Limoges Football

Limoges Football Club was formed in 1947 through a merger of two rival clubs, Red Star Athlétique de Limoges (founded 1917) and Star Limousin Université Club (founded 1906). In 1957, after playing the majority of their first ten years at the top level of amateur football, they gained professional status, and became part of an expanded French Division 2. They finished third in the table, which gained them promotion to the top division. The club stayed in French Division 1 for three seasons, with their highest finish being 10th in 1959–60. From relegation in 1961 until 1987, the club competed in Division 2 or Division 3. They came close to promotion back to Division 1 in both 1964 and 1965, qualifying for the playoffs on both occasions. Twice during this period they reached the quarter-final of the Coupe de France, losing after extra time to Stade de Reims in 1962–63 and to Stade Rennais over two legs in 1969–70. At the end of the 1972–73 season they were relegated to Division 3, returning to Division 2 in 1977. In June 1987, despite a seventh-place finish in Division 2, the leaders of the club declared bankruptcy with a debt of more than five million francs. The club, reborn under the title Limoges Foot 87, were administratively relegated to French Division 4.

From 1987 to 2003, the club played at the fourth and fifth levels of French football. At the end of the 2002–03 season, the club was again forced into bankruptcy, and were administratively relegated to level 6 of the…