JA Vichy

JA Vichy (full name: Joan of Arc de Vichy Val d' Allier Auvergne basket) is a French basketball club from Vichy.

History

Beginnings & establishment in the National 1

Already 1913 founded the sports community Jeanne d' Arc de Vichy Val d' Allier Auvergne, whose basketball team was founded in 1933. Quickly the team pioneered by the regional amateur leagues, managed 1961-1964 four climbs in a row and finally succeeded in 1967 French in the highest basketball league, the former National 1 JA Vichy played as promoted a sensational season and was until the very end here in the race for the championship. Ultimately, it took the third place, just four points behind champions ASVEL Lyon.

Two-time Cup winners, runners-up and European final

In the 1968/69 season the team was once again among the best in France. It has been in the league this time runner-up, just back behind ASVEL. Furthermore, Vichy won the French basketball trophy, which was won by a sovereign 90:56 victory in the final against Alsace Bagnolet. By this triumph to Vichy qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup of the 1969 season / 70th After outclassed in the first round of the Luxembourg representative BBC Etzella after return game with a total of 191:102, the duel in the second round with Levski Sofia lot ( 66:58 & 78:82 ) exciting, but ultimately achieved Vichy Basket 4 points was more and reached the quarterfinals in its first leg against Standard Liege, there was a thrilling 95:95 - draw and in the domestic hall jump into the semi-finals was perfect with a clear 78:53. Having mastered with AEK Athens, the last hurdle on the way to the final of the second most important European club basketball, was the final opponent Fides Partenope Napoli from Italy. The only U.S. top players in the otherwise occupied exclusively from French team, Rudy Bennett and Larry Robertson, the game of JA Vichy dictated already in the previous rounds and in the league, dominated the first leg encounter before 2,000 spectators in Vichy and together contributed 46 points for the win at 64:60. In the return match in Naples, the team would consequently can afford a defeat with 3 points basket, but the Italians did not have a chance Vichy, led at half time already 48:28 and the " Cup Winners Cup" finally secured thanks to a strong 87:65. Parallel to the more than successful running European campaign gave the team in the National League (third), and in the Cup, whose profit was repeated by a 78:74 win over Le Mans Sarthe Basket, strong performances from.

Constance loss, insolvency, restart

In the 1970/71 season, only one season after the successes in Europe, the team was only the Eleventh National 1 and dismounted. In the European Cup Winners you failed this time in the second round to BK Balkans. Although the direct re- ascent was made ​​in the elite league, former strength could not find Vichy but again. 1974 again a strong third place was occupied, but in the following year saw the re descent. During the 80s and 90s, the club has developed more and more to " lift club " in the now renamed LNB Pro A League first took JA Vichy no longer walk. The low point of this development was reached in 1989, when the club voluntarily descent into National 3 and thus in the Fünftklassigkeit because of enormously high liabilities and debts.

After the financial rehabilitation of seven years was in the second division, LNB Pro B played between 1995 and 2002. The 2001/02 season was finished as champions, which was connected to the top flight with the return after 14 years, in which one could initially hold. Ime Udoka, niergianischer National Players and later active in the San Antonio Spurs, made in 2005 at least nine games for Vichy and achieved an average of 24.8 points, but that could not prevent another descent into the Pro B. Vichy was first class and again in 2007 after two regular seasons, each of which was completed on the tenth, the establishment should be further promoted. In the 2008 /09 season the team competed in the Euro Challenge, failed in the second qualifying round.

Jamal Shuler, come from TBB Trier as a new point guard, was in the 2010/11 season to the outstanding players of the LNB Pro A, but his team could not save from relegation anyway and moved to the master SLUC Nancy. Vichy, however, crashed on and was in the Pro B 18, which was associated with the fall in the Nationale 1, the third league in which you play to date.

Hall

The club plays its home matches at the 3,300 comprehensive courses Palais des Sports Pierre Coulon.

Achievements

• 2x French Cup Winners (1969, 1970)
• 1x French Vice Champion (1969 )
• 1x Finalist European Cup Winners' Cup (1970 )