Andy To The Rescue
Andy Carroll’s Attempts To Revive An Embattled Club
It has been an eventful five months since FSG flirted with buying FC Girondins de Bordeaux. After John Henry and company walked away from the talks, Bordeaux was administratively relegated from the second division to the third division because they couldn’t prove they’d be able to make payroll this season. When the club then gave up its professional status (which terminated all existing player contracts), they were relegated to the semi-professional fourth division. That appeared to be a true death spiral for the former Champions of France, but they have found themselves a white knight in the form of…Andy Carroll.
READ MORE: The French Connection by Chris Hallenbrook
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Andy Carroll’s Redemption
Yes, that Andy Carroll. The former Liverpool striker, now 35, had been playing for Amiens in Ligue 2 since leaving Reading in 2023. But after Bordeaux’s double relegation, helping revive the fallen giant seems to have appealed to the football romantic in Carroll. In interviews since making the move, he has acknowledged that playing for the semi-pro side is poor business. He’s losing money playing fourth-tier football. But by all accounts, including his social media posts, Carroll seems to be having a wonderful time playing for the love of the game.
Carroll’s presence is a shot in the arm for Bordeaux both in terms of morale and on the field. He has at least six goals, including two braces and an outrageous volley over the keeper from near the center circle, that has been essential in securing points for Bordeaux. I say at least because finding timely, up-to-date information about the semi-pro French fourth division is difficult.
Trying To Write The Fairy Tale
The club has 19 points from 12 matches, which is good for fifth in their pool within the league, nine points off St Melo US for promotion. The winner of each of the fourth division’s regional pools is promoted to the third division. At least two of the club’s results came directly from Carroll scoring off the bench.
Perhaps Bordeaux’s most impressive accomplishment is advancing to the Round of 32 in the Coupe de France. They defeated The Herbaria VF 2-0 on December 1st. A cup run for a fourth-division side is a wonderful thing. Hopefully, it brings in badly needed revenue for the club.
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For a bit of context, the Round of 32 in last year’s FA Cup only had two clubs from outside the top two divisions. So this cup run is likely beyond the wildest dreams of anyone associated with the club.
Even so, it is going to be a long road back for Bordeaux. I’m happy to see that they are on their journey. Even nicer, it seems Andy Carroll is loving both his life and his football.
