History of cricket in france

The French national archives say that 'criquet' was already being played in the north of France by 1478. By the mid-1700s, several clubs were established in the north. A visit by the MCC planned in 1789 was cancelled at the last minute because of a revolution in progress. In the mid-1800s matches were played in the Bois de Boulogne just outside Paris and later at Lille, Boulogne, Chantilly, Courbevoie. Also at highly-fashionable places such as Cannes, Nice, Deauville and Pau.

In 1920, with cricket in France flourishing, the Fédération Française de Cricket was formed, but many clubs folded after the Second World War, especially after France's withdrawal from NATO in 1966.

The arrival of players from the UK and the Indian sub-continent in the 1980s led to many new clubs being created. A revived Association Française de Cricket became an Affiliate Member of the ICC in 1988.

Needing French government recognition and funding, AFC joined the Fédération Française de Baseball & Softball but later broke away. Elected Associate Member of the ICC in 1998, France Cricket had to rejoin the FFBSC - this time to comply with ICC requirements concerning government recognition. The government finally agreed to sub-delegate responsibility to France Cricket. Currently, new clubs are being formed at a very encouraging rate, predominantly in the Greater Paris region.

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