BELGIUM: FC Sart-Bernard (±1954-1993) / RAC Sart-Davois (1993-1998) / RFC Sart-Bernard (1998-2022) / RUS Assessoise (B) (2022-)

Stade André Chainnieaux, Sart-Bernard (B ground of RUS Assessoise, formerly RFC Sart-Bernard / RAC Sart-Davois)

Belgium, province: Namur = Namen

31 VII 2022 / RUS Assessoise B - CSE Han-sur-Lesse 3-0 / Namur, Provincial Cup R1

Timeline

• 1940 / Plans to form a football club in Sart-Bernard are cut short due to the German Feldkommandantur not giving permission.
• 1943 / Foundation of Football Club Sart-Bernard. Upon affiliation with the Belgian Football Association, the club received matricule 4006.
• 1947 / FC Sart-Bernard enters a first team in Namur's Provincial Leagues for the first time.
• ±1954 / After having been home at two successive grounds elsewhere in Sart-Bernard, the club settles down at Rue Bois d'Ausse sometime in the years 1953-55.
• 1991 / Passing away of André Chainnieaux, founding member and president of the club for 48 (!) years; in his honour, the ground at Rue Bois d'Ausse is renamed Stade André Chainnieaux.
• 1993 / FC Sart-Bernard obtains the royal epithet, thus becoming Royal Football Club (RFC) Sart-Bernard. Later that year, a merger is concluded with Entente Sportive (ES) Dave (matricule 8602), resulting in the foundation of Royale Association des Clubs (RAC) Sart-Davois, retaining Sart-Bernard's matricule 4006. Dave's ground, 'Les Fonds', is abandoned, as all activities move to Stade André Chainnieaux.
• 1998 / The last board member originating from Dave having left, the decision is taken to reinstate the old name RFC Sart-Bernard.
• 2021 / In its last season as an independent club, RFC Sart-Bernard participates in the Belgian FA's leagues with just a first team, which plays at Provincial League 2 level.
• 2022 / A merger is concluded between RFC Sart-Bernard and RUS Assesse; the newly founded RUS Assessoise retains Assesse's matricule 5718 - oddly, given that usually, in the case of a merger, the oldest matricule is chosen. First team football moves to Assesse's ground at Rue des Fermes, while the three pitches in Sart-Bernard remain in use for lower team football and training purposes.

Note: Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-3 = non-matchday visit, August 2021 / pictures 4-18 = 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