Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: SC Petigny (1966-1997) / ES Petigny-Frasnes (1997-)

Stade Robert Dubuc, Petigny (ES Petigny-Frasnes, formerly ES Petigny)

Belgium, province: Namur = Namen

16 VIII 2024 / ES Petigny-Frasnes - RFC Meux B 2-0 / Namur, Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

1939 / Foundation of a football club in Frasnes-lez-Couvin, which takes on the name Sporting Club (SC) Frasnien, joining Belgium’s Football Federation (URBSFA / KBVB), obtaining registration number 2803 upon being accepted as new member club. It is unclear where the pitch of this first SC Frasnien was situated. At this stage, there is no talk of a football club in the neighbouring village of Petigny yet.
1947 / After an existence of eight years, SC Frasnien folds, ceasing all activities. Registration number 2803 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists.
1966 / In 1966, football clubs are founded in Petigny as well as in Frasnes-lez-Couvin. Among the founding fathers of Sporting Club (SC) Petigny are Jacques Lenoir and Robert Dubuc. The club's first president is Karl Shilling. SC Petigny joins Belgium’s FA, obtaining registration number 6910; the club settles on a pitch situated at Rue des Monts. Meanwhile, in Frasnes-lez-Couvin, a phoenix version of SC Frasnien is created, with the club acquiring registration number 6929 upon being accepted as Belgian FA member. It is unclear if this new SC Frasnien played at the ground situated at Rue de l’Adujoir from the outset. Both clubs start their life in Provincial League 3, the lowest division in Namur's provincial league pyramid at that time.
1975 / With Karl Shilling giving up the chairmanship of SC Petigny, his role is taken over by 26-year-old Robert Dubuc, who had also become mayor of Petigny in 1974. In 1978, one year after the absorption of the municipality of Petigny into the larger entity of Couvin, Dubuc, a teacher by profession, continues his career in local politics as an alderman.
1976 / A new clubhouse is inaugurated at Petigny's ground, Rue des Monts.
1980 / Petigny's pitch at Rue des Monts is taken over by the municipality of Couvin, with the premises being given a thorough refurbishment. The modernised facilities are inaugurated on July 21st, 1980, coinciding with the festivities surrounding the 150th anniversary of Belgium's independence.
1993 / After long years in Provincial League 4, the lowest division in Namur's provincial divisions from the early 1970s onwards, SC Petigny now manages to win promotion to Provincial League 3.
1994 / SC Petigny's clubhouse is enlarged considerably by a group of volunteers, led by Louis Troncon and future club chairman Bernard Bombart. Shortly after the inauguration of the new clubhouse, Troncon passes away, upon which the construction is named after him.
1996 / Finishing in second-last place in Namur's Provincial League 3, SC Petigny drops back into Provincial League 4.
1997 / After both clubs having had an independent existence of 31 years, in which they never rose to a level higher than Namur’s Provincial League 3, a merger is concluded between SC Petigny and SC Frasnien, resulting in the foundation of Entente Sportive (ES) Petigny-Frasnes, with SC Petigny’s registration number 6910 being retained. Retaining the role he had had in SC Petigny's board for the preceding two decades, Robert Dubuc - mayor of Couvin since 1995 - becomes the new club's first chairman, with SC Frasnien's strongman Michel Bertrand taking over the role of secretary. First team football moves to Petigny’s Terrain de la Rue des Monts. SC Frasnien’s pitch at Rue de l’Adujoir remains in use for lower team football and training purposes. The new club's first team starts its life in Namur's Provincial League 4B.
± 1999 / ES Petigny-Frasnes abandons SC Frasnien's former pitch at Rue de l'Adujoir, with all activities moving to Rue des Monts in Petigny.
2000 / Coached by Pascal Chartier, ES Petigny-Frasnes finishes in second place in Provincial League 4. Due to Namur's P4 being abolished following the 1999-2000 season, the club wins automatic promotion to Provincial League 3.
2002 / In a reorganisation of Namur's Provincial League pyramid, Provincial League 4 is reinstated. ES Petigny-Frasnes is one of the clubs finishing in the last seven places in P3, resulting in being retrograded to the new bottom division. Also in 2002, SC Frasnien’s former ground at Rue de l’Adujoir is taken over by Athlétic Club Couvinois (ACCO).
2003 / Coached by Pascal Jeannesson, ES Petigny-Frasnes finishes in second place in P4, resulting in the club returning to Provincial League 3 after an absence of just one year. The decisive points are clinched in an away match in Sombreffe.
2005 / ES Petigny-Frasnes reaches the promotion play-offs in Provincial League 3 for the first time, but Provincial League 2 proves a step too far.
2007 / After two difficult seasons in Provincial League 3, ES Petigny-Frasnes withdraws from first team football. Also in 2007, plagued by an illness, Robert Dubuc gives up his position as mayor of Couvin after twelve years. He continues in his role as chairman of the football club.
2008 / ES Petigny-Frasnes returns to first team football, being placed in Provincial League 4E at the start of the 2008-09 season.
2009 / As it has become clear that his illness is irreversible, Robert Dubuc is accorded the honour of having the football ground at Rue des Monts in Petigny named after him, Stade Robert Dubuc, in July 2009. Dubuc passes away five months later at the age of 60.
2012 / Finishing in third place in Namur’s Provincial League 4E, ES Petigny-Frasnes qualifies for the promotion play-off, finishing in second place in the group stage behind R Excelsior FC Évelette-Jallet, but ahead of R Gembloux Sport B. As such, REFC Évelette-Jallet wins promotion to P3, but due to extra promotion places being available, ES Petigny-Frasnes is given the opportunity to take part in a lucky loser round with clubs which finishes as runners-up in the other groups. In this second round of play-offs, ES Petigny-Frasnes has the better of JS Fraire (3-6) and FC Clermont (5-4), thus winning a ticket to Provincial League 3 via the backdoor.
2017 / With the club being in acute danger of folding, a group of players decides to rally around the flag before it is too late. Robert Dubuc's youngest daughter Stéphanie takes over the club's chairmanship.
2018 / Having finished in safe mid-table positions in Provincial League 3 in the preceding seasons, yet without coming close to even a play-off place, ES Petigny-Frasnes now wins the title in P3C, 4 points ahead of closest rivals FC Espoir Tarciennois. As such, the club wins promotion to Namur’s Provincial League 2 for the first time in history. The successful coach is Sébastien Marée.
2022 / Finishing as runners-up in P2B, 2 points behind champions US Saint-Hadelin Haversin, ES Petigny-Frasnes qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club eliminates RFC Bioul in R1 (2-0) before being knocked out by REFC Évelette-Jallet in the semis (3-0).
2023 / Finishing in fifth place in P2B, ES Petigny-Frasnes qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club eliminates RUS Pondrôme in R1 (2-4) before being knocked out by Union Rochefortoise B in the semis (0-3).
2024 / Runners-up in P2B, 9 points behind champions R Stade Gedinnois, ES Petigny-Frasnes qualifies for the promotion play-offs for the third time in a row. This time, the club is more fortunate than in the two previous editions, winning successive victories over FC Espoir Tarciennois (2-1), RUS Pondrôme (2-1), and RFC Rhisnois (6-4 aggr.) – the result being that ES Petigny-Frasnes accedes to Namur’s Provincial League 1 for the first time in club history.

Note 1 – The match attended by me at Stade Robert Dubuc was memorable in more than one way. Firstly, it constituted ES Petigny-Frasnes’ first-ever match in Namur's Provincial League 1; on top of that, the 2-0 defeat of RFC Meux B also meant that it was the club’s first-ever win at this level.

Note 2 – Last picture in the series below shows the ground in, probably, the 1990s; the original photo can be admired in ES Petigny-Frasnes' clubhouse at Stade Robert Dubuc.