Renaissance Albert Elisabeth Club de Mons, simply known as R.A.E.C. Mons or Mons, was a Belgian football club formed in Mons, Hainaut Province, in 1910 and based at Stade Charles Tondreau from 1910 (114 years ago) (1910) to 2015 (9 years ago) (2015).
The nickname of the club was the Albert, and the nickname of the players was the dragons in reference to the ducasse of Mons (also called the "Doudou").
RAEC Mons was the club that has played the most seasons at the third level of Belgian football: 64 seasons.
The club announced on its website that it was filing for bankruptcy. The club ceased its activities at the end of the 2014–2015 season, which it finished seventh in the "Proximus League" (D2).
On 23 June 2020, the president of "Royal Albert Quevy-Mons" Hubert Ewbank launched a new phoenix club of the same name.
History
Early years
There were originally several association football clubs in Mons. Club Amateur Sportif was founded in 1905 as a member of the UBSSA (Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports Athlétiques), with the club colors being red and white. This club later changed its name to Cercle des Sport de Mons and settled on Avenue du Tir. Another club was Stade Montois with the colors blue and white. This club merged in May 1910 with Cercle des Sports de Mons, Nimy-Sportif and Olympique de Mons and continued as Olympique Mons. There was also Racing Club Mons. In 1913, Racing Club Mons merged with Olympic Mons.[1]
In 1909, René Tondreau, Maurice Van Pel, Henri Lebailly and Fernand Courtois decided to form a new club. Following the example of Léopold Club de Bruxelles, they also wanted to take the name of the reigning Belgian monarch. The admission to the name Albert-Elisabeth Club de Mons, which referred to the marriage of Albert I of Belgium and Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium, was requested from King Albert I, and was officially given on 18 May 1910 by letter from the Royal Palace. The club became a member of the Royal Belgian Football Association (KBVB) on 17 June 1910 and received matricule number 44.[1] In May 1910, the lease was signed for one hectare of land along Avenue du Tir, on the site of the current stadium, and on 25 September 1910, it was opened in front of 300 spectators. The new club played in the blue and white colours of the royal family until September 1920, which then became red and white, the colours of the city of Mons.[1]
RAEC Mons
After World War I, in 1919, Mons appeared for the first time in Belgian Second Division, but suffered relegation again after two seasons. In 1923, AEC Mons and FC Baudoir merged. Eventually the name changed in 1934 to Royal Albert Elisabeth Club Mons or R.A.E.C. Mons. During the following decades, the club mainly competed in the second and third tiers of Belgian football. In 1988, the club Royale Union Jemappes-Flénu (matricule number 136) was merged into Mons. The RAEC name and matricule number were retained.[1]
However, around the turn of the millennium, the club succeeded in making a rise through the divisions. In 2000, Mons finished at the top of their series in the Third Division, with as many points as Heusden-Zolder. The decisive play-off match between the two clubs ended 3–3, with Mons promoting back to the Second Division after winning 4–3 in the subsequent penalty shootout.[2] In the Second Division, Mons immediately managed to qualify for the final play-off round in their first season, but eventually failed to promote again. The following season, 2001–02, was a major success. Mons qualified for the final play-off round again, won, and thus promoted to the Belgian top-tier First Division for the first time in club history in 2002.[3][4] Mons relegated again in 2005, but bounced back after one season down.
Philippe Saint-Jean was hired as the new head coach for the 2008–09 season.[5] He resigned after one match-day for medical reasons and was succeeded by Thierry Pister. In December 2008, Pister was fired after poor results and succeeded by youth coach Christophe Dessy, who was also immediately promoted to the role of manager.[6] At the end of that season, they again relegated to the Second Division. Dessy stepped down and Rudi Cossey became head coach, until his resignation in November 2009.[7] Successor Geert Broeckaert was later also replaced.[8] Dutchman Dennis van Wijk took over and guided Mons to the First Division again in 2011 via the final play-off round.[9] In February 2012, Van Wijk was dismissed again after he himself had announced that he did not want to renew his contract.[10]Enzo Scifo was appointed as new head coach and guided the club to the semi-finals of the play-offs in the remaining games.[11]
In the 2013–14 season, RAEC Mons was heading for relegation play-offs the entire season, and eventually finished last in the league table. In the subsequent play-offs, the club relegated to the Second Division again.[12]
On 23 June 2020, the president of "Royal Albert Quevy-Mons" Hubert Ewbank launched the project for the renaissance of RAEC Mons R.A.E.C. Mons (2015) and announced that the name of the club would be changed to the "Renaissance Albert Élisabeth club de Mons 44" and he also announced that Frédéric Herpoel becomes the sports president of the club.
