Sunday, 10 May 2020

FC Saint-Josse (Belgium)

FC Saint-Josse is an amateur football club based in the north east district of Sint-Joost-ten-Node in the Belgian capital of Brussels, which was formed in 2001 following the merger of former club Royal Cercle Sportif Saint-Josse with Léopold FC.


RCS Saint-Josse had been formed on March 15th 1915 as Sports Club Saint-Josse, playing their formative years playing in provincial football before reaching the fourth national tier Promotion Divisions when they were first established.

The club went on to reach the Third Division in 1928-29 before relegation took them back down to the national fourth tier in time for the 1931-32 season. In 1932-33 Saint-Josse reached the Second Division.



However, the team dropped down the divisions in quick succession to find themselves back in Brabant Provincial football in 1935. In 1950 the team returned to the fourth national class before adding ‘Royal’ to their club title a year later.

By 1955 the club were back playing in provincial football, where they would remain for several decades. The club merged with FC Arsenal Evere in 1988; just three years after that club had been formed, to continue as Cercle Sportif Arsenal Saint-Josse.



‘Arsenal’ was dropped from the club title in 1998 before RCS Saint Josse were promoted to the Brabant First Provincial a year later. A second successive promotion took the club to the Fourth Division, in what turned out to be the last season for RCS.

On June 1st 2001 RCS Saint Josse joined forces with Royal Uccle-Forestoise- Léopold Football Club to become Royal Léopold Uccle Forestoise. Their name would change in later years before it settled on Léopold Football Club; who can be read about here.



FC Saint-Josse began life in the lowest, fourth tier of Brabant Provincial football. By 2009-10 the club had risen to the 3ème Provinciale Série B, going on to win the league title and promotion to the second level.

However, the step up proved too steep as Saint-Josse were relegated just twelve months later. The team bounced back with another promotion and championship in 2012-13. Once again, the club only maintained their second tier position for just one campaign.



A second place finish in Série C of the third regional level saw Saint-Josse promoted once again, where they avoided relegation in 2016-17 before winning the title in 2017-18. A season of consolidation followed prior to a third place finish in 1ème Provinciale in the truncated 2019-20 campaign.

FC Saint-Josse will play in the Brabant 1ème Provinciale Séries ACFF/BXL in the 2019-20 season.


My visit

Monday 21st August 2017



It was the final day of my football weekend in Brussels before I headed back to Germany for my Monday evening match. I had two or three grounds planned before heading to Nord station for the train.

I'd dropped my bag at the luggage locker at the station before checking my Google Map App for the quickest route to Stade Communal d'Evere Georges Petre next to the A3 motorway in the north east of the city.



The 318 bus was my answer, which was a bit unfortunate as it wasn't covered on my STIB travel pass. It cost me a further €3 for the ride of around twenty five minutes, before I alighted at the Evere De Lombaerde stop.

It took just over five minutes along the main road and then down Rue Georges De Lombaerde to the gates of the neat stadium past a school and by some tidy housing. The smart gates to the venue also fitted in well.



The ground was locked up, but I got plenty of decent enough photos. The main feature was the raised seated stand, while a few steps of open terracing stood opposite. The rest of the ground was made up of flat grass and hard standing; along with club buildings.

Once done I walked along Rou Colonel Bourg to catch a bus in the direction of Stade Fallon.




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