Flood forces Montpellier move
Thursday, December 12, 2002
Article summary
Montpellier Hérault SC's La Mosson stadium has been flooded and will be unusable for several weeks.
Article body
Montpellier Hérault SC's plight at the foot of the French Ligue 1 table has been worsened by the news that their La Mosson stadium has been flooded and will be unusable for several weeks.
Heavy rain
The pitch is now covered with 1.8m of water after three days of heavy rain in the south of France caused the La Mosson river to burst its banks. The club offices and dressing rooms are also flooded.
Enforced move
"Because of the bad weather and due to serious damage the game between Montpellier and [AJ] Auxerre scheduled for 20 December will not occur at La Mosson," the club website has confirmed. Stadiums in nearby Nîmes or Béziers are likely to host Montpellier's forthcoming games.
Charity match
Since the end of summer, the area has been regularly affected by flooding. A charity match at the beginning of November between the France side that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Olympique de Marseille raised €1.7m for the victims of a previous flood in September.
