BELGIUM: RRC Bruxelles matr. 6 (B) (1948-1954) / RRC Boitsfort (B) (1960-1991, 2004-2021, 2024-) / CS Watermael (B) (1972-1989) / FC Polonia (1986-2015) / RC Bruxelles matr. 7759 (B) (1989-1991) / RRC Bruxelles matr. 556 (B) (1991-2004) / FC Polonia Boitsfort (2015-2021) / RRC Boitsfort (2021-2024)

Stade des Trois Tilleuls, terrain 3 - Drielindenstadion, veld 3, Brussels = Bruxelles = Brussel Watermael-Boitsfort = Watermaal-Bosvoorde (B ground of R Racing Club de Boitsfort, formerly FC Polonia / FC Polonia Boitsfort / B ground of R Racing Club de Bruxelles matr. 6 - R Racing Club de Boitsfort - R Racing Club de Bruxelles matr. 556)

Belgium, Brussels Capital Area

31 VII 2022 / RRC Boitsfort - R La Hulpe SC 3-2 / Brabant ACFF, Provincial Cup

Timeline

• 1948 / RRC Bruxelles (founded in 1894, matricule 6) abandons its Stade du Vivier d'Oie (Stadion Ganzenvijver), henceforth playing their football at the newly built Stade des Trois Tilleuls (Drielindenstadion) in Watermael-Boitsfort, a well-to-do suburb of Brussels. The huge ground in Watermael-Boitsfort was inaugurated with a gala match against AC Torino witnessed by a capacity crowd of 40,000. It is not entirely clear if the two side-pitches, originally covered with a gravel surface - later replaced by 3Gs - were part of the park from 1948 onwards or rather constitute a later addition; it is quite probable that they were part of the original lay-out. Pitch 3 is closer to the stadium itself than pitch 2 and, also because it was later given the benefit of a small covered stand, always was the main of the two side-pitches. Pitch 3 was used as a training facility by the successive clubs playing at Stade des Trois Tilleuls.
• 1954 / As a result of the ever-dwindling number of spectators flocking to Stade des Trois Tilleuls for home matches, RRC de Bruxelles - in spite of its promotion to National Division 1 this same year (heralding the club's last-ever season of top-level football) - is unable to pay the rents due to Watermael-Boitsfort's municipality. Forced out, the club settles at Laeken's Stade du Heysel (Heizelstadion) - finally merging with White Star Woluwe AC to become Royal Racing White nine years later, in 1963. It is unclear if there was any football club making use of Stade des Trois Tilleuls or its side pitches in the six following years (if you have any information as to the use of the ground between 1954 and 1960, please contact me).
• 1960 / Watermael-Boitsfort's town council buys the Stade des Trois Tilleuls, allowing non-league side Royal Racing Club (RRC) de Boitsfort (matricule 556) to move into it, making use of the stadium itself as well as the gravel side pitches.
• 1972 / Foundation of Cercle Sportif (CS) Watermael (matricule 7759). This club settles at Stade des Trois Tilleuls, groundsharing with RRC Boitsfort.
• 1986 / One of many recreational teams to make use of the side pitches of Stade des Trois Tilleuls, FC Polonia, is founded. FC Polonia, a team of Polish émigrés in Brussels, plays its football in Brussels' main recreational league, ABSSA.
• 1989 / CS Watermael concludes a merger with Racing Club de Bruxelles - not to be confused with the original club of which the name had disappeared in 1963; this new RC de Bruxelles, founded in December 1985 (matricule 9012), played at Kapelleveld, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe), and subsequently at Terrain Floréal, Watermael-Boitsfort. The new merger club, retaining the name Racing Club de Bruxelles, but under Watermael's matricule 7759, takes CS Watermael's place at Stade des Trois Tilleuls.
• 1991 / Groundsharers at Stade des Trois Tilleuls, RRC Boitsfort and RC de Bruxelles conclude a merger, becoming Royal Racing Club (RRC) de Bruxelles, retaining Boitsfort's matricule 556.
• 2004 / RRC de Bruxelles (matr. 556) changes its name to become RRC de Boitsfort.
• 2015 / FC Polonia makes the leap from ABSSA to the regular provincial leagues under the name FC Polonia Boitsfort. Upon joining Belgium's FA, the club obtains matricule 9647. Also as a provincial league club, Polonia continues to play its football on pitch 3 of Stade des Trois Tilleuls.
• 2021 / FC Polonia Boitsfort moves away from Brussels, settling at Avenue des Sorbiers in Limelette (Walloon Brabant) - and eventually changing its name to FC Polonia Limelette one year later. Meanwhile, also in 2021, exasperated by the bad state of the grass pitch in the stadium, affected by the use of the premises by the local athletics club, RRC de Boitsfort moves its first team football to pitch 3 of the ground - the pitch shown in the pictures below, with a 3G meanwhile having replaced the gravel surface.
• 2024 / RRC Boitsfort moves its first team football from pitch 3 to the stadium in the course of the 2023-24 season.

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