L'ass Depuis 1890

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L'ass Depuis 1890 Frédéric GLANZ L'ASS DEPUIS 1890 En guise de préface Ce livre qui retrace l'histoire de l'A. S. Strasbourg, n'est pas un récit d'aventures ni même un livre d'histoires, encore qu'il pourrait se lire comme un roman de cape et d'épée. Il n'a d'autre but que de familiariser le profane avec la grande famille de l'A.S.S. et de fournir, si possible, un complément d'informations au lecteur averti, membre ou sympathisant de ce «doyen» des clubs omnisports d'Alsace qui fête aujourd'hui son 90me anniversaire, puisque créé en 1890. Quatre vingt dix printemps - et non étés ou automnes - pour ce vénérable nonagénaire, car la vie d'un club qui fait corps avec sa cité, est une éternelle renaissance. L'A.S. Strasbourg, tout au long de ces 90 années, a connu des heures de gloires et des journées sombres. Contrairement à l'individu qui a la faculté et l'immense avantage de pouvoir oublier les mauvais moments pour n'en retenir que les plus agréables, la société, elle, a le devoir de se souvenir de son passé dans son entité et de le léguer à la postérité. Il nous a semblé que dans l'année de son 90me anniversaire, le mo- ment était venu de rassembler en un volume tout ce qui a pu être sauvé pendant cette longue période du patrimoine d'un pionnier du sport alsacien. Encore fallait-il vouloir le faire et trouver le chantre capable de le faire. Car ce n'est pas un mince travail que de rechercher puis de rendre compte de près d'un siècle d'évènements sportifs qui se sont déroulés sous la bannière bleue, puis blanche et rouge de cette société qui s'appela tout d'abord « Strassburger Fussball-Club », puis « Strassburger Fussball Verein » et « Sport-Verein Strassburg », enfin « Association Sportive de Strasbourg », l'A.S.S., un sigle que l'on espère définitif après une courte période, encore une fois, entre 1940 et 1945, de « Sport Verein Strasbourg » (S.V.S.). Assessiste convaincu, capable de restituer l'âme de l'A.S.S. et néan- moins étranger à tout chauvinisme, permettant de respecter sinon la plus parfaite objectivité, dont personne ne peut se prévaloir, du moins d'éviter la «déformation de l'information », il devait appartenir à Monsieur Frédéric GLANZ de tenir cette gageure et, j'en suis persuadé, de mener son travail à bonne fin. Membre de tout temps de notre association, aujourd'hui lui-même un des «doyens» de cette A.S.S. qui lui tient tellement à cœur - comme à tant d'autres ! - athlète de valeur puis dirigeant émérite et de grand mérite, il a su refléter dans cet ouvrage la vie de plusieurs générations de sportifs qui ont porté haut le flambeau de l'A.S.S. sur et autour des terrains, des pistes et des piscines. Je rends ici même hommage à son travail de recherche et de synthèse qui a permis la réalisation de ces souvenirs, tout comme je remercie très sincèrement tous ceux, qui, par leur générosité, en ont permis la publi- cation. Strasbourg, octobre 1980 J. SIMON Président Général de l'A.S.S. Avant-propos Dans l'introduction de ce livre nous disons que l'historique du club est pratiquement complet. Il n'en reste pas moins qu'il était infiniment difficile de relater toutes les péripéties d'une société telle que la nôtre pour une période aussi longue, entrecoupée de deux guerres mondiales. Les différents rapports n'ont donc pas l'ambition d'être intégralement aboutissants, bien qu'ils comportent tout ce qui a pu être rassemblé après de nombreuses et laborieuses recherches. Tout apport nouveau, rectificatif ou complémentaire sera donc le bienvenu. Je profite de l'occasion qui m'est donnée de remercier ceux qui m'ont apporté leur contribution. Je cite en premier, à tout seigneur tout honneur, notre Nestor Alfred Rudy, membre d'une fidélité exemplaire depuis 1906 qui a permis, grâce à son excellente mémoire, de compléter les données que feu Charles Schitz nous a laissées dans un premier exposé. Nos amis de Bâle et de Karlsruhe nous ont complaisamment renseignés sur nos débuts. Ma gratitude va surtout au Dr Jules Düblin du F.C. Basel et à Josef Frey du Karlsruher F.V. Albert Brun, notre ancien athlète et ex-champion du saut en hauteur, a mis spontanément à ma disposition sa documentation personnelle, étonnante de précision. M. J.P. Schuller, fils de notre gardien de but des années 20, m'a ouvert sa riche documentation sur les grandes équipes de la LAFA. Marcel Kautzmann m'a passé ses deux éditions personnelles du « Sport Alsacien » de 1926 et de 1927. René Martz, disparu en juillet 1980, Jules Gatter, Ernest Dolch, Justin Simon, Auguste Mengus, Paul Hurst, Willy Drischel, Roger Fougeron, le Dr Paul André, ainsi que les présidents de section sans exception ont répondu avec empressement à mes sollicitations. Grâce à eux, j'ai pu mener à bonne fin l'œuvre que le Club vous présente. F. G. Sommaire Introduction 11 Football et Athlétisme de la création à 1918 13 Le Comité de Direction 29 Football Séniors 52 Juniors . I 75 Vétérans 85 Athlétisme 91 Basket Masculin 115 Féminin 123 Handball 127 Natation 131 Tennis 135 Hockey 143 Les Internationaux de l'ASS 147 Conclusions .......................................... 151 Le Comité de Direction de l'A.S.S. en 1980 Debout: J. Chevallier (Administrateur), J.-C. Koezlé (Hockey), A. Metzinger (Trés. Adj.), R. Speich, A. Roegel, (Matériel), Mme Renée Jost (Athlétisme), P. Roth (Basket), E. Kammerer (Natation), R. Girbig (Football), R. Lorentz (Handball), Dr P. André. Assis: A. Dagon (Trés. Adj.), R. Pfaff (Secr. Gai), MI P. Nietsch (Vice-Prés. et Tennis), A. Morel (Prés. Dél.), J. Simon (Prés. Général), R. Lussigny (Trés. Gai), F. Glanz (Vice-Prés.), M. Kautzmann (Vice-Prés.), F. Diederichs (Vice Prés.). Au mur les photos de G. Singer, A. Neff, L. Frick, Me C. Jehl, anciens présidents généraux. Introduction Le président général vient de dire dans sa préface que l'année 1980 se présente pour l'A.S.S. sous des auspices toutes particulières. Ce jubilé de ses 90 ans d'existence méritant d'être célébré de manière solennelle, le Comité de Direction en place a estimé qu'il importerait de présenter à nos membres et amis un ouvrage spécial sur la carrière de notre club. Il est vrai que précédemment des essais condensés sur notre passé ont été publiés, pour le 40e anniversaire en 1930, le 60e en 1950 et le 75e en 1965. La pla- quette-programme pour le gala de 1965, dont Gilbert Bécaud a été, nota bene, la vedette, sortait déjà du commun, mais elle n'était forcément pas complète. Le présent livre essaie d'être plus exhaustif, de toute façon tel que l'historique du club soit pratiquement complet. La disparition d'un nombre appréciable de nos archives n'a pas tou- jours permis de fixer avec la précision voulue un évènement déterminé. En contre-partie, la mémoire toujours vive de nos sénateurs et vétérans consent heureusement à relever par-ci, par-là, un cas oublié, digne d'intérêt, ou d'expliquer ou de rectifier une situation particulière. Nous croyons utile, dans ce contexte, de citer autant que possible les noms de ceux qui ont fait l'A.S.S.. Cela nous paraît d'autant plus indiqué que nos pupilles, minimes, cadets et juniors d'aujourd'hui ont bien le droit, eux aussi, de faire plus ample connaissance du passé de leur club, dont ils défendent avec application le renom acquis par leurs ancêtres. Football et Athlétisme de la création à 1918 C'est en 1890 que quelques lycéens et étudiants strasbourgeois fondèrent un cercle qui, en sortant résolument des sentiers battus, se destinait à promouvoir l'éducation physique autre- ment que par la gymnastique, bien en place depuis fort longtemps, ou par le cyclisme, auquel accourut le bon public (on ne parlait pas encore des mass média). Les adhérents de ce cercle comptèrent pratiquer la course à pied et jouer au football. Le goût ou plutôt la passion pour ce nouveau jeu leur venait de leurs semblables qui, revenant d'Angleterre, leurs études faites, l'y avaient pratiqué ou bien des Anglais, étudiants sur place. L'influence des Anglais était donc indéniable. L'ouvrage «Football-Association», publié en 1921 par les deux pionniers N.C. Tunmer (R.C. France) et E. Fraysse (Club Français), le relève, constatant que les «Anglais importent avec eux, partout où ils se fixent, leurs us et coutumes ». C'était le cas à Montreux (1887), à Paris (Paris-Association Football-Club/1887), Standart Athletic Club, White Le S.F.V. en 1897. Rovers/1891), au Hâvre (Hâvre Athletic-Club/1894), à Bordeaux (Stade Bordelais/1895), à Bruxelles (Racing), Anvers (Antwerp Football-Club) et Bruges (Football-Club Brugeois/1895), en Allemagne. Les premiers clubs français sont le Club Français (1892), le Cercle Athlétique de Neuilly et le Cercle Pédestre d'Asnières (1893). En Alsace, l'A.S.S. et le F.C.M. peuvent donc se prévaloir à juste titre de l'appartenance au groupe créateur continental. Les auteurs de l'ou- vrage, par ailleurs, se réfèrent, en guise d'introduction, au mot de Jules Simon, philosophe spi- ritualiste et Ministre de l'Instruction Publique dans le Gouvernement de Défense Nationale : «l'Art de vivre, c'est l'art de jouer pour se fortifier et de se fortifier pour bien travailler». Le Cercle prit le nom de S.F.C. (Strassburger Fussball-Club). C'est surtout sous l'impulsion de Walther Bensemann, dont il faudra reparler, que le S.F.C.
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