However, Lombez-Samatan declined their promotion, sending Saint-Étienne to the top amateur division for the first time.

For their first season in Fédérale 1, Saint-Étienne signed the coach Jean-Sébastien Bignat from Arras, and the international fullback Alexandre Péclier from Lyon.

[1] They had an impressive start with two away wins in their first two games, and on November 7, they took on Béziers in Andrézieux-Bouthéon's Stade Roger-Baudras.

The 3,000 people in the stadium were not the only ones to witness the locals' 15–9 victory though, as the match was broadcast live on Eurosport, a first for a Fédérale 1 game.

[3] This run of good form allowed them to clinch the fourth place in their group and thus to qualify for the Trophée Jean Prat.