BELGIUM: R Mons FC (1923-2013) / R Union Flémalloise (I) (2013-2014) / R Union Flémalle (B) (2014-2017) / R Union Flémalloise (II) (B) (2017-2020) / R Union Flémalloise (II) (2022-)

Centre Sportif Local Flémalle - Rue Jean-Louis Adam, Mons-lez-Liège (R Union Flémalloise "II", formerly R Mons FC / R Union Flémalloise "I" / B ground of R Union Flémalle & R Union Flémalloise "II")

Belgium, province: Liège = Luik

5 XI 2023 / RU Flémalloise - KFC Eupen 1963 1-5 / Liège, Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

• 1923 / Foundation of a football club in Mons-lez-Liège, which is given the name Mons Football Club, and joins the Fédération Socialiste, a league of socialist clubs from the wider Liège region. It is clear that Mons FC played its football at Rue Jean-Louis Adam from the outset.
• 1940 / Changing its allegiance, Mons FC leaves the Fédération Socialiste - which is abolished by German occupation authorities - joining Belgium’s Football Association. The club receives registration number 2874 upon being accepted as new members. In the following 73 years, the club never manages to climb out of Liège's provincial divisions.
• 1964 / Obtaining the royal epithet, Mons FC becomes Royal Mons Football Club (R Mons FC).
• 2009 / Finishing runners-up in Liège’s Provincial League 4B, with an equal number of points as champions RUS Montagnarde but with an inferior goal difference, R Mons FC eventually breaks down the door to promotion and Provincial League 3 in the ensuing play-offs.
• 2012 / Having managed 3 seasons in P3, R Mons FC finishes in 14th place in P3A, thus suffering relegation back into the bottom division of Liège’s provincial league system along with ESFC Geer B and CFC Pontisse.
• 2013 / In the last year of its existence as an independent club, in which it never reached the national divisions, R Mons FC finishes in 4th place in P4A. Qualifying for the promotion play-offs, the club successively defeats RFC Villers and JS Hognouloise to reach the semi-final, in which it is eliminated by RFC Sart-lèz-Spa (4-0). Following the 2012-13 season, the club concludes a merger with R Flémalle FC from nearby Flémalle-Haute, resulting in the foundation of R Union (RU) Flémalloise, which retains Mons’ registration number 2874; Flémalle’s number 2884 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists. First team football moved to Mons’ ground at Rue Jean-Louis Adam, with Flémalle’s Terrain Beau Site being retained for lower team football and training sessions.
• 2014 / In the 2013-14 season, the new merger club R Union Flémalloise narrowly saves its skin Provincial League 3A, finishing in 14th place. Following that season, the club concludes a merger with R Skill FC d’Ivoz-Ramet (registration number 2925), resulting in the foundation of R Union (RU) Flémalle, which retains Flémalloise’s number 2874. First team football moves to Ivoz-Ramet’s Stade Robert Lecomte, with Terrain du Beau-Site in Flémalle-Haute and the premises at Rue Jean-Louis Adam in Mons-lez-Liège being retained for lower team football and training sessions.
• 2017 / Following the 2016-17 season, R Union Flémalle concludes a merger with RSC Entité Engis, the result being a merger club which takes on the name R Union (RU) Flémalloise for a second time – retaining Flémalle’s registration number 2874; Engis’ number 525 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists, this in spite of the fact that most merger clubs prefer to retain the lowest number available – and although RSC Entité Engis was highest up in the league, winning promotion from Provincial League 2, thus allowing R Union Flémalloise to start its life at the top level of Liège’s provincial league system. The new R Union Flémalloise plays its first team football at Stade Robert Lecomte in Ivoz-Ramet, while continuing to make use of the pitches in Mons-lez-Liège and Flémalle-Haute. Engis’ Stade des Fagnes is abandoned.
• 2020 / Works get underway to build a completely new stadium for R Union Flémalloise at Rue Jean-Louis Adam in Mons-lez-Liège.
• 2022 / Abandoning Stade Robert Lecomte as well as Terrain Beau-Site, R Union Flémalloise moves to a completely rebuilt ground at Rue Jean-Louis Adam in Mons-lez-Liège, which is renamed Centre Sportif Local (CSL) Flémalle upon its official inauguration in September 2022. The main pitch of the new ground is situated in exactly the same place as R Mons FC's former main pitch. Whereas Mons' clubhouse used to be situated at the eastern end of the main pitch, the much larger new clubhouse - which includes a rather impressive covered grandstand - can be found on the northern side of it. 
• 2023 / Winning the title in Provincial League 2A, 10 points ahead of closest followers R Union Momalloise, R Union Flémalloise accedes to Provincial League 1.
• 2024 / Finishing in fifth place in its first season back in P1, R Union Flémalloise qualifies for the promotion play-offs for a spot in the national divisions by virtue of a 2-4 win over FC Ster-Francorchamps in a tie-break match. In the play-offs, however, the club bows out in R1 against RSC Tilffois (3-0).

Note 1 - Thanks to R Union Flémalloise's board member and alderman of Flémalle's town council, Brian Pavone, for providing us with important parts of information given above.

Note 2 - Highlights of the match I attended at Rue Jean-Louis Adam can be watched by following this link.

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