“It is here Place Van Meenen that the very young founders of the club organized the first matches in the history of the number 10 in 1897”, recalled on this occasion the mayor and honorary president Charles Picqué.
“Since then, the Union, which defends the colors (yellow and blue) of the municipality, has been Belgian champion eleven times, set the historic record of 60 consecutive matches in D1 without defeat between 1933 and 1935, won two cups (in 1913 and 1914) and reached the semi-finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (in 1959). But it was also regularly confronted with serious financial problems, to the point that there were often fears for its survival. But with each times the Union has been saved by people who did not want to see it disappear. Fortunately today thanks to Mr. Tony Bloom (the main shareholder of the RUSG, editor’s note), to whom I would like to express my greatest gratitude, the ‘Union has entered a new era…”
“The town is immensely proud of the extraordinary season that Union Saint-Gilloise has just achieved for its return to D1 after 48 years of absence”, continued the socialist mayor.
“Especially since it is above all a collective success. I would therefore also like to thank the president Alex Muzio, the CEO Philippe Bormans, the coach Felice Mazzù, the players (Damien Marcq, Jonas Bager, Guillaume François, Siebe Van Der Heyden, Senne Lynen and Joachim Imbrechts were present, editor’s note), and the supporters, who all played a big role in this tremendous success”, he concluded.
Mariam El Hamidine, Ecolo mayor of Forest which houses the Stade Joseph Marien, was associated with the ceremony.
Tony Bloom: “I understood after the comeback against Seraing”
Tony Bloom, the main shareholder of Union Saint-Gilloise, also spoke Monday evening at the municipal hall of Saint-Gilles. The Englishman thanked him, the staff and the players for their magnificent season.
“This club won me over even before I bought it,” he admitted. “I was looking to own a side playing on the continent, and coming here I knew immediately that I had found it. The aim was to finally bring the Union back to the top division, and he was reached on schedule…”
“I also understood that this 2021-2022 season would be a great success in mid-October,” continued Tony Bloom. “That day my team Brighton & Hove Albion, of which I am the owner and chairman, had struggled at Norwich City (0-0), the red lantern, and Seraing, a team at the bottom of the table, led 0- 2 at half-time at Duden Park. But the comeback that followed thanks to the entry into play of Kaoru Mitoma, author of a hat-trick that allowed us to win 4-2 in the end, convinced me that this season was going to be particularly successful. And I was not mistaken”, concluded Tony Bloom.
