BELGIUM: R La Hulpe SC (± 1925-2008) / R La Hulpe SC (B) (2008-)

Stade René Soyer, La Hulpe = Terhulpen (B pitch of R La Hulpe SC, formerly A pitch of R La Hulpe SC)

Belgium, province: Walloon Brabant = Waals Brabant

August 2024 / no match visited

Timeline

• 1922 / Foundation of a football club in La Hulpe (Terhulpen), which takes on the name La Hulpe Sporting Club (SC). The club’s first pitch is situated at Chaussée de Bruxelles.
• 1925 / Finishing in last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 2B, La Hulpe SC eventually descends into Provincial League 3 following a set of relegation play-offs. Also in or around 1925, the club moves from Chaussée de Bruxelles to Avenue René Soyer – with the ground being named after the street, Stade René Soyer.
• 1926 / With the Belgian FA introducing the system of registration numbers, La Hulpe SC obtains number 178.
• 1927 / Winning the title in Brabant’s Provincial League 3A, La Hulpe SC manages a return to Provincial League 2.
• 1938 / Finishing in thirteenth place in P2B, La Hulpe SC drops back into Provincial League 3 after eleven years.
• 1945 / Following the war years, in which regular league football was replaced by regional competitions in most of Belgium, La Hulpe SC is placed in Provincial League 2C, holding out at that level for two seasons before dropping back into P3 in 1947.
• 1951 / La Hulpe SC obtains the royal epithet, thus officially becoming Royal La Hulpe Sporting Club, usually abbreviated to R La Hulpe SC or even RLHSC. Also in 1951, the club clinches the title in P3A, thus acceding to Provincial League 2. The stay at that level is short-lived, though, with relegation following in 1952.
• 1953 / Champions in P3A, R La Hulpe SC accedes to Provincial League 2. Yet again, though, the stay at that level is short-lived, with relegation following in 1954.
• 1960 / Champions in P3B, R La Hulpe SC accedes to Provincial League 2, holding out at that level for four seasons before dropping back in 1964.
• 1969 / Champions in P3B, R La Hulpe SC accedes to Provincial League 2. The stay at that level is short-lived, though, with relegation following in 1970.
• 1975 / Finishing in second-last place in P3B, R La Hulpe SC descends into Provincial League 4, which has meanwhile become the bottom division of Brabant’s provincial league system, for the first time.
• 1981 / Champions in P4I, R La Hulpe SC wins promotion to Provincial League 3. 
• 1984 / Champions in P3B, R La Hulpe SC wins promotion to Provincial League 2. The stay at that level is short-lived, though, with relegation following instantly in 1985.
• 1986 / Suffering back-to-back relegations, R La Hulpe SC drops back into Provincial League 4 following a second-last place finish in P3B.
• 1989 / Champions in P4C, R La Hulpe SC wins promotion to Provincial League 3.
• ± 1995 / So far having disposed of just one pitch at the Stade René Soyer, R La Hulpe SC is now given the luxury of a second pitch, which initially has a gravel surface.
• 2000 / Having dropped back into Provincial League 4 in 1999 after ten consecutive seasons in P3, R La Hulpe SC manages an immediate return to the second-lowest level of Brabant’s provincial divisions following a second place in P4C.
• 2008 / Runners-up in P3B, 1 point behind champions RRC Boitsfort, R La Hulpe SC wins promotion to Provincial League 2, making its return to that level after an absence of 23 seasons. Also in 2008, terrain 2 of Stade René Soyer, which had so far had a gravel surface, is equipped with a synthetic pitch. Due to the main pitch of the ground being notoriously liable to flooding, the club moves its first team football to this 3G pitch from the moment of its inauguration. Since, the (former) main pitch has not seen much activity other than training sessions.

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