BELGIUM: La Débrouille Seraing (1996-2004) / La Débrouille Seraing (B) (2004-2006) / FC Seraing (B) (2006-2009) / Foot Seraing Chatqueue (2010-2014)

Complexe du Haut-Pré "Fontaine Campagne Chatqueue", Seraing Ougrée (formerly La Débrouille Seraing, FC Seraing & Foot Seraing Chatqueue)

Belgium, province: Liège = Luik

27 II 2011 / Foot Seraing Chatqueue U15 - RFC Cité Sport Grâce-Hollogne U15 8-6 / Liège, Scolaires Régionaux, Série 23 (provincial youth competition / U15)

Timeline

• 1984 / Foundation of La Débrouille, a social club in Seraing created to help children and young adults from impoverished neighbourhoods to practice various sports. The social club is created under the auspices of Seraing's Centre Publique d'Action Sociale (CPAS) and is financed by the Communauté Française de Belgique (CFB).
• 1985 / Foundation of La Débrouille's football branch by volunteer Johan Devriese. It joins a local recreational league, but it is unclear which one (ALFA or RIL - anyone able to provide more information regarding this matter is welcome to get in touch with me).
• 1996 (?) / Although no certainty is to be had, La Débrouille Seraing's football branch probably moved into Complexe du Haut-Pré in Ougrée in 1996 - in other sources referred to by the name of 'Fontaine Campagne Chatqueue', a single football pitch situated at Rue Guillaume d'Orange, opposite the premises of ALFA club RAC Ougrée. Before settling at Haut-Pré, the club was home at Bois de l'Abbaye (not far from Seraing's public swimming pool).
• 1997 / Having played recreational football for 12 years, La Débrouille Seraing now joins the official Belgian Football Association, obtaining matricule 9310. Apart from a set of youth teams, the club starts the 1997-98 season with a first team in Provincial League 4.
• 1998 / In its first season in Liège's provincial leagues, La Débrouille Seraing wins promotion to Provincial League 3 straightaway.
• 2000 / La Débrouille Seraing's first team accedes to Provincial League 2.
• 2002 / Former professional league player Alain Bettagno, who started his career at RFC Sérésien but went on to play for Club Brugge KV, R Standard de Liège, FC Linz, FC Gueugnon, RAA Louviéroise, RFC Liège, and RE Dison-Verviers, joins La Débrouille Seraing.
• 2004 / Hanging up his boots, Alain Bettagno takes over the managership of La Débrouille's first team. With the Complexe du Haut-Pré being deemed unfit for an ambitious football club, La Débrouille Seraing is given permission to move its first team football to Terrain F of Stade du Pairay / Complexe Sportif Communal de la Boverie. Financed by Seraing's municipal authorities, a small covered stand as well as changing rooms with a clubhouse on top of it are constructed by the pitch for the benefit of La Débrouille's staff, players, and supporters.
• 2006 / Clinching the title in Provincial League 2A, Alain Bettagno's men manage the longed-for promotion to Liège's Provincial League 1. After the 2005-06 season, La Débrouille Seraing changes its name to become FC Seraing - such at the request of the original Débrouille social club, still in existence, which prefers not to be associated with competitive senior football.
• 2008 / After two years in P1, FC Seraing finishes top of the league, thereby winning direct promotion to National Division 4. To the club's dismay, it is not placed in the completely Walloon Division 4D, but in D4C, in which it is faced with exclusively Flemish opposition - involving longer away trips and fewer spectators being drawn to home matches, still played on Stade du Pairay's Terrain F. By then already financially overstretched, FC Seraing withdraws its first team in December 2008 - having only picked up one point in 15 matches (goal difference: -47). Not fielding any team in the 2009-10 season, FC Seraing eventually folds in mid-2010.
• 2010 / Refoundation of FC Seraing under the name Foot Seraing Chatqueue (matricule 9544). This club, focusing exclusively on youth football, settles at La Débrouille's old ground, Complexe du Haut-Pré (a.k.a. Fontaine Campagne Chatqueue) (I attended a match of Foot Seraing Chatqueue's U15s in 2010-11, the club's first season - photos 1-21 below).
• 2014 / Its premises being allowed to fall into a state of disrepair by Seraing's municipal authorities, Foot Seraing Chatqueue folds in September 2014, ceasing all activities.
• 2015 / Seraing's mayor Alain Mathot allows a petting zoo to take over the Complexe du Haut-Pré.

Note: Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-21 = match visit, February 2011 / pictures 22-30: non-matchday (petting zoo) visit, April 2017. 

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author