BELGIUM: RCS Halanzy (1957-)

Stade Franck Ridremont, Halanzy (RCS Halanzy)

Belgium, province: Luxembourg

22 VII 2022 / RCS Halanzy - Wallonia Club Sibret 2-1 / Belgian Luxembourg, Provincial Cup - group stage, group H

Note 1: When Cercle Sportif (CS) Halanzy saw the daylight in 1927, it was the third successive football club to be founded in the village of Halanzy, after the short-lived Etoile Sportive (ES) Halanzynoise during the years of World War I and Entente Sportive Halanzy, founded in 1921 but disbanded after no more than a few years at most. Initially, CS Halanzy took part in a local league of village clubs (1928-29) before joining the Belgian Football Association in 1929, receiving matricule 1245. The club's first ground was the so-called Terrain au Moulin, situated at the foot of the Côte du Calvaire at the northern side of the village. In 1937, the club moved to a new pitch situated at Route de Musson - although nowadays the entrance to the ground is on the other side, at Rue du Bois. At the outset, an old railroad car served as changing room; later, it was replaced by the current clubhouse. The club remained at Route de Musson for twenty years, until 1957, when a second move was undertaken - this time to the 'Lieu-dit-à-la-Motte' (also known less flatteringly as 'Pré de la Soupe'), close to the village centre. While the ground at Rue du Bois remained in use - and has remained so ever since - for lower team football and training purposes, the newly built ground was named after CS Halanzy's club president at the time, Constant Mathieu, who doubled as Halanzy's mayor. The club had its most successful spell in the 1960s and 1970s, with four seasons of National League 4 football (1967-70, 1972-73). The covered stand, which was built in the 1950s, was extended to allow more spectators to watch the games comfortably. Back in Belgian Luxembourg's provincial league system, CS Halanzy obtained the royal epithet in 1977, thus becoming Royal Cercle Sportif (RCS) Halanzy. After RCS Halanzy youth player Franck Ridremont tragically died in a car crash in December 1982, Stade Constant Mathieu was renamed Stade Franck Ridremont to honour his memory.

Note 2: Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1, 4 & 6 = non-matchday visit, September 2011 / pictures 2-3, 5 & 7-23 = match visit, July 2022.

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