Racing Club de Lens was created in 1905 by a group of young college students, but the team's early progress was brought to a halt by the First World War. It was only in 1922 that RC Lens re-emerged, and two years later they adopted their now famous 'Sang et Or '(blood and gold) strip, inspired by the Spanish occupation of the city in the 17th Century.
Often seen as the north's true working-class team in contrast to their prosperous neighbours from Lille, Lens' links with the mining industry go back a long way. Indeed, as the team turned professional in 1934, it was the local mining company that allowed them the use of a new stadium, built by miners between two pits – the Stade Félix-Bollaert, an English-style venue named after an eminent figure in the mining community.
The tight bonds proved to have a down side as well, and, as depression hit in the late 1960s, the football team were forced to renounce their professional status. Backed by ambitious mayor André Delelis, though, they were soon back in the big time and got their first taste of European competition in the mid-1970s, including a legendary 6-0 win over Lazio in 1977-78.
But, without doubt, the club's finest hour came in 1998, when Daniel Leclerq led them to their first Ligue 1 title and the final of the Coupe de France. One of the genuine football hotbeds in France, Lens are regularly spurred on by their passionate but always impeccably-behaved fans.
