For those not acquainted with football, the name Saint Etienne conjures up images of an influential English indie dance act.
But in the 60s and 70s, Saint Etienne – the football club from the central French city of the same name – was one of the leading lights of European football.
Statistically they are one of the most successful Ligue 1 of all-time, with 10 league titles (a French record they share with Marseille) and six Coupe de Frances.
Some of the greatest French players of that era turned out in the famous green strip including Michel Platini, Herve Revelli and Jacques Santini.
And the club was popular throughout France and Europe because of the verve and flair the team became famous for with the 1973–77 line-up voted the best French team in history.
The high point came in 1976 when they came close to becoming the first French team to win the European Cup. They were only denied by a 57th minute goal by Bayern Munich’s Franz Roth in that year’s final at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
While the Germans celebrated a third successive European Cup, that final appearance was something of a last hurrah for France’s flagship team.
Michel Platini captained the club to a final league title in 1981 before moving to Juventus a year later amid financial strife. Astonishingly since that tenth league triumph has been trophyless.
The last 31 years have included relegations in 1984, 1996 and 2001.
But since their last promotion in 2004/05 Saint Etienne have managed to retain their top flight status despite a couple of relegation battles.
But there is something different about this season.
After 15 rounds of the league championship so far, Saint Etienne must have a touch of vertigo. Currently sitting third – a mere five points of bitter local rivals Lyon at the top - it is a long time since Les Verts (the Greens) have found themselves in such a lofty position.
In a league that always has at least one surprise package per season, Saint Etienne will dream of repeating Montpellier’s unforeseen league triumph last season.
Much of their success this term is down to the mercurial qualities of Gabonese striker Pierre Aubameyang who has struck eight league goals this year and who they will hope to keep from other club’s clutches for the rest of this season.
He has been ably assisted by the experience of former Lyon full-back Francois Clerc, captain Loic Perrin and ex-Leeds winger Max-Alain Gradel.
The situation has been helped by stability at the top with manager Christophe Galtier in his fourth season at the club, having made the step up from assistant boss in December 2009.
But it is the way Saint Etienne has become a bogey-team for the league’s only super-rich club which has made pundits sit up and take notice.
PSG hosted Les Verts in the league at the start of November. But a star-studded team featuring Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Javier Pastore and Thiago Silva was undone in an impressive 2 – 1 win for Saint Etienne.
And Les Verts struck again in the League Cup in late November, frustrating the Parisians and prevailing 5 – 3 on penalties after a goalless draw.
Saint Etienne has now set up a semi-final date with Lille in January but it is the prospect of qualifying for next season’s Champions League which is attracting the fans interest.
And for football fans of a nostalgic nature the possibility of seeing those green shirts in Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in 30 years is sure to bring back fond memories.
