RSC Anderlecht will no longer be allowed to bring away fans to matches at Union Saint Gilloise’s stadium next season, due to the damage caused by the club’s supporters at the King Baudouin Stadium following their defeat in the cup final on 14 May. Before, during and after the cup final, Anderlecht fans caused more than 30 incidents, including setting off flares and destroying more than 250 seats in the stadium, as well as an entrance gate. There was also a brawl between supporters themselves,
and the kick-off – including after half-time – was delayed due to smoke from the pyrotechnics. At the end of the match, fans threw at least 15 flares onto the pitch. The league disciplinary committee deemed this behaviour unacceptable and imposed a fine of €10,000. At the hearing, Anderlecht defended itself by referring to its own efforts to keep the fans in line, but the club also cited problems with access to the stadium. “The organisation, run by the football association, fell short, partly due
to insufficient checks and security at the entrances and a lack of staff and volunteers on the premises,” it said. Anderlecht requested footage from the Belgian Football Association (KBVB) and the police to identify the perpetrators, but said that it had not yet received it. The KBVB’s Disciplinary Committee for Professional Football (DCP) did concede that Anderlecht made genuine efforts to prevent such behaviour amongst supporters. “It’s plausible that Anderlecht is unwittingly confronted with a social phenomenon in which, for the most part, young people
behave in an unruly manner and identify with rebellious, inappropriate or non-conformist behaviour,” said the DCP. But it decided to ban supporters from attending matches at Union’s Joseph Marien stadium for one year, “given that the behaviour of the supporters is more difficult to manage and that clashes with Union have historically been tense”. The Union team, meanwhile, is dealing with its own issues. The public consultation on its plans for a new stadium received between 650 and 700 objections. According to the club, just
10% of the responses were expressions of support. The stadium – which would seat about 16,000 fans – would be built on the Bempt site in Forest, not far from the border with Uccle, which is why residents of both municipalities were consulted. The club said it was analysing the comments and has not yet encountered any surprises. They argue that the stadium would mean the surrounding area is revitalised thanks to new sports infrastructure, wider cycle paths and landscaping. “The latter is greenwashing,” said
We Are Nature, which continues to oppose the stadium plans. “The question is how the club intends to compensate for a green space of 37,000m². Planting a few trees won’t be enough. As long as the answer to that question remains unclear, we will continue to take every possible legal step against the stadium.” The organisation also fears noise and light pollution, highlights the flood risks and points to the safety risks that the nearby Allnex chemical plant in Drogenbos could pose. Union emphasised that
the stadium project is not located within the park area containing the Bempt ponds and that the paving of the site will be kept to a minimum. The football club has the backing of the Brussels government: the seven majority parties explicitly stated in the coalition agreement that they support the club’s plans. In principle, the Brussels region must issue an urban planning permit by the end of October at the latest and construction could begin next year. The team is looking for a new
home because the existing Joseph Marien stadium does not meet Uefa standards and, due to its protected status, cannot be extended. As a result, in recent seasons Union has had to play its European matches at Lotto Park, home to its rivals Anderlecht. For this summer’s Champions League qualifiers, Union will be travelling to Ostend to play. The team hopes to move out of the Joseph Marien stadium in 2029. “For the club, that stadium is more important than a title or a cup,” chief
executive Philippe Bormans has stated on several occasions in the past. A consultation committee meeting is scheduled for 30 June, at which the compiled comments will be discussed.
Anderlecht, Union Saint-Gilloise, away fans ban, King Baudouin Stadium, cup final, flares, disciplinary committee, Joseph Marien stadium, Bempt site, Forest, Uccle, Brussels urban planning permit