Although they failed to create a miracle for the newly promoted team to win the championship, Royal Saint-Gilles United, which once again competed in the Belgian top league after 48 years, has continued to soar in popularity in the past year. Beautiful attacking football, beer rain from the die-hard fans in the stands, never-ending singing... Welcome to the Joseph Marian Stadium in Brussels and feel the fresh air full of charm.
One weekend in March 2012, Italian musician Stefano Rigi held a concert in Brussels . Anderlecht, the best team in the Belgian capital, happened to be playing away at the time, and he could only choose a C game. Satisfy your appetite in the first-level league. But sitting in the stands of Joseph Marian Stadium, Reggie immediately felt a surge of emotion: "I have regained the spirit of football in the past, the feeling I had when I was a child watching Juventus games with my father."
0 years have passed. , Rigi came to Saint-Gilles again and put on the yellow jersey. Why did an Italian artist with no emotional ties to Belgium fall in love with a small Belgian football team? "In Italy, extreme fans only swear; in San Gil, the fans are more serious and elegant. Everyone sings throughout the game. When your team scores, your head will be drenched with beer! It's wonderful. ”
Special Halo
In the past year, Rigi felt extremely happy for supporting St. Giles United, because the team was promoted to the top and became the first place in the regular league and a strong contender for the championship. Every time he went to watch a game, Reggie would get soaked in beer.
In addition to its outstanding results, St. Gilles United's club quality and value are also widely praised. At the beginning of the season, Antwerp 's die-hard fans will even pull out a banner for the away team at their home stadium: St. Gilles United, welcome home. At the end of December last year, the new crown epidemic broke out again, and the Belgian League was forced to close its games. St. Gilles United could still get the support of fans - the Duden Park where the Marian Stadium is located has a pleasant scenery, and there is a hill nearby. Everyone gathered there and kept shouting. , singing, setting off fireworks.
In short, no one in Belgium hates St. Gilles United. In May of this year, almost everyone except Anderlecht and Club Brugge fans hoped that St. Gilles United would win the championship.
Coach Feliz Mazur, who has been poached by Anderlecht, has been in the spotlight for dancing on the court in the past year. What would he do if he won the championship? "Maybe I will strip naked and run around naked! Considering that I am older (56 years old), this kind of behavior may not be a good advertisement for me!"
If there is no championship play-offs in Belgium, the 2021-22 championship trophy has already been It's in the pocket of St. Gilles United - every victory the team has is a step towards a miracle. Riggi said: "From the beginning, I dreamed that St. Gilles United would be like Leicester City and prayed for the team!" The Italian singer has the right to say this, because he has been with the club for the past 10 years, and witnessed their growth.
As Rigi said, St. Gilles United fans never insulted referees or opponents, and always showed true humane values - many of them would also put anti-Nazi slogans on their car rearview mirrors. In addition to results, this team has also exploded off the court. In two years, they have gone from being an unknown underdog in the second division to becoming the most watched team in Belgium. When they kept winning, it was fashionable in Belgium to support United Saint-Gilles. Every time St. Gilles United plays home games, there will be some celebrities in the stands. Even if they are not fans of St. Gilles United, they are willing to come and join in the fun.
Marco Martinello, who studies political science and sociology at the University of Liège, sees a phenomenon worth studying in this capital club. In recent years, the Saint-Gilles neighborhood has been in a phase of so-called “urban gentrification.” "Historically speaking, the main demographic here was Brussels and some early immigrants, and then there was a new wave of immigrants who were wealthier and better educated. This phenomenon is reflected in the fans of St. Gilles United. reflected.Saint-Gilles is not the only neighborhood in Brussels experiencing this phenomenon, but they have a competitive team and as a result, there is a special aura here. "
Professor Martinello also specifically gave an example: an international student from his school from the United States bought a season ticket for St. Gilles United. "To be honest, if it was a few years ago, she would definitely buy Andre. Season tickets for Hurts. Recently, I often hear people around me say that I am a ‘die-hard fan of St. Gilles United for 20 years’. Don’t be ridiculous, two years ago, there was no one at Marian Stadium! ”
“Road to Fans”
Every match day, you will easily encounter Saint-Gilles United fans on the streets of Brussels. First, you have to avoid the traditional extreme fan organization Chez Katy and find a group of young people who dress more casually, and then Listen carefully to their accents.
Emmeline, Eva, Thomas and Victor are all French. Except for Victor, who came here with his friends to watch the game, Thomas said that they were introduced by friends. And stories on Instagram fell in love with St. Gilles United; Victor was only watching the St. Gilles United game live for the third time, and the yellow and blue scarf around his neck was very eye-catching. Emeline added: "There is one of us next to Duden Park. Frequently visited place. I'm not really a fan and can never figure out if there was a foul or not, but I like that atmosphere. What I like most is the feeling of being close to the venue. You can see the players' faces clearly, which is completely different from the Stade de France in . "
's lack of football knowledge does not prevent the 29-year-old girl from enjoying the game. "It feels like going back to middle school, watching the demonstrations against retirement reform... You are suddenly grabbed by someone: 'Let's go together. go! '"
Contrary to Emmeline, Costas knows football very well. He is one of the leaders of the "Boys' League", a fan organization of St. Gilles United. This organization now has more than 400 members, 300 more than last year. This The Greek with a premature hairline and a phoenix tattoo on his left arm fell in love with the atmosphere of Marjan Stadium 7 years ago, and before that, he was a follower of AEK Athens.
"One day, one of my haircuts came to me. When I mentioned Saint-Gillet United, I laughed at the fact that they only had more than 300 fans and no one could be seen in the stands. One Sunday afternoon, out of boredom, I got into a van and went to watch the St. Gilles United game... and then I fell in love with this energetic team. I think that as a fan, you should be labeled as leftist and progressive! "
Now when it comes to St. Giles United, Costas always smiles from ear to ear. He did not expect that the team he supports will participate in the top league championship. "For players, they do not need to bear the pressure of performance. After a certain loss, the game was over for a quarter of an hour, and we were still singing in the stadium. "Costas said that compared with when they were playing in the C-League, there are now hundreds more people cheering with them in away games. There are only 9,400 seats at Marjan Stadium, and 4,500 season tickets were sold in the 2021-22 season. There. In a pitifully small fan store, the jerseys are already out of stock. If you place an order on the same day, you will have to wait several weeks to receive the goods. "A few years ago, I often went to work sleepy on Mondays due to away trips. Some colleagues laughed at me: 'Football.' Really boring! ’ But this season, I’m running into them on the pitch a lot. "
Is the football atmosphere created by these passionate extreme fans and those new fans who can't even figure out offside a bit false? Costas said with a smile: "St. Giles United has successfully captured some people who don't like football. Man, Marjan Field erased those archaic restrictions. After scoring a goal, everyone will throw the beer mug in their hands into the air, just like a college graduation ceremony. "
Fall and Turn
In order to maintain a youthful and localized label, St. Gilles United Club pays great attention to the maintenance of relevant fan groups. According to a 2016 survey, 17,000 Belgians who have purchased tickets or related products About 10,000 of the fans are from Brussels, and Anderlecht brought a lot of trophies to the Belgian capital while St. Gilles struggled in the fourth tier.
Walking into a bar called "The Louvre" in Saint-Gilles, under the gaze of the "Mona Lisa" wearing a yellow and blue scarf, we met Fabry, another founder of "Boys League" Zio Bassano. He admitted that when this fan organization was founded in 2001, it could not attract anyone at all, and the previous fan organizations also disappeared one after another... "But in the past two years, those from families who have supported St. Gilles United for generations, Children who no longer paid attention to football have returned. "
Saint-Gilles United, which was founded in 1897 and ranks 10th in Belgium in terms of age, actually ranks third in the number of domestic trophies won, only less than Andere. Hutt and Bruges. However, their 11 league championships all occurred before and World War II. 1973 was a major turning point. St. Gilles United was relegated from Belgium, and then began a downturn of nearly half a century. Van Akleyan, who was only 10 years old at the time, is now a gray-haired old man. "I never imagined that it would take me half my life to see my team return to the top."
The Marian Stadium has not changed, and it is also Van Akleyan's favorite place. The red exterior walls tell the story of the past, while the gorgeous lights embellish the entire city with a modern flavor. "When you come back here, it's like going back in time."
The facade of Marjan Stadium, designed by Belgian sculptor Oscar de Klerk, has been listed as a regional cultural heritage. The decoration inside the stadium is very historical, and you can still see traces of the two world wars. For Van Akleyan, this is paradise. “I was born, raised and lived here, so I didn’t realize there was anything special about it. Now, the stadium is very popular in the neighborhood, but a lot of people have admitted to me before that they couldn’t pass by it. 10 times, I always thought it was a factory!”
html Pascal Schimmer, 24, is the host of a football show and grew up near Marian Stadium. When he was young, he worked for St. Gilles United for 10 years and never imagined that this club would achieve what it has today. "As a child, people always taught me that as a United player, you have to take responsibility because this is a 'big Belgian club'."
In those years when Anderlecht collected trophies, St. Gilles United could only define Failure and downfall. The cornerstone of the club's reconstruction was established by Jergen Bartsch. From 2013 to 2018, the German businessman controlled St. Gilles United. He was obsessed with Moto GP and often took four models wearing yellow and blue jerseys to the Marian Stadium to watch games. During his five years in power, St. Gilles United stabilized its position in the second division and its finances became healthier. Then the Englishman Tony Bloom showed up in a low-key manner, and the takeoff began.
The future is promising
Bloom once won the championship in a poker competition and later ran a betting data analysis company and made a fortune from it. Known for his unparalleled calmness at the poker table, he also brought Brighton into the Premier League . After gaining control of Saint-Gillet United, Bloom immediately arranged for his most trusted subordinate, Ales Muzio, to serve as the club's president to ensure smooth development.
In addition to the necessary funds, the British owners brought something else to St. Gilles United, and the club entered a level it had never entered before: true professionalism. Bloom's first decision after taking power was to improve training conditions and move the training center 50 kilometers north of Brussels. Philippe Bormand, the general manager who took office in 2018, confirmed: "In Belgium, after foreign wealthy people buy a club, they usually have great ambitions but no ideas. From Bloom, I felt that he is willing to spend time to make the club A growth mentality, and a desire to provide sufficient funds to improve hardware and youth training."
Bloom's first priority after acquiring St. Gilles United is to return to the top league and look like Hollywood movie star George Clooney . Coach Mazu became the biggest contributor to achieving the goal. After experiencing the success of Charleroi and the loss of Genk , Matsu ushered in a new life in Saint-Gilles.When did he feel like he was in the right place? After losing to Molenbeek in the derby in September 2020. "After the game, I asked the players if they had any objections to the tactical system. I am not a dictator. It must be wrong to ignore the players' feelings and force them to accept instructions. That day, the boys spoke freely, and I also understood that I have a way to achieve it. Something." In the following 23 league rounds, St. Giles United won 20 games and successfully won the Second Division championship trophy. After
acquired St. Giles United, Broome's camp repeatedly stated to the outside world that "USG" would never become a satellite club of Brighton. However, looking at the operations of the two clubs in the transfer market in the past year, anyone with a discerning eye will know it. Last summer, Brighton signed wide winger Kaoru Mikasa from Japan's Kawasaki Frontale and immediately loaned him to St. Gilles United. In January this year, Brighton signed St. Gilles United's leading striker Ondafu for 6 million euros. The German was then loaned back to the then-League leader.
Professor Martinello said: "It is indeed very happy to see that St. Gilles United has demonstrated a popular and continuously improving football image. But like all clubs, the (British) capital behind it is the foundation for development. "When it comes to capital, you need to have a good business plan. November 1 this year is the 125th birthday of St. Gilles United. The new stadium plan is a gift from the club to the fans. Bormand explained: "When we were in the second division, the club had a cumulative loss of about 6 million euros, and it was even higher in the season when we won the championship (2020-21) because all home games were played behind closed doors. Without a new stadium, it would be difficult for us Keep moving forward at the highest level.”
Marjan Stadium is too close to the surrounding houses and the facade is listed as a cultural heritage, so it is difficult to expand and renovate. Even old fans like Bassano admit that leaving the "Red Wall Stadium" is inevitable. "Investors need new tools, and the current stadium can no longer adapt to reality." The club's planned new stadium has a capacity of between 14,000 and 20,000 people, and the preferred location is near Marjan Stadium. Bormant said: "We plan to set up a standing stand and convert it into seats when participating in the European war. This will increase the number of spectators and obtain more economic benefits through means such as boxes."
Central defender West Ham who joined St. Gilles United in 2019 Vanderheiden said that the club he is in is full of contagious energy and there is no need to worry about the future. "This is a club that can enter your heart, so I have it (the team emblem) tattooed on my body."
This article is reproduced from the Football Weekly WeChat public account
Author of this article: Andrea Shaqi
Compiler: Xiang wave
