Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: RAS Saintoise

Stade René Kiermeer, Saintes = Sint-Renelde (RAS Saintoise)

Belgium, province: Walloon Brabant = Waals Brabant

7 IX 2024 / RAS Saintoise - FC Genappe 3-1 / Brabant, ACFF Provincial League 1 (= BE level 6)

Timeline

1920 / Foundation of a first football club in Saintes (Sint-Renelde), Union Sportive (US) Saintoise.
1924 / Having taken part in two seasons of provincial league football in Brabant, US Saintoise changes its name to become Cercle Sportif (CS) Hallois and moving away to Halle. CS Hallois (matr. 120) would go on to merge with R Union Halloise to become KSK Halle in 1972.
1934 / Foundation of a new football club in Saintes, Union Sportive (US) Saintoise, which joins Belgium’s Football Association with registration number 1988. US Saintoise plays its football on a pitch situated at Rue de Rebecq.
1935 / One year after its foundation, the Roman Catholic US Saintoise concludes a merger with another club from the village taking part in the Socialist football league (club name & year of foundation unknown), resulting in the foundation of Alliance Sportive (AS) Saintoise. The new club takes US Saintoise’s place in Brabant’s Provincial League 3 as well as settling at that club’s pitch, Rue de Rebecq.
1945 / Winning the title in Brabant’s Provincial League 3E, AS Saintoise wins promotion to Brabant’s Provincial League 2. The stay at that level does not last longer than one season though, with the club dropping back into P3 in 1946.
1948 / Finishing in third place in P3H, AS Saintoise wins promotion to Provincial League 2. Yet again, though, the stay at that level does not last longer than one season, with relegation duly following in 1949.
1952 / Following the 1951-52 season, in which the club finishes in last place in Brabant’s Provincial League 3A, AS Saintoise is suspended due to having fielded ineligible players.
1954 / Having remained inactive for the 1952-53 season due to its suspension, AS Saintoise’s registration number 1988 is erased from the Belgian FA’s official lists in January 1954.
1958 / Alliance Sportive (AS) Saintoise is refounded, acquiring membership of Belgium’s Football Association with registration number 6158. Settling at the old pitch situated at Rue de Rebecq, the club starts its life in Brabant’s Provincial League 3I in 1959.
1964 / Finishing in fourteenth place in Provincial League 3C, AS Saintoise descends into the newly created bottom division of Brabant’s provincial divisions, Provincial League 4.
1980 / Champions in Provincial League 4I, AS Saintoise wins promotion to Provincial League 3. The stay at that level does not last longer than one year, though, with relegation duly following in 1981.
1988 / Moving away from its pitch at Rue de Rebecq, AS Saintoise settles at a newly laid-out ground at with two pitches at Rue du Radoux, which is named after the chairman of the supporters’ club; Stade René Kiermeer.
1993 / Champions in Provincial League 4H, AS Saintoise wins promotion to Provincial League 3. The stay at that level does not last longer than one year, though, with relegation duly following in 1994.
1995 / Champions in Provincial League 4D, AS Saintoise wins promotion to Provincial League 3. Yet again, though, the stay at that level does not last longer than one year, with relegation duly following in 1996.
2001 / Champions in Provincial League 4D, AS Saintoise wins promotion to Brabant’s Provincial League 3 – this time managing to hold its own at this level in the following seasons.
2007 / Champions in Brabant’s Provincial League 3C, 6 points ahead of runners-up FC Eendracht Affligem, AS Saintoise wins promotion to Provincial League 2 for the first time in club history.
2009 / Finishing in fifteenth place in Provincial League 2C, AS Saintoise drops back into Provincial League 3 along with VC Leeuwkens Teralfene and bottom club FC Eendracht Affligem.
2011 / Obtaining the royal epithet, AS Saintoise officially changes its name to become Royale Alliance Sportive (RAS) Saintoise.
2018 / Finishing in third place in Brabant ACFF’s Provincial League 3B, RAS Saintoise wins promotion to Provincial League 2 via the play-offs.
2023 / Finishing in third place in Brabant ACFF’s Provincial League 2B, only 4 points behind champions R Union Auderghem, RAS Saintoise qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Edging past RCS Brainois B in R1 (1-1 & penalty shoot-out), the club is eliminated in the final by RRC Waterloo (4-1). In a lucky loser round, RAS Saintoise defeats RRC Boitsfort (2-0), but due to no extra promotion places being available, the club ultimately misses out on promotion to Provincial League 1.
2024 / Clinching the title in Brabant ACFF’s Provincial League 2B, 3 points ahead of closest followers R La Hulpe SC, RAS Saintoise achieves a historic promotion to Provincial League 1.