R. Antwerp F.C.

Royal Antwerp FC is a Belgian football club, from the city of Antwerp in Antwerp (province). Antwerp became the first football club to register to the Belgian Football Association and it received consequently the matricule number one. In 1900, most of the players left the club for the new Beerschot A.C. It is also the last Belgian team to play in a European cup final (namely the Cup Winners' Cup) in 1993, losing 3-1 to Parma A.C. at Wembley Stadium.

Royal Antwerp also have a long-term partnership with the English club Manchester United F.C., often taking their young players on loan so that their development can be aided with first team football.

History

The first years (1880--1901)

Founded in 1880 as Antwerp Cricket, Football & Lawn Tennis Club, the football club grew in prominence and the club's name became Antwerp Football Club in 1894. The next year, it was the first club to register to the brand new FA. It thus took part in the first Belgian championship and finished 2nd behind F.C. Liégeois.

Antwerp ended the following two championships in 3rd (of 6) and 5th (of 5) place but avoided relegation as the first division was expanded in 1898 (two leagues). However, the club finished last in its league again. The next year however, it won its league and played a test-match against Racing Club de Bruxelles in Leuven on April 8, 1900. An own goal by an Antwerp defender gave the title to the Brussels side.

Some time earlier, a previous Antwerp goalkeeper, Alfred Grisar, who was studying in England, had suggested to his father, a race course owner in Antwerp, that he create a sports club. The father agreed but died soon after so Alfred came back to Belgium to manage the club with some friends. He chose to take care of the football club that he named Beerschot. Grisar then asked the Antwerp F.C. players to play for his team and they agreed as the club had the best facilities in the city. Almost every player of Antwerp left the club after the 1-0 defeat to Racing Club.

Antwerp thus decided to withdraw from the league to build a new team in the second division. It was back at the top level in 1901.

The first titles (1901-1953)

While Beerschot was the leading team in the city, Antwerp was getting better and better in the 1920s. In 1925 it finished in second place 6 points behind Beerschot. Four seasons later the first championship was won by the matricule n°1 after a test-match against the rival Beerschot (2-0). The next year Antwerp F.C. finished one point away from the champion CS Brugeois. And in 1931 the players lifted the trophy for the second time.

The "Great Old" had definitely taken over the lead in Antwerp football and it confirmed its status in the next few years. But Beerschot came back and won two more titles in the late 1930s. During World War II, Antwerp brought the trophy back to the Bosuilstadion but the rivalry with the Purple and White was still present.

The European years (1953--1975)

In national competitions

As with a number of other clubs, an English manager named Harry Game was hired in 1953. Antwerp won the Belgian Cup two years later against Waterschei Thor (4-0), the year of the 75th anniversary of the club. In spite of the domination of R.S.C. Anderlecht in the 1950s, the Red and White managed to win the championship for the fourth time in 1957. The season after, they finished 2nd with the same number of points as Standard Liège but Liège had less defeats and thus won according to the rules of the competition.

In European competitions

Honours

Belgian First Division:
- Winners (4): 1928-29, 1930-31, 1943-44, 1956-57
- Runners-up (11): 1895-96, 1924-25, 1929-30, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1945-46, 1955-56, 1957-58, 1962-63, 1973-74, 1974-75
Belgian Cup:
- Winners (2): 1954-55, 1991-92
- Runners-up (1): 1974-75
Cup Winners' Cup:
- Runners-up (1): 1992-93

References

Official website