Extreme Football Tourism: BELGIUM: LC Mesvinois (1926-1946) / Entente Hyon-Ciply-Mesvin (1946-1948) / LC Mesvin (1948-1957) / RLC Mesvinois (1957-)

Stade Marcel Canon, Mesvin (RLC Mesvinois, formerly LC Mesvinois, Entente Hyon-Ciply-Mesvin & LC Mesvin)

Belgium, province: Hainaut = Henegouwen

22 XII 2024 / RLC Mesvinois - RUE Estinnoise 1-1 / Hainaut, Provincial League 2B (= BE level 7)

Timeline

1915 / Foundation of a football club in Mesvin, a village just to the south of Mons in Hainaut. The new club takes on the name Black Star de Mesvin and settles on a pitch laid out in the Parc du Château Bernard. In the first nine years of its existence, the club does not join the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB), instead contenting itself with friendly matches or by playing in a different football league (further details unknown).
1924 / After nine years, Black Star Mesvin joins the Belgian Football Association with a new name, Léopold Club (LC) Mesvinois – a name which, according to the legend, was not derived from the name of two previous Belgian kings, but from the youngest son of club chairman Léon Hanset. For the 1924-25 season, the club is placed in Hainaut’s Division 4 “Spéciaux”, a division for new member clubs. Initially, the club plays its football on a pitch laid out at Rue Monte en Peine in nearby Hyon.
± 1925 / Abandoning the pitch at Rue Monte en Peine, LC Mesvinois moves to a newly laid-out pitch at Grand Chemin de Nouvelles in Mesvin proper.
1926 / As the club disposes of enough players to create a B team, LC Mesvinois “A” wins automatic promotion to Hainaut’s Division 3. That same year, the club moves away from Grand Chemin de Nouvelles, settling on a newly laid-out pitch only a stone’s throw further down the road, at Chemin (Rue) de Brunehaut, right along the railway track, on a pasture known locally as the Lieu-dit “Les Marais”. In December 1926, upon the introduction of registration numbers at the Belgian Football Association, LC Mesvinois obtains number 370.
1928 / Reinforced by some players of national league club AEC Mons, including Charles Scauflaire, LC Mesvinois wins the title in Hainaut’s Division 3, thus winning promotion to Division 2, the highest provincial level at the time.
1931 / Upon the creation of a Division 1 as the top level of Hainaut’s provincial divisions, LC Mesvinois, the number four club in Division 2B in the 1930-31 season, is placed in this newly created competition.
1934 / Finishing bottom of the table in Hainaut’s Division 1, LC Mesvinois drops back into D2 along with AA Brainoise and LC Hornu.
1940 / LC Mesvinois player Jean Couez, drafted into the Belgian army upon its mobilisation in the summer of 1939, is killed in action in the proximity of Ghent during the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940.
1946 / Upon the resumption of league football in 1946, two years after the liberation of Belgium, LC Mesvinois takes on a new name, Entente Hyon-Ciply-Mesvin in an attempt to extend its appeal to two villages close by.
1948 / After two years of being called Entente Hyon-Ciply-Mesvin, apparently a name which did not prove evocative enough, the club changes its denomination to become Léopold Club (LC) Mesvin (note that the name Mesvin is chosen instead of the adjective Mesvinois).
1949 / Finishing in second-last place in Hainaut’s Division 2B, with only 4 points (goal difference: -161), LC Mesvin descends into Division 3 – the lowest level of Hainaut’s regional pyramid at the time – along with US Stambrugeoise, CS Aulnois, and bottom club FC Herchies.
1957 / Obtaining the royal epithet in December 1956, LC Mesvin officially changes its name to become Royal Léopold Club (RLC) Mesvinois in January 1957.
1960 / A round of renovations is carried out at Terrain des Marais. That same year, former RAEC Mons player Jean Legrand is named head coach, staying on in that capacity for two seasons.
1965 / Coached by former RAEC Mons player George Joarlette, RLC Mesvinois clinches the title in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3B with a considerable gap separating the club from runners-up Union Ghlinoise. In fact, the club won 29 of its 30 matches, having to give away just 1 point all season in a 2-2 draw against FC Silly. As such, the club wins promotion to Provincial League 2. In the 1960s, the club experiences problems with the quality of its pitch at Chemin de Brunehaut, brought about in part due to the fact that the pitch is taken over by a local smallholder’s cattle during midweeks. As such, the club is forced to spend a spell at a temporary pitch laid out near the farm of the Ladeuze family.
1980 / RLC Mesvinois’ club chairman Marcel Canon passes away. In the aftermath of his passing, the Terrain des Marais at Chemin de Brunehaut is renamed Stade Marcel Canon in his honour.
1983 / Former RLC Mesvinois youth player Mohammed Lashaf, who had joined RSC Anderlechtois’ youth academy in 1980, makes his debut for the first team of Belgium’s most successful club at the age of sixteen. In the course of his career, the midfielder goes on to defend the colours of Racing Jet Wavre, R Antwerp FC, R Standard de Liège, and FC Gueugnon, eventually hanging up his boots in 1996. Between 1991 and 1994, Lashaf also won six caps for Morocco, scoring two goals.
1989 / After 24 consecutive years in Provincial League 2, RLC Mesvinois now clinches the title in P2B, 1 point ahead of closest rivals R Sporting Bosquetia Frameries. In fact, the decisive points are clinched in a 2-1 home win against that same RSB Frameries, with no fewer than 1,400 spectators attending the match at Stade Marcel Canon. Also in 1989, the main pitch of the ground is raised and equipped with a drainage system, thus improving the quality of the surface.
1990 / In the best season in club history, RLC Mesvinois finishes in third place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 1, with only RUS Tournaisienne and URS Centre picking up more points.
1991 / Finishing in second-last place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 1, RLC Mesvinois drops back into Provincial League 2 along with RFC Ressaix and bottom club FC Lignette. Also in 1991, former RLC Mesvinois youth academy midfielder Laurent Demol, aged 19, makes his debut for RAEC Mons' first team, going on to defend the colours of ROC Charleroi-Marchienne and AFC Tubize before hanging up his boots in 2004.
1993 / Former RLC Mesvinois youth player Mbo Mpenza, who had moved to KV Kortrijk’s youth academy in 1989, makes his debut for the West Flemish side’s first team at the age of sixteen. In the course of his colourful career, the forward player also wore the colours of R Excelsior Mouscron, R Standard de Liège, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Galatasaray SK, RSC Anderlecht, and AE Larissa 1964, eventually hanging up his boots in 2008. Mbo Mpenza also won 56 caps for the Belgian national team between 1997 and 2008, scoring three goals – moreover being part of the Belgian squads in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups as well as the 2000 European Championships.
1994 / RLC Mesvinois finishes as runners-up in Provincial League 2B, just 1 point behind champions SC Havré.
1995 / Former RLC Mesvinois youth player Émile Mpenza, who had moved to KV Kortrijk’s youth academy together with his older brother Mbo in 1989, makes his debut for the West Flemish side’s first team at the age of seventeen. In the course of his colourful career, the forward player also wore the colours of R Excelsior Mouscron, R Standard de Liège, FC Schalke 04, Hamburger SV, Al-Rayyan SC, Manchester City FC, Plymouth Argyle FC, FC Sion, Neftçi PFC, and SC Eendracht Aalst, eventually hanging up his boots in 2014. Émile Mpenza also won 57 caps for the Belgian national team between 1997 and 2009, scoring 19 goals – moreover being part of the Belgian squad in the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championships.
1997 / RLC Mesvinois finishes as runners-up in Provincial League 2B, 9 points behind champions R Soignies Sports.
2000 / Champions in Provincial League 2B, 9 points ahead of closest followers RFC Houdinois, RLC Mesvinois wins promotion to Hainaut’s Provincial League 1.
2001 / Finishing in third-last place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 1, RLC Mesvinois drops back into P2 after just one season, along with RUS Binchoise, RUFC Ransartoise, and bottom club RUS Herseautoise.
2005 / Finishing in second-last place in P2B, RLC Mesvinois drops back into Provincial League 3 along with bottom club RSC Naastois. It is forty seasons ago that ‘Les Léo’ found themselves at this lowly level. In spite of the improvements on the surface carried out in the late 1980s, the main pitch at Stade Marcel Canon is still regularly waterlogged – with first team football moving to the ground’s training pitch for most of the following decade. Also in 2005, former RLC Mesvinois youth player Baptiste Ulens makes his debut in RAEC Mons’ first team at the age of eighteen. In the course of his colourful career, the defender goes on to defend the colours of RSC du Pays de Charleroi, RFC Liège, ROC Charleroi-Marchienne, R White Star Woluwe FC, KV Kortrijk, AFC Tubize, UR La Louvière Centre, R Albert Quévy-Mons, RFC Rapid Symphorinois, and FC Flénu.
2009 / Former RLC Mesvinois youth player Noë Dussenne, who had joined R Francs Borains’ youth academy in 2003, makes his debut for RAEC Mons’ first team at the age of seventeen. In the course of his career, the defender went on to wear the colours of AFC Tubize, Cercle Brugge KSV, R Mouscron-Péruwelz, FC Crotone, KAA Gent, R Excel Mouscron, R Standard de Liège, and FC Lausanne-Sports.
2010 / Former RLC Mesvinois youth player Adrien Saussez, who had moved to RAEC Mons’ youth academy earlier on, makes his debut in that club’s first team at the age of nineteen. In the course of his career, the goalkeeper went on to play for AFC Tubize, R Union Saint-Gilloise, and R Francs Borains as well.
2011 / Former RLC Mesvinois youth player Dylan De Belder, who had moved to RAEC Mons’ youth academy at the age of nine in 2001, makes his debut for that club’s first team. In the course of his career, the forward player also wore the jerseys of KV Red Star Waasland-SK Beveren, Lommel United, K Lierse SK, Cercle Brugge KSV, and KMSK Deinze.
2013 / Finishing in second-last place in P3B, RLC Mesvinois experiences the nadir of its history, dropping back into Provincial League 4, the bottom level of Hainaut’s provincial pyramid, for the first time, along with RFC Entité Enghien Sports and bottom side FC Flénu B.
2014 / RLC Mesvinois finishes as runners-up in P4D, 3 points behind champions JS Borina Quaregnon.
2016 / Finishing as runners-up in P4C, 3 points behind champions AS Baisieux Quiévrain, RLC Mesvinois qualifies for the promotion play-offs. In a group of nine, ‘Les Léo’ manage a meagre fifth place – with only RFC Ecaussinnois, AS Docherie, US Merbesars, and US Neufvilles B obtaining fewer points. Yet, with extra promotion places being available, five of these nine clubs are placed in Provincial League 3 for the new season; and as such, RLC Mesvinois win promotion along with JSC Brugelette, Diables Rouges Rongy, FC Houtaing, and RES Roux B.
2018 / Finishing in fifth place in P3C, RLC Mesvinois qualifies for the play-offs, in which it defeats RCS Lensois in R1 (2-4), but loses the final against FC Beclers (2-3). Due to extra promotion places being available, the club is given an extra chance in a lucky loser play-off with four clubs, defeating AS Obigies in R1 (1-0) and losing the final against JS Froidchapelloise (2-1). However, in the end both JS Froidchapelloise and RLC Mesvinois are placed in Provincial League 2 for the new season.
2022 / Runners-up in Hainaut’s Provincial League 2B, 12 points behind runaway champions FC Flénu, RLC Mesvinois qualifies for the promotion play-offs, edging past R Jumet SC (0-0) and AC Anvaing (1-1) in the first two rounds after penalty shoot-outs, thus qualifying for the final round, in which three clubs fight for one promotion ticket – and with RAEC Mons B eventually walking away with promotion at the expense of ‘Les Léo’ and FC Enghiennois.
2024 / Finishing in third place in P2B, RLC Mesvinois qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in R1 by RUE Estinnoise (1-2).

Note – Essential parts of this historical overview were derived from an (unpublished) piece about the club’s history written by Sudinfo journalist François Michel. Heartfelt thanks to Mr Michel for selflessly putting at my disposal the results of his research.