Initially the team started out playing in the third level of provincial football at a ground by where the current Rue du Serment now stands, in the Scheut district and close to where the club now resides. Promotion was won at the first attempt.
A forward in the side, Théo Verbeeck became club chairman at the age of twenty three, with Anderlecht reaching national football by 1913. The team performed well until competition was abandoned during World War One.
The popularity of the club was growing, so a new stadium was built in Parc Astrid. The ground was named Stade Emile Versé after the first major patron of the club. Anderlecht finished third in the league and just missed out on promotion.
Sylva Brébart was appointed as the first manager of the team as the side ended in third place once again. The Royal Belgian Football Association extended the top tier, leading to SC Anderlechtois defeating FC Liégeois in a play-off to win promotion to the top flight as Ferdinand Adams ended the campaign with thirty goals.
Brébart was replaced by Charles Bunyan Sr in August 1922. Unfortunately, the new team boss died just ten years later, when his son Cyrille took over. The team were relegated at the end of the 1922-23 season, but won promotion just twelve months later.
Another relegation followed in 1925-26. Despite fighting their way back to the Division of Honour, as the top level was called at the time, ‘Les Mauves et Blancs’ were demoted once again in 1927-28.
Another relegation followed in 1925-26. Despite fighting their way back to the Division of Honour, as the top level was called at the time, ‘Les Mauves et Blancs’ were demoted once again in 1927-28.
Yet again the club regained their Division of Honour position, but to the joy of rivals Union Saint-Gilloise and Daring de Bruxelles, Anderlecht went down once more in 1930-31, a season after a best finish of fifth place.
In 1933 the club changed their title to Royal Sporting Club Anderlechtois, with Claude Leclercq taking charge of the side a year later. After a poor start to the season Leclercq was sacked, with a committee taking charge of the team as the team won promotion back to the Division of Honour.
Anderlecht finished in fifth spot before the league was suspended for World War Two. The club signed forward Jef Mermans upon resumption for a record transfer fee. ‘The Bomber’ would score the goals to help the club to its first Belgian championship in 1946-47 after coming close the previous two seasons.
Another title followed in 1948-49 before Anderlecht began to dominate the domestic game through the following decade as the former Blackburn Rovers and Northampton Town goalkeeper Bill Gormlie replaced Ernest Churchill Smith as team manager.
League titles three and four came in 1949-50 and 1950-51. The following year the road outside Stade Emile Versé was renamed Avenue Théo Verbeeck in honour of the club chairman of forty years.
Gormlie’s Anderlecht side went on to be crowned as First Division champions in 1953-54, 1954-55, 1955-56 and 1958-59 as the club embarked on their early experiences in the European Cup, including a 12-0 aggregate defeat to the ‘Busby Babes’ of Manchester United during the 1956-57 campaign.
After Gormlie’s resignation, the Frenchman Pierre Sinibaldi took over in the summer of 1960 as Anderlecht began another ten years at the top of Belgian football. New players Jean Trappeniers, Laurent Verbiest, Jean Plaskie, Georges Heylens, Paul Van Himst and Wilfried Puis came into the side.
The league was won once again in 1961-62 before Real Madrid and the Bulgarian outfit CSKA Red Star were defeated in the following seasons European Cup. The side set a record as five consecutive league titles came arrived in 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1966-67 and 1967-68, with Hungarian Andreas Beres being in charge from the summer of 1966.
The Coupe de Belgique was also added for the first time in 1964-65 as Standard Liège were defeated 3-2 after extra time. The star player of the time was undoubtedly Paul Van Himst, who finished as league top scorer on four occasions.
On September 30th 1964, the Belgium national team manager Raymond Goethals fielded eleven Anderlecht players at the same time in the friendly game against Holland.
In 1969-70 Anderlecht defeated Valur, Dunfermline, Newcastle United and Internazionale to reach the final of the European Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Arsenal were defeated 3-1 in the home leg, before the men from Brussels were defeated 3-0 at Highbury.
Former Anderlecht and Belgium player Constant Vanden Stock became the new Anderlecht chairman in 1971; quickly authorising the signing of Dutch stars Jan Ruiter and Rob Rensenbrink.
The 1971-72 season saw the club complete the league and cup double, with Standard Liège defeated in the knock out final at Heysel. Anderlecht retained the Coupe de Belgique the following season against the same opponents.
A sixteenth league title arrived at Parc Astrid in 1973-74 before the team lifted the domestic cup in 1974-75 with a 1-0 victory against Royal Antwerp. The win set Anderlecht up for glory in European competition.
Wins against Rapid Bucureşti, FK Borac Banja Luka, Wrexham and BSG Sachsenring Zwickau sent Anderlecht to the final of the European Cup Winners Cup. 51,296 fans turned out to watch the team defeat West Ham United at Heysel.
Rob Rensenbrink and François Van der Elst both scored twice in an exhilarating display led by manager Hans Croon who’s side also defeated Lierse S.K. in the final of the Coupe de Belgique, yet who was surprisingly replaced by former Belgium boss Goethals at the seasons end.
Anderlecht lifted the European Super Cup by defeating Bayern München before the team reached the final of the Cup Winners Cup in an effort to try and defend the trophy. Hamburger SV proved too strong as they won the match 2-0 in Amsterdam’s Olympisch Stadion as Arie Haan starred.
However, victories against PFC Lokomotiv Sofia, Hamburger SV, FC Porto and FC Twente propelled Anderlecht to the 1978 final. Two goals each from Rensenbrink and Gilbert Van Binst set up a 4-0 win against Austria Vienna at Parc des Princes in Paris.
Liverpool were defeated in the pre season Super Cup with help from new arrival Franky Vercauteren. Urbain Braems replaced Goethals in the summer of 1980 as new signings such as Morten Olsen arrived at the club, with Anderlecht winning the league title in 1980-81.
The 1981-82 European Cup campaign saw Juventus and Red Star Belgrade defeated before Aston Villa defeated the team in the semi-finals. Club legend Paul Van Himst was appointed as manager for the 1982-83 as the club rebuilt their home stadium and renamed it Stade Constant Vanden Stock.
A third European title arrived for the trophy cabinet as Anderlecht lifted the UEFA Cup after wins against KPT Kuopio, FC Porto, FK Sarajevo, Valencia CF and Bohemians CKD Praha set up a final against SL Benfica which was won 2-1 on aggregate, with Kenneth Brylle and Juan Lozano netting the vital goals.
The club returned to the UEFA Cup final of 1983-84 against Tottenham Hotspur. Morten Olsen scored in the home leg as the teams drew 1-1. The second leg ended the same way with Alexandre Czerniatynski scoring for RSCA. The game was decided in favour of the Londoners on penalty kicks.
The semi-final victory against Nottingham Forest was marred with controversy as it was later revealed that the referee in charge of the match at Stade Constant Vanden Stock was paid a bribe totalling £27,000 by the Anderlecht chairman.
Van Himst led the team to the First Division title in 1985-86 before he was replaced by former player Haan the following season as Anderlecht retained their title after falling in the semi-final of the European Cup against Steaua București.
A twentieth top flight league title arrived in 1986-87 before star player Enzo Scifo departed and Haan was replaced by Georges Leekens, who was quickly replaced by a returning Goethals. RSCA lifted their sixth Belgian Cup in 1987-88 with a 2-0 win against Standard Liège as Luc Nilis scored.
Aad de Mos was appointed as the new manager for the 1988-89 campaign to lead star youngsters such as Marc Degryse, Luís Oliveira, Philippe Albert and Johnny Bosman who helped the team to another Coupe de Belgique in 1988-89 against Standard Liège once again.
The 1990’s were to be a highly successful decade for the club as they kicked off by winning the league title in 1990-91 before Johan Boskamp arrived to take charge of the team and aid them to the championship in 1992-93.
In the summer of 1993 the club merged with women's team Brussels Dames '71 to become RSC Anderlecht rather than the old Anderlechtois. Boskamp’s team went on to three consecutive league titles with further success in 1993-94 and 1994-95.
Despite the domestic success, which also included a cup triumph against Club Brugge in 1994, Boskamp was replaced by Herbert Neumann. The club had just competed in their thirtieth consecutive season of European football, but the directors wanted more success.
Neumann lasted just four games before Boskamp was brought back. Success was proving harder to come by. The team lost the 1997 Cup final to Germinal Ekeren which resulted in the sacking of Boskamp, with René Vandereycken coming in to replace him.
The new man didn’t last until the winter break before Haan was brought back to have another go in the manager’s chair. The Dutchman didn’t last much longer before Jean Dockx and Franky Vercauteren were put in charge of the team taking them to a third place finish.
The former Genk boss Aimé Anthuenis arrived and led the club to their twenty fifth league title in 1999-00 before the team went on to retain the title the following campaign as the strike partnership of Tomasz Radzinski and Jan Koller created mayhem for opposing defences.
Both strikers were sold for big fees as the club continued to go no further than the group stages in the Champions League or the early rounds of the UEFA Cup. Anthuenis was replaced by Hugo Broos in the summer of 2002.
Vincent Kompany starred as Anderlecht won the Belgian League in 2003-04 and 2005-06 before he was sold on, with the latter title win coming under manager Franky Vercauteren before his side retained the title in 2006-07.
Vercauteren’s assistant Ariel Jacobs succeeded his boss in the manager’s role during the 2007-08 season, as Anderlecht lifted their eighth Coupe de Belgique with a 3-2 success against KAA Gent.
RSCA finished as league runners-up following a play-off decider with Standard Liège at the end of the 2008-09 season, as Romelu Lukaku made his debut; but they were not to be denied the following campaign, as they dominated the league campaign to be crowned as champions of Belgium; the first in domestic football with a regular title play-off league.
The season also saw Anderlecht to progress to the Round of 16 in the Europa League after dropping out of the Champions League at the group stage. The domestic top flight was retitled the Belgian Pro League as the club won their thirty first title in 2011-12.
The Argentinian defensive midfielder Lucas Biglia led the team with Dieumerci Mbokani, Guillaume Gillet and Matías Suárez adding the goals. John van den Brom replaced Jacobs at the end of the season.
The Championship Play-off league was won by Anderlecht to add another title in 2012-13 with Tom De Sutter adding to the goals column. Van den Brom was sacked and replaced by Besnik Hasi in March 2014.
The Albanian and his side kept their nerve to complete a title winning season at the end of the 2013-14 season thanks to goals from Aleksandar Mitrović. A runners-up spot came in 2015-16 with the team being skippered by Silvio Proto.
René Weiler briefly took over from Hasi, before he was replaced just a few days later by Karim Belhocine. Goals from Łukasz Teodorczyk and Youri Tielemans led Anderlecht to the top flight Belgian First Division A title; their thirty fourth in total, in 2016-17.
Hein Vanhaezebrouck was appointed as head coach in October 2017 with the side eventually finishing in third place in 2017-18 with Teodorczyk ending as top scorer with Sofiane Hanni also chipping in.
A shocking 2018-19 campaign saw Anderlecht finish sixth with several changes in coach after the dismissal of Vanhaezebrouck in December 2018, with Fred Rutten and then Karim Belhocine having two spells prior to the appointment of club legend Vincent Kompany as manager and fellow favourite Franky Vercauteren as coach.
'Paars-Wit' finished in eighth place in the truncated First Division A 2019-20 season owing to the COVID-19 pandemic with Michel Vlap scoring the goals with keeper Hendrik Van Crombrugge coming out with credit at the other end.
RSC Anderlecht will play in the Belgian First Division A in the 2020-21 season.
A shocking 2018-19 campaign saw Anderlecht finish sixth with several changes in coach after the dismissal of Vanhaezebrouck in December 2018, with Fred Rutten and then Karim Belhocine having two spells prior to the appointment of club legend Vincent Kompany as manager and fellow favourite Franky Vercauteren as coach.
'Paars-Wit' finished in eighth place in the truncated First Division A 2019-20 season owing to the COVID-19 pandemic with Michel Vlap scoring the goals with keeper Hendrik Van Crombrugge coming out with credit at the other end.
RSC Anderlecht will play in the Belgian First Division A in the 2020-21 season.
My visits
Thursday 20th October 2016
My brief visit to Brussels only had an hour or so to go before I headed across country to the Europa League tie between Genk and Athletic Club. I’d already visited Stade Roi Baudouin, Heysel II and Stade Edmond Machtens before jumping on the 49 bus to the Meir stop.
I took a nice walk through Parc Astrid which brought me out on Avenue Théo Verbeeck from where I walked through the gates to the stadium complex to look for an open entrance to take a look inside the arena.
My stroll took me right round the far side with absolutely no opportunity of seeing inside. It was only when I walked along behind the side with the main facilities that I grasped a chance. I noted a gate through and past an office was open. I needed no further invitation.
My view was excellent after climbing a set of steps to the upper tier in the south west corner of Stade RSCA Constant Vanden Stock as the stadium was officially titled.
It was virtually a continuous two tiered bowl with corporate boxes between the levels, apart from the north west corner where the road outside made expansion prohibitive. A scoreboard filled in where the seating may have been.
Delighted with access I didn’t hang around and push my luck. I headed back by bus from behind the north stand from the Anderlecht De Linde Plein stop to Aumale Metro station before heading to Stade Joseph Marien by tram to take a look at the home of Royale Union St Gilloise.
Delighted with access I didn’t hang around and push my luck. I headed back by bus from behind the north stand from the Anderlecht De Linde Plein stop to Aumale Metro station before heading to Stade Joseph Marien by tram to take a look at the home of Royale Union St Gilloise.
RSC Anderlecht 2 Sint-Truiden VV 3 (Sunday 20th August 2017) Belgian First Division A (att: 18,000)
I’d always wanted to attend an Anderlecht home game. When I fell in love with the game, the Belgian giants were one of Europe’s great sides as Rob Rensenbrink and François Van der Elst tore teams apart. The club were still an iconic name.
I’d heard that tickets should be possible for a run of the mill home game, but the task was to be made easier. I posted on the Facebook group ‘European Football Weekends’ setting out my itinerary and asking for advice.
Fellow member Anthony Vargas had got in touch and asked if I fancied meeting up as he had similar plans. This seemed a good idea. Another member; Antonio Monterino got in touch to offer assistance with the tickets. All was looking good.
We were to meet Antonio who could provide us with two season tickets from fellow RSCA fans who couldn’t make the game. To make things even better we were to meet in a traditional fans bar.
Before heading to the bar, I called in at three local venues to take photos and grabbed a bite to eat in the city centre. I took the Metro to Saint-Guidon and found Taverne Le Pavilion around the corner opposite some other fans bars.
I settled outside on the decking enjoying the Jupiler beer at €2. It was nice to be close to a ground but still have a proper glass. The location was perfect in the shadow of the beautiful church with plenty of trees.
Before long I was joined by the other two gents, as well as Antonio’s pals from Ostend. We got the low down on the home club, the bars and general football chat. It was definitely better with knowledgeable hosts.
The chat and beer were so good that we were a couple of minutes late into the ground. The fella doing the searches wasn’t holding anyone back for long and we were soon upstairs and into our seats just three rows back in the upper section in the north east corner. We’d paid €25 for the use of the ticket. I was most happy.
We were in an area with plenty of passionate characters who were excellent in their support for the team. The atmosphere was excellent with lots of singing and plenty of fans standing getting the noise going.
In the bar we’d been told that a seventy year old Peter Crouch in a wheelchair would be of more use and mobility than RSCA’s Swedish centre forward Isaac Thelin who was on loan from Bordeaux. I was keen to take a look for myself!
Both sides tested out each others defensive in the opening exchanges before Anderlecht went ahead in the eighteenth minute as Massimo Bruno scored with a fantastic curling shot into the far corner.
Sint-Truiden were level just three minutes later when a cross went right across the six yard box where Yohan Boli headed home at the far post. Newcastle United loanee goalkeeper Matz Sels seemed a bit static to me?
Henry Onyekuru, on loan from Everton impressed me for Les Mauves et Blancs. He could have easily won a penalty for his side but referee Wim Smet waved away the appeals. However, he pointed to the spot soon after when Onyekuru was fouled by Stylianos Kitsiou.
The penalty from Sofiane Hanni wasn’t near enough the corner and at the perfect height for the visitors keeper Lucas Pirard to push away. The home supporters were not amused. They had plenty more reasons to vent their ire on the restart.
Former Anderlecht player Jonathan Legear came on at the start of the second half for STVV. He was hugely unpopular as he’d left Stade Constant van Stock to join bitter rivals Standard Liège. He was given plenty of abuse when he touched the ball.
Inevitably he got into the tick of the action. Eight minutes after the restart Jordan Botaka crossed from the left. Sels didn’t claim the low ball and Legear swooped to fire past the custodian. It didn’t go down very well.
Young Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker was doing his best for the home side, but he and Onyekuru were fighting a losing cause. Thelin was indeed atrocious and eventually replaced.
Boli made it 3-1 on sixty six minutes but RSCA had lots of opportunities of their own. Substitute Łukasz Teodorczyk and Bruno somehow transpired to miss a simple opportunity after being set up by Onyekuru; who himself should have probably scored a little earlier.
Sint-Truiden still looked extremely dangerous, with Lingear having a particularly fine game. The home crowd supported their team vocally, but were extremely upset by some of the stuff being served up.
Eventually their team got a goal back when Teodorczyk finished from close range. RSCA pressed forward for the final three minutes plus stoppage time, but it was not to be. Too many errors plus the penalty miss proved too much to rescue anything from the game. STVV looked a decent enough outfit.
We’d been tipped off by the food stands outside the ground, and once again our hosts were bang on. I got a large black pudding sausage with fried onions in a bun for €4. It was as good a football food as I’d had in ages and perfect for getting a thirst up.
We returned to Le Pavilion; a bar with proper Anderlecht fans and where there is plenty of respect shown. Antonio and the boys weren’t happy with the result but were still marvellous company. It had been a treat to attend a game with proper fans.
Anthony and myself said out goodbyes after a couple of drinks and headed back to the Metro to reach Central Station so that we could make the train for our evening match in the south of the country between RoyaL Excel Mouscron and KAA Gent.
Anthony and myself said out goodbyes after a couple of drinks and headed back to the Metro to reach Central Station so that we could make the train for our evening match in the south of the country between RoyaL Excel Mouscron and KAA Gent.
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