Royal White Star Bruxelles (Belgium)

Royal White Star Bruxelles was a football club that was based at the Edmond Machtens Stadion in the Molenbeek district of the Belgian capital. The club was originally formed in 1949 as Kapelleveld FC, playing in the north east Brussels suburb of Evere.

The history is a complicated one, as with several Belgian clubs; particularly from Brussels. White Star’s is closely linked with the various clubs to have represented Molenbeek, as can be read about in further detail here.

In 1950 the club changed their name to Woluwe FC; moving to the Stade Fallon in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. In 1959 the club returned to play their games in Kapelleveld.

In 1963 the main club in Woluwe; White Star Woluwé A.C. merged with Racing de Bruxelles to form Royal Racing White. This club would eventually evolve to become R.W.D. Molenbeek.

Meanwhile Woluwe FC changed their name to White Star Woluwe FC, taking the old White Star club logo. In 1972 the club was playing in Brabant Provincial football and moved from their Kapelleveld to use the second pitch at Stade Fallon.

However, in 1973 Royal Racing White made their move to the Edmond Machtens Stadion before changing their title to R.W.D. Molenbeek. White Star Woluwe moved into the main stadium at Stade Fallon.

In 2013 the club changed their title to Royal White Star Bruxelles, before making the move across the city to play at the Edmond Machtens Stadion. The club were playing in Division II at the time and after a great start to the season ended in the relegation places before surviving through the play offs.

The club struggled financially and were on the verge of been denied a professional license but a deal was struck with a group of Middle Eastern businessmen who invested in White Star.

However, the club had to successfully fight an appeal to be granted a license once again at the end of the 2014-15 as the team finished comfortably clear of relegation. White Star went on to win Division II in 2015-16, but the joy would be short lived.

The club was refused a Belgian professional football license and is thus not allowed to play in the 2016-17 Belgian First Division A or Division B and is instead relegated to the 2016–17 Belgian First Amateur Division.

Worse was to follow as the club were also relegated at the completion of the 2016-17 season to the Belgian Second Amateur Division as the team consisted of young local players.

An even greater crisis hit the club after Molenbeek Municipal Council evicted White Star from the Edmond Machtens Stadion before the start of the 2017-18 because of unpaid bills and rent.

The team played a game at Crossingstadion in the Coupe de Belgique before the Belgian FA automatically awarded White Star's first two league opponents; RUS Rebecquoise and

Royale Entente Acren Lessines automatic 5-0 victories.

Eventually the club was dissolved by the Senate of Brussels Court in October 2017 as bills still remained unpaid. The officials could not be contacted; while most of the youth section joined RWDM; joint tenants of the Edmond Machtens Stadion.

My visit

Thursday 20th October 2016

My brief stay in Brussels consisted of one evening and until lunch the following day. As usual I was keen to see as much as possible. I’d done my sightseeing around socialising the previous evening, with the following morning set aside for visiting some iconic football venues.

I’d made the King Baudouin Stadium at Heysel the first call of the day. I was now ready to test my skills at navigating my way across Brussels using the transport network. It wasn’t easy, but I soon got the hang of it.

The number 51 tram from Stade took me to Woeste, where I changed to catch the number 49 bus to the Leroy stop, from where it was just a short walk along Rue de Konick and then Rue Charles Malis which took me behind one end of the Edmond Machtens Stadion.

I’d heard about the fine community work that White Star had been carrying out in the local multicultural community that was receiving a lot of bad press after several arrests in the area in relation to terrorist attacks.

I knew that Royal White Star Bruxelles played in the most impressive stadium; I was really happy when I later learned that it was also being used by RWDM47, the latest incarnate of Molenbeek clubs, who would hopefully learn from the poor financial management of the past.

Edmond Machtens Stadion was indeed an excellent venue. The far end had open terracing, while tall seated stands stood opposite each other on either sides of the pitch. One to the left was in two tiers with corporate boxes in between, while the other had a small terraced paddock in front.

The final end had no spectator accommodation but a high board of advertisements enclosing the ground to keep in the atmosphere.

Having completed my visit I went back in the same direction and caught the 49 bus once more to Meir from where it was just a short walk to the Stade RSCA Constant Vanden Stock to take a look at the home of Anderlecht.