BELGIUM: FC Chiévrois (1954-1968) / RFC Chièvres 69 (1968-)

Stade Florent Declercq, Chièvres (RFC Chièvres 69)

Belgium, province: Hainaut = Henegouwen

6 III 2022 / RFC Chièvres 69 - RAS Ghlinoise 0-2 / Hainaut, Provincial League 3B (= BE level 8)

Note: In the town of Chièvres, a first football club was founded in 1937 (Entente Sportive Chiévroise, matricule 2511) and, after its demise, a second five years later (Cercle Sportif Chiévrois, matricule 3569) - but both proved very short-lived affairs. At the third attempt, FC Chiévrois saw the daylight in 1954, being given matricule 5759 upon applying for membership of the Belgian Football Association. While ES Chiévroise and CS Chiévrois played their football at a ground on the western fringes of the town, FC Chiévrois took up playing on a meadow to its east, put at their disposal by Florent Declercq, owner of a local brasserie and one of the club's founding fathers - hence, the ground still bears Mr Declercq's name today; it is situated right next to a NATO airbase operated by the United States Air Force. Between January 30th, 1966, and March 24th, 1968, FC Chiévrois had a spell of 69 matches without a defeat, resulting in the club gaining promotion to Provincial League 1 in 1967. Thereupon, the decision was taken to add the epithet "69" to the club name - and FC Chiévrois officially became FC Chièvres 69 as a result. In 2004, the royal epithet was acquired. 

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