Retro Clermont Shirt – The Lancers of Auvergne

Clermont Foot 63's history is less a tale of glittering trophies and more a century-long saga of perseverance, regional pride, and the slow, stubborn climb toward recognition. The club was founded in 1911 in Clermont-Ferrand, a city in the Puy-de-Dôme department, surrounded by the extinct volcanoes of the Massif Central. For most of the twentieth century, Clermont existed in the professional football wilderness — cycling between the third and fourth tiers of French football, rarely generating headlines beyond their own departmental borders.

The modern chapter of the club's story really begins in the early 2000s, when a more structured approach to youth development and club management began bearing fruit. Clermont won the Championnat National (third tier) in 2010, earning promotion to Ligue 2 for the first time — a genuinely historic achievement for the club and the city. They would spend a decade in Ligue 2, establishing themselves as a stable mid-table presence and developing a reputation for punch-above-their-weight performances.

The crowning moment arrived in the 2020-21 season. Under the shrewd management of Pascal Gastien, who had become a cult figure at the club, Clermont finished second in Ligue 2 and earned automatic promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in the club's 110-year history. The scenes at Stade Gabriel-Montpied were electric — supporters who had followed the club through decades of anonymity finally witnessing the summit reached.

Their debut Ligue 1 campaign in 2021-22 was genuinely impressive. Clermont avoided relegation comfortably, finishing 11th in their first ever top-flight season and beating established clubs along the way. It silenced those who had dismissed them as a one-season curiosity. However, the 2022-23 season proved harder, and Clermont were ultimately relegated back to Ligue 2 — a painful but hardly surprising outcome for a club operating on a fraction of rivals' budgets. Yet the legacy of those Ligue 1 seasons remains golden. Derby encounters with Lyon and Marseille at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied created memories that no amount of subsequent disappointment can erase.

Given Clermont's modest means, their player roster has rarely featured household names — but that has never diminished the passion supporters have felt for those who wore the Lancers' colours with genuine commitment.

Pascal Gastien deserves a mention not as a player but as the architect of the club's greatest era. As manager, Gastien transformed Clermont from a Ligue 2 also-ran into a genuine project with identity and ambition, earning him legendary status in Clermont-Ferrand.

Among players, Mohamed Bayo emerged as one of the most exciting forwards in French football during Clermont's Ligue 1 seasons. The Guinean striker was electric, pacey, and direct — a genuine handful for Ligue 1 defenders and his goals were pivotal in keeping the Lancers competitive. His performances attracted attention from bigger clubs, making him the most high-profile name to emerge from the Clermont ranks in recent memory.

Yohann Magnin served the club faithfully as goalkeeper across multiple seasons, becoming a cornerstone of the defensive solidity that defined their Ligue 2 years. Similarly, Jim Allevinah — a versatile, energetic wide player — became a fan favourite during the Ligue 1 campaign, contributing goals and assists that punched well above the club's financial weight.

In earlier eras, the club relied heavily on locally developed talent and determined journeymen who chose Clermont's project over more glamorous alternatives. That culture of collective commitment over individual stardom has always been the Lancers' greatest strength.

Clermont Foot's kits have always reflected the club's unpretentious, regional identity. Their home colours are a striking combination of red and blue — bold, recognisable, and deeply tied to the club's local heritage. Over the years, the execution of these colours has evolved through numerous kit manufacturers, but the fundamental identity has remained consistent.

During the Ligue 2 years leading up to their historic promotion, Clermont kits carried a workmanlike quality befitting the club's ethos — functional, clean designs without unnecessary embellishment. The shirts from the late 2010s are increasingly collectible precisely because they predate the club's Ligue 1 fame.

The 2021-22 Ligue 1 debut season kits are the most sought-after in the club's history. The home shirt, featuring the classic red and blue palette, carries enormous sentimental value — it represents the realisation of a century-long dream. A retro Clermont shirt from that debut campaign is a genuine collector's piece: a tangible record of one of French football's most heartwarming promotion stories.

Sponsor branding on Clermont shirts has typically reflected regional businesses rather than multinational corporations, giving the kits a distinctly local flavour that many collectors find more authentic than the corporate aesthetics of bigger clubs. With only 3 classic shirts available in our shop, stock is extremely limited.