K.R.C. Mechelen

History

Founded in July 1904 as Racing Club de Malines, the club registered with the federation two years later on 22 June 1906 and received the matricule n°24. The name of the club changed three times: first the suffix Société Royale was added (1929), then the name was translated into Dutch becoming Koninklijke Racing Club Mechelen (1937).

Racing Mechelen played its first season in the first division in 1910–11 and finished 8th of 12 teams. By this time, rival FC Malines, later called KV Mechelen, was playing in second division. The following season, Racing ended 11th just one point away from Beerschot and was relegated. Just before World War I, Racing finished second in their division while FC Malines was third (8 points behind). Thus RC Malines were promoted, playing the following season in the first division, which was played in 1919–20. They ended in 6th place. Two years after that FC Malines was playing in the first division too. In 1929 and 1930 after having spent one year in the second division (1924), the club grabbed third place in the first division. A record it would beat in 1952 with a second-place finish after a new sequence of two third places (1950 and 1951). In 1954 it qualified for the final game of the Belgian Cup. Afterwards, the club fell to the second division and has rarely played at a higher level in recent decades.

Stadium

The Oscar Vankesbeeckstadion is a football stadium in the Belgian city of Mechelen. The stadium is located just to the north of the centre of town over the River Dijle. It was built in 1923 and is named after the former president of the club: Oscar Van Kesbeeck (1886–1943) who was a Flemish Liberal Politician. The current capacity of the stadium is 6,123. The Oscar Vankesbeeckstadion is located just under a mile away from Argosstadion Achter de Kazerne, which is home to rivals KV Mechelen.

Honours

• Belgian First Division:
  • Runners-up (1): 1951–52
  • Third place (4): 1928–29, 1929–30, 1949–50, 1950–51
• Belgian Second Division:
  • Winners (4): 1909–10, 1947–1948, 1974–1975, 1987–1988
  • Runners-up (5): 1913–1914, 1924–1925, 1938–1939, 1945–1946, 1984–1985
• Belgian Third Division:
  • Winners (4): 1961–1962, 1965–1966, 1968–1969, 2013–2014
• Belgian Cup:
  • Runners-up (1): 1953–1954

Current squad

On loan

Managers

• 1919–56: Belgium Jan Dogaer
• 1956–57: Belgium Richard Gedopt
• 1957–58: HUN Janos Pintye
• 1958–58: Belgium Guillaume Placklé
• 1958–61: Belgium Marcel Bruyninckx
• 1961–62: Belgium Albert Herremans
• 1962–63: Belgium Marius Mondele
• 1963–64: Belgium Gérard Engelen
• 1964–65: Belgium Jean Hamers
• 1965–68: Belgium Rik Van Herp
• 1968–68: Belgium Jos De Winne
• 1968–68: Belgium Emile Deghislage
• 1968–72: Belgium Rik Matthys
• 1972–72: ROM Oliver Gaspar
• 1972–76: FRG Ernst Künnecke
• 1976–77: Belgium Bob Maertens
• 1977–81: Belgium Raoul Peeters
• 1981–83: Belgium Jean-Pierre Borremans
• 1983–85: Belgium Albert Bers
• 1985–86: POL Włodzimierz Lubański
• 1986–89: Belgium Rik Pauwels
• 1989–90: Belgium Raoul Peeters
• 1990–91: Belgium Guy Mangelschots
• 1991–92: Belgium Albert Van Marcke
• 1992–93: Belgium Jan Ceuleers/Belgium Piet Demol
• 1992–93: Belgium Piet Demol
• 1993–94: Belgium Piet Demol/ Belgium Rik Pauwels
• 1994–97: Belgium Albert Van Marcke
• 1998–98: Belgium Marc Huysmans
• 1998–98: Belgium Albert Van Marcke
• 1998–98: Georgia David Kipiani/ Belgium Albert Van Marcke
• 1999–01: Belgium Patrick Hantson
• 2001–03: Belgium Marc Ghys
• 2003–04: Belgium Marc Ghys/{ Belgium Joël Crahay
• 2004–05: Belgium Joël Crahay/ Belgium Patrick Asselman
• 2005–06: Belgium Patrick Asselman/ENG Colin Andrews
• 2006–07: ENG Colin Andrews
• 2007–09: Belgium Regi Van Acker
• 2009–10: Belgium Regi Van Acker/ Belgium Luc Leys/ NED Danny Hoekman/ Belgium Marc Ghys
• 2010–11: Belgium Raoul Peeters
• 2011–12: Belgium Marc Ghys/ Senegal Sadio Ba
• 2012–: Belgium Thierry Pister

References

References

1. [http://www.racingmechelen.be/club/stadion/ stadion], racingmechelen.be (last check 30 March 2018)
2. [http://www.racingmechelen.be/club/stadion/ stadion] {{Webarchive. link. (30 March 2018 , racingmechelen.be (last check 30 March 2018))