|FRA|1974}}||style="text-align:center;"|1–0||{{fb|PAR|1990}}||Round of 16
|}

===[[1999 Rugby World Cup]]===
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" width="100%" 
|-
!Date
!Team #1
!Res.
!Team #2
!Round
|-
|20 October 1999||{{ru|IRE}}|| style="text-align:center;" |24–28||{{ru|ARG}}||Play-off Stage
|}

===[[2007 Rugby World Cup]]===
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" width="100%" 
|-
!Date
!Team #1
!Res.
!Team #2
!Round
|-
|8 September 2007||{{ru|ENG}}||style="text-align:center;"|28–10||{{ru|USA}}||Group A
|-
|22 September 2007||{{ru|SAF}}||style="text-align:center;"|30–25||{{ru|TON}}||Group A
|-
|26 September 2007||{{ru|GEO}}||style="text-align:center;"|30–0||{{ru|NAM}}||Group D
|-
|}

===[[UEFA Euro 2016]]===
In May 2011, the stadium was designated to host the 2016 European Football Championship. To be renovated, the stadium was closed during the 2014–2015 season.

{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" width="100%"
|-
!Date
!Time (CET)
!Team #1
!Result
!Team #2
!Round
!Attendance
|-
| 11 June 2016 || 15:00 || {{fb|ALB}} || style="text-align:center;"| 0–1 || {{fb|SUI}} || Group A || style="text-align:center;"| 33,805
|-
| 16 June 2016 || 15:00 || {{fb|ENG}} || style="text-align:center;"| 2–1 || {{fb|WAL}} || Group B ||style="text-align:center;"| 34,033
|-
| 21 June 2016 || 21:00 || {{fb|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"| 0–2 || {{fb|TUR}} || Group D || style="text-align:center;"| 32,836
|-
| 25 June 2016 || 21:00 || {{fb|CRO}} || style="text-align:center;"| 0–1  || {{fb|POR}} || Round of 16 || style="text-align:center;"|33,523
|-
|}

===Other uses===
The [[France national football team|France national team]] has played eight matches at the stadium without defeat. [[Lille OSC|Lille]] played two [[UEFA Champions League]] campaigns there when their own stadium was deemed inadequate, in ([[2001–02 UEFA Champions League|2001–02]] and [[2006–07 UEFA Champions League|2006–07]]). It hosted the [[Johnny Hallyday]] concert in 2009 and a [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] gathering in 2006, which created controversy. The stadium is the setting for a scene in the movie [[Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis]], shot during a match between Lens and [[OGC Nice|Nice]] in April 2007. The song "[[Les corons]]" is sung by the public at the end of halftime break.

In 2012 the Stadium held a rugby League match between [[France national rugby league team|France]] and [[Wales national rugby league team|Wales]] as part of an [[2012 Autumn International Series|Autumn International Series match]]. 11,278 fans came to watch the game.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.sitercl.com/STADE0/ST00stad.htm Stade Félix-Bollaert on www.sitercl.com]

{{RC Lens}}
{{Ligue 1 venues}}
{{UEFA Euro 1984 stadiums}}
{{1998 FIFA World Cup Venues}}
{{1999 Rugby World Cup Venues}}
{{2007 Rugby World Cup Venues}}
{{UEFA Euro 2016 stadiums}}

[[Category:Lens, Pas-de-Calais]]
[[Category:RC Lens]]
[[Category:Football venues in France]]
[[Category:Rugby union stadiums in France]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Pas-de-Calais]]
[[Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in France]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1933]]
[[Category:1933 establishments in France]]