Matricule Numbers
With football's rapid growth in popularity in the late 19th century, several football clubs came into existence in Belgium. The first to register with the national association was R. Antwerp F.C.. They were subsequently assigned the matricule number 1 when the Royal Belgian Football Association gave a matricule number to each registered club in November 1926, by order of registration. Many matricule numbers no longer exist due to clubs ceasing to exist or merging with another club. When two (or more) clubs merge, they must choose which matricule number to keep. The new club begins the championship at the level where the former club with the same matricule number should have begun the season. Typically they choose the one with the most honours. However, it has often occurred that a club with multiple championship titles have to merge with another less successful club in order to survive. In this case, the club with financial problems has to take the matricule number of the other club, and the honours are lost with the merger. For instance, when the 7 times champion Antwerp-based club K Beerschot VAC was struggling with financial difficulties in the third division in the late 1990s, they merged with then first division neighbour club KFC Germinal Ekeren to survive. The new club named KFC Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen started in the first division with the matricule number of KFC Germinal Ekeren, losing the honours of K Beerschot VAC, but keeping their installations and their purple shirt. Another famous example is that of 5 times champion Daring Club de Bruxelles merger with RR White into R White Daring Molenbeek in 1973.
The first few matricule numbers are:
- R. Antwerp F.C..
- Daring Club de Bruxelles (no longer active)
- Club Brugge
- R.F.C. Liégeois
- R. Léopold Uccle Forestoise
- Racing Club de Bruxelles
- K.A.A. Gent
- R.C.S. Verviétois
- R. Dolhain F.C.
- R. Union Saint-Gilloise
For a more complete list, see List of football clubs in Belgium.
Read more about this topic: Football In Belgium, Clubs
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