Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir

The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir (also known as the Stade Olympique de Colombes, or simply Colombes to the locals) is a rugby, track and association football stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France.

Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir

Former names	Stade du Matin (1907–1919) Stade de Colombes (1920–1924)
Location	Colombes, France
Capacity	14,000[1]
Surface	Grass
Opened	1907
Tenants
Racing Club de France Football Racing 92 (1907–2017)

Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928, it was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time.[2] During the 1924 games, it hosted the athletics, some of the cycling, some of the horse riding, gymnastics, tennis, some of the football, rugby, and two of the modern pentathlon events (running, fencing). The Olympic races involving Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell which are portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire were run here, although the stadium was not used for the film.[3]

It was later expanded to a capacity of over 60,000. Colombes was also the venue for the 1938 World Cup Final between Italy and Hungary, and also hosted the home team's two matches in the tournament.

Colombes hosted a number of French Cup finals and home games of the French national football and rugby union teams into the 1970s. It remained the country's largest stadium until the renovated Parc des Princes was inaugurated in 1972. By that time, Colombes' capacity had dropped to under 50,000 due to more stringent safety regulations. The national rugby union team played its last game at Colombes in 1972, and the national football team last played there in 1975.

French professional football team RC Paris used Colombes as their home ground until 1985 or so, then moved on to other stadia before coming back in the 2000s.

Unlike RC Paris, Racing 92 rugby did not leave Colombes until November 2017. They originally planned to redevelop Yves-du-Manoir into a 15,000-seat stadium to be shared with Racing Club de France Football, but instead built Paris La Défense Arena in nearby Nanterre, playing their first match in the new venue in December 2017.[4] It remains to be seen whether the Racing Club de France football club will move as well.

The stadium was portrayed in the 1981 film Escape to Victory starring Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine, but the stand-stadium used in the filming was the Hungária körúti stadion in Budapest, Hungary.

It is slated to be a field hockey venue for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

1938 FIFA World Cup

Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir hosted three games of the 1938 FIFA World Cup, including the final.

Date	Time	Team No. 1	Res.	Team No. 2	Round	Attendance
5 June 1938	17:00	France	3–1	Belgium	Round of 16	30,454
12 June 1938	17:00	France	1–3	Italy	Quarter-final	58,455
19 June 1938	17:00	Italy	4–2	Hungary	Final	45,000

References

1. "Stade Yves Du Manoir". Racing Métro 92. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
2. 1924 Olympics Official Report. pp. 50–5, 96, 121, 152, 216, 222, 238, 248, 318, 339, 375, 499, 503, 536. (in French)
3. "The Real Chariots of Fire," (TV Movie) Silver River Productions (2012)
4. Escot, Richard (16 October 2017). "Le nouvel écrin du Racing 92, la U Arena, ouvre ses portes". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 17 October 2017.

External links

• Colombes Stadium Yves-du-Manoir in postal card (in French)
• History of the Olympic Stadium (in French)
• Article: Chariots of Fire stadium reprieved