Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: FC Tubize (± 1971-1990) / AFC Tubize (1990-2021) / R Union Tubize Braine-le-Comte (2021-)

Stade Leburton, Tubize = Tubeke (R Union Tubize-Braine, formerly FC Tubize & AFC Tubize)

Belgium, province: Walloon Brabant

18 VIII 2010 / AFC Tubize - R Antwerp FC 1-2 / National Division 2 (= BE level 2)

Timeline

1922 / Foundation of a first football club in Tubize, which is given the name Cercle Sportif (CS) Tubizien. Joining the Belgian Football Association that same year, the club starts its life in Brabant's regional leagues.
1925 / CS Tubizien folds in October 1925, but is refounded in December of that same year.
1926 / The new Cercle Sportif Tubizien joins Belgium's FA in February 1926, being accorded matricule 622 upon the introduction of the matricule register in December of that same year. It is unclear if the club played at its historic ground at Rue de l'Abattoir from the beginning onwards. In the 41 years of its existence as an independent club (1926-67), the modest CS Tubizien - referred to by locals simply as 'Cercle' - never reached a higher level than Brabant's Provincial League 2. Also in 1926, another football club sees the daylight in Tubize - Cercle Sportif Espérance Tubize, probably a breakaway from Cercle. CSE Tubize, referred to locally mostly as 'Espérance' joins Belgium's FA, receiving matricule 768. It is unclear if Espérance Tubize played at the ground of its eponymous successor club, founded in 1953, at Rue de la Soirie, from the beginning onwards.
1941 / CSE (Espérance) Tubize, more ambitious than its town rivals Cercle, reaches Brabant's Provincial League 1 for the first time, due to maintain itself at that level until 1946 - although it should be pointed out that the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons were not played due to the havocs of World War II.
1946 / CSE (Espérance) Tubize changes its name to become FC de Tubize.
1947 / Suffering back-to-back relegations, FC de Tubize finds itself in Brabant's Provincial League 3. The club withdraws its first team from regular league football.
1950 / Having been inactive for three years, FC de Tubize folds, withdrawing its FA membership. Matricule 768 is thus erased from the association's official membership list.
1953 / FC de Tubize is refounded under its original name Cercle Sportif Espérance (CSE) Tubize. This new 'Espérance' joins Belgium's FA under matricule 5632. This CSE Tubize plays its football at a ground located at Rue de la Soirie. In the 14 years of its existence as an independent club (1953-67), Espérance alternates spells in Brabant's Provincial Leagues 3 and 2.
1967 / A merger is concluded between CS Tubizien ('Cercle') and CSE Tubize ('Espérance'), resulting in the foundation of FC Tubize, which retains Espérance's matricule 5632. Thus, CS Tubizien's much lower matricule 622 disappears. Due to CSE Tubize playing in Provincial League 3 in the 1966-67 and CS Tubizien suffering relegation from P2 to P3, the newly formed FC Tubize has to start its life in Provincial League 3. For the time being, the merger club plays its football at Espérance's ground, situated at Rue de la Soirie. Cercle's premises at Rue de l'Abattoir are abandoned. The merger was concluded on the condition that Tubize's municipal authorities would build the club a new ground elsewhere in Tubize, but in 1967 there are no concrete building plans yet.
1969 / Winning the Provincial League 3C title, FC Tubize accedes to Provincial League 2.
± 1971 / Although no definite confirmation can as yet be given, FC Tubize probably moved into the newly built Stade Leburton, situated along the railway track bisecting Tubize, in 1971. The move was much longed-for in Tubize, as the club had had to abandon the pitch at Rue de la Soirie at an earlier stage, as a result of which FC Tubize had to groundshare with KFC Avenir Lembeek at Campus Karenberg for some time prior to the inauguration of the new municipal ground in Tubize proper. Reflecting the local political situation, with a left-leaning town council, the new ground is named after Edmond Leburton, leader of Belgium's unitarian Socialist Party (PSB/BSP) at the time.
1974 / Foundation of a recreational football club in Tubize, which adopts the name Amis Réunis (AR) Tubize. This club's ground is situated at Chaussée d'Hondzocht.
1976 / AR Tubize joins Belgium's FA under matricule 8424. The club is placed in P4, the bottom division of Brabant's provincial league pyramid.
1980 / After finishing in second place in Provincial League 4I, AR Tubize wins promotion to Provincial League 3 for the first time - probably following promotion play-offs. In the following decade, the club alternates spells in P3 and P4.
1985 / Finishing last in P2A, FC Tubize drops out of Provincial League 2 after an uninterrupted 16-year spell.
1989 / Théo Buelinckx, former professional league player at R Olympic Club Charleroi & R Olympic Club Montignies-sur-Sambre, takes over the position of head coach at FC Tubize.
1990 / In the 1989-90 season, their last year as independent clubs, FC Tubize and AR Tubize find themselves placed together in Provincial League 3C, with FC Tubize clinching the title and AR finishing in last place. A merger is concluded between the two clubs, resulting in the foundation of Association Football Clubs (AFC) Tubize, retaining FC Tubize's matricule 5632. Following FC Tubize's title win, the new club starts its life in Brabant's Provincial League 2, with Théo Buelinckx staying at the helm. First team football is played at Stade Leburton, while AR's pitch at Chaussée d'Hondzocht is retained for the time being for lower team football and training sessions.
± 1991 / In 1991 or 1992, a second pitch is put in place at FC Tubize's training ground, Terrain du Chalet, situated on a hillside overlooking Stade Leburton. This second training pitch, laid out on the southern side of the clubhouse, results in the pitch at Chaussée d'Hondzocht becoming redundant - as a result, the club abandons AR Tubize's former ground, which is used for some more time by recreational teams until being given up once and for all.
1992 / Winning the P2A title, AFC Tubize accedes to Brabant's Provincial League 1 - marking the first appearance of a football club from Tubize at that level in 46 years.
1993 / Going from strength to strength, Théo Buelinckx's squad wins the Provincial League 1 title, thus earning a second promotion in a row - resulting in AFC Tubize acceding to National League 4. In its first season at that level, the club finishes in a respectable 6th place in National Division 4D.
1995 / Following a 5th place in D4B, AFC Tubize qualifies for the promotion play-offs for a spot in D3 for the first time, but the club is eliminated in R1 by KVK Tienen.
1996 / After finishing in second place in National Division 4D behind KFC Strombeek, AFC Tubize defeats K Beringen FC and K Wellense SK to qualify for the final of the promotion play-offs, in which it is defeated - yet again - by KVK Tienen. Due to an additional promotion spot being available, Théo Buelinckx's men manage the historic promotion to National Division 3 nevertheless.
1997 / Having a hard time at its first attempt of D3 level, AFC Tubize is unable to maintain itself in National Division 3B, finishing second-last and dropping back into D4 along with bottom club KFC Eendracht Zele.
1998 / Finishing in second place in D4A, trailing champions Torhout 1992 KM by seven points, AFC Tubize qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Defeating RA Marchiennoise des Sports in R1, the club stumbles over R Sprimont Sports, thus missing out on a return to D3.
1999 / Yet again, AFC Tubize manages a second place in D4 - this time having to leave the title in National Division 4D to R Francs Borains. In the ensuing play-off competition, the club sees off K Wezel Sport FC and FC Zwarte Duivels Oud-Heverlee, finally stumbling over RRC Tournaisien in the final. In a lucky loser final, AFC Tubize defeats KSK Maldegem 3-2 (A.E.T.) to reclaim its spot in D3 after a two-year absence.
2001 / After 12 years, Théo Buelinckx relinquishes his job as AFC Tubize's coach, having led the club to five promotions and national league football.
2003 / Claiming the title in National Division 3B with a five-point advantage over closest followers Oud-Heverlee Leuven, AFC Tubize accedes to National Division 2 for the first time in club history. In its first season at that level, the club manages an impressive 4th place in the final ranking.
2004 / In a thorough renovation of Stade Leburton, business seats are added on top of the main stand, replacing Tubize's municipal swimming pool and the stadium's old dressing rooms. Moreover, a small covered terrace facing the main stand is added to the set-up.
2008 / Having spent the previous seasons in mid-table security, AFC Tubize finishes in 2nd place in the 2007-08 season, only preceded by champions KV Kortrijk. In the promotion play-offs, in which it plays six matches against three opponents (R Antwerp FC, KVSK United Overpelt-Lommel & Oud-Heverlee Leuven), AFC Tubize wins the group with a maximum of 18 points - the decisive 0-1 away win at R Antwerp FC being clinched after a Kevin Stuckens goal. Thus managing an unprecedented promotion to the top flight of Belgian football, AFC Tubize rapidly has to bring its stadium up to National Division 1 standards; a huge all-seater stand is added on the southern end of the ground, bringing total capacity up to 8,100.
2009 / Finishing second-last in National Division 1, with only RAEC Mons picking up fewer points, AFC Tubize tumbles back into D2 after just one season of top-flight football. The following decade is spent in the antechamber of the Belgian league pyramid, renamed National Division 1B in 2016.
2018 / Losing the D1B relegation play-offs, AFC Tubize drops back into Amateur Division 1, the third tier of the Belgian league pyramid - only to be saved by the bell due to K Lierse SK's bankruptcy, which sees the club staying up after all.
2019 / Its relegation merely being postponed by one year, AFC Tubize finishes 8th and last in D1B, thus suffering relegation to Amateur Division 1.
2020 / In the 2019-20 season, broken off in March 2020 due to the COVID lockdown, AFC Tubize finds itself in second-last place in Amateur Division 1 after 24 of 30 matches. Based on this ranking, the club drops into ACFF Amateur Division 2, the fourth tier of Belgium's football pyramid, thus suffering its second relegation in a row.
2021 / AFC Tubize concludes a merger with Amateur Division 3 side R Stade Brainois (matricule 343) from nearby Braine-le-Comte in Hainaut - in itself a merger club, created in 1969 with US Brainoise and RAA Brainoise joining forces. The new merger club, which retains AFC Tubize's matricule 5632, is given the official name Royale Union Tubize-Braine-le-Comte - but is universally referred to, even in the club logo, as Royale Union Tubize-Braine (RUTB). Henceforth, first team football takes place at Tubize's Stade Leburton, while the club's B team, which is placed in ACFF Brabant's Provincial League 1, plays its home matches at Braine's Stade au Sans-Fond. The new club's youth academy subdivides its activities between Terrain du Châlet in Tubize and Stade du Poseur in Braine-le-Comte.
2022 / Finishing in 4th place in ACFF Amateur Division 2, RU Tubize-Braine qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which it defeats Lyra-Lierse Berlaar in R1 (2-1 on aggregate) only to lose emphatically against RFC Mandel United in the following round (8-3 on aggregate) - thus missing out on a return to Amateur Division 1. Meanwhile, the club's B team, which finished in a mid-table place in P1, settles at Terrain du Châlet, as Stade au Sans-Fond in Braine-le-Comte is abandoned by the club.
2024 / Runners up in ACFF Amateur Division 2, with an equal number of points as Union Rochefortoise, 19 points behind champions RAEC Mons, R Union Tubize Braine-le-Comte wins promotion to the newly created ACFF Amateur Division 1 - amounting to a historic promotion to the third tier of Belgian football for the first time in club history.