could the TFC and Stade Toulousain cohabit at the Stadium?
The Ligue 1 championship resumed after the interlude of the World Cup. Faced with the demands of the government, what measures have been put in place to reduce the energy bill in the stadiums? Could Toulouse follow the example of Grenoble where rugby and pro football coexist?
To celebrate the new year and the resumption of football, there were still more than 23,000 fans to occupy the bays of the Toulouse Stadium. The TFC enclosure was lit in broad daylight as for the other league 1 stadiums. However, since October 2022, several measures have been put in place to save energy.
What if the good compromise between supporters and environmentalists was the matches in the middle of the afternoon? It is clear that the programming of Ligue 1 matches on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. allows for greater attendance in the stadiums. But in terms of energy saving, we will have to look elsewhere. Because even in broad daylight, the lighting of the stadiums is maintained, in particular for reasons of TV broadcasts.
In October 2022, the government implemented an energy savings plan for sport with “40 measures of the sports energy sobriety plan”.
At the Toulouse Stadium, as in the other stadiums, several actions have been implemented. The town hall of Toulouse, owner of the stadium, we have confirmed it.
- The TFC does not have a device to heat the lawn but the time slots have been shortened from 8 p.m. to 2 p.m. per day of light therapy to preserve and maintain the lawn
- During matches, the lighting of the Stadium is shortened as close as possible to the slots according to the request of the LFP as well as the club. On average for league 1 stadiums, we see a reduction of nearly 50% for daytime matches and 30% in the evening
- If the meeting takes place during the day, certain lights are not on: the forecourt, under the Stadium bridge, under the stands, on the outskirts, etc., only the safety lights that are mandatory in operation remain, plus those mandatory such as the pitch and occupied interior spaces and security
- No more ignition of generators for matches (unless necessary or for a special request). In the event of a power outage, there is therefore no longer any backup
- The heating of the Stadium spaces (particularly the dressing rooms) is managed by remote computer with programming as close as possible to the time slots of use. All the buildings are at 19°C
- The lighting of ancillary sites is also managed as closely as possible to the allocation slots
On January 3, the government tweeted: “cheating, electricity, watering… At the Stade des Alpes, hosting football and rugby matches helps to pool energy systems!”
In Grenoble, football and rugby therefore coexist in a 20,000-seat stadium built in 2008. It is the first stadium in France to host 2 professional clubs. But aside from the fact that there’s only one stadium to maintain, what are the real benefits in terms of energy cost?
As in Toulouse, savings measures have been implemented in Grenoble: reduction of lighting from one and a half to two hours for each match, heating temperature lowered by one degree (19°C) for premises, lawn heated to 9°C instead of 12… But then, unless you chain the matches of Grenoble Foot 38 and FC Grenoble Rugby, you don’t see how to generate substantial savings.
In any case in Toulouse, it will be very difficult to make TFC and Stade Toulousain coexist, even if sometimes Ugo Mola’s men tread the lawn of the Stadium for the Top 14 gala matches or during European competitions.
The Stade Toulousain owns the Ernest Wallon stadium while the TFC is only the tenant of the Stadium, owned by Toulouse Métropole. And when you see the state of the Stadium lawn following the international match between the XV of France and Japan, it’s hard to see how to chain football and rugby on the same lawn in a very short time. If the rare cohabitations between the Stade Toulousain and the TFC at the stadium prefer each other well but remain an exception, to make a generality of it is not possible, nor retained.
There would then remain another solution: to build a new enclosure. The question arose during Euro 2016 played in France. Toulouse Métropole had then chosen to renovate and enlarge the Stadium.
Building a new stadium in Toulouse, some are asking for it, like the president of Stade Toulousain Didier Lacroix or his predecessor and now president of the Rugby league, René Bouscatel, who is campaigning for a large rugby stadium in the southwest.
But on the side of Toulouse Métropole, we do not want to hear about it: “A new stadium is a huge cost to incur, for us excessive. It takes more than 500 million euros to build a stadium. We offer access to the Stadium to see matches at very reduced prices four times a year, in agreement with the TFC, respecting the specifications of the foot. Our stadiums are undoubtedly of sufficient size”said on France Bleu Occitanie at the end of December Philippe Plantade, vice-president of the Métropole in charge of sports.
In the coming weeks, the Stadium will benefit from a new roof and will be subject to work in order to obtain approval for the Rugby World Cup. There will indeed be 5 matches at the Stadium, but no more. Its capacity of 33,000 places does not allow it to host a quarter-final, a semi-final and even less a final.