Allendale FC visit to AS Valognes – June 2018

Allendale FC first visited AS Valognesin the guise of Wimborne Youth Club, in

June 1970 but our deep friendship commenced in 1993 when Jean-Yves

Pichard brought a team to Wimborne to celebrate our 25 th Anniversary. In

recognition of the 25 th exchange we presented an engraved glass plaque to our

hosts.

We set sail from Portsmouth early on Friday morning and landed at Cherbourg

to find our hosts waiting to whisk us to their stadium and Clubhouse some

twelve miles to the south. Old friendships renewed and new friends made over

a beer or three before going to our accommodation. Later that evening we all

met at an American Style restaurant in Cherbourg.

On Saturday afternoon a friendly match was played in the Georges Pilet

Stadium with Valognes taking the spoils. Harry Green, poacher turned

gamekeeper scoring the Allendale goal. In the clubhouse that evening we

enjoyed watching France’s inaugural World Cup Match followed by Boeuf

Bourgiugnon cooked by the French Players.

A visit to a part of the invasion beaches took place on Sunday morning and a

picnic lunch in the dunes. A typical long and hospitable lunch meant a dash to

the Ferry port to catch the boat home. A weary but happy bunch of travellers

returned to Wimborne on Sunday evening.