RWDM Brussels
Ground: Edmond Machtens Stadium
Capacity: 12,266
Club Founded: 2015
League: Challenger Pro League - 2nd Tier (current level)
Those wanting to enjoy a traditional matchday experience in Brussels should look no further than RWDM, as the team from Molenbeek has passionate fans and an old-school venue as a reminder of how stadiums were in the 80s and 90s.
RWDM's Complicated History
While RWDM Brussels was formed in 2015, in the Molenbeek district of the Belgian capital, the club has a very complicated background going back to 1951 when they were founded as Standaard Wetteren.
Racing White Daring Molenbeek was founded in 1909 as White Star Club de Bruxelles, becoming a member of the Belgian FA and competing in the Belgian First Division in three separate seasons.
In 1963, White Star merged with Racing de Bruxelles to form Royal Racing White. After a couple of seasons in Division 2, the club were promoted to the top tier, playing at Stade Fallon in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.
Champions of Belgium
In 1973, Royal Racing White merged with Daring Club de Bruxelles to become RWD Molenbeek, with both clubs previously struggling to attract attendances. The merger proved a success as they were crowned Belgian champions in 1974-75.
The merged club played at the Oscar Bossaert Stadion in Molenbeek as the team put in some top-five finishes, resulting in UEFA Cup football. They reached the semi-finals of the competition in 1976-77, being knocked out on away goals to Athletic Club of Bilbao, with Jacques Teugles netting the Molenbeek goal in the home leg.
Bankruptcy
The team finished third in Division 1 at the end of the decade in the renamed Edmond Machtens Stadion. Several mid-table finishes followed before the club was relegated to Division II, despite the goals of Roger Raeven.
The relegation was the beginning of the end as financial problems blighted the club. Eventually, the club folded in bankruptcy in 2002.
A Convoluted New Beginning
KFC Strombeek was a lower division club based just outside Brussels, who were Third Division A champions in 1999-00. The club moved from their Singelstadion home in Grimbergen into the Edmond Machtens Stadion during the 2002-03 season.
The club was renamed FC Molenbeek Brussels Strombeek, winning the Division II title in 2003-04. Albert Cartier was among those who managed the club as the team secured some mid-table finishes in the top-tier.
Franky Van der Elst took over team affairs in the summer of 2007 as the club became known as RWDM Brussels or FC Brussels. The team was relegated to Division II, where they remained as a mid-table side for several seasons.
Chris van Puyvelde, Michel De Wolf, Stéphane Demol and Noureddine Zaiour were the final team managers at the club before they finished the 2013-14 Division II season in eighth position. RWDM were refused a license for the following season because of their financial situation, as the club folded.
RWDM47
Meanwhile, another club, Standard Wetteren, merged, liberating its matricule, which is the unique registration number given to each Belgian football club. This was sold to people wanting to revive the former club, which folded in 2002. RWDM47 was born, with the 47 signifying the former club's matricule.
RWDM went on to win the divisional title in 2017-18, as well as reaching the fifth round of the Coupe de Belgique before going out on penalties to RU La Louvière Centre. The team consolidated in the third tier, while KMSK Deinze ended the cup run in round five.
Molenbeek's sixth-place league finish in the truncated 2019-20 campaign was enough to win promotion to the second-tier First Division B, where Laurent Demol and then Vincent Euvrard managed the team.
Recent Seasons
RFC Seraing defeated Molenbeek in the 2021-22 playoffs. There was no mistake twelve months later when Mickaël Biron scored the goals that helped the side to the title and promotion to the Pro League. Caçapa was appointed manager before being replaced by Bruno Irles, who was succeeded by Yannick Ferrera.
The season ended in relegation to the Challenger Pro League. Lokeren-Temse ended hopes of promotion in 2024-25 in the playoffs, before Frédéric Frans was appointed as the new manager. The club announced that it would change its name to Daring Brussels, quickly reversing the decision after protests.
The initials RWDM were reinstated as the club became RWDM Brussels.
My visits
Stadium 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.
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.
To be honest I didn’t even realise that RWDM47 were in existence and beginning to climb the Belgian football ladder. I’d obviously heard of RWD Molenbeek as I followed the game closely in my formative years and had a decent grasp of European football.
I knew that Royal White Star Bruxelles played in the most impressive stadium; I was really happy when I later learned that it was being used by two 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 side 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.
RWD Molenbeek 47 3 Hamme VW 0
Coupe de Belgique Round Four - Saturday 19th August 2017
👨👨👧👧 c1,500 🎟️ €10
Belgian Football Weekend
My weekend oriented around football in Belgium was going fantastically well after my Friday evening game in Liège and Saturday tea time entertainment at the national Stade Roi Baudouin featuring tenants Union Saint-Gilloise and Westerlo.
I’d also visited four really decent grounds to take photos and find my feet around Brussels before watching the match with Anthony Varga, a fellow groundhopper whom I’d met through Facebook.
Pre Match
Anthony had managed to get a ticket for the evening game between KV Mechelen and Royal Antwerp through another member of the European Football Weekends group. I’d more or less settled for Oud-Heverlee Leuven v Cercle Brugge until the previous Wednesday, when the excellent Soccerway website offered an alternative.
The Croky Cup, as the Belgian Cup/Coupe de Belgique was named under a sponsorship deal, was scheduled over the weekend, and the match at the Edmond Machtens Stadium looked a very good fit.
While I’d miss the first ten minutes or so from travelling from the Union match, I’d be in town not long after 9pm. This looked like a good idea, as Brussels on a Saturday night was bound to be reasonable, especially as I didn’t have to be up too early the next morning.
I caught the number 6 Metro from Roi Baudouin to Beekant on a decent evening weather-wise. I was getting very hungry after wrongly assuming that there’d be some kind of food for sale at the first game. I walked as fast as my legs would carry me.
It was a straightforward route along Rue Jules Vieujant and Rue Osseghem before turning right into Rue de la Fraîcheur. The telltale glow of the floodlights and buzz of the crowd were most welcome as the road became Rue Charles Malis. I arrived from the opposite direction from my previous visit.
My match ticket gave me admission to the stand down the side and the open terracing at the far end. The second large stand wasn’t open. I could see a food and drink caravan on the open end, so I headed straight for it.
Molenbeek Matchday Experience
The match was still at 0-0 as I got stuck into a burger from one hut and a large portion of fries from another. It came to €9.50, which wasn’t the cheapest, but the quality was good and most needed. I treated myself to a beer to wash it down.
The atmosphere was vibrant. The Molenbeek vocal support was at the other end of the seated stand. A handful of away fans supporting KFC Vigor Wuitens Hamme, to give the visitors their full title, occupied the other end. There was also a decent gathering of loyal support, preferring to stand up.
The terrace had high fences at the front that I hadn’t come across since the late 80s back in the UK. It even had the revolving spikes on top like I last saw at Boothferry Park. I really liked the ground as it took me back. It also had a good atmosphere.
RWDM had won their fifth-tier title the season before and were playing in the 2nd Amateur League, while their visitors plied their trade in the division above. I had been aware of this before kick off, and had presumed that Hamme were the underdogs; such were their tactics.
The Match
The game was tight and scrappy. Molenbeek were generally looking most likely to break the deadlock, but the touch around the area in attack was shocking at times. VW looked more than happy to blunt such attacks and then attack on the break.
Hamme lost their striker, Mitch De Kuyper, after thirty minutes following a crunching tackle, which required a rethink of personnel up front. They finished the first half slightly on top after stringing together some decent moves.
I took a quick look in the clubhouse and at the club shop under the stand in the interval before deciding to take a pew at the rear of the seating behind the hardcore RWDM support. It was a real mixture of young and senior, many of whom would have gone through the heartbreak of losing their old clubs.
Some looked very much like they may have had some very interesting experiences when the likes of Anderlecht and Club Brugge were their opponents. The smell of extremely exotic tobacco filled the air, while fans seemed to be continually bringing cardboard carriers full of beer upstairs. I loved it.
Gradually, their heroes began to get on top, no doubt assisted by the continual vocal support, much of which was sung in English. The pressure paid off on sixty-eight minutes when a fine slide rule pass led to a shot being blocked on the line. Lucas Dambblon was on hand to put the ball over the line as the crowd went berserk, throwing beer and making a hell of a noise.
Hamme fought straight back and could well have equalised when Yoshi Mariën went on a fine mazy run, but lost control just as he was about to get his shot away. Molenbeek made sure that they capitalised just a few minutes later.
Again, it was Dambblon who did the damage, after some fantastic work in the box and a run to the byline, followed by a low cross, which gave the front man an open goal. We even had a chorus of “We’re Going to Win the Cup” from the regulars!
The third goal followed with eight minutes remaining as another defence cutting pass was deflected to Anthony Bova, who lifted the ball over Hamme keeper Griffin De Vroe to seal the victory. The visitors became very tetchy towards the end, with one of their side being shown a red card by referee Charles Bouer.
Post Match Beers in Brussels
At the full-time whistle, I got straight away. It had been a brilliant second half and a fantastic atmosphere, but I wanted the loyal home fans to enjoy their victory, and I wanted a beer! I could hear them still singing three blocks away.
I’d returned to the city via a walk down to Parc Albert, where I took the 86 bus before having a look at the stunning Grand Place, through the Galeries and then to the majestic À la Mort Subite for a beer. I’d have stayed longer, but the screaming of the American women with their partners opposite was doing my head in. The perils of drinking strong beer on empty heads!
My plan was to walk back to the Hotel Sabina, stopping off along the way at various bars that I’d spotted on my way there earlier in the day. It proved to be a massive disappointment as most places were closed, and those that weren’t didn’t seem too appealing.
There was nothing for it apart from to walk back down the hill past the cathedral and into town. I’d considered Churchill’s pub so I could watch some sport, but that was shut. I spied Rooster’s up the narrow street and took a seat outside.
It was an inspired choice as the decent music from inside was loud enough to hear, and the beers were good and reasonably priced. I particularly enjoyed the Belle-Vue Kreik, a fruit beer brewed in Molenbeek with the company once led by Constant Vanden Stock, who was also in charge of RSC Anderlecht. It seemed an apt selection.
Although the bar was open until 4am, I departed around 12.30 and took the 66 bus around the corner back to my hotel, where the highlights from the evening’s football were on a local TV channel. It had been a fantastic day out.
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