Belgium, province: Hainaut = Henegouwen
3 V 2026 / FC Saint-Jean Tournai - AC Estaimbourg B 2-1 A.E.T. / Hainaut, Provincial League 3 - promotion play-off R1 (= BE level 8)
Timeline
- 1972 / Foundation of FC Saint-Jean, future users of the Terrain de la Résidence Charles Lelubre in Orcq, a village on the western outskirts of Tournay (Tournai, Doornik). Originally, FC Saint-Jean is a recreational team, playing its football at the Terrain Militaire at Quai du Luchet d’Antoing in Tournay proper.
- 1975 / Foundation of FC Marquain, future users of the Terrain de la Résidence Charles Lelubre in Orcq. Marquain is a village situated directly to the west of Orcq – and the football club, which acquires registration number 8286 upon joining the Belgian Football Association (URBSFA / KBVB), probably settled on their pitch laid out at Chaussée de Lille at the outset in 1975. FC Marquain starts its existence as a competitive club in the bottom division of Hainaut’s provincial leagues, Provincial League 4.
- 1978 / After six years of only playing friendly matches, FC Saint-Jean joins a recreational football league, the so-called Championnat de l’Amitié.
- 1981 / Moving away from the Terrain Militaire, FC Saint-Jean settles at the newly laid-out municipal pitch, Stade Bozière, situated at the eponymous Avenue Bozière in Tournay. In the following 23 years, the club moved two more times, playing in Vaulx-lez-Tournai (it is unclear if they used the Plaine de la Trondeloire or Stade Philippe Rasseneur) and Gaurain-Ramecroix (it is unclear if they used the ground at Chaussée de Bruxelles in Ramecroix or the pitch at Rue Joncquerelle in Gaurain).
- 1988 / Foundation of a football club in Orcq, Jeunesse Sportive (JS) Orcq, acquiring registration number 9128 upon joining the Belgian Football Association. Most probably, JS Orcq settles on the pitch situated at Résidence Charles Lelubre right at the start of its existence, with the club being placed in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4 – a level the club would stay put in throughout its existence.
- 1993 / Finishing in third place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A, FC Marquain wins promotion to Provincial League 3 due to extra promotion places being available – along with champions FC Etoiles d’Ère as well as Entente Pottoise, ASC Havinnes, and FC Hérinnes.
- 1995 / In the best achievement in club history, FC Marquain finishes in fifth place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A.
- 1997 / Finishing in second-last place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A, FC Marquain drops back into Provincial League 4 after four years, alongside bottom club FC Ramegnies-Lamain.
- 1998 / Runaway champions in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A, 12 points ahead of closest followers RCS Escanaffles, FC Marquain manages an immediate return to Provincial League 3, being accompanied by play-off winners RCS Escanaffles and FC Bléharies.
- 2001 / Finishing in second-last place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A, FC Marquain drops back into Provincial League 4 alongside bottom club OC Warcoing.
- 2004 / After spells at Stade Bozière, in Vaulx-lez-Tournai (Plaine de la Trondeloire or Stade Philippe Rasseneur), and Gaurain-Ramecroix (Chaussée de Bruxelles or Rue Joncquerelle), FC Saint-Jean moves into the pitch of the former FC Ramegnies-Lamain at Rue de Wattrelos in Ramegnies-Chin.
- 2007 / Usually finishing near the bottom places in Provincial League 4, JS Orcq now manages a ninth place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A, the best achievement in club history.
- 2009 / Finishing in second-last place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A in its last season, JS Orcq ceases its activities, winding up after an existence of 31 years. This leaves only recreational team FC Cœur as users at Résidence Charles Lelubre.
- 2011 / In late December 2010, news comes through that the owner of the pitch of FC Marquain terminates the leasing contract, meaning that the club has to move out – with a solution being found by settling at Résidence Charles Lelubre in Orcq from January 2011 onwards. Meanwhile, in mid-2011, FC Saint-Jean, still playing its football at Rue de Wattrelos in Ramegnies-Chin, joins the Belgian FA after an existence of 39 years as a recreational club, being admitted as a new member club with a slightly adapted name, FC Saint-Jean Tournai, under registration number 9560. FC Saint-Jean Tournai starts its existence as a competitive club in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4.
- 2015 / Finishing in eighth place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A in its last season, FC Marquain ceases its activities, winding up after an existence of forty years. With FC Cœur no longer in existence either, the pitch at Résidence Charles Lelubre in Orcq is left without a club using it.
- 2017 / After thirteen years of playing at Rue de Wattrelos in Ramegnies-Chin, FC Saint-Jean Tournai, still playing in Provincial League 4, moves into the abandoned ground at Résidence Charles Lelubre in Orcq.
- 2018 / Runner-up in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A, 13 points behind runaway champions FC Esplechin, FC Saint-Jean Tournai qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Edging past RFC Tournai B in R1 (0-0 & penalty shoot-out) and knocking out R Gosselies Sports B in R2 (2-0), the club wins promotion to Provincial League 3 for the first time.
- 2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short due to the first COVID lockdown in March 2020, FC Saint-Jean Tournai finds itself in last place in Provincial League 3A after 23 of 30 matches played; on that basis, the club is retrograded into Provincial League 4 alongside the side sitting second from bottom, RAS Risquons-Tout.
- 2024 / Runner-up in Hainaut’s Provincial League 4A, with an equal number of points as champions FC Rumes-La Glanerie, but with an inferior goal difference (+97 vs. +66), FC Saint-Jean Tournai qualifies for the promotion play-offs. Edging past RUSC Anderlues B (1-1 & penalty shoot-out) and ESC Horrues (1-0) in the first two rounds, the club goes on to record two more wins in R3 and R4 – 3-2 against FC Brunehaut and 0-0 & penalty shoot-out against SC Néchin B – but in hindsight, with Brunehaut and Néchin B also gaining promotion due to extra P3 places falling free, the win against Horrues proved pivotal for Saint-Jean.
- 2026 / In the best season in club history, FC Saint-Jean Tournai finishes in fifth place in Hainaut’s Provincial League 3A. Qualifying for the promotion play-offs, the club knocks out AC Estaimbourg B in R1 (2-1 A.E.T.), only to suffer defeat in R2 at the hands of FC AEDEC Hyon (3-5 A.E.T.). In a lucky loser play-off, FC Saint-Jean Tournai now meets Renaissance FC Carnières on May 17th.
Note – Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-3 = non-matchday visit, July 2025 / pictures 4-20 = match visit, May 2026.
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